Review: Lost My Interest With The Nose Picking
Rating: 1 out of 5
Date: 12 6, 2012
Hey folks,Prior to "Missle Rats," my experience with Ms. Bevill has been limited to her "Bubba" books, and I have to say that I like her Bubba books quite a bit.  I think they are funny, and I really like the characters she has created.  I would go so far as to say I feel like I am "invested" in her Bubba characters.  One grows to care what happens to them.With this book, however, the author lost me in the fourth paragraph when she has the protagonist relate his daydreaming in social studies class while he picks his nose.  He then tells the reader that picking his nose helps him think more clearly.  What?  I don't know who would find this topic interesting, but once I was past first or second grade, this sort of "bathroom humor" no longer seemed funny or interesting.  It just seemed it was undignified, out of place, and just plain foolish.Within a few more pages, the author has a Marine recruiter tell the protagonist he will become the "biggest, baddest, mother------ in the whole damn state of Louisiana."  I spent my whole career working for the Department of Defense, and I spent quite a bit of time with recruiters from all of the services.  Based on my life experience, would I expect a Marine recruiter might say such a thing? Absolutely.  Then again, I have heard that same vulgarity (and many others) from co-workers, neighbors, and many other folks in many places.  In spite of that fact, I think the author's point could have been made without the use of that vulgarity.  It was another turn-off for me.  I think gratuitous vulgarity simply becomes boring.As I have already noted, I was put off by the time I had read the fourth paragraph, but I think I would not have liked this book even without the items I noted above.  As something of an autobiographical story of her time in the service, I simply did not find it interesting.  I am not sure what she wanted me to receive from the book, but it was not a good story to me.  As I continued on with the book, I found myself skimming the pages just to get to the end.Besides the "Bubba" books, I have several other books by Mz. Bevill to read, and I hope I find more of her stories to like.  She certainly makes me happy reading about Bubba.Best wishes,Dave Wile