Hot Box in the Pizza District

by Thomas Keech

Tim excels at bodybuilding and academics, has made himself an expert on an obscure Shakespearean play, and supports himself entirely on his salary as a bike messenger. He and his two 20-year-old housemates search for sex, love, and meaningful work. Tim falls in love with Eileen, a beautiful graduate student who seems immune to the fears that haunt him, but their passion is distorted by the aftereffects of profound betrayals.

“The novel is the very essence of general fiction .... The book touches on common life experiences such as romance, complicated family dynamics, the death of a loved one, infidelity, and depression – all centered on a time in Tim's life where society dictates that people are expected to have a life plan, but so few people actually do .... In total, Hot Box in the Pizza District has solid writing, and the struggles in the story are familiar enough to resonate with many potential readers.” Portland Book Review.

271 pages, Hardcover

First published June 18, 2015

About the author

Mr. Keech has written seven well-reviewed novels based on his experiences as a juvenile counselor, a legal aid attorney, an administrative law judge, and an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Maryland as well as his time spent as a father and a former teenager himself. Besides writing, he has worked as a volunteer attorney and is a member of the ethics review panel of his local board of education.

Reviews

[Jake · Rating 1 out of 5]

Right now this is sitting at 4 stars, with five 5-star reviews. So if I'm gonna give it a 1-star, I'm gonna feel bad if I don't flesh out my dissenting opinion. So here goes:

I thought a story about college kids living in a dumpy house in the "pizza district" would have some fun antics. Instead, reading "Coriolanus" and studying calculus is about as exciting as it gets. I realize that its not good criticism to judge something by what its not, but what it was was equally lame. Flat writing, flat characters, by-the-numbers conflict and resolution.

So what was good about it? At one point, the main character puts on a rumpled suit, straw hat, and sunglasses and sits on a class his grad student ex-girlfriend is TAing. He calls it his "rumpled suitskin" routine, which was pretty funny. But at the same time, dude is stalking, making what could have been funny scary-sad.

[BiblioTad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who managed to make it past the third decade of life is likely to see themselves and the friends they had in their 20s in the characters in this book. Hot Box in the Pizza District is a tribute to all the post-adolescents who are learning to navigate life in a world where they are expected to become adults. While some go bravely into this new world, others are dragged in kicking and screaming. Tim, the main character, finds himself doing a little of both as he tries to create a relationship with Eileen, a beautiful woman who has captured his heart, while simultaneously trying to resolve his complicated relationship with his dying father. If the movie The Big Chill had a prequel, Hot Box in the Pizza District would be it! A fun, quick and easy read that anyone who has tried to grow up will enjoy.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book so much that I will check out the other books written by Thomas Keech. Glad to be introduced to a new author. The book is fast moving, interesting, great characters, and a book that you will not want to put down. Thanks to Goodreads I won this book.

[Craig Gillan · Rating 5 out of 5]

First reads book. Really enjoyed this book