Rusty Rogers has a problem. More than one really. As a Freshman at Fabian University, he has to navigate his first girlfriend, his GPA, pledge a fraternity, and save his friend Thomas Granger from a murder wrap.
Thomas Granger is a humorous look into the fictional life of Rusty Rogers who quickly goes from nondescript Freshman to the center of a swirl of intrigue and murder! The problems seem to begin when Rusty meets the enigmantic Thomas Granger in one of his classes. Trouble seems to follow Thomas wherever he goes, why would Rusty want to bring that on himself?
If you've ever tried very hard to fit in, if you've ever suddenly found yourself over your head, then the themes of Thomas Granger will resonate with you. Set in fictional Fabian University, the book is a primer on college life at the end of the 1980's including many of the secret rituals of joining a fraternity. There is humor, but you also find yourself really agonizing over the decisions made by Rusty and his friends.
I've rated the book "R", not because it's chock full of bad language and raunchy language but because college is full of sex, and Rusty's college is no exception. There are a few explicit sexual depictions in the book so be forewarned!
Excerpt
“I want to be a rock star” I blurted out, then flushed red as I realized that I wasn’t going to be a rock star, I was going to be a middle manager for one of Thomas’ companies somewhere with a wife and 2.3 kids and one of Rascal’s bastard grandchildren getting under foot. Surprisingly though, Thomas didn’t laugh at me, he sized me up carefully before he spoke...
Professional Reviews
Coming of Age Tale
Rusty Rogers is an engaging narrator, and that's what works best about this book. It's a pleasure to follow him through the triumphs and disasters of his freshman year in college, from a bromantic friendship with an intriguing classmate, to the excitement of a new girlfriend who might just be the real thing, to the ups and downs of pledging for a fraternity.
In the midst of this slice-of-life, the murder mystery felt like an intrusion. Although it's embedded in the plot, it never seemed to gel with the rest of the story. That makes it tough to determine this book's genre: it's not quite a mystery, nor a bromance, nor a romance. I'd call it a 'coming-of-age' tale.
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