I just finished this engrossing novel that is almost surely
at least in part autobiographical. The book traces the life
of a young boy named Alex Hammond, from ages 11 to 15. This
is no ordinary coming-of-age tale but a bleak look at the
horrors of institutionalization. Alex is sent from group home
to Juvenile Hall to lockup by the California Youth Authority.
The saddest aspect is how Alex learns the system, learns it
so well that ultimately the system is the only future that he
can function in. When at one point Alex is liberated on a
type of parole, he doesn't last 2 days before reverting to
criminal ways, utterly rejecting a mainstream law-abiding
lifestyle. Bunker has the character reliving past abuses in
his mind to prepare himself for robberies or other illegal
acts, blandly stating that this is the only way he can go
through with these acts without being overcome with guilt, by
blaming his victims for all the times he himself has been a
victim. A very depressing yet re alistic look into a criminal
mind.
This read to me like a mix of Frank Bonham, Andrew Vachss,
and Oz, which is a very good thing (in a very twisted way).
It's my third Bunker, and I must keep my eyes open for his
auotbiography. One funny thing - this edition (1998) has a
back-cover blurb by Quentin Tarantino - "The best
first-person crime novel I've ever read". Except it's written
in the third person! So are The Animal Factory and Dog Eat
Dog, so unless this quote refers to No Beast So Fierce (which
I don't own) I guess QT needs some grammar lessons.
Interesting that St Martin's let that one through...
Keith Logan
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