Review of Catching a Bird
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sayjil gordhan
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Review of Catching a Bird
[Following is a volunteer review of "Catching a Bird" by Bonz Buonopane.]
The story follows a mobster from Delaware, Bonz Buonopane. In his somewhat retirement stage of life, he has taken himself out of most of the action due to not being a “spring chicken” anymore. The McKinley family calls Bonz one day to employ him to find out what happened to their daughter a year ago. The police suspected another victim of a serial killer named Worcester County Killer but couldn’t seem to solve the case. It’s not normally Bonz’s inclination to use his influence and abilities for non-selfish reasons, but he figured since the victim’s parents needed answers, he could still prove that he had skills for his age. Bonz and his team uncover new clues to the string of murders made by the Worcester County Killer, but solving the case of Sarah McKinley appears to be trickier.
(Please note that since the author and protagonist have the same name and surname, I shall refer to the author as “the author” to avoid confusion.)
Catching A Bird is written in the first person. The book is fast-paced and quite short, which I do not mind because the plot, character development, and prose were not adversely affected by this. The protagonist is a mixture of dad energy and misogynistic energy. I like that we can glean the type of character he is from his actions, his thoughts, and the way other characters respond to him instead of the author simply stating it. As a reader, I didn't want to like him because of his explicit words and thoughts of misogyny, perversion, and philandering, but there were his insecurities and complex nature that made him alluring on every page. In contrast, the side characters are not given that much interest. The victims, for instance, although dead, aren’t given enough details for the reader to contemplate. Most female side characters are conflated, as they seem to be attracted to Bonz, which is their main characteristic of them. The exception is his wife, who is tougher and whom Bonz refers to as “The Boss”. This could be the author’s distinct way of showing how Bonz is egocentric in how he views others. For this, I have to commend the author’s prose. The book is fast-paced, so the reader can gather the essence of the plot fairly early through the eyes of a quirky ADHD mobster, and it makes for a captivating read. It’s a roller-coaster ride that you will not get out of because you’re fed something to be curious about on every page. The author doesn’t intensely go into murder details but rather relies on the quirky unpredictability of the character to keep you interested in the mystery of murder. The plot is not ingenious, I would say, but the book is unique through character and prose. Nevertheless, the plot twists and the serial killer point of view might surprise you (depending on how good the reader is at solving mysteries), and if it does surprise you, I think you will find it’s because you are so caught up in the protagonist that you have not been trying to solve Stacy McKinley’s murder.
This book contains a vast amount of explicit language, over-sexualization of females, and other explicit sexual content. The book contains themes of violence, gun violence, murder, corruption, crime, rape, vigilantism, and sex. Whilst some readers do not prefer a short funny crime novel, I think that it’s perfect to get out of reading slumps or for moments when you’re on the aeroplane for hours. The crime essence in the book should be more of a focal point. Specifically, more details of the murder victims, more investigation (less sexual escapades), and a bigger point of view from the serial killer himself. I understand that the protagonist is flawed, as all mobsters inevitably are, and should not be glorified, but I do think that the other characters, female characters especially, should not have been attracted to him. Please take note that just because I gave the book a high rating does not mean I agree with the thoughts, decisions, and acts the character makes, but I do think it makes for a compelling read; to read from the point of view of someone so realistically flawed.
I recommend this book to adults who like to read flawed characters, dark humor, and crime-solving and do not mind explicit content. I rate this book four out of five stars.
******
Catching a Bird
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The story follows a mobster from Delaware, Bonz Buonopane. In his somewhat retirement stage of life, he has taken himself out of most of the action due to not being a “spring chicken” anymore. The McKinley family calls Bonz one day to employ him to find out what happened to their daughter a year ago. The police suspected another victim of a serial killer named Worcester County Killer but couldn’t seem to solve the case. It’s not normally Bonz’s inclination to use his influence and abilities for non-selfish reasons, but he figured since the victim’s parents needed answers, he could still prove that he had skills for his age. Bonz and his team uncover new clues to the string of murders made by the Worcester County Killer, but solving the case of Sarah McKinley appears to be trickier.
(Please note that since the author and protagonist have the same name and surname, I shall refer to the author as “the author” to avoid confusion.)
Catching A Bird is written in the first person. The book is fast-paced and quite short, which I do not mind because the plot, character development, and prose were not adversely affected by this. The protagonist is a mixture of dad energy and misogynistic energy. I like that we can glean the type of character he is from his actions, his thoughts, and the way other characters respond to him instead of the author simply stating it. As a reader, I didn't want to like him because of his explicit words and thoughts of misogyny, perversion, and philandering, but there were his insecurities and complex nature that made him alluring on every page. In contrast, the side characters are not given that much interest. The victims, for instance, although dead, aren’t given enough details for the reader to contemplate. Most female side characters are conflated, as they seem to be attracted to Bonz, which is their main characteristic of them. The exception is his wife, who is tougher and whom Bonz refers to as “The Boss”. This could be the author’s distinct way of showing how Bonz is egocentric in how he views others. For this, I have to commend the author’s prose. The book is fast-paced, so the reader can gather the essence of the plot fairly early through the eyes of a quirky ADHD mobster, and it makes for a captivating read. It’s a roller-coaster ride that you will not get out of because you’re fed something to be curious about on every page. The author doesn’t intensely go into murder details but rather relies on the quirky unpredictability of the character to keep you interested in the mystery of murder. The plot is not ingenious, I would say, but the book is unique through character and prose. Nevertheless, the plot twists and the serial killer point of view might surprise you (depending on how good the reader is at solving mysteries), and if it does surprise you, I think you will find it’s because you are so caught up in the protagonist that you have not been trying to solve Stacy McKinley’s murder.
This book contains a vast amount of explicit language, over-sexualization of females, and other explicit sexual content. The book contains themes of violence, gun violence, murder, corruption, crime, rape, vigilantism, and sex. Whilst some readers do not prefer a short funny crime novel, I think that it’s perfect to get out of reading slumps or for moments when you’re on the aeroplane for hours. The crime essence in the book should be more of a focal point. Specifically, more details of the murder victims, more investigation (less sexual escapades), and a bigger point of view from the serial killer himself. I understand that the protagonist is flawed, as all mobsters inevitably are, and should not be glorified, but I do think that the other characters, female characters especially, should not have been attracted to him. Please take note that just because I gave the book a high rating does not mean I agree with the thoughts, decisions, and acts the character makes, but I do think it makes for a compelling read; to read from the point of view of someone so realistically flawed.
I recommend this book to adults who like to read flawed characters, dark humor, and crime-solving and do not mind explicit content. I rate this book four out of five stars.
******
Catching a Bird
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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Gerry Steen
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Some women are attracted to bad boys like this quirky mobster, Bonz Buonopane. I do enjoy short novels that are quick-paced. A mafia story always intrigues me. I am rooting for Bonz, with his underworld connections, to solve the murder of this girl.
Latest Review: The Seer's Curse by A.K. Nikole
