Chapter In The Rye

Charlie Huston's latest novel, "The Shotgun Rule," lands in bookstores this week. The dark and often vulgar coming-of-age novel is set in Northern California. "Huston has the courage to both unsettle and entertain the reader," Publisher's Weekly writes, "and his story resonates long after its disturbing final scenes."

BookOpinion has pulled together a video interview with Huston on the book, an excerpt from the novel and reviews.

Publishers Weekly summarizes The Shotgun Rule: "Four teenage boys, out of school and experimenting with drugs, booze and sex, find trouble fast when they break into the home of the notorious Arroyo brothers to retrieve a stolen bicycle. In the process, they stumble on the Arroyo family's main operation, a meth lab. In a classic moment of naпve bravado, they steal part of the stash, setting off a downward spiral of events that will reopen the door to the town's dark past, when an earlier generation of criminals, including one of the boy's fathers, controlled the streets."

E.W. also chimes in: "Ooo-wee, what a righteously nasty imagination Charlie Huston has," says Entertainment Weekly. "If you don't know this perfervid writer of thrillers (Caught Stealing) and comic books (Moon Knight), this stand-alone novel is a great place to start...The Shotgun Rule is wise about the way boys grow into men, and roots its violence in understandable emotion."

Here's a short video with Huston talking about The Shotgun Rule:

The following is an excerpt from The Shotgun Rule:

Piece of Shit Bike

It started with Andy's piece of shit bike.

--What the fuck were you doing not locking it up?

--I just went in for a second.

--I just went in for a second. How long do you think it takes to steal a bike, dickweed?

--It was right next to the window.

--Yeah, that'll do it; no one ever steals shit that's next to a window. Numbnuts.

George is kneeling next to a bucket of water, submerging the half inflated innertube from his bike's front wheel. He looks once at Paul, then back in the bucket.

--Don't be such a dick, man, he lost his bike.

Paul picks up a rock from the huge pile that occupies half the driveway. He shakes the rock around in his hand.

--He didn't lose his bike.

He tosses the rock, bouncing it off Andy's back.

--He let someone steal it.

Andy feels pressure behind his eyes and fights it. Already cried once coming out of the store and finding the bike gone. Can't cry again.

He picks up a rock of his own.

--I didn't let anyone steal it.

He throws the rock at Paul.

--It was stolen.

Paul stays right where he is, the rock skipping across the pavement and into the street without coming near him.

--Yeah, big diff.

George is still shuffling the innertube between his hands, looking for the string of bubbles that will point to the slow leak that's been plaguing him for days.

--Don't throw the fucking rocks around, dad'll have a fit.

Andy kicks at a couple rocks, nudging them back toward the pile. His and George's dad had them shovel the rocks from the back of his 4 X 4 two weeks ago. This weekend he'll rent a rototiller and plow up the back lawn and they'll have to move the rocks a wheelbarrow load at a time to spread over the yard. It's gonna suck and he's not even going to pay them. He says they should be thanking him for plowing under the lawn that they hate mowing and weeding.

A line of bubbles shoots to the surface of the water. George covers their source with a fingertip and lifts the tube from the water.

--Hand me that rag.

Andy bends to pick up a scrap of chamois that's lying next to the toolbox. Paul takes a quick step and places his foot over it.

--George, don't let this guy help with your bike. He's bad luck. He touches your bike and it's gone.

Andy yanks on the rag.

--Get off, dickmo.

--Make me.

--Get. Off.

Andy pulls harder and Paul lifts his foot and Andy falls back on his ass.

--You're such a feeb.

--Dick!

George holds out his hand.

--Give me the rag.

Andy throws the rag at him.

Some big brother. Think he could take his side against Paul just once. Just today. Fucking bike. Still can't believe he was so stupid not to lock it up.

George lifts his finger from the puncture in the tube and starts drying the rubber around it.

--Did you see who took it?

Andy gets off his ass, takes the puncture kit from the toolbox and pops the shiny tin lid from the cardboard cylinder.

--No. If I had I would have kicked their ass.

Paul reaches up, grabbing a lower branch of the maple tree alongside the driveway and chinning himself on it.

--Yeah, George, what are you thinking? If he'd seen them he would have kicked their ass. He's such a badass ass kicker. Asses all over town are afraid of him.

Andy