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The Night Budda Got Deep in It
Fifteen-year-old Budda Jessico would first have to be noticed to be unpopular. Instead, he leads an unremarkable and anonymous life in suburban St. Louis where he lives with his over-protective father and his bullying older brother.
At the urging of Blood Mama, a voice only Budda hears, he catches a bus to Kentucky to rescue his former foster sister, Addie. As soon as Budda reaches Louisville, he goes to a McDonald’s for the first time in his life where he meets the resolute Baresha, a fellow runaway on her own adventure.
Budda’s mission to find his sister later goes awry. He hitches a ride to Valkyrie, Addie’s hometown, in hopes of saving her from some danger Blood Mama won’t reveal. Instead, Budda encounters her blood kin, led by the ominous Odyn Starkwether and his violent brother Dickie. A drug shipment controlled by the Starkwethers has disappeared and so has Addie. The brothers have a mess to clean up, and Budda is soon in the middle of it. At first, Budda goes along willingly, if it will help him find Addie.
Before long, though, Budda realizes it’s sometimes better to stay put.
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At the urging of Blood Mama, a voice only Budda hears, he catches a bus to Kentucky to rescue his former foster sister, Addie. As soon as Budda reaches Louisville, he goes to a McDonald’s for the first time in his life where he meets the resolute Baresha, a fellow runaway on her own adventure.
Budda’s mission to find his sister later goes awry. He hitches a ride to Valkyrie, Addie’s hometown, in hopes of saving her from some danger Blood Mama won’t reveal. Instead, Budda encounters her blood kin, led by the ominous Odyn Starkwether and his violent brother Dickie. A drug shipment controlled by the Starkwethers has disappeared and so has Addie. The brothers have a mess to clean up, and Budda is soon in the middle of it. At first, Budda goes along willingly, if it will help him find Addie.
Before long, though, Budda realizes it’s sometimes better to stay put.
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176 pages, Paperback
First published June 27, 2012
2 people are currently reading
187 people want to read
About the author
Ron D. Smith
9 books109 followersI started my adult life as a journalist, but gave it up when I realized I wasn't going to become Walter Cronkite. I grew up in small towns in Missouri and Iowa, which make my adopted hometown of Louisville look like Manhattan.
I envy the dialogue of Daniel Woodrell, the sense of place of Silas House, and how Wendell Berry makes writing seem deceptively easy. I appreciate Elmore Leonard for being Elmore Leonard. I don't write like anyone but me.
I envy the dialogue of Daniel Woodrell, the sense of place of Silas House, and how Wendell Berry makes writing seem deceptively easy. I appreciate Elmore Leonard for being Elmore Leonard. I don't write like anyone but me.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 13, 2012
Budda Jessico's life has always been uneventful. He spends most of his time alone in hopes of staying away from his abusive older brother and over-bearing father. He's content with how his life is going, although at times he finds himself yearning for something more. He's come to terms with the fact that he's adopted, his own mother died not long after she'd given him up. Yet he's done his best not to let this fact get him down. In a sense, she's never left him, as her spirit whom he calls Blood Mama, accompanies him wherever he goes.
When Blood Mama makes it known to him that his foster sister, Addie, needs a little saving, Budda embarks on a journey toward Kentucky. It's there, she says, that he'll be able to able find her and give her the helping hand she so clearly needs. Yet how is he supposed to do just that when he doesn't have her address, her phone number, and no actual means to find her in the first place? Never-the-less, he's willing to give things a shot in hopes of fulfilling Blood Mama's request.
Budda unexpectedly finds a way to make it Valkyrie, Kentucky, Addie's hometown. He's ecstatic about the prospect of seeing her again. Unfortunately, finding her proves to be more than he thought he could handle. A misunderstanding allows him to come across Addie's cousin, a prospect he first thought would prove fruitful. Yet when she refuses to be forth-coming as to Addie's whereabouts, he soon realizes he'll need to find a better means in which to find her if he's to succeed in coming to her aid.
He soon learns that the Starkwether's are people he should stay away from. They're up to no good and they deal in selling any kind of drugs they can get their hands. He becomes privy to the fact that one such shipment is missing and that Addie is somehow tied to it. Yet no one knows where she is or what she's done with it.
Budda's trepidation continues to grow the further in he gets in trying to find his sister. He knows he should leave well enough alone, that perhaps she's better off in not being discovered. It'll keep those looking for her at bay if he keeps his nose out of her business. Deep inside, though, he knows he's unwilling to leave things as they are now and soon finds himself immersed in a controversy that might just be the end of him, one that Addie could have prevented from the get-go.
This was a very intriguing and very engrossing story. It hooks the reader in from the moment they turn the first page. We find ourselves immersed in the life of a boy who's circumstances lead him to a place he knows nothing about. A place he thinks will be his salvation, but it turns out to be a nightmare he never thought he'd live through. Full of gut-wrenching turmoil and endearing insights as to what makes Budda tick, The Night Budda Got Deep In It is a coming-of-age story that is sure to capture anyone's interest and keep their attentions glued to every page until the very end!
When Blood Mama makes it known to him that his foster sister, Addie, needs a little saving, Budda embarks on a journey toward Kentucky. It's there, she says, that he'll be able to able find her and give her the helping hand she so clearly needs. Yet how is he supposed to do just that when he doesn't have her address, her phone number, and no actual means to find her in the first place? Never-the-less, he's willing to give things a shot in hopes of fulfilling Blood Mama's request.
Budda unexpectedly finds a way to make it Valkyrie, Kentucky, Addie's hometown. He's ecstatic about the prospect of seeing her again. Unfortunately, finding her proves to be more than he thought he could handle. A misunderstanding allows him to come across Addie's cousin, a prospect he first thought would prove fruitful. Yet when she refuses to be forth-coming as to Addie's whereabouts, he soon realizes he'll need to find a better means in which to find her if he's to succeed in coming to her aid.
He soon learns that the Starkwether's are people he should stay away from. They're up to no good and they deal in selling any kind of drugs they can get their hands. He becomes privy to the fact that one such shipment is missing and that Addie is somehow tied to it. Yet no one knows where she is or what she's done with it.
Budda's trepidation continues to grow the further in he gets in trying to find his sister. He knows he should leave well enough alone, that perhaps she's better off in not being discovered. It'll keep those looking for her at bay if he keeps his nose out of her business. Deep inside, though, he knows he's unwilling to leave things as they are now and soon finds himself immersed in a controversy that might just be the end of him, one that Addie could have prevented from the get-go.
This was a very intriguing and very engrossing story. It hooks the reader in from the moment they turn the first page. We find ourselves immersed in the life of a boy who's circumstances lead him to a place he knows nothing about. A place he thinks will be his salvation, but it turns out to be a nightmare he never thought he'd live through. Full of gut-wrenching turmoil and endearing insights as to what makes Budda tick, The Night Budda Got Deep In It is a coming-of-age story that is sure to capture anyone's interest and keep their attentions glued to every page until the very end!
September 15, 2012
Originally posted on The Book Tart http://thebooktart.com/book-review/re...
I enjoyed this story very much a lot. (Yes , I know that's a double quantifier :p ) I like to read YA stories and this one looked intriguingly different than the paranormal young adult stories I normally gravitate towards.
How a book with drug dealers, ghosts (?), violence, a teen runaway protagonist (very likable) and a slew of unlikable characters (but so well drawn I could picture them) anyway how this story can be so charming and... Well, whimsical, I'm not completely sure, except that the author has a way with words that immediately connected and drew me in.
The protagonists' name is Kevin, but he's called Budda (you have to say it with a southern accent, like butter :) ) He's a 15 year old boy who sets off on a trip to save the girl. He's been a good kid. He listens to his adoptive father and almost always does as he's told. Budda has a voice in his head that he talks with. He calls her Blood Momma and it's never quite spelled out if she's a figment of his imagination, or a ghost. I prefer to think it was his biological mother's spirit. She tells him he needs to go to Kentucky to save his foster sister. So, he sets off.
"By the time the Greyhound reached Effingham, Illinois, commercial bus travel had lost its appeal for Budda. His bony butt was not contoured for long trips, and this was the longest one he had been on. Even worse, the driver maintained an uncomfortably cold cabin. Budda shivered for much of the trip, because he hadn't brought anything warm to wear - it had been unseasonably mild for mid-October when he left St. Louis. Proper preperation was not his strong suit. '
He goes on a trip... I'm not going to call it an adventure, because some people he meets on his journey keep calling it that and it wasn't a fun experience! But this 48 hour period helps him to discover his strengh and realize that there's more to him than he imagined.
I don't want to spoil the story... but I want to tell you how much I adored the storytelling. It has a poetic rythm to it. I could see Budda and I liked what I saw. "Chow Mein will be coming from your ears if you eat any more," she said. Budda unconsciously touched his right ear to see if he could detect any noodles there. "I guess I've had enough then," he said. Your food is real good. Thank you." I could picture the secondary characters, like the drug dealer Odyn, because of the colorful descriptions, 'A roly poly man engulfed the futon. He looked out of place on such a simple piece of furniture. Budda couldn't remember seeing a man so round.'
I love the dialogue and the word pictures. I like Ron's way with a phrase. Like this line, "He's got less sense than a farm turkey in a rainstorm." I could see the story in my head like a movie. This book made me laugh out loud. It's a quick, engrossing read. I highly recommend this book if you are interested in an exciting coming of age journey. One that involves so many seemingly random elements, drug dealers and runaways, McDonalds and Chinese restaurants, orange parkas and Charles Dickens. There's a variety of ingredients mixed in this stew but it combines into an amazing tale. This book has stuck in my head and I've found myself grinning when I think of it. Go get it!
♦eARC provided for review
I enjoyed this story very much a lot. (Yes , I know that's a double quantifier :p ) I like to read YA stories and this one looked intriguingly different than the paranormal young adult stories I normally gravitate towards.
How a book with drug dealers, ghosts (?), violence, a teen runaway protagonist (very likable) and a slew of unlikable characters (but so well drawn I could picture them) anyway how this story can be so charming and... Well, whimsical, I'm not completely sure, except that the author has a way with words that immediately connected and drew me in.
The protagonists' name is Kevin, but he's called Budda (you have to say it with a southern accent, like butter :) ) He's a 15 year old boy who sets off on a trip to save the girl. He's been a good kid. He listens to his adoptive father and almost always does as he's told. Budda has a voice in his head that he talks with. He calls her Blood Momma and it's never quite spelled out if she's a figment of his imagination, or a ghost. I prefer to think it was his biological mother's spirit. She tells him he needs to go to Kentucky to save his foster sister. So, he sets off.
"By the time the Greyhound reached Effingham, Illinois, commercial bus travel had lost its appeal for Budda. His bony butt was not contoured for long trips, and this was the longest one he had been on. Even worse, the driver maintained an uncomfortably cold cabin. Budda shivered for much of the trip, because he hadn't brought anything warm to wear - it had been unseasonably mild for mid-October when he left St. Louis. Proper preperation was not his strong suit. '
He goes on a trip... I'm not going to call it an adventure, because some people he meets on his journey keep calling it that and it wasn't a fun experience! But this 48 hour period helps him to discover his strengh and realize that there's more to him than he imagined.
I don't want to spoil the story... but I want to tell you how much I adored the storytelling. It has a poetic rythm to it. I could see Budda and I liked what I saw. "Chow Mein will be coming from your ears if you eat any more," she said. Budda unconsciously touched his right ear to see if he could detect any noodles there. "I guess I've had enough then," he said. Your food is real good. Thank you." I could picture the secondary characters, like the drug dealer Odyn, because of the colorful descriptions, 'A roly poly man engulfed the futon. He looked out of place on such a simple piece of furniture. Budda couldn't remember seeing a man so round.'
I love the dialogue and the word pictures. I like Ron's way with a phrase. Like this line, "He's got less sense than a farm turkey in a rainstorm." I could see the story in my head like a movie. This book made me laugh out loud. It's a quick, engrossing read. I highly recommend this book if you are interested in an exciting coming of age journey. One that involves so many seemingly random elements, drug dealers and runaways, McDonalds and Chinese restaurants, orange parkas and Charles Dickens. There's a variety of ingredients mixed in this stew but it combines into an amazing tale. This book has stuck in my head and I've found myself grinning when I think of it. Go get it!
♦eARC provided for review
October 2, 2012
"The Night Budda Got In It" is a well written story with tons of excitement involving drug dealers and runaways. Ron pens his characters believable and with humor. I was totally engrossed in the story from the beginning right to the end. A must read for all YA fans.
This review is based on a complimentary copy which was provided for an honest review.
This review is based on a complimentary copy which was provided for an honest review.
October 16, 2012
I was totally engrossed in the story from the beginning right to the end. Budda has an interesting adventure that he was not expecting...it made him realize he was lucky to have the home he grew up in and his father. Also taught him that it was alright to stand up for himself. I really liked this book and both young and old can enjoy and learn from Budda and his adventure.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews