Greg Logsted

Oh my goodness!!! I finished it!!! And I'm stunned beyond reason! I haven't felt like this ever since I read "Shatter Me" a couple of months ago. "The Stuttering Tattoo" was a phenomenon all on its own. I LOVED IT.

I'm too thrilled to write a review at the moment, so I'll do it tomorrow. But I"m just gonna say that it was beyond worth my time. :)))

*** tomorrow ***

Okay, now that I've got my wits about, let's see what I could say about this book.
First and foremost, it was grammar friendly. That is, it was typo-clean. Well, I did notice one recurring typo that kind of bugged me: in several places the author said "worst" instead of "worse", but I'm not going to be that picky. I've 5-starred books with much more grammar problems just because they were freaking awesome. And this one is on the same rack with the awesome books.
Second point I want to make is that not a single word was out of place. Not a single sentence was too much. Nothing was overdone, everything was measured and the story was very well built. So well in fact that not a single clue was given outside of it's place and time. This bugged be big time, because it urged me to read on and on until I was at the last page!!! But that's something every book should have - the ability to make the readers turn the page.
The mystery was thrilling to the point that I almost bit my nails off. I was like a ball of wound up nerves waiting to be released out of the ever growing tension. And omg, the tension!!!! It was amazing how well it was built! Ever increasing, and always intriguing. I was impressed at how one page could be absolutely hilarious, and the next one could make me pull my hair out one by one.
At times I felt frustrated that I didn't know what the main character, Steven was doing, what plans he was making, but that only made it better when I was allowed to figure it out on my own.
The action, the emotions they were so real, that I felt them myself. When Steven jumped, I was kind of jumping too. When he was thrilled, I was as well.

The many twists and turns had my attention throughout the whole novel, in a way that I'd never thought possible. I was attentive for clues, and was grinning like an idiot when I was able to find them.
There was a romance as well. It wasn't the main part of the story. It was rather kind of in the background. But I've never seen a romance so strongly built, that even in the background it's actually the backbone that pushes the story forward. Without it, none of the action would've occurred. So, I loved that aspect as well.
To sum it up: this book was nothing short of BRILLIANT.

The characters:
*Steven: I didn't feel a single drop of pity for him because of his stuttering problem. Truth is, this problem made him stronger. And I LOVE strong characters - they're what makes a story really alive. I loved how bold he was, though he wasn't fearless. He was determined, caring and ready to risk his life and safety for that of the people he loved. True, at some times he was risking a lot, but that only made him more worthy.

*Carlos: He was my favorite. Not because he was any better than Steven. In fact he wasn't. He was a drug dealer's enforcer, and a murderer. Of course, he's put all that behind. He's really funny, fearless and brave. He's got Steven's back, even when he has to do things he doesn't like. Carlos is the perfect latino guy: bad, thrilling and completely swoon worthy. His experience with the gangs has made him resourceful, quick and quiet. The perfect assassin. The perfect friend. Scary, but loyal to the grave.

*Becky: Well, given all that she's been through, I could totally sympathize with her. She was scared and for a good reason. But she was also brave in her own way. That was another strong character.

*Steve's father: he wasn't clueless, but I'm sure he could've paid more attention to his son. I liked what he did at the morgue - not many parents would have the guts. Very strong character too.

I guess I could write some more, but there's really no point. Just get the book and read it. That's the only way you'll know what I'm talking about. :)… (mehr)

The Stuttering Tattoo is my first Greg Logsted book, and I have to say that it was interesting but nothing mind-blowing. The suspense works well enough – seriously, who can put down a book when the characters stumble upon a severed arm in the backyard? Steven seemed like the trustworthy narrator who will sniff out the truth, and Becky a disarming coincidence that may or may not warrant suspicions. They started off with enough spark to draw me in, but seemed to lose momentum as the story went on and things got complicated. I expected The Stuttering Tattoo to follow the same delicious heights as Holly Black’s WHITE CAT, but sadly it never came close to the same level of intensity.… (mehr)