SAVAGES (Don Winslow) - June 18/14

This blisteringly paced book really kept me entertained from start to finish. Winslow's style is a little weird and does take some getting used to, but the man sure knows how to tell a story. There are twists a-plenty and extremely memorable characters, including a brutal henchman named Lado and of course the three protagonists. (The book also features a fairly graphic DP scene, which is something I never thought I'd see in a relatively mainstream piece of fiction.) The ending left me a bit confused, though; Ben is mortally wounded and O and Chon decide to kill themselves? Not sure what happened there. ***1/2 out of ****

THE GIRL WHO WAS SATURDAY NIGHT (June 13/14) - Heather O'Neill

My brother said it best when he said this book is like a Wes Anderson movie in book form. It's very quirky and twee, and it really feels like O'Neill spent days crafting just one paragraph. The episode story is occasionally interesting; O'Neill certainly offers up a vivid portrait of the main character and the weirdos in her life, including her twin brother, absent father, and insane husband. But I was never engrossed, is the bottom line. I admired the book more than I enjoyed it. **1/2 out of ****

SIX YEARS (Harlan Coben) - June 1/14

This pretty typical thriller started out really well - I was thinking it was pretty much the definition of a page-turner - but I found myself losing interest once it got into the nuts and bolts of the mystery. It became like a Law and Order episode, with the main character following one clue to the next. The resolution was satisfying, though, and it's certainly an easy, quick read. **1/2 out of ****