Review by SabineLovesb00k3 -- The Juicy Fruit Man
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SabineLovesb00k3
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Review by SabineLovesb00k3 -- The Juicy Fruit Man
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Juicy Fruit Man" by LaMar Going.]
The Jucy Fruit Man , by LaMar Going, is a story about a man coming to terms with his past. Declan Noakes is a man with demons. Does he slay them or use them to his advantage? His cousin, Rachel, whom he loves, helps keep him grounded, providing Declan with a safe haven here on planet earth, but what about his demons?
His antagonists are a pair of corrupt cops who care more about money then the law or other peoples lives. Like the Chinese proverb Going begins this book with says,"Gold cannot be pure and people cannot be perfect." Sometimes the line between good and evil, good people and bad, is not always clear.
Declan was drafted into the Army at the time of the Vietnam War. He came home on a medical discharge, still physically intact, but with demons of war thriving in his head. To ward off those demons, he turned to marijuana, grown in the balmy, humid climates of Vietnam, the most potent he'd ever smoked. And smoking was essential to keep the demons away, or at least at bay. The Thai, or Juicy Fruit Sticks, he smoked bought him time to deal with his demons, but not freedom. For a while smoking and riding the railways of America was his freedom, his dream. But freedom, true freedom, is not so easily come by, nor demons so easily forgotten.
To ensure he would have a readily available supply of marijuana Declan devised a way to ship it home to Rachel for safe keeping. Once home and riding the rails Declan was able to accumulate some regular customers. In this way, he was able to afford himself a semi steady income and freedom from the burden a and added stress of responsibility that came with a regular job. Unfortunately, word of his product and seemingly endless supply, got around the train world. Declan was soon to discover that dreams have a nasty way of turning into nightmares. Trains, railways, have demons too. For Declan these nightmares came in human form of the Dobermans, Ike and Mike, a couple of Amtrack cops out for his cache of Juicy Fruit Sticks valued at millions of dollars. It wasn't justice for a drug dealer these cops wanted, it was Declan's fortune in Thai Sticks.
It wasn't long before Declan's demons became more and more restless. Or was it his survival instincts warning him of impending danger? Bells start ringing in his head when he gets robbed on the train of his last bit of Stick. Amtrack cops keep turning up where they shouldn't, and an old Army buddy he thought long dead suddenly turns up with a business offer. Declan served with Fisher who knows all about the Juicy Fruit Sticks, how much was shipped, and how much it's worth; he wants it and will do whatever is necessary to get it. All of it. The Dobermans, Fisher with mob conections, and a dirty cop on the make, are closing in and Declan's demons are getting louder, more difficult to control or ignore.
As Declan makes his way back home, he meets a woman, Bunny. She, like his cousin Rachel, is soothing to his soul, giving him hope. As he continues his journey on the railways of America, he considers the possibility of a life with Bunny and how much Rachel will like her. However, the closer he gets to home the more uneasy he becomes prompting him to call Rachel more often than usual stirring her curiosity and triggering her survival instincts. Rachel may be a young widow with two small kids, a dog, and a dairy farm, but she also knows her cousin, knows when things aren't kosher. She's not about to let anything jeopardize all that she has worked so hard to build and maintain.
Unfortunately fate has other plans. Unknown to Rachel and Declan two small armies of men are coming after him and his Juicy Fruit Thai Sticks. Rachel's dairy farm is about to become real popular. Sometimes evil wins and sometimes our demons are our best friends, our best line of defense against that evil.
I like how well this book was written, how the characters were developed, and how they interacted with one another. Declan and Rachel were very close before he was sent off to war and remained so upon his return. I especially liked the flashbacks as I suddenly found myself back in highschool; sounds, smells, and music came flooding back as I read. I also liked the flashbacks as they helped show what was going on in Declan's mind and why he chose to live without the added burden of family, work, paying bills, etc. I loved that Declan read and meditated to calm his spirit. I do the same so I felt a kinship with him. I loved Rachel's strength and courage in the face of danger. I loved the action and how it was broken up with quite moments so I could catch my breath.
I didn't like the sets of corrupt cops and the evil they brought. I didn't like how Rachel's innocence was taken from her. Life sometimes forces good people to do bad things. I didn't like all the violence; war is a messy business, people get hurt, maimed, or dead. I didn't like that the book ended! I rarely ever do, sure sign that I enjoyed reading it. I didn't like not knowing how things went with Bunny. Could this mean there is a sequel to follow?
Because of violence, racial slurs, and drug theme, I would recommend this book to adult audiences. This book is for people who like to delve into the psychology of war, its effects on soldiers, how they transition back into civilian life, and using drugs as a coping mechanism. I would also recommend this book to those who like books about war, war tactics, and history.
I give this book 3 out of 4 stars . I found only a couple mistakes which made this book an easy and enjoyable read. Well done. My hat is off to LaMar Going!
******
The Juicy Fruit Man
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The Jucy Fruit Man , by LaMar Going, is a story about a man coming to terms with his past. Declan Noakes is a man with demons. Does he slay them or use them to his advantage? His cousin, Rachel, whom he loves, helps keep him grounded, providing Declan with a safe haven here on planet earth, but what about his demons?
His antagonists are a pair of corrupt cops who care more about money then the law or other peoples lives. Like the Chinese proverb Going begins this book with says,"Gold cannot be pure and people cannot be perfect." Sometimes the line between good and evil, good people and bad, is not always clear.
Declan was drafted into the Army at the time of the Vietnam War. He came home on a medical discharge, still physically intact, but with demons of war thriving in his head. To ward off those demons, he turned to marijuana, grown in the balmy, humid climates of Vietnam, the most potent he'd ever smoked. And smoking was essential to keep the demons away, or at least at bay. The Thai, or Juicy Fruit Sticks, he smoked bought him time to deal with his demons, but not freedom. For a while smoking and riding the railways of America was his freedom, his dream. But freedom, true freedom, is not so easily come by, nor demons so easily forgotten.
To ensure he would have a readily available supply of marijuana Declan devised a way to ship it home to Rachel for safe keeping. Once home and riding the rails Declan was able to accumulate some regular customers. In this way, he was able to afford himself a semi steady income and freedom from the burden a and added stress of responsibility that came with a regular job. Unfortunately, word of his product and seemingly endless supply, got around the train world. Declan was soon to discover that dreams have a nasty way of turning into nightmares. Trains, railways, have demons too. For Declan these nightmares came in human form of the Dobermans, Ike and Mike, a couple of Amtrack cops out for his cache of Juicy Fruit Sticks valued at millions of dollars. It wasn't justice for a drug dealer these cops wanted, it was Declan's fortune in Thai Sticks.
It wasn't long before Declan's demons became more and more restless. Or was it his survival instincts warning him of impending danger? Bells start ringing in his head when he gets robbed on the train of his last bit of Stick. Amtrack cops keep turning up where they shouldn't, and an old Army buddy he thought long dead suddenly turns up with a business offer. Declan served with Fisher who knows all about the Juicy Fruit Sticks, how much was shipped, and how much it's worth; he wants it and will do whatever is necessary to get it. All of it. The Dobermans, Fisher with mob conections, and a dirty cop on the make, are closing in and Declan's demons are getting louder, more difficult to control or ignore.
As Declan makes his way back home, he meets a woman, Bunny. She, like his cousin Rachel, is soothing to his soul, giving him hope. As he continues his journey on the railways of America, he considers the possibility of a life with Bunny and how much Rachel will like her. However, the closer he gets to home the more uneasy he becomes prompting him to call Rachel more often than usual stirring her curiosity and triggering her survival instincts. Rachel may be a young widow with two small kids, a dog, and a dairy farm, but she also knows her cousin, knows when things aren't kosher. She's not about to let anything jeopardize all that she has worked so hard to build and maintain.
Unfortunately fate has other plans. Unknown to Rachel and Declan two small armies of men are coming after him and his Juicy Fruit Thai Sticks. Rachel's dairy farm is about to become real popular. Sometimes evil wins and sometimes our demons are our best friends, our best line of defense against that evil.
I like how well this book was written, how the characters were developed, and how they interacted with one another. Declan and Rachel were very close before he was sent off to war and remained so upon his return. I especially liked the flashbacks as I suddenly found myself back in highschool; sounds, smells, and music came flooding back as I read. I also liked the flashbacks as they helped show what was going on in Declan's mind and why he chose to live without the added burden of family, work, paying bills, etc. I loved that Declan read and meditated to calm his spirit. I do the same so I felt a kinship with him. I loved Rachel's strength and courage in the face of danger. I loved the action and how it was broken up with quite moments so I could catch my breath.
I didn't like the sets of corrupt cops and the evil they brought. I didn't like how Rachel's innocence was taken from her. Life sometimes forces good people to do bad things. I didn't like all the violence; war is a messy business, people get hurt, maimed, or dead. I didn't like that the book ended! I rarely ever do, sure sign that I enjoyed reading it. I didn't like not knowing how things went with Bunny. Could this mean there is a sequel to follow?
Because of violence, racial slurs, and drug theme, I would recommend this book to adult audiences. This book is for people who like to delve into the psychology of war, its effects on soldiers, how they transition back into civilian life, and using drugs as a coping mechanism. I would also recommend this book to those who like books about war, war tactics, and history.
I give this book 3 out of 4 stars . I found only a couple mistakes which made this book an easy and enjoyable read. Well done. My hat is off to LaMar Going!
******
The Juicy Fruit Man
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Awakening by Jackie Goldman
