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jadeeby's review against another edition
4.0
Originally published at my blog Chasing Empty Pavements
This book is quite possibly the most surprising thing I’ve read in a while. I have to admit that since I’ve been doing a lot more review reading (meaning, reading books that I’ve agreed to read and review rather than books that just seem interesting to me), I’ve been pleasantly surprised quite a few times. I put off reading this novel because honestly, I wasn’t sure it was my type of book. I am SO glad I decided to read it. It’s taken me a few days to write this review as this book did something to my brain. This is NOT a happy book. Not by any means. But it’s almost the type of book that NEEDS to written and to be read.
The Good: From the introduction (which was written by Dan Woodrell by the way, amazing introduction) to the very end of the novel, the writing was superb. I gobbled this gem up in about a day and a half and I couldn’t peel my eyes away from the text. Very early on, we get the sense that the main character, John is screwed. I never had a doubt that poor John was getting the shaft in this novel. His one mistake (the title aptly referring to that mistake) leads him on a wild-goose chase that just perpetuates a multitude of other mistakes. I honestly felt bad for John. Even though I’m not from the “backwoods” or “hillbilly” country, I have relatives that live somewhat similarly as the characters in this novel. Maybe that is why I felt like I knew John or at least knew him as a type of man. I’ve seen his type of man so many times. This made the novel more interesting because I felt I had a stake in what happened to John and what he was doing, saying and experiencing. The author did an exceptional job of peppering the novel with a certain redneck slang/dialect. It was perfect, not too much, not too over the top but just enough to know that’s EXACTLY the type of people talking. I enjoy when an author can pull this off, dialect is HARD to master but it was done exceptionally well. The author also managed to pull off a lot of internalizing and internal dialogue. Mostly, I’m not a huge fan of this in novels, but it was so masterfully done that I hardly noticed until the end that a huge chunk of the novel is actually John responding to things, thinking about things etc. The thing about this novel is that nothing really good ever happens. Maybe for some people that would deter them from reading this novel, but not me. You just know from the beginning that this novel isn’t one of those happy/hopeful novels. It’s just not. It speaks to the melancholy part of the soul. It tells the story of a good person who gets the raw end of the deal in life and is never able to escape that life. The thing is, no matter how many times someone tells you that good things will happen to good people, what they don’t tell you is that bad things happen to good people too. No one wants to talk about it but that is ultimately what this book is about. The bad things that happen to a good person and set in motion a string of events that furthers this notion. I’m sure there are about a hundred other things I could say about this novel but I’ve been rambling enough. Just go read it! You won’t be sorry.
The Bad: Nothing!
I give this novel an A! I highly recommend this novel for those who do not shy away from heavy thinking novels or novels that don’t have a happy theme attached to it. If anything, read this book for the beautiful writing!
**I received this book free from the publisher through www.netgalley.com. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
This book is quite possibly the most surprising thing I’ve read in a while. I have to admit that since I’ve been doing a lot more review reading (meaning, reading books that I’ve agreed to read and review rather than books that just seem interesting to me), I’ve been pleasantly surprised quite a few times. I put off reading this novel because honestly, I wasn’t sure it was my type of book. I am SO glad I decided to read it. It’s taken me a few days to write this review as this book did something to my brain. This is NOT a happy book. Not by any means. But it’s almost the type of book that NEEDS to written and to be read.
The Good: From the introduction (which was written by Dan Woodrell by the way, amazing introduction) to the very end of the novel, the writing was superb. I gobbled this gem up in about a day and a half and I couldn’t peel my eyes away from the text. Very early on, we get the sense that the main character, John is screwed. I never had a doubt that poor John was getting the shaft in this novel. His one mistake (the title aptly referring to that mistake) leads him on a wild-goose chase that just perpetuates a multitude of other mistakes. I honestly felt bad for John. Even though I’m not from the “backwoods” or “hillbilly” country, I have relatives that live somewhat similarly as the characters in this novel. Maybe that is why I felt like I knew John or at least knew him as a type of man. I’ve seen his type of man so many times. This made the novel more interesting because I felt I had a stake in what happened to John and what he was doing, saying and experiencing. The author did an exceptional job of peppering the novel with a certain redneck slang/dialect. It was perfect, not too much, not too over the top but just enough to know that’s EXACTLY the type of people talking. I enjoy when an author can pull this off, dialect is HARD to master but it was done exceptionally well. The author also managed to pull off a lot of internalizing and internal dialogue. Mostly, I’m not a huge fan of this in novels, but it was so masterfully done that I hardly noticed until the end that a huge chunk of the novel is actually John responding to things, thinking about things etc. The thing about this novel is that nothing really good ever happens. Maybe for some people that would deter them from reading this novel, but not me. You just know from the beginning that this novel isn’t one of those happy/hopeful novels. It’s just not. It speaks to the melancholy part of the soul. It tells the story of a good person who gets the raw end of the deal in life and is never able to escape that life. The thing is, no matter how many times someone tells you that good things will happen to good people, what they don’t tell you is that bad things happen to good people too. No one wants to talk about it but that is ultimately what this book is about. The bad things that happen to a good person and set in motion a string of events that furthers this notion. I’m sure there are about a hundred other things I could say about this novel but I’ve been rambling enough. Just go read it! You won’t be sorry.
The Bad: Nothing!
I give this novel an A! I highly recommend this novel for those who do not shy away from heavy thinking novels or novels that don’t have a happy theme attached to it. If anything, read this book for the beautiful writing!
**I received this book free from the publisher through www.netgalley.com. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
thomboki's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
smasler's review against another edition
4.0
Gripping and disturbing. Grabs you by the throat and throws you down a deep well.
rostie's review against another edition
4.0
Surprise find
Ran across this title while looking for something else and what a good find. While sad and somewhat disturbing, Jones introduces us to John Moon and his story of things gone wrong
Ran across this title while looking for something else and what a good find. While sad and somewhat disturbing, Jones introduces us to John Moon and his story of things gone wrong
whatsheread's review against another edition
A Single Shot is a novel that is deceptively simple and beautiful in its pathos. Matthew F. Jones forces the reader to imagine John Moon's guilt-laden sufferings while highlighting his fear-driven actions and reactions to events. Because of this, however, the reader is torn between sympathy and repugnance over John's actions after the accident. While the reader understands that John is just trying to gain back some semblance of a normal life, his actions are questionable. Would the end results be different had he made different, and better, choices? The answer is for the reader to decide.
Mr. Jones' writing is as understatedly complex as the plot. Each phrase chosen only scratches the surface of the emotional upheaval Moon is experiencing. The full depth of John's suffering is left to the reader's imaginings. Countering this is the detailed, almost sensuous, descriptions of the woods and hills where John is happiest. The result is a novel that is evocatively rich in imagery and passion but still leaves plenty for the reader to imagine for oneself.
Garnering comparisons to Crime and Punishment or even The Tell-Tale Heart, A Single Shot is a psychological thriller of the best kind. John Moon is proof that the guilty conscience is a powerful weapon indeed. While John's cautionary tale may be a bit extreme, it does highlight just how much a person's life can change in one single instant.
Acknowledgements: Thank you to NetGalley and Wes Miller of Mulholland Books for my e-galley!
Mr. Jones' writing is as understatedly complex as the plot. Each phrase chosen only scratches the surface of the emotional upheaval Moon is experiencing. The full depth of John's suffering is left to the reader's imaginings. Countering this is the detailed, almost sensuous, descriptions of the woods and hills where John is happiest. The result is a novel that is evocatively rich in imagery and passion but still leaves plenty for the reader to imagine for oneself.
Garnering comparisons to Crime and Punishment or even The Tell-Tale Heart, A Single Shot is a psychological thriller of the best kind. John Moon is proof that the guilty conscience is a powerful weapon indeed. While John's cautionary tale may be a bit extreme, it does highlight just how much a person's life can change in one single instant.
Acknowledgements: Thank you to NetGalley and Wes Miller of Mulholland Books for my e-galley!
thepickygirl's review against another edition
5.0
John Moon is a dude with bad luck. His dad lost the farm before his time. His wife left with his kid. And while he's out poaching on someone else's land tracking a wounded deer, he shoots something rustling in the bushes: a girl, a young one. And it seems she wasn't alone. John finds tens of thousands of dollars in cash wadded next to a sleeping bag, a teddy bear, and a photograph. As John frantically tries to undo the damage of that one shot, he realizes the girl's companion won't stop until he hunts down John..and the money.
A Single Shot has such a simple premise: down-on-his-luck guy makes a bad mistake, finds money, goes on the run... Except John Moon doesn't run. He stays right where he is, in his trailer in the mountains. Why? Because it's his land, and a man doesn't leave his land, even if it technically isn't his anymore. And as the town becomes more and more claustrophobic and the evidence of his mistake mounts, John is in terrible danger.
This book scared the crap out of me. I mean, you guys know I'm a scaredy cat already, but this book was petrifying because I live near backwoods towns like this one, and every brutality, every threat of violence is so real.
With books like Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (which scared me like crazy), you know there are sickos out there like that, but it seems a little...outlandish. A Single Shot? There's probably dudes like this all over the place. They've probably sat in my classroom. Backwoods guys - they know how to work a hunting knife. Need I say more? This book had my palms sweating and raised my heartbeat, too. It just doesn't stop. It's graphic and dirty, and I felt like I needed a shower for much of it, but I also couldn't help but root for John.
In his own way, he tries to make good out of the bad. At times, Jones seemed to be making him out as a smart guy (or smarter than he's given credit for), and he's not that. I mean, he doesn't go to the cops about the girl. He doesn't leave the money. He doesn't warn his ex-wife to take the baby and run. I think, more than anything, though, it's because of his guilt. It stymies him, and he absolutely has no idea how to get out of it. So you sit, and you watch it play out, and when it ends, it's not redemptive. But Jones doesn't insult your intelligence as a reader. The book ends the way it should because the bad guys are bad guys. The good guys, well, they aren't so good. And no one has an out.
Read this: if you like Cormac McCarthy. Or stories of guilt. Or thrillers.
A Single Shot has such a simple premise: down-on-his-luck guy makes a bad mistake, finds money, goes on the run... Except John Moon doesn't run. He stays right where he is, in his trailer in the mountains. Why? Because it's his land, and a man doesn't leave his land, even if it technically isn't his anymore. And as the town becomes more and more claustrophobic and the evidence of his mistake mounts, John is in terrible danger.
This book scared the crap out of me. I mean, you guys know I'm a scaredy cat already, but this book was petrifying because I live near backwoods towns like this one, and every brutality, every threat of violence is so real.
With books like Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (which scared me like crazy), you know there are sickos out there like that, but it seems a little...outlandish. A Single Shot? There's probably dudes like this all over the place. They've probably sat in my classroom. Backwoods guys - they know how to work a hunting knife. Need I say more? This book had my palms sweating and raised my heartbeat, too. It just doesn't stop. It's graphic and dirty, and I felt like I needed a shower for much of it, but I also couldn't help but root for John.
In his own way, he tries to make good out of the bad. At times, Jones seemed to be making him out as a smart guy (or smarter than he's given credit for), and he's not that. I mean, he doesn't go to the cops about the girl. He doesn't leave the money. He doesn't warn his ex-wife to take the baby and run. I think, more than anything, though, it's because of his guilt. It stymies him, and he absolutely has no idea how to get out of it. So you sit, and you watch it play out, and when it ends, it's not redemptive. But Jones doesn't insult your intelligence as a reader. The book ends the way it should because the bad guys are bad guys. The good guys, well, they aren't so good. And no one has an out.
Read this: if you like Cormac McCarthy. Or stories of guilt. Or thrillers.
stanl's review
4.0
Inexorable, ineluctable trouble. I can't believe someone pictured in a UVA Cavalier cap can know so well this land where most of us go only in spirit or imagination, if at all. Never met any English grad students telling these kinds of stories when I lived in Charlottesville.
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