Book Review: The Stuttering Tattoo

Author: Greg Logsted
Genre: Fiction, YA, Mystery
Release:December, 2011
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 3/5

Description: Steven Bishop is extraordinarily ordinary. He goes to school. He rides his motorcycle. He stutters. His best friend is a former Colombian cartel hit man turned cook/construction worker. You know, ordinary. All that changes the day Becky Moore walks into his classroom. Becky is dazzling, enigmatic.

One day Steven gives Becky a ride home on his motorcycle. There, they discover a severed arm, one of the fingers of which still has an unusual ring attached: a circle, in the middle of which is a heart, at the center of which is a bold number 37. While comforting Becky, Steven discovers a tattoo at the base of her neck: it is the same symbol. And so begins a thrilling descent into a world of crime and murder, a ride wilder than any Steven has taken before.

Review: The blurb and cover are what attracted me to the book. Sounded interesting. It turned out to be ok...not terrible, but not awesome. It was just ok.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE

• It started out a little slow. The action didn't pick up until after Steven and Becky discovered the severed arm. 
• Quite irritating at times. Sometimes, I wanted to shake some sense into Steven. And some scenes left me saying, "Seriously?"

WHAT I DID LIKE

• It was short and sweet, perfect for teens (& even adults) with short attention spans. 
• After Steven and Becky discovered the severed arm, the novel became fast-paced and interesting. 
• I like Steven's support system. His dad, a cop, isn't a big part of the novel. Steven has Carlos, a Colombian ex drug enforcer turned coworker/mentor, and Hank, owner of a small diner. Hank gives Steven valuable advise while Carlos helps Steven when he tries to take down the gang, Thirty-Seven.

This books is perfect for reluctant readers. The action will hold the reader's attention til the end.