Welcome to another edition of Teaser Tuesdays, hosted by Should Be Reading.
Here’s how it works:
- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.
Today I’m spotlighting a book that’s been on my TBR stacks for awhile, and I’m very excited to plunge in. Beautiful Children, by Charles Bock, is a wide-ranging portrait of a mythically depraved Las Vegas.
About the Book: This sweeping debut takes in everything from the bland misery of suburban Nevada to the exploitative Vegas sex industry. At the nexus of this Dickensian universe is Newell Ewing, a hyperactive 12-year-old boy with a comic-book obsession. One Saturday night, Newell disappears after going out with his socially awkward, considerably older friend. Orbiting around that central mystery are a web of sufferers: Newell’s distraught parents, clinging onto a fraught but tender marriage; a growth-stunted comic book illustrator; a stripper who sacrifices bodily integrity for success; and a gang of street kids. Into their varying Vegas tableaux, Bock stuffs an overwhelming amount of evocative detail and brutally revealing dialogue (sometimes in the form of online chats). The story occasionally gets lost in amateur skin flicks, unmentionable body alterations and tattoos, and the greasy cruelty of adolescents, all of which are given unflinching and often deft closeups. The bleak, orgiastic final sequence, drawing together the disparate plot threads, feels contrived, but Bock’s Vegas has hope, compassion and humor, and his set pieces are sharp and accomplished. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Teaser: Stretched out in his father’s trailer, sitting at his mom’s kitchen table, trying to get away from all the drama by crashing with his aunt, using the loose magazine page in front of him as a guide, working from and relying on his memory, Kenny would clutch a nub of pencil and ignore his more carnal instincts. p. 35
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Wow, that is one long sentence! What did the rest of you find today? Come on by and share!
Wow! Great teaser! How’s the book so far because it sure sounds interesting!
Here’s my teaser: http://palmtreesbarefeet.wordpress.com/2011/10/25/teaser-tuesday-becoming-a-writer/
I plan to start it tomorrow or the next day….thanks for stopping by, Palm Trees and Bare Feet.
Sounds like an interesting book, enjoy! Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Glad you could return the visit, Amie…I’m eager to find out more about this story….enjoy your week.
Sounds very intriguing! And it is a very long sentence.
Thanks for stopping by mine.
Definitely! Thanks for stopping by, Amanda, and have a great week.
that is a long sentence!
I felt like I needed to take a breath! Thanks for stopping by, Carrie, and enjoy your week.
It is a long sentence but a good one!
Yes, I thought so, too, Amy. Thanks for stopping by…enjoy your week.
That is one long sentence! Great teaser – thanks for stopping by!
Yes, it is very long, Kelly. Thanks for stopping by and enjoying it with me. Have a great week.
Great teaser! That is a long sentence. Thanks for sharing!
I’m glad you could visit today, Julie…hope you enjoy your week!
That is a long sentence perfect for a teaser
thanks for visiting mine.
Yes, I like sentences that tell us a lot, and long ones usually do. Thanks for stopping by, Jessica.
Sounds rather different. I hope you enjoy it, and thanks for visiting!
It has been on my stacks for awhile, but now I’m eager to plunge in. Thanks for stopping by, Heather.
Hmm…Wonder what those instincts are?! Thanks for sharing your teaser.
Thank you for stopping by The Bookish Babes!
Ah, yes…carnal ones, for sure. Should be interesting. Thanks for stopping by, Andrea.
I’m curious about what the character is really doing and why he’s trying to avoid his carnal instincts. Good teaser today. Thanks for stopping by Quirky Girls Read today. We always enjoy your visits.
Oh, me too, Margot….I can’t wait to find out more! Thanks for stopping by.
At least it sounds as if he’s found a way to stay in control…through writing? Thanks for stopping by My Teaser Tuesdays
♥ Melissa @ Melissa’s Eclectic Bookshelf
Yes, very valuable coping mechanism. Thanks for stopping by, Melissa.
a very interesting teaser!
http://tributebooksmama.blogspot.com/2011/10/teaser-tuesday_25.html
Thanks for stopping by, Nicole…enjoy your week!
Good teaser. Quite a sentence. I’m glad it didn’t get very specific about all those “carnal instincts”! Sounds like an intriguing book, but maybe a little too gritty for me.
Yes, I think it went far enough, Joy. Thanks for stopping by, and I’ve a feeling it will get pretty gritty.
Body integrity?
I take it the kid is sketching from a dirty magazine. Looks like quite the gritty book.
Ah, I think so, Alice Audrey. Thanks for stopping by.
Very intriguing, good pick and thanks for stopping by
Thanks for visiting, Sarah…I’m excited about this book. Enjoy your week.
That is a long sentence… but I liked it… thanks for visiting.
I’m glad you liked it, T. F. Thanks for stopping by, and have a great week.
Sounds like an interesting read!
I think it will be, Yvonne. Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy your reads.
Interesting teaser!!
Thanks for checking out my Teaser Tuesday! Happy Reading, Jen
Thanks, Jen…glad you could stop by. Enjoy your week!
I do like the sound of this teaser. Hope the rest is as good.
Oh, so do I, Diane. Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy your reads!
Hi! Thanks for the visit to my blog!
Beautiful Children looks like an interesting book. Thanks for sharing!
I think so, too, wuthering willow. Thanks for stopping by! Have a great week.