"Any work of literary excellence, by definition, requires an engaging introductory section. Otherwise, why continue reading? Books are something akin to film with regard to plot and exposition. There is a beginning, a middle, and an end. This story is similar, but it is no summer blockbuster. It is a photograph, a still frame, a negative trapped in time."
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Spring Broken by Justus Eapen Old Line Publishing
book review by Wendy Strain
What are your thoughts regarding college kids and spring break? Do they involve crazy nights full of binge drinking and days of sleeping off hangovers on the beach? If so, this book will not disappoint your expectations. The reader is quickly thrown into a confusing mix of a dozen college frat boys making their way to Panama City for a long-planned spring break bash. Although all of the boys are included in the action, the author helps the reader stay on track by limiting the point of view to only a few characters at a time. More importantly, he typically only allows the reader into the thoughts of Jason Wakefield, a 19-year-old stoner pretending to be 21 and on his first wild adventure after high school. Jason has a promising future; a smart mind, good looks, a charming personality, a talent for freestyle rapping, and a head full of information. He's trusted by his frat brothers and proves himself to be loyal and generous with those less fortunate than himself. However, as is the case with many young adults, the choices he makes during this crazy week will end up giving him more than he bargained for. As the author points out near the beginning of the story, the tale is more of a snapshot than a feature film. As the days of spring break fly by in a drunken, drugged space, it is easy to lose track of the building action between Jason and his beachside squeeze, Eva. Yet it is this relationship that will seal the image into the hearts of the fraternity brothers and the mind of the reader by the time the tale is done.