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City of Forts
A body in the basement is about to ruin Ricky’s summer.
"A haunting tale of death, love, and the American Dream on a US town's mean streets"
- Keith Nixon, author of the bestselling Konstantin series.
"A brilliant read that explores society and all its cracks. Jason Beech expertly balances the nostalgia of childhood adventures with the brutality of life in a very grown-up and dark town. City of Forts deserves to sit equal with the greats as a piece of entertainment and a study of modern life's struggle"
- Aidan Thorn, author of When the Music's Over from Number 13 Press.
All thirteen-year-old Ricky Nardilo wants is a fun summer before he and his friends part for school again. But, when he and Liz fall through the floor of an abandoned house and come face to face with a dead man, the hot months become charged with danger.
The City of Forts is the name Ricky and his friends have given a crescent of abandoned homes at the edge of Town. Lying in the shadow of a disused factory it is their refuge from the Town's rust, its drug dealers, and the Ghost Boys.
It's not a refuge for long. The dead man has triggered a gangster's warpath. Tarantula Man wants to know how his man has disappeared. And he wants to use the City of Forts for his own purposes.
Ricky, Liz, Bixby, and Tanais will not give it up without a fight - and maybe with the help of Floyd, Mr Vale and his son, Charlie, they'll rid themselves of the invaders.
City of Forts is a dark coming of age crime drama where every street and alleyway is loaded with menace.
"A haunting tale of death, love, and the American Dream on a US town's mean streets"
- Keith Nixon, author of the bestselling Konstantin series.
"A brilliant read that explores society and all its cracks. Jason Beech expertly balances the nostalgia of childhood adventures with the brutality of life in a very grown-up and dark town. City of Forts deserves to sit equal with the greats as a piece of entertainment and a study of modern life's struggle"
- Aidan Thorn, author of When the Music's Over from Number 13 Press.
All thirteen-year-old Ricky Nardilo wants is a fun summer before he and his friends part for school again. But, when he and Liz fall through the floor of an abandoned house and come face to face with a dead man, the hot months become charged with danger.
The City of Forts is the name Ricky and his friends have given a crescent of abandoned homes at the edge of Town. Lying in the shadow of a disused factory it is their refuge from the Town's rust, its drug dealers, and the Ghost Boys.
It's not a refuge for long. The dead man has triggered a gangster's warpath. Tarantula Man wants to know how his man has disappeared. And he wants to use the City of Forts for his own purposes.
Ricky, Liz, Bixby, and Tanais will not give it up without a fight - and maybe with the help of Floyd, Mr Vale and his son, Charlie, they'll rid themselves of the invaders.
City of Forts is a dark coming of age crime drama where every street and alleyway is loaded with menace.
297 pages, ebook
Published April 15, 2018
11 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 5, 2021
Jason Beech has written a compelling coming of age story, that, as so often happens when we were in our teens, blurs the lines between good and evil.
Ricky spends a fatherless summer trying to get away from his responsibility of watching his little brother, and spend time with his friends Liz, and Bixby. They've found an escape from the bleak realities of their lives in some abandoned houses. But evil, both seen, and unseen, lurk there, and try as they might, the friends start drifting apart until all that they hold dear, including each other drives them to an explosive climax.
The story is vividly written with scenes descriptions that put the reader right in the hot humid oppressive summer. All the decay of the city, both in its residents, and its streets are made real, and I found myself feeling many of the emotions that the characters went through. I was completely drawn in, and sorry to see the story end, and anxiously await the next book.
Ricky spends a fatherless summer trying to get away from his responsibility of watching his little brother, and spend time with his friends Liz, and Bixby. They've found an escape from the bleak realities of their lives in some abandoned houses. But evil, both seen, and unseen, lurk there, and try as they might, the friends start drifting apart until all that they hold dear, including each other drives them to an explosive climax.
The story is vividly written with scenes descriptions that put the reader right in the hot humid oppressive summer. All the decay of the city, both in its residents, and its streets are made real, and I found myself feeling many of the emotions that the characters went through. I was completely drawn in, and sorry to see the story end, and anxiously await the next book.
January 29, 2021
This book definitely kept my interest from the very beginning until the very end. It seemed like there was always something happening in every chapter that made me want to continue to read to the next chapter and the next. I can definitely say that this book is worth the read and I hope that you all take the time to read it because it was very entertaining.
June 11, 2018
Children of the Wasteland.
It’s the decaying heart of America. A landscape of poverty, dysfunction and dereliction. A landscape that breeds violence and murder. A landscape that literally boils under a relentless summer sun. And somewhere within this baking wasteland a little gang of kids try to survive. They’re barely in their teens, but already they’re streetwise, courageous and honourable, qualities that are tested to the nerve-wracking limit in this gritty coming-of-age tale from a master of description. Compelling reading.
It’s the decaying heart of America. A landscape of poverty, dysfunction and dereliction. A landscape that breeds violence and murder. A landscape that literally boils under a relentless summer sun. And somewhere within this baking wasteland a little gang of kids try to survive. They’re barely in their teens, but already they’re streetwise, courageous and honourable, qualities that are tested to the nerve-wracking limit in this gritty coming-of-age tale from a master of description. Compelling reading.
April 23, 2021
Some things change vastly between different levels of society while some things remain the same. One of the latter is the spirit of childhood, with its craving for freedom and adventure, its belief in everlasting friendship, and its hopeless wish that nothing will ever change. But one of the differences between social classes is the safety (or lack thereof) that children experience. Jason Beech’s City of Forts explores both of these aspects, creating a nostalgic and gritty setting all at once.
Adolescent Ricky Nardilo has more than his fair share of problems: an absent father, an over-worked mother, a life of poverty, a little brother he is responsible for, and a world that seems completely indifferent to him. He’s a complex character: basically good, but displaying the same selfish mindset and poor decision-making most thirteen-year-olds possess. Despite his hard reality, many of the protagonists' largest concerns are no different from those of most youths at the beginning of the novel. He has an almost desperate drive to enjoy his last summer of childhood before starting high school. He faces an internal tug-of-war between being a good big brother and relishing his freedom. He struggles to keep his friendships intact as life and puberty bring alterations, all while navigating his confusing attraction to his long-time friend, Liz.
That all changes when, near the beginning of the narrative, Ricky and Liz find a dead body among the abandoned factory houses that have become their group’s playground as well as home to their friend, a runaway named Bixby. Suddenly, Ricky’s problems become a lot bigger and he and his companions, untrusting of adults, must find a way to deal with their macabre discovery alone. They can’t tell the authorities, because it would mean losing their “City of Forts,” the one place they feel alive and free, as well as revealing Bixby’s whereabouts to social services. They can’t tell their parents for much the same reasons, with the added problem that it would lead Ricky’s mother to discover that he leaves his little brother home alone every day. Leaving the dead man where he is, however, is completely out of the question. It’s a broiling hot summer, and he’s already starting to smell. Sooner or later wildlife will be attracted to the corpse, and, aside from the inherent horror that entails, it will likely attract other unwanted attention.
The only reasonable course is to bury the body. Ricky, Bixby, Liz, and, quite by accident, the newest member of their group, Tanais, all become involved. Along with attempting to bury the body, Ricky, constantly worried about money and well-aware that his mother works three jobs to keep the family fed, secretly finds the man’s wallet and takes all the cash. The combination of these actions sets into motion a dangerous game of survival in which the stakes are high and the price of failure is all too real. What starts as a few seemingly odd incidents, frightening but not necessarily perilous, quickly escalates into a stunning tale of crime, corruption, friendship, and betrayal. Some relationships become strained while others become strengthened. Pursued by gang members and authorities, Ricky fights against the odds to keep himself, his family, and his friends safe.
The dangers, however, are multitudinous and the friendships are not always clearly defined. The leader of the dangerous Ghost Boys wants to know what happened to the dead man, who was his friend, and may demand payment in blood if he believed Ricky and his companions are responsible. A member of the local police, Officer Ray, acts like he wants to help the protagonist, but Ricky is far from convinced he can be trusted. Liz’s father, Mr. Panowich, may well be the boy’s best chance at keeping his younger brother, Brett, out of harm’s way, but there seems to be something not quite right going on in the older man’s household. Then there is the mysterious Mr. Vale and his son, Charlie, residents of the more affluent nearby city who may be Ricky’s only hope of escaping the Ghost Boys’ threat—as well as, perhaps, his life of hopeless poverty, anonymity—but who may not have the adolescent’s best interests at heart. Amid all of this uncertainty and peril, a teenage boy must grow up quickly and find his path; otherwise, he might never grow up at all.
One part dark crime thriller, one part social commentary, and one part heartfelt coming-of-age story, City of Forts seamlessly blends the relative innocence of youth with the harsh realities of life on the lowest rungs of society. Beech expertly captures his characters’ emotions and thoughts, excelling and communicating things never clearly stated. His narrative manages to balance complexity and intrigue with comprehensibility, weaving multiple strands into intricate twists and turns that, somehow, always surprise yet never confuse. Perhaps this novel’s greatest strength, however, is how well it pulls readers into the world Ricky and the others inhabit. Vividly descriptive while still maintaining the same slightly rough tone, even in the narration, City of Forts makes one feel the relentless burn of a scorching summer day, the startling half-mad fear, the biting uncertainty of poverty. Readers will smell the hot pavement, squint in the glare of white-hot sunlight reflected by abandoned windows, recoil from the damp reek of alleyways. Beech brings his entire story to life, making it all the more meaningful and engaging. However, throughout it all, he never loses the perspective of an adolescent boy, which makes this novel a rather unique and fascinating experience.
Readers looking for a deep, multilayered thriller that neither pulls its punches nor shies away from the more emotional aspects of its protagonist will not be disappointed by City of Forts. Offering an interesting combination of grim danger and coming-of-age discovery, along with a healthy dose of mystery and drama, this novel pulls readers into its setting and holds them there. Rough and gritty yet heartfelt until the end, this is a book sure to be enjoyed by nearly any fan of the genre.
Adolescent Ricky Nardilo has more than his fair share of problems: an absent father, an over-worked mother, a life of poverty, a little brother he is responsible for, and a world that seems completely indifferent to him. He’s a complex character: basically good, but displaying the same selfish mindset and poor decision-making most thirteen-year-olds possess. Despite his hard reality, many of the protagonists' largest concerns are no different from those of most youths at the beginning of the novel. He has an almost desperate drive to enjoy his last summer of childhood before starting high school. He faces an internal tug-of-war between being a good big brother and relishing his freedom. He struggles to keep his friendships intact as life and puberty bring alterations, all while navigating his confusing attraction to his long-time friend, Liz.
That all changes when, near the beginning of the narrative, Ricky and Liz find a dead body among the abandoned factory houses that have become their group’s playground as well as home to their friend, a runaway named Bixby. Suddenly, Ricky’s problems become a lot bigger and he and his companions, untrusting of adults, must find a way to deal with their macabre discovery alone. They can’t tell the authorities, because it would mean losing their “City of Forts,” the one place they feel alive and free, as well as revealing Bixby’s whereabouts to social services. They can’t tell their parents for much the same reasons, with the added problem that it would lead Ricky’s mother to discover that he leaves his little brother home alone every day. Leaving the dead man where he is, however, is completely out of the question. It’s a broiling hot summer, and he’s already starting to smell. Sooner or later wildlife will be attracted to the corpse, and, aside from the inherent horror that entails, it will likely attract other unwanted attention.
The only reasonable course is to bury the body. Ricky, Bixby, Liz, and, quite by accident, the newest member of their group, Tanais, all become involved. Along with attempting to bury the body, Ricky, constantly worried about money and well-aware that his mother works three jobs to keep the family fed, secretly finds the man’s wallet and takes all the cash. The combination of these actions sets into motion a dangerous game of survival in which the stakes are high and the price of failure is all too real. What starts as a few seemingly odd incidents, frightening but not necessarily perilous, quickly escalates into a stunning tale of crime, corruption, friendship, and betrayal. Some relationships become strained while others become strengthened. Pursued by gang members and authorities, Ricky fights against the odds to keep himself, his family, and his friends safe.
The dangers, however, are multitudinous and the friendships are not always clearly defined. The leader of the dangerous Ghost Boys wants to know what happened to the dead man, who was his friend, and may demand payment in blood if he believed Ricky and his companions are responsible. A member of the local police, Officer Ray, acts like he wants to help the protagonist, but Ricky is far from convinced he can be trusted. Liz’s father, Mr. Panowich, may well be the boy’s best chance at keeping his younger brother, Brett, out of harm’s way, but there seems to be something not quite right going on in the older man’s household. Then there is the mysterious Mr. Vale and his son, Charlie, residents of the more affluent nearby city who may be Ricky’s only hope of escaping the Ghost Boys’ threat—as well as, perhaps, his life of hopeless poverty, anonymity—but who may not have the adolescent’s best interests at heart. Amid all of this uncertainty and peril, a teenage boy must grow up quickly and find his path; otherwise, he might never grow up at all.
One part dark crime thriller, one part social commentary, and one part heartfelt coming-of-age story, City of Forts seamlessly blends the relative innocence of youth with the harsh realities of life on the lowest rungs of society. Beech expertly captures his characters’ emotions and thoughts, excelling and communicating things never clearly stated. His narrative manages to balance complexity and intrigue with comprehensibility, weaving multiple strands into intricate twists and turns that, somehow, always surprise yet never confuse. Perhaps this novel’s greatest strength, however, is how well it pulls readers into the world Ricky and the others inhabit. Vividly descriptive while still maintaining the same slightly rough tone, even in the narration, City of Forts makes one feel the relentless burn of a scorching summer day, the startling half-mad fear, the biting uncertainty of poverty. Readers will smell the hot pavement, squint in the glare of white-hot sunlight reflected by abandoned windows, recoil from the damp reek of alleyways. Beech brings his entire story to life, making it all the more meaningful and engaging. However, throughout it all, he never loses the perspective of an adolescent boy, which makes this novel a rather unique and fascinating experience.
Readers looking for a deep, multilayered thriller that neither pulls its punches nor shies away from the more emotional aspects of its protagonist will not be disappointed by City of Forts. Offering an interesting combination of grim danger and coming-of-age discovery, along with a healthy dose of mystery and drama, this novel pulls readers into its setting and holds them there. Rough and gritty yet heartfelt until the end, this is a book sure to be enjoyed by nearly any fan of the genre.
January 25, 2021
"City of Forts" is a gritty and dark coming of age story. The characters have a solidity that carries the plot like it's the truth, which makes this book an engrossing read - and a fast one. The setting is a disturbing glance at what might be happening in a town near you. Jason Beech's writing is very enjoyable and easy to read.
This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.
This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.
January 31, 2021
I haven’t read a book like this in years... I so enjoyed it, my time was limited, but every moment I read..
I felt like I was there, one the characters... my imagination was running ahead of me.. loved the story, I wondered at times if it couldn’t be based on a real events. Highly recommend this book 📖
I felt like I was there, one the characters... my imagination was running ahead of me.. loved the story, I wondered at times if it couldn’t be based on a real events. Highly recommend this book 📖
August 1, 2021
**I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.**
How do you explain growing up in a world separated by a literally broken bridge? The City is a bustling utopia with mindless drones addicted to their material possessions unaware of the zombie like behavior they exhibit. The Town is broken, filled with lost souls who desperately fight to put food on the table. Beech does not shy away from his descriptions, painting a world reflective of the “haves vs have nots”. Beyond the metaphors that give deeper insight, these places could be anywhere. This could be your town, your city—your home.
The book introduces us to Ricky, a boy who refuses to remain home babysitting his brother while his mother works. His friend is Bixby, who is on the lam from the foster care system. His love is Liz, who aspires to get out of Town and spends time with an older boy who helps her learn more outside of her classroom. Tanais might be an outsider to the group, with her parents still together and her desire to just have friends at all.
Most of the story centers around abandoned homes near the river separating the City from the Town. Our characters spend all their free time there, calling it their place. The emotional connection of having a safe space to call their own is easy to understand as it pulls at your memories of your childhood.
That is… until they find a dead body in the basement of one of those houses. What follows is a twisted tale of our characters trying to wade their way safely through two villainous group’s plans. The ones who want you dead for seeing too much; and those who demand you follow their lead. It’s a push and pull that forces these children to grow up well before they should.
Beech’s underlying visuals remind us that each of his characters might be alone, but united they are powerful. By the end of the story, they’re splintered. While time has a way of healing all wounds, one has to wonder if these experiences will leave these characters forever altered. Especially Ricky.
While I read through this book, I kept being pulled back to the imagery of the bridge. The item so broken and not worth fixing, yet like an artery to the heart, it was the lifeline for both the City and the Town. Both areas have the vile behavior and evil within them. It’s just easier to deny it when the glitz and glamour of lights gives it a perceived feeling of security. In essence, they are both the same part of the broken system and the lack of desire to fix it. Even when we see a character coming into Town to revitalize it – we know his intentions aren’t good. We know he won’t fix things. He will continue to exploit them in a never-ending cycle.
Conclusion:
A coming of age story, that while it takes a bit to get going, gives you pause when looking at the world around you. The harshness of the world in which these characters grow up is haunting. The way in which death becomes acceptable is terrifying.
I ended up with four stars because I felt it took a little long to get into the heart of the story. Once it did, things sped forward quickly.
How do you explain growing up in a world separated by a literally broken bridge? The City is a bustling utopia with mindless drones addicted to their material possessions unaware of the zombie like behavior they exhibit. The Town is broken, filled with lost souls who desperately fight to put food on the table. Beech does not shy away from his descriptions, painting a world reflective of the “haves vs have nots”. Beyond the metaphors that give deeper insight, these places could be anywhere. This could be your town, your city—your home.
The book introduces us to Ricky, a boy who refuses to remain home babysitting his brother while his mother works. His friend is Bixby, who is on the lam from the foster care system. His love is Liz, who aspires to get out of Town and spends time with an older boy who helps her learn more outside of her classroom. Tanais might be an outsider to the group, with her parents still together and her desire to just have friends at all.
Most of the story centers around abandoned homes near the river separating the City from the Town. Our characters spend all their free time there, calling it their place. The emotional connection of having a safe space to call their own is easy to understand as it pulls at your memories of your childhood.
That is… until they find a dead body in the basement of one of those houses. What follows is a twisted tale of our characters trying to wade their way safely through two villainous group’s plans. The ones who want you dead for seeing too much; and those who demand you follow their lead. It’s a push and pull that forces these children to grow up well before they should.
Beech’s underlying visuals remind us that each of his characters might be alone, but united they are powerful. By the end of the story, they’re splintered. While time has a way of healing all wounds, one has to wonder if these experiences will leave these characters forever altered. Especially Ricky.
While I read through this book, I kept being pulled back to the imagery of the bridge. The item so broken and not worth fixing, yet like an artery to the heart, it was the lifeline for both the City and the Town. Both areas have the vile behavior and evil within them. It’s just easier to deny it when the glitz and glamour of lights gives it a perceived feeling of security. In essence, they are both the same part of the broken system and the lack of desire to fix it. Even when we see a character coming into Town to revitalize it – we know his intentions aren’t good. We know he won’t fix things. He will continue to exploit them in a never-ending cycle.
Conclusion:
A coming of age story, that while it takes a bit to get going, gives you pause when looking at the world around you. The harshness of the world in which these characters grow up is haunting. The way in which death becomes acceptable is terrifying.
I ended up with four stars because I felt it took a little long to get into the heart of the story. Once it did, things sped forward quickly.
April 3, 2018
Beech has a unique writing style and it's on full display in this novel; his dialogue specifically is of interest and his love of the metaphor. The story is haunting and tension filled. And the nameless Town serves as its own character in the tale. I'm docking a star for the slow start that had me itching for the pacing to pick up, but once it did, it was a cracking good read and highly recommended.
December 19, 2021
I'm surprised, this book kept my interest until the very end. Good storyline, vividly written with scenes descriptions and I was completely drawn in. Emotionally touch from few characters, like Ricky is one of my favourite. Great combinations of good and evil. I'm not a fan of violence, however this story is worth the read and it was very entertaining.
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