Bluff City Pawn

As you can see, I've made a few changes. I've set up my review a little different this time just to give it a little more structure. I added my Goodreads currently-reading list to give you an idea of what reviews are coming up. And I've also teamed up with IndieBound. They support local, independent bookstores. I have their Next List to the right there and also a link at the end of this review for those of you who may be interested in buying this book. Their link will help you find a independent bookstore in your area with the book available. Great for supporting small businesses and your local economy.

Bluff City Pawn: A Novel by Stephen Schottenfeld
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What it's about:
Huddy Marr owns Bluff City Pawn in Memphis, TN in a neighborhood that's on it way down. When a long-time customer and avid gun collector dies, Huddy sees his ticket out and on to a better life. With the help of his brothers, Joe the land-developer, with his money and Harlan, the wanderer recently come home, to move the load, Huddy just has to find the right buyers. Just when everything looks like it's going smoothly, the trouble between brothers comes out.
Why I think what I do:
I thought this was a great novel. It is slow at first but I felt it was deliberate. Stephen Schottenfeld takes his time, using his language and style, to introduce you to the characters, show you their true selves and their relationships and really show you the world they live in is just like ours. This is a story that could being happening to anyone right at this moment. He doesn't get to the main event until almost half way through the book, but in this case, because he is building it up just so, it's not a drag at all. You get the chance to be inside Huddy's mind and see everything he is thinking. As a pawnshop owner, he knows people and he knows his brothers. This book was like watching a train wreck through the only pair of eyes that could have done something to stop it or at least slow it down.
Schottenfeld really gets down to the nitty gritty of how the economy affects everyone from the rich to the poor, from the up-right to the two-faced, and brother to brother.
Who it's for:
Anyone with an interest with pawnshops, family discord especially between brothers, gun collecting, and economics.
When it's available:
August 5, 2014
Where you can find it: