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The Stuttering Tattoo (2011)

by Greg Logsted(Favorite Author)

3.03 of 5 Votes: 1

languge

English

genre

Young Adult Fiction

publisher

Greg Logsted

review 1: My review copy of The Stuttering Tattoo was generously provided by the author, Greg Logsted, through the good folks at NetGalley.Steven Bishop is a regular guy living a regular life (well, except for the fact that his dad is a cop and that his best friend is a grown man and former Colombian drug cartel enforcer, who also happens to be his boss and the person teaching him martial arts) – until he meets a mysterious new girl who shows up at school one day out of the blue. His experience with her changes his life – and not just in the way you’re inclined to think for a YA novel. This isn’t just about teen love and angst, folks, this one has a mystery built in.It’s your classic boy meets girl, girl needs saving, boy steps in story – right up until you meet her “f... moreamily”, a tightly knit collection of gypsy-like drifters living largely off the grid. Throw in Carlos, the former drug enforcer dude and a mysterious tattoo, and things get really interesting. And violent. Fast.The ensuing tale of Steven’s fight for the girl is an enjoyable one, full of the obligatory ups and downs. His faith, perseverance, and friendship (and, of course, love) in and for Becky are a breath of fresh air in this age of short-term flings and short attention span theater. There are enough original elements to keep the story from feeling too cliched. It’s a pleasantly diverting read that reads authentically enough to hold a teenager’s interest. There is some gratuitous violence, but not really any more than you encounter in your average television drama these days (I’m talking regular, network TV, not cable). There is also some underage drinking and more waving about of fake-IDs than sits well with me as the step-mother to a twelve year old girl, but sadly I think that there is probably a lot of truth to the representations made in this regard (sometimes the world we live in stinks, because I really shouldn’t have to admit that, but I do). And the romance between Steven and Becky dances a rather fine line between being believable and not going too far for comfort.It’s a well written story that offers a few new spins on the classic tale of forbidden teenage love, and well worth a look.
review 2: Oh my goodness!!! I finished it!!! And I'm stunned beyond reason! I haven't felt like this ever since I read "Shatter Me" a couple of months ago. "The Stuttering Tattoo" was a phenomenon all on its own. I LOVED IT. I'm too thrilled to write a review at the moment, so I'll do it tomorrow. But I"m just gonna say that it was beyond worth my time. :)))*** tomorrow ***Okay, now that I've got my wits about, let's see what I could say about this book. First and foremost, it was grammar friendly. That is, it was typo-clean. Well, I did notice one recurring typo that kind of bugged me: in several places the author said "worst" instead of "worse", but I'm not going to be that picky. I've 5-starred books with much more grammar problems just because they were freaking awesome. And this one is on the same rack with the awesome books.Second point I want to make is that not a single word was out of place. Not a single sentence was too much. Nothing was overdone, everything was measured and the story was very well built. So well in fact that not a single clue was given outside of it's place and time. This bugged be big time, because it urged me to read on and on until I was at the last page!!! But that's something every book should have - the ability to make the readers turn the page. The mystery was thrilling to the point that I almost bit my nails off. I was like a ball of wound up nerves waiting to be released out of the ever growing tension. And omg, the tension!!!! It was amazing how well it was built! Ever increasing, and always intriguing. I was impressed at how one page could be absolutely hilarious, and the next one could make me pull my hair out one by one. At times I felt frustrated that I didn't know what the main character, Steven was doing, what plans he was making, but that only made it better when I was allowed to figure it out on my own. The action, the emotions they were so real, that I felt them myself. When Steven jumped, I was kind of jumping too. When he was thrilled, I was as well. The many twists and turns had my attention throughout the whole novel, in a way that I'd never thought possible. I was attentive for clues, and was grinning like an idiot when I was able to find them. There was a romance as well. It wasn't the main part of the story. It was rather kind of in the background. But I've never seen a romance so strongly built, that even in the background it's actually the backbone that pushes the story forward. Without it, none of the action would've occurred. So, I loved that aspect as well.To sum it up: this book was nothing short of BRILLIANT. The characters:*Steven: I didn't feel a single drop of pity for him because of his stuttering problem. Truth is, this problem made him stronger. And I LOVE strong characters - they're what makes a story really alive. I loved how bold he was, though he wasn't fearless. He was determined, caring and ready to risk his life and safety for that of the people he loved. True, at some times he was risking a lot, but that only made him more worthy.*Carlos: He was my favorite. Not because he was any better than Steven. In fact he wasn't. He was a drug dealer's enforcer, and a murderer. Of course, he's put all that behind. He's really funny, fearless and brave. He's got Steven's back, even when he has to do things he doesn't like. Carlos is the perfect latino guy: bad, thrilling and completely swoon worthy. His experience with the gangs has made him resourceful, quick and quiet. The perfect assassin. The perfect friend. Scary, but loyal to the grave. *Becky: Well, given all that she's been through, I could totally sympathize with her. She was scared and for a good reason. But she was also brave in her own way. That was another strong character. *Steve's father: he wasn't clueless, but I'm sure he could've paid more attention to his son. I liked what he did at the morgue - not many parents would have the guts. Very strong character too.I guess I could write some more, but there's really no point. Just get the book and read it. That's the only way you'll know what I'm talking about. :) less

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