Customer Reviews

Collecting Sins: A Novel

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
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2 star:		(1)
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I just finished Collecting Sins yesterday, and throughly enjoyed it. The story covers the late sixties through the eyes of Ben, a high school student. Ben is assisting his Catholic friend in "collecting sins" for confession when he stumbles across a woman down in the sewers. He ends up aving her life, and from there, has all sorts of memorable experiences. The book touches on the drug culture of the times, and explores Ben's relationships with the girls he meets over his summer vacation. It also allows the reader to appreciate the simple things in life; things one might miss out on if they don't stop to appreciate them.

If you went through your teenage years in the late sixties or early seventies (or you're younger, and just always wanted to know what the hell your parents were going on about) this is a fabulous book. From the moment it starts--two teenage guys lost in the sewers-stumbling across a young woman's body--you know your going to have to read this book instead of doing all the other stuff you should be doing. I've never read anything that captures so well the excitement, and sadness and confussion of what it was like being a teenager. Evocative, erotic, totally compelling--couldn't put it down. Hope Sobel's working on another one.

Everyone who has been a teenager should read this book. Period

This book was really boring. It is one of the only books I was not able to finish reading. I feel that I hardly know the characters at all after reading about 3/4 of the book. Everything is so repetitive that I felt like I already knew what was going to happen next.

I really, really, really liked "Collecting Sins". It's a totally melifluous, totally satisfying read. It has everything a great book has, a bit of mystery, some eerie surprises, laugh out loud humor; but, for me, an especially sensuous recall of some of the best times of my life -- that too brief period of reckless freedom and the shameless irresponsibility of youth. Perfect!

B. Witt