Review: Kept Me On My Toes
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 5, 2013
I can rave on and on about Dan McNeil's "Can't Buy Me Love". From beginning to end, the characters gripped and drew me in. Although I knew what the plot entailed, I did not expect the skillful manner in which Dan created this masterpiece.Sonny Carter and his friends - Morrie, Al and Bernie - served time for a foiled bank heist, in the late 1930s. The story opens up when all of the men are out, with the exception of Sonny, who is the last to get out of the pen some 25 years later. So what does Sonny instantly plan to do with his life? Get a job, or try to walk the straight and narrow? Of course not! Sonny plans to rob the same bank that they failed at previously. Keeping this in mind, I was poised to see Sonny and his friends fail again miserably. What I didn't expect were the twists and turns that Dan laced throughout the story. At every turn, at every angle some idea or plan was bound to change. I was so caught up in the characters and the plot that I'd get over-eager at the various shifts - feeling the excitement right down through my gut and onto my toes.I almost felt like Dan McNeil sat down to write this story and his characters took over. His ideas were no longer his own; in fact, he no longer commanded the plot because the characters transformed at their own will. Even right down to the minor ones, this story was clearly ruled by the unique personalities that he created. Granted there was adventure, a hint of romance, comradeship, criminal activities beyond the obvious, Beatlemania, humor and so much more. This reading was certainly an unforgettable experience.If any reader is looking for a book that will keep them on their toes, hands down, "Can't Buy Me Love" by Dan McNeil is a MUST!