Alan Watt’s novel, Diamond Dogs, has a plot so clever and fast-paced that reviewing it, without ruining it, is difficult. Revealing any plot-twists or secrets would diminish the book’s overall power and lessen its whirlwind affect. That said, I'll give it a try anyway...
The novel encompasses four days in the life of a high school athlete and every page propels a gripping plot that explores the open wound of teen adolescence. Diamond Dogs reads like a well-scripted movie that ends too soon and leaves you wanting more. Alan Watt digs into the teenage psyche, explores an unstable father-son relationship, and uncovers what men are capable of when driven by love or hate.
Narrator Neil Garvin is the star quarterback of his high school football team. He is a rowdy local hero who takes full advantage of the untouchable status his stardom provides. He siphons beer, brawls with friends, sleeps with teenage girls and aging hookers, and never looks back.
Though brash at school, Neil lives in constant fear of his father, a much-respected public figure — a man troubled by a broken marriage whose only pleasures are Neil Diamond concerts and Neil Garvin football games. As long as Neil plays football, there’s extra food on the table and less chance of being abused by his father.
When Neal commits a crime and stops being the dutiful son, his father surprisingly protects him, and Neil’s imperfect world collapses into further disarray. His hatred and derision turns into sadness and self-loathing. He begins to see his father in himself — a realization that torments him. Everyone in school now reminds him of his former self; the school custodian reminds him of his destructive vandalism, girls remind him of his sexual predation, and non-athletes remind him of his cruelty and violence.
Diamond Dogs is intelligent and insightful. Its first-person voice accurately portrays teenage insecurity, fear, and angst, while respecting the intelligence of youth. Alan Watt fuses suspense, adolescence, and introspection to create a poignant reading experience. Diamond Dogs reveals a sad perverse life, emancipates a tortured soul, and tells a suspenseful story of crime and punishment. It offers entertainment and self-discovery. Anyone who remembers high school can relate to Neil’s insecurities and the brutal world kids create. Diamond Dogs can provoke feelings of loss or anger. It can cause shame in one’s past or cause thankfulness in one’s family and future, and it will strike a chord in anyone who reads it. What that chord may be, you’ll have to find out.
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*Originally published in the Charleston City Paper.
The novel encompasses four days in the life of a high school athlete and every page propels a gripping plot that explores the open wound of teen adolescence. Diamond Dogs reads like a well-scripted movie that ends too soon and leaves you wanting more. Alan Watt digs into the teenage psyche, explores an unstable father-son relationship, and uncovers what men are capable of when driven by love or hate.
Narrator Neil Garvin is the star quarterback of his high school football team. He is a rowdy local hero who takes full advantage of the untouchable status his stardom provides. He siphons beer, brawls with friends, sleeps with teenage girls and aging hookers, and never looks back.
Though brash at school, Neil lives in constant fear of his father, a much-respected public figure — a man troubled by a broken marriage whose only pleasures are Neil Diamond concerts and Neil Garvin football games. As long as Neil plays football, there’s extra food on the table and less chance of being abused by his father.
When Neal commits a crime and stops being the dutiful son, his father surprisingly protects him, and Neil’s imperfect world collapses into further disarray. His hatred and derision turns into sadness and self-loathing. He begins to see his father in himself — a realization that torments him. Everyone in school now reminds him of his former self; the school custodian reminds him of his destructive vandalism, girls remind him of his sexual predation, and non-athletes remind him of his cruelty and violence.
Diamond Dogs is intelligent and insightful. Its first-person voice accurately portrays teenage insecurity, fear, and angst, while respecting the intelligence of youth. Alan Watt fuses suspense, adolescence, and introspection to create a poignant reading experience. Diamond Dogs reveals a sad perverse life, emancipates a tortured soul, and tells a suspenseful story of crime and punishment. It offers entertainment and self-discovery. Anyone who remembers high school can relate to Neil’s insecurities and the brutal world kids create. Diamond Dogs can provoke feelings of loss or anger. It can cause shame in one’s past or cause thankfulness in one’s family and future, and it will strike a chord in anyone who reads it. What that chord may be, you’ll have to find out.
...
*Originally published in the Charleston City Paper.
