13 October 2002 SHOOTING MONARCHS by John Halliday, Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry Books, March 2003

"One day when Macy was three his mother and a new boyfriend went swimming in the river. She left Macy home. Since it looked like a nice day, she decided to leave him in the backyard...Then to make sure he didn't follow her or wander off, she took the loose end of an old rope that was wrapped around the swing and tied it tightly to his ankle."

"The big day has come

The bell is sounding

I run my hands through my hair one last time

Outside the prison walls the town is gathering

People are trading crime for crime..." --Ani Difranco

"The sky above the yard had become dark with clouds. A drop landed in Macy's eye and another drop hit his cheek. Then the rain became steady. Macy hadn't had anything to drink for hours, so he closed his eyes, turned his face toward the sky, opened his mouth wide, and caught the drops until his thirst was satisfied.

"But the rain didn't stop...His clothes were soaked and he was cold. He crawled under the seat of the swing for protection as the rain became a downpour. Then, when night came, he curled up in the mud and shivered. He never cried."

"...Everyone needs to see the prisoner

They need to make it even easier

They see me as a symbol, and not a human being

That way they can kill me

Say it's not murder, it's a metaphor

We are killing off our own failure and starting clean..."

"Macy's teachers were concerned about his poor academic and social skills, but when they called to schedule meetings with his mother, she said she was too busy. All the years Macy was in school, she never met with even one of his teachers. By the end of middle school Macy had stopped going. What should have been Macy's first year of high school was spent in a state juvenile correctional facility, where he had been sent for shoplifting at a liquor store."

"...I think guilt and innocence they are a matter of degree

What might be justice to you might not be justice to me

I went too far, I'm sorry

I guess now I'm going home

So let any amongst you cast the first stone..."

"The store clerk, Mohammad Aziz, should have been off that night, but he was filling in for his boss. Mohammad had recently immigrated to the United States with his wife and four children, and he welcomed the opportunity to earn extra money. This one night of work would pay for next week's celebration of his son's tenth birthday...

"Mohammad was uneasy when he saw Macy. There was nothing extraordinary about Macy's size or clothing, but his face revealed a history of violence. There were several fresh scars, his nose was knocked off center like it had been hit by a truck, and his front teeth were broken. His head was completely shaven to conform to the popular style at juvie. Macy liked the bald look because it was easy to maintain without the help of barbers. The confinement of barber chairs and being touched by people with scissors always made Macy feel uncomfortable."

"...You might be the wrong color

You might be too poor

Justice isn't something just anyone can afford

You might not pull the trigger

You might be out in the car

And you might get a lethal injection

'Cause we take a metaphor that far..."

"On the day of his release Macy went straight to the city and stole an old car. It was a massive gray wreck, at least twenty-five years old, with a rusted hood and a wire clothes hanger where the antenna used to be. The car was so worthless, the owner had left the key in the ignition, hoping someone would take it. The owner never bothered to report it missing.

"After that Macy went to the pawnshop, bought a gun, and drove away. He had no destination in mind. He just drove.

"Then he met Maria Hernandez..."

This book asks readers, "What would YOU do with Macy after he is finally caught?"

SHOOTING MONARCHS is an absolutely brilliant, sometimes bittersweet, appalling, and terrifying read from cover to cover.

Richie Partington

http://richiespicks.com

BudNotBuddy@aol.com