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Burn Scars
Rusty Talbot, down on his luck, not very smart, and trying to get his life together, discovers that as bad as things are, they can always get worse. Cornered, Rusty reluctantly agrees to assist his co-workers in ripping off his boss in a simple heist that intensifies the target already on his back. Stressed and foreseeing a bleak future, Rusty visits his father in prison, only to learn a secret that could potentially destroy the final good threads holding him together.
As the plan falls to pieces, Rusty must look down the barrel of the sidearm of life and hope like hell the bullet will miss; his only real blessing is that he won’t have to go it alone.
Success, freedom, survival, nothing is guaranteed.
As the plan falls to pieces, Rusty must look down the barrel of the sidearm of life and hope like hell the bullet will miss; his only real blessing is that he won’t have to go it alone.
Success, freedom, survival, nothing is guaranteed.
256 pages, Paperback
First published April 8, 2021
12 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 4, 2021
“It wasn’t until his late teenage years that he understood his grandmother didn’t like him, and that in needing her, he’d cramped her existence...He was too easy to pick on: dead family, scarred face, short fuse.”*
The fire that killed his family except for his dad, who is doing time for arson, set Rusty up for a life full of pain. He works a crappy job while trying again and again to finish his high school degree to become qualified for a better gig. Meanwhile, he barely makes ends meet living at a boarding house where his nosey neighbors critique his every move. His coworkers ask him to help with a heist to rip off their awful boss, and Rusty thinks his luck might be changing. But he ends up risking everything for the chance of a little bit of cash.
I like the way the novel is bookended the prologue and epilogue set up in September 1982 on the day of the life changing fire, and the bulk of the novel in current time. This nicely provides an added theme of predestination and gives a glimpse of some characters’ younger selves.
Rusty has a ton to pluck for a kid who faced so much rejection for things beyond his control. Those who showed him kindness really stood out to me in the story, but some of them had reasons that went well beyond being a good person.
Generous did an excellent job of getting me to care for Rusty and wanting him to rise up from the baggage life burdened him with. The heist itself was one of my favorite parts, seeing the plan unravel like we’d expect anything Rusty was associated with to do. Each time he took a misstep, I couldn’t help but cringe, but the continuous conflict made that extended scene shine.
I finished the novel satisfied with the story resolution, but craving some Timbits from Tim Hortons. Also, I wracked my brain trying to remember the last time I had a Filet-o-Fish sandwich.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thanks to NetGalley and Unnerving for providing an Advance Reader Copy.
*Please note that my review is based on uncorrected text.
The fire that killed his family except for his dad, who is doing time for arson, set Rusty up for a life full of pain. He works a crappy job while trying again and again to finish his high school degree to become qualified for a better gig. Meanwhile, he barely makes ends meet living at a boarding house where his nosey neighbors critique his every move. His coworkers ask him to help with a heist to rip off their awful boss, and Rusty thinks his luck might be changing. But he ends up risking everything for the chance of a little bit of cash.
I like the way the novel is bookended the prologue and epilogue set up in September 1982 on the day of the life changing fire, and the bulk of the novel in current time. This nicely provides an added theme of predestination and gives a glimpse of some characters’ younger selves.
Rusty has a ton to pluck for a kid who faced so much rejection for things beyond his control. Those who showed him kindness really stood out to me in the story, but some of them had reasons that went well beyond being a good person.
Generous did an excellent job of getting me to care for Rusty and wanting him to rise up from the baggage life burdened him with. The heist itself was one of my favorite parts, seeing the plan unravel like we’d expect anything Rusty was associated with to do. Each time he took a misstep, I couldn’t help but cringe, but the continuous conflict made that extended scene shine.
I finished the novel satisfied with the story resolution, but craving some Timbits from Tim Hortons. Also, I wracked my brain trying to remember the last time I had a Filet-o-Fish sandwich.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thanks to NetGalley and Unnerving for providing an Advance Reader Copy.
*Please note that my review is based on uncorrected text.
August 11, 2021
I was intrigued by the plot of this book, and went into the experience expecting high octane action, mystery, murder and deceit. What I got was an entirely different vibe.
You follow the story of Rusty Talbot, a victim of poor circumstance with burn scars on his face. The story build's his character as a very put upon individual, who is struggling to do anything of note with his life, and only has the support of his girlfriend.
The atmosphere from the outset is very graphic, you get the sense that this is a very gritty novel, populated by lowlife characters and dingy room settings. You immediately get an understanding of the protagonists despair at how challenging it will be to escape his crappy life; a view that is backed up in the first quarter of the book to the point of overdoing it.
The plot was fairly simple. He wants a different life though isn't particularly motivated to achieve this through hard work, hence following through on a crime he would never have committed otherwise.
However I felt that leading up to the action, reading in general felt forced. I felt that the characters could have been developed more to build the readers empathy towards them. While the plot has a clear direction, and there are reinforcing hints throughout the text indicating where the story might go, I didn't feel compelled to see what happened to the characters. There was plenty of dialogue establishing relationships, but these interactions lacked depth and didn't really build an understanding of each character as an individual. Their motivations were mostly the same, gritty, hard done by and lightly sympathetic toward the protagonist. It felt a little one-dimensional.
From my experience reading this book, I'd recommend it to a male audience. The writing appeals to the male gaze, with.. interesting descriptions... on the female body in its various states of undress. This book wasn’t my cup of tea, but if you’re looking for something down and dirty, it could be for you.
You follow the story of Rusty Talbot, a victim of poor circumstance with burn scars on his face. The story build's his character as a very put upon individual, who is struggling to do anything of note with his life, and only has the support of his girlfriend.
The atmosphere from the outset is very graphic, you get the sense that this is a very gritty novel, populated by lowlife characters and dingy room settings. You immediately get an understanding of the protagonists despair at how challenging it will be to escape his crappy life; a view that is backed up in the first quarter of the book to the point of overdoing it.
The plot was fairly simple. He wants a different life though isn't particularly motivated to achieve this through hard work, hence following through on a crime he would never have committed otherwise.
However I felt that leading up to the action, reading in general felt forced. I felt that the characters could have been developed more to build the readers empathy towards them. While the plot has a clear direction, and there are reinforcing hints throughout the text indicating where the story might go, I didn't feel compelled to see what happened to the characters. There was plenty of dialogue establishing relationships, but these interactions lacked depth and didn't really build an understanding of each character as an individual. Their motivations were mostly the same, gritty, hard done by and lightly sympathetic toward the protagonist. It felt a little one-dimensional.
From my experience reading this book, I'd recommend it to a male audience. The writing appeals to the male gaze, with.. interesting descriptions... on the female body in its various states of undress. This book wasn’t my cup of tea, but if you’re looking for something down and dirty, it could be for you.
April 7, 2021
This is one of my favorite genres, so I hate to say that I struggled a bit through this book. I wanted to love Rusty’s story. I sympathized with him because life really can be that shit. I certainly don’t know that I’ve ever hated someone’s grandmother so much. There were so many times where I had to stop and audibly curse his circumstances. You knew the blunder was coming, but it still got me each time.
It’s not that it’s a bad book, but the writing left the feeling of something missing. The style was occasionally a bit too crass and cringe. Anything sexual was awkwardly described. This was a dark crime-thriller and Generous has a style for an acquired taste. It’s downright morbid at times and not for the weak of heart.
*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
It’s not that it’s a bad book, but the writing left the feeling of something missing. The style was occasionally a bit too crass and cringe. Anything sexual was awkwardly described. This was a dark crime-thriller and Generous has a style for an acquired taste. It’s downright morbid at times and not for the weak of heart.
*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 22, 2021
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.
Rusty Talbot has had a difficult start in the world. Growing up in an infamous family, foster care, a grandmother who does not want him. Difficult.
Rusty gets roped into a heist that will steal from his boss. However, nothing in Rusty's life Goes as it should.
Rusty Talbot has had a difficult start in the world. Growing up in an infamous family, foster care, a grandmother who does not want him. Difficult.
Rusty gets roped into a heist that will steal from his boss. However, nothing in Rusty's life Goes as it should.
September 21, 2025
I really enjoyed this story. Less for the heist storyline, and more for the character of Rusty and what the author put him through. From a tragic beginning to a bleak present, Generous allows Rusty's life to unfold for the reader in a compelling and propulsive way. Sure, he goes through the wringer thanks to the bad hand life has dealt him. And it isn't always rainbows and sunshine for the downtrodden Rusty, but he is a character the reader can get behind. Generous never allows his protagonist to wallow too long down in the dumps. And his storytelling style propels the reader effortlessly from one chapter to the next. There are some holes in the heist storyline, but it is only really there to let the main story of Rusty's shot at redemption unfold. I found the story of Rusty's family and friends gripping and was rooting for him from the start. A great read.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews