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Dodgers: A Novel
Unavailable
Dodgers: A Novel
Unavailable
Dodgers: A Novel
Audiobook10 hours

Dodgers: A Novel

Written by Bill Beverly

Narrated by JD Jackson

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

Dodgers is a dark, unforgettable coming-of-age journey that recalls the very best of Richard Price, Denis Johnson, and J.D. Salinger.

It is the story of a young LA gang member named East, who is sent by his uncle along with some other teenage boys-including East's hothead younger brother-to kill a key witness hiding out in Wisconsin. The journey takes East out of a city he's never left and into an America that is entirely alien to him, ultimately forcing him to grapple with his place in the world and decide what kind of man he wants to become.
 
Written in stark and unforgettable prose and featuring an array of surprising and memorable characters rendered with empathy and wit, Dodgers heralds the arrival of a major new voice in American fiction.

WINNER OF THE LA TIMES BOOK PRIZE 2017 FOR BEST MYSTERY/THRILLER
WINNER OF THE CWA GOLDSBORO GOLD DAGGER 2016 FOR BEST CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR
WINNER OF THE CWA JOHN CREASEY NEW BLOOD DAGGER 2016 FOR BEST DEBUT CRIME NOVEL
FINALIST FOR THE PEN/HEMINGWAY AWARD 2017 FOR DEBUT FICTION
LONGLISTED FOR ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL 2017 FOR EXCELLENCE IN FICTION
NOMINATED FOR THE EDGAR AWARD 2017 FOR BEST FIRST NOVEL
LanguageEnglish
Release dateApr 5, 2016
ISBN9781101923580
Unavailable
Dodgers: A Novel
Author

Bill Beverly

Bill Beverly was born and grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He studied literature and writing at Oberlin College, including time in London studying theatre and the Industrial Revolution. He then studied fiction and pursued a Ph.D. in American literature at the University of Florida. His research on criminal fugitives and the stories surrounding them became the book On the Lam: Narratives of Flight in J. Edgar Hoover's America. He now teaches American literature and writing at Trinity University in Washington D.C. and lives with his wife, the poet and writer Deborah Ager, and their daughter Olive, in Hyattsville, Maryland. He collects beer cans. Dodgers is his debut novel.

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Reviews for Dodgers

Rating: 3.9545454809917353 out of 5 stars
4/5

242 ratings92 reviews

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A hybrid crime novel that starts off street and develops into something different. Not sure if the tone was consistent throughout and East is a frustrating protagonist, but there was definitely something there. Despite the blurbs, Beverly is no Richard Price, no David Simon... and perhaps I've had enough of books about young black men written by middle-aged white blokes.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I received Dodgers as an ARC. I was unexpectedly surprised by this book. In a world of rehashed stories and plots, this book was really unique. The book moves fast, I think I finished it in two or three sessions. Fast paced, very exciting and a unique and ultimately touching story. Really well crafted novel.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A dark and poetic story of a group of young men enmeshed in the gang scene of South Central Los Angeles. When they are asked to road trip across the country to kill a prominent judge, the boys, especially East, are awakened to the world outside of what they've known. Plans and circumstances change, leaving East to take matters into his own hands, eventually contemplating creating a new life for himself.The novel is well-written. The character development and plot twists superb. My only challenge was how authentic the voice of a young LA gang member could be written by a middle aged white man from Michigan.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Engaging, touching, and gives a great insight into the life of young Easy. Slow going initially but I loved the main character and it was great watching his development.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    An engaging coming-of-age story set within the streets of LA and moving into the heartland of the United States. The juxtaposition of a teenager deep in a gang and the setting of rural Wisconsin and Ohio makes for a telling contrast. The lyrical prose, sensitive depictions of a hard life, and vivid descriptions of setting make for an emotional journey.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The novel was presented to me as a coming-of-age story and I was anxious to read it. But after half the book I stopped reading (hence the two and a half star rating). The language East and his friends use, and their world-view, are just too different from my own.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    About halfway through this book, I almost stopped reading it as it was dragging and it was just a sad story about messed up kids. But the situation changed, and the book became a little brighter and more enjoyable as the situation changed for the main character.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I really liked this book. It was a bit hard to follow at some places, such as towards the end when he was being told why he was sent on the mission. I didn't understand that part, but as a whole, it was a good criminal gang, coming of age novel. I look forward to Bill Beverly's next books.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    A slow confusing story. The concept was there, the characters were there but it did not mesh into a story I was captivated by.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is a quiet, pensive book about a young man finding out about himself and the world around him. It's not quite a coming-of-age story, but it's close. It's very good.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I received this book in exchange for an honest review.I really liked this book, the writing was excellent, the content was interesting and I could not put it down. I read it in one day. It's so sad to see how children get involved in gangs and the author definitely made it a point to add in realistic touches to this book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This an interesting story 4 Youths from LA have to carry out the murder of a dodgy Judge in Wisconsin.The have to get the guns and drive there, they stop in Las Vegas on route, get into a few scrapes, have fallings out.Do the job they are hired to do.Main character East also shoots his brother Ty, East moves deeper into the countryside gets a job cleaning out a Paintball barn.Ty doesn't die he recovers and hunts East down tries to get him to return to LA but East decides to move on again.I enjoyed this book some good interesting characters.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I am so happy to have been selected to receive this for an early review, such a beautiful way to depict a "not so beautiful subject" . Totally immerses you from the beginning. Great work, Mr. Beverly, I am looking forward to more of your work
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I won this through a libarything giveaway. A captivating and interesting read. This novel is about East who grew up in L.A. and as part of a gang was in charge of watching the yard of a drug house. Fin, the man he works for instructs East and three others boys, Walter, Michael, and Ty (East's younger half brother) to go on a cross country trip in order to murder a judge. This is East's story. He's never left L.A. before and his perspective - raw and new - drives the story forward. At the beginning I wasn't sure what the outcome would be, but I was always cheering for East and that is a testament to Bill Beverly's writing and characters.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is a wonderful book about the coming of age of 15 year old East, who works as lookout for a Los Angeles drug dealer. When his job blows up, East, his estranged, 13 year old brother Ty and two older boys, Michael and Walter, are sent by the drug dealer on a cross country mission to Wisconsin. East is preternaturally calm and mature, but it is the sociopathic Ty who drives much of the action in this story which takes place over the course of about one month. The author respected his characters enough to make them real, rather than stereotypes. It took only about 20 pages before I was completely rooting for East. I so wanted him to turn out ok. However, in this moving and suspenseful book, whether East would have any future at all was constantly in doubt. The scene between East and his mother made me cry, as did the knowledge that he would rather sleep inside a cardboard box in a basement crawl space rather than stay in her house. But there is no self pity in this book. All four boys just get on with business. The book has a fair amount of violence. It also has humor, mostly derived from the need of four black boys in a van to appear non threatening to the mostly white people in middle America. The title is a reference to the Dodgers shirts that they are all given to wear because "white people love baseball".The writing was poetic and honest. This is the author's first book and I hope there are many more to come.I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A tight Clockers-like story about a ghetto teenager who gets a chance to take a trip and try to escape his physical and moral confinement. It might be flawless.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Fantastic. Looking very much forward to the sequel.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Wow. This was a new type of read for me and I enjoyed it immensely. Although I can't judge whether it was realistic or not, it FELT like it was. I could hardly wait to get to the end.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is an interesting read, somewhat in the vein of Richard Price but shorter and more centered on a single character. Well-written, but not as compelling as I'd hoped and I'm not sure how memorable it will be in the long run.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Gritty, but not quite gripping enough for my taste. I felt like I wanted something more out of it, though I'm not sure what. You could do worse though.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I enjoy a great action/crime movie, but I don't typically pick up a book about criminals. "Dodgers" is going to make me rethink that. I really enjoyed the author's story of 4 young LA drug/gang members who head off cross country by car to score a hit. The writing is strong and moderately paced, and kept me interested from the start. The characters are fleshed out well. The main character, East, is just 15 and yet has an instinct and maturity that is well beyond his years. The author really puts the reader inside East's head. I certainly couldn't help but want to root for him, even when he did things that shocked me. All told, "Dodgers" is a story that is entertaining to read, but leaves you thinking. Opportunity can and does appear differently to each person. This story is an example of that, and of the ability of one man to remake himself in spite of overwhelming circumstances.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I received a copy of Dodger from Library thing in exchange for an honest review. It somehow got pushed to the back of my to read pile. Well Let me say I am glad I found this gem. It is well written with great character development, A BRILLIANT debut. I love coming of age tales and this is one of the best I have read in a while. I am looking forward to more from Bill Beverly.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This story primarily focuses on two brothers who work for a gang in Los Angeles. These teenagers along with two others are chosen for a "hit" on a judge on the other side of the country. The group struggles with many problems in their travels including a number of personality issues within the group. The book focuses on a boy named East and follows his life even after the job is done. Lots of traveling hither and yon but ultimately a satisfying read. I think Beverly will please many.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Four young gang members travel from Los Angeles to Wisconsin to complete a mission. Their journey is full of violence, arguments, misunderstandings and some growth on one of the members parts. The story never really grabbed me and some parts were difficult to get through. I wanted to like it more but I guess this isn't really my style
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Thoroughly enjoyed the audio book, the narrator is great. Loved the twist. Recommended.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I won this book in a giveaway from the Reading Room site. All opinions are my own. Dodgers by Bill Beverly is a stand alone novel about a teenage gang member, East, sent on a mission by his uncle to do a dirty deed with some other gang members. During this journey, East realizes that there might be a different life to be had other than being in a gang. This is a wonderful coming of age story that grabbed me from the start and held my attention to the end. Certain parts of the writing brought to mind of poetry writing. I thoroughly enjoyed following East on his journey.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Late review of a lovely book! I received this book last January through the early reviewers program and it languished during the second semester of the school. I finally got around to reading it during the summer. Beverly's prose hypnotizes world into a world that hovers between a dream and a nightmare. When I handed it off to a friend, she asked me what it was about. Hard to say, you'll just have to read it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Ever since I read The Hobbit as a kid, I've love stories that use road trips as coming of age stories. This is a new take on that plus insight on how adult conflicts can affect young people. It's a compelling story with lots of food for thought, and would make good course material for an AP English class. For adults? Maybe, maybe not, depending on how interested you are in juvenile mindsets.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Perty good book and real good read . Charactors and storyline are awsome Y'all will love this book . Highly recommend this book. It will not disappoint
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I cannot praise Dodgers highly enough. This novel by Bill Beverly has everything: a great story, top-notch writing and dialogue, wonderful character development, and a clever conclusion. I've heard Beverly's writing being compared to Richard Price's (among others) and I think it's pretty apt. His ability to write in the dialect of his characters, to communicate the grit, and to make you almost feel like you're eavesdropping is superb.

    I'll try to avoid getting into too much detail on the plot. In short, an inner city LA youth supervising the boys guarding a drug house somehow lets a drug raid by the police occur. To get out of trouble with the big boss, he, along with his sociopathic younger brother and a couple other guys, is sent to the Midwest to murder a witness involved in a court proceeding with the boss. The remainder of the book addresses their journey via van, the interaction of the 4 participants, the killing, and the aftermath. To say any more than that would spoil the pleasure you'll get from getting to know the players and following them on their trip.

    One indicator, at least to me, of good writing and character development is when you find yourself caring about a person who is 'bad'. I'm pretty sure you'll feel that way about at least one of the Dodger characters. I highly recommend this novel, my favorite of 2016 so far.