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dantastic's review
4.0
When their mother dies and leaves everything to a televangelist, Axel, Kurt, and Gretchen Ucker are left out in the cold. A long lost aunt, Mother Ucker, shows up and introduces them to their long dead father's family, a family of con artists and thieves. The Uckers soon set their sights on Reverend Floom, the man their mother left everything to...
Even though I'm getting to the point where I refuse almost every ARC, I got this from Netgalley after Johnny Shaw hit me up. Totally worth it.
The Upper Hand is a hilarious tale about what it means to be a family, even if that family is entirely criminals. When the story begins, the Ucker kids aren't really talking to each other. Kurt still lives at home and wants to be a rock star. Axel just broke up with his girlfriend and lives in a house he can't afford, one that she talked him into buying. Gretchen is a burglar specializing in rare comics. When their mother dies, they are forced together out of necessity.
There's a lot going on in this. The dialogue is trademark Johnny Shaw: hilarious, Joe Lansdale by way of southern California. Much like Lansdale, I would have highlighted half of the book if I was keeping track of all the funny lines.
I really liked how the Uckers were brought into the fold and taught the family business by Mother Ucker and Fritzy, although we all knew how things would eventually go down. The Uckers run a few cons, both as a group and individually, crime bringing them together and eventually break them apart. And together again. It's like The Sting, only hilarious.
While I didn't like it as much as the Jimmy Veeder fiascos, The Upper Hand was hilarious and at least as good as [b:Big Maria|15096211|Big Maria|Johnny Shaw|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1346415975s/15096211.jpg|20751104]. Four out of five stars.
Even though I'm getting to the point where I refuse almost every ARC, I got this from Netgalley after Johnny Shaw hit me up. Totally worth it.
The Upper Hand is a hilarious tale about what it means to be a family, even if that family is entirely criminals. When the story begins, the Ucker kids aren't really talking to each other. Kurt still lives at home and wants to be a rock star. Axel just broke up with his girlfriend and lives in a house he can't afford, one that she talked him into buying. Gretchen is a burglar specializing in rare comics. When their mother dies, they are forced together out of necessity.
There's a lot going on in this. The dialogue is trademark Johnny Shaw: hilarious, Joe Lansdale by way of southern California. Much like Lansdale, I would have highlighted half of the book if I was keeping track of all the funny lines.
I really liked how the Uckers were brought into the fold and taught the family business by Mother Ucker and Fritzy, although we all knew how things would eventually go down. The Uckers run a few cons, both as a group and individually, crime bringing them together and eventually break them apart. And together again. It's like The Sting, only hilarious.
While I didn't like it as much as the Jimmy Veeder fiascos, The Upper Hand was hilarious and at least as good as [b:Big Maria|15096211|Big Maria|Johnny Shaw|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1346415975s/15096211.jpg|20751104]. Four out of five stars.
sjj169's review
4.0
3.5 stars
I love Johnny Shaw's writing. If you haven't read him you need too. Yes, I'm bossy about it. Go read one of his Jimmy Veeder Fiasco's. They are the best! This one is still really good but I think that Bobby Maves from the Veeder books is my boyfriend. I judge accordingly.
Axel, Gretchen, and Kurt Ucker lost their father at a young age. The whole town has made the family live under a cloud of suspicion because daddy turned out to be a thief. They and their mother stayed in the area and put on their best faces. Axel plans crimes out but never acts on them because he had been busy falling in love with a con artist and buying a house he could never afford, Gretchen has been stealing rare comic books and the closest to normal one Kurt has a band and still lives at home with mom. Then mom dies. (Not really spoilery so calm down)
Then the kids are contacted by their long lost aunt. Mother Ucker.
And the rest of the family...who all happen to be crooks. It's an Ucker tradition.
Mother Ucker tells them that they can get revenge for their mom giving all her possessions to the TV preacher she watched all the time and the kids decide to live up to their family tradition and jump on board with the plan.
Stuff happens.
Booksource: I was contacted by the author and asked if I wanted this one. To which the answer was "hell yeah". I'll read anything this guy writes. Even if it's alien spacebots sexing up Bart Simpson. *I'd probably five star that one*
I love Johnny Shaw's writing. If you haven't read him you need too. Yes, I'm bossy about it. Go read one of his Jimmy Veeder Fiasco's. They are the best! This one is still really good but I think that Bobby Maves from the Veeder books is my boyfriend. I judge accordingly.
Axel, Gretchen, and Kurt Ucker lost their father at a young age. The whole town has made the family live under a cloud of suspicion because daddy turned out to be a thief. They and their mother stayed in the area and put on their best faces. Axel plans crimes out but never acts on them because he had been busy falling in love with a con artist and buying a house he could never afford, Gretchen has been stealing rare comic books and the closest to normal one Kurt has a band and still lives at home with mom. Then mom dies. (Not really spoilery so calm down)
Then the kids are contacted by their long lost aunt. Mother Ucker.
And the rest of the family...who all happen to be crooks. It's an Ucker tradition.
Mother Ucker tells them that they can get revenge for their mom giving all her possessions to the TV preacher she watched all the time and the kids decide to live up to their family tradition and jump on board with the plan.
Stuff happens.
Booksource: I was contacted by the author and asked if I wanted this one. To which the answer was "hell yeah". I'll read anything this guy writes. Even if it's alien spacebots sexing up Bart Simpson. *I'd probably five star that one*
fancybone's review
5.0
A fun family crime yarn; a quick plot that pulls you in. I'm gonna see what else Mr. Shaw has written.
ashleighbeanxo's review against another edition
4.0
The Upper Hand follows three siblings, Axel, Gretchen and Kurt Ucker, who lose their mother at the beginning of the book. Fifteen years ago, they found out their father was an infamous criminal, and he was killed after a heist gone wrong. After he died, their mother became deeply religious, and spent most of her days watching her favourite televangelist, Brother Floom, on TV. Their mother dies peacefully in her sleep, and at the funeral, the siblings are approached by a large woman who informs them that she is her Aunt, on their father's side, and their mother has left everything, including her house which Kurt was still living in, to Brother Floom.
Upon meeting their Aunt, who likes to be called Mother Ucker (make of that what you will), they find out the whole Ucker family is full of criminals, and Mother recruits the three siblings to help pull off a heist, and get revenge on Brother Floom...
I've never read any books by Johnny Shaw before, but I had such a great time reading this book. It was sooo funny and crazy, and I laughed and laughed throughout reading. The Ucker kids (what a surname!) were flawed characters, as was everyone else in this book, but I found myself really wanting them to win, and pull some crazy heists off. I think my favourite of the three was definitely Gretchen. She was ballsy and confident, and was willing to put herself in situations her brothers wouldn't. Kurt, at times, was kind of a wet lettuce, and until the last third or so of the book, didn't add much to the story. And Axel, I just wanted to shake him at times, and tell him to get over himself!!
The writing in this book was hilarious, and there were multiple little snippets of text that were just crazy to read, in and out of context. I highlighted my favourite quote in the story and I'll share it below. It is said by a neighbour who was interviewed after the Ucker's father was killed and exposed for being a criminal:
"I'm never going to feel completely safe knowing there had been a criminal next door. Until my husband is released from prison next year, these doors stay locked."
The hypocrisy. But my god, it was hilarious.
I will definitely be reading more from Johnny Shaw! Loved this book!
Upon meeting their Aunt, who likes to be called Mother Ucker (make of that what you will), they find out the whole Ucker family is full of criminals, and Mother recruits the three siblings to help pull off a heist, and get revenge on Brother Floom...
I've never read any books by Johnny Shaw before, but I had such a great time reading this book. It was sooo funny and crazy, and I laughed and laughed throughout reading. The Ucker kids (what a surname!) were flawed characters, as was everyone else in this book, but I found myself really wanting them to win, and pull some crazy heists off. I think my favourite of the three was definitely Gretchen. She was ballsy and confident, and was willing to put herself in situations her brothers wouldn't. Kurt, at times, was kind of a wet lettuce, and until the last third or so of the book, didn't add much to the story. And Axel, I just wanted to shake him at times, and tell him to get over himself!!
The writing in this book was hilarious, and there were multiple little snippets of text that were just crazy to read, in and out of context. I highlighted my favourite quote in the story and I'll share it below. It is said by a neighbour who was interviewed after the Ucker's father was killed and exposed for being a criminal:
"I'm never going to feel completely safe knowing there had been a criminal next door. Until my husband is released from prison next year, these doors stay locked."
The hypocrisy. But my god, it was hilarious.
I will definitely be reading more from Johnny Shaw! Loved this book!
yetanothersusan's review
4.0
Axel was conned and dumped. Gretchen is a low level thief. And Kurt is the proverbial slacker son who still lives at home and is part of a Viking metal band. Add to this a deceased father who ruined the family's name in the community and a mother who leaves everything to a televangelist. Doesn't sound like the start of the humorous and campy book that this is, but it is! The three siblings decide they need to get back what they feel was stolen with them and antics ensue, including a Christian version of that Viking metal band. The best part is that during the adventures, the siblings reconnect with each other and learn what family is all about. Perfectly timed, this book will be a great addition to a vacation, beach, or lazy summer afternoon.
A copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer in exchange for an honest review.
A copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer in exchange for an honest review.
alexcarbonneau's review
4.0
My god is Johnny Shaw a hell of a storyteller.
Think Ocean's Eleven meets Matchstick men. Only with dumber people.
A conmen/women comedy where the forthright repartee of the 3 main characters (The Uckers Brothers and sister) is only matched by their tunnel vision in a world where everyone wants to con them out of something.
I went through the whole novel in one sitting, which doesn't happen often given my slow reading habits and lack of time, but to use an old and overdone cliché, The Upper Hand is a hard one to put down.
For the fans of the genre, there's also a few easter eggs, from characters named Beetner and Lauden, to the Mensa edition of playboy, to the Booby Trap in Mississippi and a few more i'm not telling you about, or I didn't catch.
I discovered Shaw with Big Maria a few weeks ago and I'm just glad that I've got a couple more novels of him to go. The Upper Hand will leave the fans that have already read the whole Shaw catalogue waiting for more. Give the people what they want, damnit !!
Think Ocean's Eleven meets Matchstick men. Only with dumber people.
A conmen/women comedy where the forthright repartee of the 3 main characters (The Uckers Brothers and sister) is only matched by their tunnel vision in a world where everyone wants to con them out of something.
I went through the whole novel in one sitting, which doesn't happen often given my slow reading habits and lack of time, but to use an old and overdone cliché, The Upper Hand is a hard one to put down.
For the fans of the genre, there's also a few easter eggs, from characters named Beetner and Lauden, to the Mensa edition of playboy, to the Booby Trap in Mississippi and a few more i'm not telling you about, or I didn't catch.
I discovered Shaw with Big Maria a few weeks ago and I'm just glad that I've got a couple more novels of him to go. The Upper Hand will leave the fans that have already read the whole Shaw catalogue waiting for more. Give the people what they want, damnit !!
aqsa_ayman's review
4.0
How can you beat a story with a family of cons led by a matriarch called Mother Ucker? The plot and characters were wonderfully quirky and I never felt bored reading this. Kurt in particular was awesome as the youngest of the siblings with a heart of gold and singer for a doom metal band called Skinripper. I liked everything about his story arc and his relationship with Louder.
On the flip side, some of the humour didn’t hit home, and one of the story points was so frustrating...in general I felt that Axel and Gretchen were not as likeable or well rounded as their brother.
On the flip side, some of the humour didn’t hit home, and one of the story points was so frustrating...in general I felt that Axel and Gretchen were not as likeable or well rounded as their brother.
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