CONSTANTINE REVIEW: DOUBLE NEGATIVE by C.LEE MCKENZIE

This is the first book by the prolific author, 

C. Lee. McKenzie 

that I've had the pleasure of reading and it won't be the last.

THE BLURB:

"My life was going, going, gone, and I hadn't been laid yet. I couldn't go into the slammer before that happened." --Hutch McQueen.

Sixteen-year-old Hutchinson McQueen is a big time loser. Trapped in a dysfunctional family, his one thought is escape, but everything he does to get away lands him in trouble.

Shackled by poor reading skills, he squeaks through classes with his talent for eavesdropping and memorizing what he hears. When he shoplifts and lands in juvenile detention, the court sentences him to a county youth program. There he meets the priest and Maggie, a retired teacher. They're determined to set Hutch on a path leading away from trouble. Hutch is determined not to cooperate.

It isn't until he's facing serious charges that he confronts the truth--his own bad choices are trapping him. When he's offered the freedom he craves, all he has to do is take it.

 BUY ON AMAZON

MY REVIEW:

I'm significantly impressed by Ms. McKenzie's young adult voice. It's right on. I admit it was difficult to read at first due to the Double Negatives. And then I found myself devouring those passages, mainly because the voice sounded vaguely familiar, like my own as a kid.

"I ain't got no money."

Hutch McQueen, born to a dysfunctional family, and just trying to get by can't seem to fly under the radar. Since I don't provide spoilers, I can say I groaned at one point, caught up in Hutch's dilemma.

It would be nice to live in a society of well rounded children nourished by loving parents and family. Though, sadly Double Negative is not a new story, but one that should be read by all.