Book Note: W.E. Butterworth, Stock Car Racer

This note does not contain major spoilers for the book.

Well, this is a bit of a genre excursion for me—as you might guess, it's an old young-adult book ("boy's book") about cars. However, W.E. Butterworth is the same guy who writes as W.E.B. Griffin, so I can't resist sampling some of this earlier work.

In the first chapter (and I actually it it on a random page pick), I've already met the smart lawyer step-father of the main character, who he seems to be on good terms with (cf. his Badge of Honor series). Named O'hara.

This was actually quite good. It held my interest; admitting that I'm a sucker for coming-of-age books. His prose is smooth and clean even this far back, and he actually doesn't have many of his military-related twitches that I started finding a bit too consistent later.

We've actually got a cautious young man driving. But then he's taken wreckers out to many accidents, and he's involved in racing, where I'd imagine almost anybody with any sense would realize that they could get hurt if they pushed just a little too hard. With actual experience pushing cars to, and past, their limits, I'd imagine you'd start believing in them. Or maybe I just believe in him because I think I was largely that way, with far less excuse.