Thursday, June 9, 2011

Booker T. Mattison

Dear Readers,
I always enjoying finding authors who write outside the "normal" box.  You all know that I love a good book no matter what genre it is in.  I have found some really good authors that way.
Booker T. Mattison is one of those authors and his newest book is Snitch. He does not write about the quiet neighborhoods in Zeeland, but about the gritty neighborhoods in Jersey City.  Which for me is not anything I know about.  I am going to say here, even though I know nothing about life in the 'hood' I still need the book to be believable and interesting. 
Life on the streets has a very simple code: you don't talk to the cops.  No matter what.  No matter what you saw or think you saw.  Andre is trying to turn his life around, he is trying to show his ex that he can support her and their son and do it honestly. That is until late one night he witnesses a murder.   What do you do?  If you don't do the right thing it could cost you your job, but if you do the right thing it could cost your life or the lives of your family? 
Snitch, , bpg9780800733964I will honestly say I am not sure what I would do.  I would like to say I would tell the cops what I saw, but that is without someone holding a "gun" to my family's heads.  I have never had the experience of having to try so hard to get my life straighten out and then having it yanked out from under me.  But lots of people have and walking through this with Andre was an interesting experience. 
This is a bit of a gritty book, but it is a good look at something I will probably never experience.   Booker's first novel, Unsigned Hype, was a teen fiction and I would be very comfortable recommending this book to the older teens that have read the first one.  (they are not a series)  I love being able to recommend books I like to many different types of readers.  
Happy Reading

2 comments:

Booker T Mattison said...

Hi Chris! Thanks so much for recommending Snitch. I'm glad you enjoyed the story!

Chris Jager - Baker Book House-fiction buyer said...

Your welcome Booker, I am looking forward to your next book.