The Redneck Riviera (Library Binding)

by Richard N. Cote (Author) "Yahoo! Life rocks!..." (more)
Key Phrases: meth cook, meth lab, red phosphorus, Myrtle Beach, Steve Hunt, Captain Willie (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"A must-read novel." -- Annie Rourke, WCIV-TV Morning News, Charleston, S.C., October 19, 2001

"April's story is like a mirror of my own life. Dick Côté really captured the secret life of kids." -- "Lianne," Myrtle Beach dancer - entertainer

"Dick Côté explores in delicious detail the exotic subcultures of the South Carolina Lowcountry that all the other writers ignore." -- Robert Eringer, author of "Parallel Truths"

"Mary's World is nothing short of remarkable. Well done!" -- Bruce Mayer, co-producer,

"Talk about versatile! What links ['Mary's World' and 'The Redneck Riviera'] is a sympathy for women in crisis." -- Ben Steelman, The Wilmington, N.C. Star-News, November 8, 2001

"The Redneck Riviera proclaims that truth is truth, forgiveness is healing, and love will cover a multitude of sins." -- Robin L. Dyer, President, Single Sisters Ministries, Myrtle Beach, S.C.

"The book's ultimate message is one of familial love that triumphs over seedy adversity...." -- Becky Billingsley, The Sun News, Myrtle Beach, S.C., October 21, 2001

"The story's about relationships and a second chance to make things right.... It was hard to put the book down." -- Linda Linguvic, Amazon.com Top 100 Reviewer, November 2, 2001

REDEMPTION AMID THE SLEAZE... that's the territory author Richard N. Côté cleverly mines in his fast-paced novel. -- The State (Columbia, S.C.), November 30, 2001

Product Description
What will a mother do to save a teenage daughter hell-bent on making the same mistakes her mother made as a teenager? That's the challenge for Dolly Devereaux, a thirty-six year-old divorced mother from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Dolly has spent twenty years fighting tooth and nail to break free from the grasping tentacles of her poor, rural origins and work her way into the middle class. But can Dolly save April, her rebellious 18-year-old daughter, from the neglect of her indulgent, absentee father, and seduction by a local gang leader and drug dealer? Dolly's dilemma: she'll have to do a lot better than her own mother did when Dolly was April's age. This powerful, emotional, and insightful story weaves its way through the secret worlds of teenagers and the lives of the parents and grandparents who try to guide and nurture them. It explores the unbreakable bonds of love that bind together three generations of Southern women struggling to escape the chains of ! their troubled family history. The tale is set against the backdrop of tourist-crazy Myrtle Beach, the epicenter of The Redneck Riviera. There, three women clash and ultimately forge the intensely loving, supportive family none of them were born into.

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Product Details

• Library Binding: 286 pages
• Publisher: Corinthian Books (September 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1929175175
• ISBN-13: 978-1929175178
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,416,213 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Redneck Riviera, October 16, 2003

By	Susann D. Gilbert (Trumbull, Connecticut) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Redneck Riviera (Paperback)

At the edge of adult womanhood, April Devereux thinks she knows it all, but is naïve to the true dangers of her so-called friends and their antisocial lifestyles. Her mother, Dolly, has been down the teenage road of rebellion herself, but her own past mistakes can't prepare her for the perilous path her daughter has taken. Dolly's mother, Anne, never gave her unconditional love, and has lived to regret it. Inspired by her own mother's remorse, Dolly aims to break a family tradition of poor parenting, poverty, and desperate life choices, even if it means risking her own life to save her daughter's. As this fast-paced tale races forward, each of the women are forced to realize the consequences of their actions. Although the setting takes place in the seedy underground of a southeastern tourist town, this story could happen anywhere in 21st-century America. The struggle of being a teenager and trying to fit in, grow up, and just have fun while coping with the dangers of drugs, rave parties, sex abuse, and hate groups is exposed with no-holds barred by the author. The subject matters are shocking but far from exploitive, as the heart of this novel is in the love/hate relationships between mothers and daughters. What these women lose and gain in the timeless struggle of the generations, who generally think they are very different from each other, yet are too often so alike, makes for a wild ride on the Redneck Riviera.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great fiction, with a historian's research work ethic, November 15, 2001

By	J. K. Kelley "penslinger and long-term book j... (Eastern WA, United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Redneck Riviera (Paperback)

In this, Cote's firm first step into the world of fiction, a single South Carolinian mom pulls out all the stops in a battle for her daughter's heart, health...and life.

The portrayal of Dolly Devereaux, battling for betterment in a region focused mainly on the sexual needs of Canadian golfers (who are quite amusingly satirized here), is credible and consistent. The author has superbly handled the challenge of writing as not just one, but *several* well-developed female characters in a story that will surely reach out to women everywhere. The plot holds consistent interest and is quite relevant to today's life.

Probably the strongest impression I formed, though, was of the author's research. This can be divined through the inclusion of a good deal of authoritative detail of the type that can only be credibly offered from an author's personal recollection, and this is what separates Cote from many far more famous novelists. From the chemical issues associated with the manufacture of methamphetamine ('crank'), to the lure of quick money offered to women considered attractive enough to get paid to take their clothes off (and perhaps sell what's underneath), it is obvious that he spoke to people with firsthand experience who shared candidly. This is what separates him from the shallow mass-market thriller novelists everyone has heard of, but who aren't hungry enough to do their homework now that they're big names. (Don't know about you, but I weary of the fate of the whole world always resting mysteriously upon the endeavours of some intrepid but unconventional and about-to-be-fired journalist, lawyer or detective. Dolly Deveraux, manager of a lingerie and sex toy shop, is a refreshing change indeed.)

Cote's fiction is very good now, and is likely to make the transition from 'very good' to 'excellent' sooner rather than later. This novel can be recommended with equal strength as either a regional study or a heartrending emotional drama (one perfectly suited for a movie script)--take your pick.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Redneck Riviera, November 13, 2001

By	L. Hinson "Reading Specialist" (N Myrtle Beach, sc United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Recently, I visited a small book store and I was discussing new books with the owner. When this book was mentioned, she informed me that the book would not be sold in her shop because the story was just one more example of Myrtle Beach bashing. I had the same idea when I met the author at a recent signing in Myrtle Beach but I bought the book anyway. He was a very friendly and outgoing person, and I enjoyed the book very much.
The other reviewers have covered the plot thoroughly so I do not want to go over the material again; however, I teach school and I was familiar with the generational conflict immediately. Single mother wants to provide well for a child not fully understanding that children need parents more than they need things. Dolly wants to do the right thing for her daughter but she feels like she is entitled to a free and open lifestyle. She is shocked to find that the daughter follows in her footsteps. I see this happen time after time so I think Richard was very understanding and very on target with his portrayal of this disfunctional family. It is a very entertaining read, and it shows how easily young people can be lead astray.