Customer Reviews

Reprisal

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A fervently anti-drug, pro-establishment crime book set Los Angeles in the early seventies. Though it was a contemporary book when written, it seems like it would have been dated from the moment it came out. The story is a ridiculous one of three fathers whose kids all die from a drug-fueled accident and decide to seek revenge from a drug dealer. McGivern has no idea what may drive a teen to drugs, but he does think that an early death by overdose would lead a father to seek vengeance. I'm quite sure McGivern knew nothing of the LA teenage drug scene. Just try to feel empathy for any of the characters. Most of them are as flimsy as rice paper and oftentimes offensive caricatures. The Jewish father is so filled with stereotypes, it's almost more funny than offensive. McGivern seems not to notice that in an anti-drug book like this, it's odd to have the fathers drinking so much booze. The story is straight-forward, simplistic and ultimately not boring. It is crap, though. One thing that is evocative and successful is the imagery of many LA locales which are quite well done.