The Art of Raising Hell, Thomas Lopinski
The Art of Raising Hell, Thomas Lopinski
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The Art of Raising Hell

Author: Thomas Lopinski

Narrator: L.J. Ganser

Unabridged: 7 hr 11 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 04/27/2015


Synopsis

WINNER OF THE BEST YOUNG ADULT NOVEL FROM BEST INDIE BOOK AWARDS.
“There are some people that walk around on two feet and others like me that run on all four.”
The Art of Raising Hell is a compelling, coming-of-age story that reminds its audience of the difference between chasing life and just living. It captures the essence of being young, green around the gills and always ready to seek out the next adventure, while learning some hard lessons along the way.
Newbie Johnson has recently moved to Bunsen Creek, Illinois, when his mother is killed in a tragic car crash. His father does his best to maintain a normal household, but his broken heart is just not up to the task. Newbie finds solace by hanging out with his three buddies in their clandestine Backroom hideout and meeting the love of his life, Sally Nack. Getting into mischief becomes their favorite pastime as they try to follow in the footsteps of Sally’s older brother, Lonny, who has perfected the art of running on all four.
Lonny fears no one, including The Law, and soon takes his peculiar sense of justice, along with his love of practical jokes, to new heights while entertaining the colorful characters of Kickapoo County. “Running on all four” takes on a new meaning for Newbie when he finds his inner voice and has to make some serious choices before he can get on with his life and discover who he really is.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Lynda on March 29, 2016

The fantastic first chapter sets the scene and gives our narrator his voice, and what a voice it is! At the age of thirteen, Ryan Johnson moves to the quiet town of Bunsen Creek, where he meets his new best friends (Skeeter, T.J., and Buzzard), gets nicknamed Newbie because he's the new kid in town,......more

Goodreads review by Brenda on June 01, 2015

I read this one because it is written by a former high school classmate. This 'coming of age' story was entertaining and fun to read. Since it was centered around my own fictional hometown, I enjoyed the references to known landmarks and local history. I found myself thinking about the author as I k......more

Goodreads review by Amy (Lost in a Good Book) on May 13, 2015

Note: I was provided with a copy of this book from the author for review. This coming of age story has a wonderful balance of fun, self-awareness, and profoundness to make it a rather moving story. In essence it is just about growing up in the 1970s but Lopinski makes it much more than that. Newbie t......more

Goodreads review by Jessica on June 13, 2015

It’s the 70’s and Newbie has recently moved to a small town and faces tragedy shortly there after. He is left adrift when he comes across three friends. They all quickly become friends and start having all kinds of adventures. The story follows them through the adventures, with people they meet and......more

Goodreads review by Pete on August 04, 2015

I rarely read coming of age novels. I consider myself too old to relate. So please keep that in mind when reading this review, but the writing in the Amazon sample grabbed hold, so I took the plunge. The novel comprised a series of anecdotes told by Newbie Johnson (in first person). Through the adven......more