Rating: 
Summary: Almost there
Review: I found Diamond Dogs by accident while browsing desperately for any book to read. The brief summary of the story intrigued me, so I made the choice to buy the book. While not dissapointed, I wasn't fully satisfied with the book.Watt has an excellent story idea, and his characters almost show the emotion Watt is trying to convey. Unfortunatly the book is easy to read for a reason. The writing style is simplistic, and the depth of the characters seem to be somewhat deceptive. Watt tries to express each character, but each time he does, he only repeats what the reader already knows about each character. I found his topic interesting, and I think he almost effectively made it clear why teenage boys are the way they are. It's almost as if Watt wants to show people that teenage boys aren't as shallow and immature as they see them. I don't regret getting the book, but it's not a favorite.
Rating: 
Summary: A Real Gem of a Novel
Review: I found this book in the "Staff Selections" section at my bookstore. I was nicely suprised. This novel tells a rather interesting story. Neil, the high school football quarterback, runs over Ian while driving home under the influence of alcohol. Panicking, he stuffs Ian's body in the trunk, only to have his father, the town sheriff, move it and hide it without telling him. The story really takes off from there. Throw in a father and son conflict, the FBI, and sexual tones here and there, and you have a pretty decent novel. The character development could have been a little better, and I felt that the story ended a little abruptly, but overall, it was a good book. There were quite a few twists and turns that kept me guessing, which made for a fairly quick and enjoyable read. In his first novel, Alan Watt put together a nice cohesive plot, and an interesting conflict of interest. Diamond Dogs was a lot of fun.
Rating:
Summary: A Real Gem of a Novel
Review: I found this book in the "Staff Selections" section at my bookstore. I was nicely suprised. This novel tells a rather interesting story. Neil, the high school football quarterback, runs over Ian while driving home under the influence of alcohol. Panicking, he stuffs Ian's body in the trunk, only to have his father, the town sheriff, move it and hide it without telling him. The story really takes off from there. Throw in a father and son conflict, the FBI, and sexual tones here and there, and you have a pretty decent novel. The character development could have been a little better, and I felt that the story ended a little abruptly, but overall, it was a good book. There were quite a few twists and turns that kept me guessing, which made for a fairly quick and enjoyable read. In his first novel, Alan Watt put together a nice cohesive plot, and an interesting conflict of interest. Diamond Dogs was a lot of fun.
Rating: 
Summary: Diamond DOgs
Review: I liked the book very much. Alan Watt did a great job using descriptive detail, actually in some parts he made have used a little to much description. Which is why I would reccomend this book, to kids from 14 and up. The book is about a boy in High School, who gets really drunk at a party. Then when he leaves he runs over a boy on the road. Then when his father keeps covering up for him, and the authorities get closer and closer, which provides for an intense ending, with a bit of a twist.
Rating:
Summary: Diamond Dogs
Review: I liked the book very much. Alan Watt did a great job using descriptive detail. Actually, in some parts he may have used
a little too much description, I would recommend this book to kids from ages 14 and up. The book is about a boy in High School who gets really drunk at a party. Then when he leaves, he runs over a boy on the road. When his father keeps covering up for him, and the authorities are getting closer and closer. This provides for an intense ending, with a bit of a twist.
Rating:
Summary: Compelling
Review: I was hooked from page one. This is the best book I have read in quite awhile. Like other readers, the description on the back of the book intrigued me. Someone found the story implausable. I found it scarey because I can see where this could and probably does happen. People need to get out of their "white bread" world and realize that the life the main character Neil had is unfortunately not uncommon enough. Neil is a 17 year old jock who "could" have the world on a string if not for all the abuse and baggage he carries around. He is brutally abused verbally, emotionally and physically. Because of his father's neglect Neil finds himself at a party, drunk out of his mind and drives home. His life changes forever. His dreams of a better life through sports are over. The author shows that in a split second your life as you know it can change forever. Unfortunately for Neil, it changes from bad to worse. I was spellbound as he goes through the next several days and the decisions he makes. His childhood unfolds for the reader which eventually earned my sympathy for him. His father was an abusive bully who abuses his power as father and cop. I wanted to take Neil and be the mother that he so longed for. My only regret about this book is that it wasn't long enough. I was sorry to see it end. I feel like I NEED a follow up book on Neil. Alan Watt are you listening? I'd love to see a movie made. Thank you Alan Watt. This is a debut novel, hopefully many more to come.
Rating:
Summary: A journey into a mind
Review: In this great big world of ours there are all sorts of people, good and bad. Neil falls into the bad catagory. If you a high school misfit Neil would have been your worst enemy as Neil proves right off the bat. The reader might be tempted to walk away from this story if it weren't for thick, rich characters in this book. As the story progresses we learn the reasons why Neil falls into the bad catagory. We may find them valid or not. This is the whole crux of the novel. What do you do with the cards life deals you? Alan Watt makes Neil's world come alive with his characters. Each one is vivid. With characters written this well the story is truely secondary. But as simple as the story is, it is very powerful. This book makes you think. I suppose this book would be bland and boring if we were all the same. But seeing the world through the eyes of someone who is very different makes the world seem all that much different.
Rating:
Summary: Great story, if a bit abbreviated
Review: Like its protagonist, this book is tough and lean, with a soft spot buried deep beneath. It benefits from a compelling narrative voice and an escalating plotline that keeps you turning pages. It also benefits from a surprise ending that gives some seemingly two-dimensional characters more depth and motivation. I read it in two sittings, the same night, and enjoyed every minute. My only criticism was in missed opportunities. While the spare prose style is tight and the plot sharp, there are sacrifices made in the name of brevity. Potentially interesting characters are left undeveloped, intriguing plotlines unexplored, and the ending is so sudden it seems to have been driven more by deadline concerns than anything else. It's not surprising the author is a Hollywood guy -- in some respects the book reads like a fleshed-out screenplay, with a director, cinematographer and actors needed to fill in the gaps. Bottom line: in some ways this novel reads like a Cliffs' Notes version of a longer story -- but it's a great story, and that's more than good enough.
Rating:
Summary: Very Compelling Story
Review: Neil Garvin lives in the desert town of Carmen, Nevada, right outside of Las Vegas. He's a good looking high school senior, star quarterback and son of the town's sheriff. While drinking way too much at a party one night, he becomes reckless, mean and abusive, terrorizing a couple of freshmen boys and chasing them away from the party. Driving home in his father's car, he accidently hits and kills one of the boys, Ian Curtis as he walks along the side of the highway. Scared and disoriented, he puts Ian's body into the trunk of the car and drives home. As soon as he gets there, his father jumps in and they ride together, out to the dead boys house. His parents have reported him missing and phoned the sheriff. As Neil watches stunned, his father opens the trunk of his car to get his briefcase and then continues interviewing the parents and taking notes. The next morning, when Neil unlocks the trunk to dispose of Ian's body, it isn't there and he realizes his father has buried the body and covered up his crime. So begins Diamond Dogs, a very tense, edge of your seat, psychological thriller. Alan Watt's first novel is well written, tight and smart, without a spare word. His characters are well drawn and interesting and his scenes, heart pounding and riveting. This is a story that pulls you in and holds onto you tightly as you watch the FBI and police circling, coming closer and closer to the truth. To Mr Watt's credit, you can almost feel Neil's desperation, as he tries to go about his normal life. A story of love, loss, guilt and betrayal, told with great insight and wisdom, Diamond Dogs is a compelling debut novel that shouldn't be missed.
Rating:
Summary: Great Psychological Thriller
Review: Neil is a young man with a terrible secret. He's a high school senior, jock, bully, football star, who got too drunk at a party one night, drove home and killed another student walking on the road. To make matters worse, his father, the sheriff appears to have hidden the body somewhere. The FBI is investigating, the dead boy's sister wants to sleep with Neil, Neil's best friend suspects the worst. Neil is haunted by guilt and puzzled by his father's behavior. Watt ties it all together in the end, not too neatly, simply masterfully. Diamond Dogs is a well-written thriller. It is very quick reading because you won't be able to put it down. Watt has taken us back to high school quite convincingly. Neil is not the most likeable character in the world, given that he reveals tales from his life in which his behavior wasn't all that admirable. He's not bad, but he's not good either. Ultimately, though, the reader will feel sorry for him, torn between wanting him to get away with what he has done, and wanting him to feel the relief that confession will bring. Well done.
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