Shooting Monarchs

February 17, 2003
Halliday's studiously ironic but ultimately thin first novel follows two story lines. First introduced is convicted robber Macy who, upon release from jail, steals a car and buys a gun. He murders a teen girl he sees running on the side of a road, then drives on, with no particular destination in mind. The narrative shifts to the small town of Shiloh, where a misfit named Danny secretly worships the pretty and popular Leah. The author maintains distance from his characters even as the story lines converge, along the way supplying detailed but detached profiles of the people Macy and Danny each encounter, such as Eddie, a police officer who was also once a troubled kid but is now "one of the kindest people anyone ever met," thanks to critical guidance from a high school teacher. Many details, however, seem contrived, such as Macy's fear of the rain (traced to an episode early in his childhood) or overdone (Danny not only has a crooked spine, but his front teeth are so crooked that "he could only eat corn by holding the cob firmly to his cheek and chewing with his side teeth"). Halliday's cynicism may appeal to teenage sophisticates, and he does build tension well after Macy kidnaps Leah. In the end, however, the voice may be too stylized to engage readers at an emotional level. Ages 14-up.

Jonathan Davis narrates this disturbing story with appropriate somberness. Unwanted and neglected as a child, Macy begins a life of crime and spends his early years in and out of juvenile detention centers. As he ages, his crimes become more serious, eventually leading to murder while he is still a teen. Halliday's novel sympathetically explores Macy's criminal mind while continually forging the link between his adolescent behavior and the abuse he suffered in childhood. With matter-of-fact tones, Jonathan Davis portrays the complexity of Halliday's main character, asking questions about morality and justice. Although the subject matter is dark, elements of hope and forgiveness are provided through a wide cast of characters. Davis's performance is rich with tension and tenderness as the listener witnesses Macy's struggles with loneliness and violence. K.M.D. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine