Savages

A Novel

By: Don Winslow

Narrated by: Michael Kramer

Part-time environmentalist and philanthropist Ben and his ex-mercenary buddy Chon run an independent Laguna Beach–based marijuana operation, reaping significant profits from an established clientele. But they may have come up against something that they can't handle---the Mexican Baja Cartel wants in, and saying no is unacceptable. When they refuse to back down, the cartel kidnaps Ophelia, the boys' playmate and confidante. O's abduction sets off a dizzying array of ingenious negotiations and gripping plot twists that will captivate listeners eager to learn the costs of freedom and the price of an amazing high.©2010 Samburu, Inc. (P)2010 Tantor

Critic reviews

"A spellbinding, tour de force that is utterly impossible to put down. Savages is, bar none, the finest novel I have read in years." (Christopher Reich, author of Rules of Deception)

"Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"

Meets the "Real Housewives of Orange County". I agree that the characters were not very likable or well developed, but they had their own unique appeal. The novel brings to mind the first time I saw that "reality" TV show. The characters are so awful you just cannot look away. It is fun to peek into something foreign and so far removed from most of our realities. I stuck with the book unlike the TV show. A much more enjoyable way to spend some time. I loved Winslow's pace and his prose.

I can't stand the narrator

I'm returning this one. the tone of the narrator is so bad. he's trying to sound cool or something, but it just comes across in a DB way.

I preferred the sequal

excellent novel which as expected was better than the film adaptation. overall though I must say it came across as more shallow than the prequel or Mr. Winslow's Cartel novels.

It was just OK

I love Don Winslow and really liked the prequel ‘Kings of Cool’, but for me ‘Savages’ just didn’t deliver. I felt as a stand alone book it didn’t give enough background on how they go to where they were, and there wasn’t much character development or suspenseful moments (in the first 60% or so of the book). As always the writing is good, but overall it was a bit disappointing from what I’m used to.

The narrator didn't do a great job with the various characters especially the female ones. Again vs. the first book it just fell short.

Story and Narrator Were Made For Eachother

I thought I had a favourite narrator before this book...now I'm torn. I'm almost scared to listen to other books he's done because this book was so perfect for his voice.
The book was so real and raw, the movie was close but not half as good.
I started recommending it when I was only an hour in.

LOVED IT!

Any additional comments?

I think people will either love this book or hate it. This is about a drug war, hostages, and going to the edge of the world for the ones you love. This is not a book for the "soccer mom" type. It is a sexy but very violent book. I loved this book. :)

Hard-Core ... Not For Everyone But Really Good!

First things first, this is not a book for the faint-hearted or the easily offended. I listened to it on audio when I was walking my dogs and there were times when I felt myself blushing from what I was listening to … ON MY HEADPHONES! I kept thinking “If people only knew what I was listening to now, they’d be shocked.” This is some hard-core, graphic writing … and hearing it read out loud makes it seem even more so. (By the way, Michael Kramer has the perfect voice for the material … with a kind of WTF/seen it all, done it all attitude.) The basic story deals with a love triangle between two pot dealers and their girl and what happens when they run awry of a Mexican drug cartel and the girl gets kidnapped. The writing—despite its bluntness and graphic descriptions—was good and often very funny. But this is by no means a “feel good” book. And if people in SoCal are really like the characters in this book, then I’m staying the hell away.

J says 3.5

Really enjoyed the characters. They were well developed. Very easy to listen to. The story was a crazy, wild ride and will keep your attention. The narrator really pulled you in and made the story good.

Excellent story...

...with some of the cleverist dialogue I've ever heard. The narration by Michael Kramer was also great, with just the right inflection for whatever passage he was reading.

Raunchy, filthy story, sure to offend everyone!

I say that headline in a good way. It is a rough cut story, brutal and not pretty. The title sums it up. Savages.

Take a nice quiet little town like Laguna Beach, add a pair of drug dealers who grow their own strains of premium weed, toss in a sex nympho who shares the two dealers, and a Mexican drug cartel led by a very strong character woman... You get Savages.

This story is not for those folks offended by straight talk, by blunt talk, by raunchy sex, murder or people who are getting high. It is not for people who cannot handle trash talk against John Wayne, Republicans, Democrats, the government in general.

Michael Kramer reads this story as if it were written just for him to read. His rich deep voice gives the characters life.