Rating: 
Summary: Foley's surprising debut is staunch and powerful
Review: Okay, I know what you are thinking... Mankind/Cactus Jack/Dude Love of WWF fame wrote a fictional story?!! I took a triple take too when I saw the yellow cover beckoning me like a light from lighthouse. It screemed: "Read Me," or at least "read the brief description of me and take me home..." So i figured, what the hell, and gave Mick Foley's fictional debut a worthy try agreeing inside my head that if the first thirty pages didn't grab a hold of me in some way, then I would put it down and never try again.So, I read those first thirty pages and in the next ten hours, with some minor interruptions in between, closed the final page of the epilogue and ultimately the new book with a feeling of satisfaction but not being entirely fulfilled. It is a good story - - no scratch that - - it is a fantastic read, with memorable characters and plot lines that develop so naturally that I felt at times that Foley HAD TO HAVE a ghost writer. Alas, no ghost writer here and what Foley has created is a raw coming-of-age tale... A tougher "Catcher in the Rye," if you will. What makes this tale work is main character and his antagonist. (I use this term loosely for Andy's father because for more than half the story there is no hint of antagonism at all in Antietam Brown, and ultimately it is this deception pulled on the reader that will literally anger them but allow them to enjoy it all the same) Andy Brown is a kid who has seen it all, lived through it all, and lived to tell the tale. We earnestly hope that Andy (short for Antietam, his father's name) can live to see better days and for a while, we get to see that dream become a reality. Life, however, has a way of snapping reality into direct focus and we realize that life is only as good as you can make it. Poor, poor Andy Brown. Like I said, we feel for this kid, although rage and violence are his staple emotions, we want to see him win. As for Antietam Brown Sr., we like him for most of the duration...even if he is a womanizing pig who keeps trophies from his conquests (read the story, you'll see what I mean). But oh how quickly our thoughts about him can change. He clearly is the villain here, and a bloody darn good one at that. He and his son are the reason this works so well and reads so fluidly. The rest of the characters, although they are not the focal point of the story, hold up well on thier own too... however, some of them are disjointed and make way too brief of an appearance. I hope to see Foley develop his characters a bit more deeply in the future - - that's my only complaint. Overall, a hell of a debut from a guy with a hell of a knack for writing. I had no idea he had it in him, but I'm glad he does. 4 1/2 stars!
Rating: 
Summary: Foley is...an Author!
Review: Read and finished in a day. I knew the book was going to be good. Throughout the novel's beginning I thought this was going to be the same kind of fare found in his Have a Nice Day. It was pretty funny and self-deprecating (to the main character that is). But as I delved further and further into the story of Tietam Brown I found something far more interesting. The critics have been surprised at the violence found in this novel...but it's really no different than any other young adult novel that I've read (and I've read many as a high school teacher). And as all the events and different character lines meet in a crescendo the reader finds a troubled man on the verge of something greater. I was drawn to Andy's honesty (something that's hard to find in this world) and rooted for him whenever he stood up for himself, something that doesn't happen enough in fiction. The only drawback that I found in the writing was that it seemed everything needed more than one adjective. But Foley has an outstanding knack for pegging what people would really be thinking and how they would speak. I really hope that Foley sees past any poor reviews (probably from fans who only want wrestling) and gives writing another go. This wrestling fan really thinks he'll only get better with each manuscript.
Rating:
Summary: this is by far the best book
Review: This book not only shares the heart and sould that mick foley puts in his books but the heart and sould of a true author. I give a standing ovation to mick foley book and if this is his last one which i hope it is not he will end on top.
Rating: 
Summary: Gross!
Review: This is a good novel if, and only if, your most profound ideas of the real world have been formed by cartoons from Hustler magazine.
It is, in a word, gross. Its subject is sex and violence, and not believably rendered, either. Plot development is piecemeal, character description is barely enough to form a consistent mental picture, and its themes are a series of clichés alternating with pop-schlock movie images and highly questionable pseudo-psychological insights, such as, if you let a big guy beat the crap out of you, it will make him cry. (I'm sure if the author could track me down, he'd make my head explode, pick my broken teeth out of the flesh of his knee, and end up completely covered with my blood...all except for the whites of his eyes.)
On the other hand, from reading the other reviews here on Amazon it becomes clear that this is a novel written for male adolescents, and that they like it just fine. So who am I to say?
Rating:
Summary: Foley Hits His Finisher
Review: This was an amazing book. It keeps you interested in what will happen next. Foley does a good job of somehow making the reader feel compassion for Andy Brown's scumbag father even after he says some pretty haynous things. As you read, Foley will say something and you just think to yourself, " that's typical Mick. " The first half the book keeps you interested and sets you up for what is to come in the second half. The last 50 pages or so make you feel so much compassion for the characters involved. Mick takes his skill of working the crowd and puts in into literary form.
Rating:
Summary: Mick Foley is the most extraordinary writer ever!
Review: Tietam Brown is an excellent book that I would recommend to anyone who is a fan of Mick Foley's previous work or is just looking for a good novel to read. Tietam Brown is a book about a boy named Antietam 'Andy' Brown, named after his grandfather that died fighting in one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War, who after some unfortunate incidents, has lost an ear and the use of his right hand. We see this story flash between his past where his deadbeat father had left him when he was young and soon after, his mother eventually died. As he goes from foster family to foster family, he has had to put up with a child molester and an abusive drunk. In the present time, Andy was nearly raped by a couple of bullies at school and had the ... beat out of him by a teacher/coach pumped up on steroids. His father has come back after eight years and now has custody of Andy, and he ends up going through some changes. He goes from being a drunk guy who sleeps with practically every woman he meets to someone who looks to protect and teach his son about the different ways of life. As I read this story, I found myself relating to Andy more and more because while I have the use of both hands, I was born with a left ear smaller than my right, and I am unable to hear out of it, so that would be the equivalent of missing a whole ear. I knew what it was like to be ridiculed and pushed around by other people, but I eventually toughened up and learned to put up with it, much like what Andy has done. I can say that Tietam Brown is an excellent debut novel from Mick Foley and I'm looking forward to any future works that he might put out. With all that being said, I rate this book 5 out of 5.
Rating:
Summary: a definate page turner
Review: Tietam Brown is the first novel by author and former professional wrestler Mick Foley (Have a Nice Day, Foley is Good). If you have read either of his autobiographies, you will have an idea of the writing style. It is clear writing and a fast moving book. The story is fairly interesting, though a little gruesome and crass. For as kind and gentle a man as Mick Foley is in real life, this is a fairly twisted book. The book follows Antietam Brown (named after the Civil War battle), a not so popular high school kid with one ear and only one working hand. He goes by the nickname, Andy. Andy somehow manages to get the best looking girl in school to be his girlfriend (he made her laugh). While I might have expected the book to be about Andy and his girlfriend and his life at school, instead we have a father/son story. Andy's father, also named Antietam Brown, is an absolute pig. He is a womanizer who gets women to do degrading sexual acts all the while Andy can hear what is going on from his room. Andy also has to deal with a physically abusive teacher who is also the football coach and can do no wrong in the eyes of the school/town, as well as other horrors of high school. Tietam Brown is an exaggerated story of life and family, but the focus is on the family. Andy is a very likable character. Amazingly enough, even the horrible characters in the book (including the father) are somehow sympathetic enough that I cared what happened to them. Some very ugly stuff happens in this book, but Foley tells the story well enough that we can understand it is as forming the character without dwelling too much on it. The book has been accused of being amateurish, and that it is too crass, and too disgusting, and I'll be the first to admit that at times, it is (Mick would probably also admit it). However, the book is also highly entertaining and a very quick and easy read. This isn't something that I would buy, but it was a fun book to read.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I've ever read...
Review: When I hear the name Mick Foley, the last words that come to mind are "skilled novelist." But they should be the first, thanks to this excellent book that is just as great as his legendary wrestling career. Yes, there's mention of pro wrestling in the book, but the book is not at all about wrestling or even body building. The book is about how hard it can be to find love. In the case of Antietam Brown V, or simply Andy Brown, love isn't just hard to find, it's impossible. He has never really found someone he could truly call father. And all the women he had ever called mother had been met with an untimely death. This book may be about a high school kid, but it is not squeamish in exploring issues like child molestation, statutory rape, abusive relationships, drug use, and certain sexual bodily functions. It's not something to be taken lightly, nor is it something to ignore just because "a wrestler wrote it." This book is not about wrestling at all. It's about a poor kid's hard, excruciating, loveless life. And it's one of the most beautiful books ever written.
Rating:
Summary: Greatest Book I have ever read! Classic!
Review: When I heard that Mick Foley of WWF fame would write a novel , I admit that I felt like "What the hell?" . But I picked it up anyways because I liked his style of writing in his first two books "Have a Nice Day" and "Foley is Good" . I admit that I bought the first two because I am an avid Wrestling fan and a big admirer of Foley's work in the squared circle. But those were wrestling books, those were books that I could relate to. I am not a big novel fan but I can say that I am an avid reader. I admit that if I hadn't known Mick I wouldn't even know about this book but nonetheless , I bought it. I was hesitant to read it at first because, well I didn't know what to expect. I have read reviews about it and they weren't as flattering as the reviews for his first two books. But I had the testicular fortitude to read a couple of pages. These pages turned into into chapters and these chapters turned into concluding the book in two days. I was hooked from the start and I wanted to know the ending. I will say that I was surprised that Mick Foley of all people would write this kind of stuff. It wasn't his usual style , it was different, it had a dark side, it was better! The characters had a lot of depth in them especialy the "Enigma" Tietam Brown. I am sure that a lot of people had different opinions on him . Some liked him and made him a hero of sorts. Some despised him and considered him scum. As for me, I liked him. He may have been harsh and he looked downright rude in some parts of the novel but in my opinion, he always backed his words up. He never lied and he didn't have to. Every bit of doings he did throughout the novel had a meaning. And I tell you , for a debut novel, hell for any novel, I applaud Mick Foley for creating a character that made us think . He made a character that made us care for what might happen to it.Even the main storyrteller, Andy Brown, had a lot of depth and a lot of Foley's traits like the missing ear and the Fairmont. And in some parts of the story, Andy would act like Foley when he transforms into his "rage" just like when Foley transformes into his alter ego (in wrestling) , Cactus Jack. Andy is a nice kid. He had a miserable life. People wanted to take advantage of him but he wouldn't let them. I would have to admit that in every movie I see or novel I read I almost always root for the "Bad Guy". But in this book I cheered the "Good Guy" for the first time in a long time . And that my friends is what a great author can do , change people's feelings and make them look at the world from a different view. I will say this, I think that everybody will enjoy this book. Simply everybody. It doesn't get any better than this in my opinion. Unfortunately , I don't think that it will do good financialy because Mick Foley has not transitioned into an author. People still see him as a former wrestler. His first two books were released during wrestling's heydey so he became a new york times #1 bestselling author. But now, wrestling's popularity is not what it used to be. I mean I recommended this excellent book to my father but he just said "All those wrestlers are dumb and so is this book" . Dad , you are the coolest father that I have ever known but I think that you were wrong on that statement. The most important thing is what all the readers think , not just me. I am just writing my review . But please don't exclude this book from your future book purchasing just because "some damn wrassler" wrote it . To sum my opinion :Two Thumbs up! Simply Excellent! The Greatest Book I have ever read and truly a classic !
Rating:
Summary: Amazing!
Review: When this story first made me chuckle on the second page, I knew I was hooked. Mick weaves a good tale that keeps you engrossed, and wanting to turn the page. I had high expectations of this story and was not let down. I would love to call this a 'quick read' but it wasn't for me because I found myself going back to read scenes that I truly enjoyed. The sections entitled, "Rage', I reread them they were so intense. A great read for anyone who wants to be absorbed and forget they are reading fiction.
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