G570 Book Review of Muscle Cars by Stephen G Eoannou

General Information:


Name of Book: Muscle Cars

ISBN: 9781939650221

Publisher: Santa Fe Writers Project

Year it was published: 2015

Summary:

The stories in Muscle Cars explore the unique and sometimes flawed relationships between men, their families, and their friends. Featuring a diverse cast of inarticulate misfits—including a compulsive body builder obsessed by the death of his brother, a former boxer forced to sell his prized 1946 New York Yankees–autographed baseball, and two boyhood friends who plan to steal Ted Williams’ scientifically frozen head—this stand-out debut from Pushcart-nominated Eoannou is a powerful journey through the humor, darkness, and neuroses of the modern American everyman

Author: Stephen G Eoannou

About the Author:
(From Poetic Book Tours)

Stephen G. Eoannou holds an MFA from Queens University of Charlotte and an MA from Miami University. His work has been nominated for two Pushcart Awards, awarded an Honor Certificate from The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and was honored with the Best Short Screenplay Award at the 36th Starz Denver Film Festival. He lives and writes in his hometown of Buffalo, New York, the setting and inspiration for much of his work.

Overall theme:

I am really unsure what the message of some of the stories are. I enjoyed the writing, the storytelling, but the stories felt unfinished, perhaps the author inviting the reader to imagine what happens next, What is obvious is that cars played either minor or major role in most of the stories, and all of them are told from men's points of views.

1. Muscle Cars

One Sentence Summary:

Told in first person narrative, a man and a local neighbor boy bond over the car that was recently acquired, and the man ends up revealing more than he should.

2. Mementos

One sentence Summary:

In first person narrative, Christos returns to a funeral home where he has to bury his father and while there he meets Uncle George who makes an interesting revelation to him.

3. Welcome Home Xmas 1945

One Sentence Summary:

This is a sort of sequel to Mementos when Christos finally learns the revelation about what Uncle George has told him.

4. The Girl in the Window

One Sentence Summary:

In third person narrative, Carlton meets a mysterious girl at the window and begins to spy on her, little realizing the consequences that will befall him.

5. The Wolf Boy of Forest Lawn

One Sentence Summary:

In first person narrative, a local science teacher hears about the mysterious disappearance of Jason Wolf and begins using Jason Wolf's situation to impart very valuable lessons to his students, little realizing that things aren't as they seem.

6. Lost Things

One Sentence Summary:

In first person narrative, a man who seems to have a lot of things throughout the year goes to visit is father and while together they reminisce about the father's life.

7. Ohio Street

One Sentence Summary:

While receiving the drunken son, Brandon, the father begins to reflect on his own life, and on a horrible and youthful mistake he made with his former friend.

8. The Corner of Walnut and Vine

One Sentence Summary:

A husband and a wife go out to check out a house that the wife wants really badly, and while on the excursion, the man realizes something interesting about his own family.

9. Culling

One Sentence Summary:

Amongst a local goose invasion, Ricky visits his Uncle Mike and learns of the future plans Uncle Mike has.

10. Slip Kid

One Sentence Summary:

Within a Greek community someone shot Father George and one young man knows as to who had done it and why.

11. A Person of Interest

One Sentence Summary:

In third person narrative, Honan begins to reminisce about his wife and daughter when a neighbor comes over and reveals that Rahim Al-Jamil has taken pictures, causing for Honan to begin experiencing paranoia towards Middle Easterners.

12. The Luckiest Man in the World

One Sentence Summary:

Big Sugar made a decision to auction some of the man's prized possessions such as a baseball. The man's brother, Dean also wants it, which causes a fight between the two and a valuable lesson.

13. The Aerialist

One Sentence Summary:

In third person narrative, Blind Charlie invites Spence to watch a Frenchman fall, and while the two travel, Spence begins ruminating on a betrayal he had committed.

14. Games

One Sentence Summary:

The boys play a game with very tragic consequences.

15. Stealing Ted Williams' Head

One Sentence Summary:

Two men who are friends and whose lives aren't going well decide to do something unexpected and daring with unexpected consequences.

16. Swimming Naked

One Sentence Summary:

A coach forces boys to swim naked in his class, and when one takes a stand against unfairness, the narrator begins to question whether to be brave or to be a bystander.

17. Winter Nights, 1994

One Sentence Summary:

In third person narrative, a local vintner, Angelo who has returned from WWII, meets a German man who was at the same battle as he and later in the evening when the storm hits, he questions the right thing to do.

18. Auld Lang Syne

One Sentence Summary:

In third person narrative, Griff finds five thousand dollars and wants to keep it rather than post lost and found sign for it. While making a decision, he drives over to a bar where he hears a touching story about a man who buys expensive wine for his friends and makes his decision then.

This is for Poetic Book Tours

Buy the Book Here

Tour Stops:

April 7: bookchickdi (review)
April 14: Everything Distils Into Reading (Author Guest Post)
April 20: Svetlana’s Reads and Views (review)
April: 21: Everything Distils Into Reading (review)
April 23: Emma Eden Ramos (review)
April 25: Bell, Book & Candle (review)
April 28: Savvy Verse & Wit (interview)

For More Information Here

4 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)