Amazon Reviews for Crackilton: A Novel

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Patricia

★★★★★ Entertaining, Enthralling ... couldn't' put it down! An honest account of an addict!

Reviewed in Canada on April 7, 2017

Verified Purchase

Great quick read; I was enthralled and finished it in one day! Transports you immediately to city of Hamilton and it's gritty underside, and to the life of a reluctant addict, and all that it entails: the highs, lows, the lies, regrets, etc. But through it all, a sense of honesty and decency ... if you can believe that! Indeed, the real people depicted in this non-fictional novel are more entertaining (and most importantly, more endearing ... if you can believe that!) than any hollywood or indie film. .... would love to see that! But, I suspect, no actor(s) would be able to embody the simplicity and honesty of this man, his loving and supportive girlfriend, nor all the crazy cast of characters in his life. This book not only entertained me, but educated me, and promoted compassion for those struggling with addiction. And if a small book can do that, then, that's a good thing! Next up, Squeegee kid!

Samantha

★★★★★   Loved this book!

Reviewed in Canada on May 10, 2017

Verified Purchase

I really loved this book, and could not stop reading it. When I finished it I went and bought squeegee kid and was instantly hooked again. Keep doing what you love and keep writing more books ☺

Nancy

★★★★★  Five Stars

Reviewed in Canada on May 29, 2017

Verified Purchase

Very raw books I love them.

Amazon Customer

★☆☆☆☆ One Star

Reviewed in Canada on August 15, 2016

Verified Purchase

The book was terrible. Not worth the read.

Amazon Customer

★★★★☆ Dougs review

Reviewed in Canada on March 6, 2019

Hey Gord! I thought you might like to hear my impressions of ``Crackilton.``Very well written. So much so that as I began to understand the reality of crack addiction, I had to put the book down. After a couple of months I felt better about it and continued. I was in the car with Jim and Bruce and Pablo. I was pissed-off when Jims welfare cheque was stolen by his neighbor. But most of all I felt the painful hopelessness of Jim wanting to do right by Christine.

In the story of drug addiction there may never be a happy ending. Often, the best you can hope for, is only to turn the page.

All the best

Doug

Amazon Customer

★★★★☆ Couldn't put it down!

Reviewed in Canada on June 7, 2016

I bought this book on a friday afternoon from the author outside of Jackson Square in Hamilton. I had a quick chat with him, he signed my book, and I started to read it immediately. I finished it in about a day. Just like the other reviews, it was a book that I couldn't put down, and I wanted more. It leaves you hanging at the end, and it really is a memoir, instead of a novel. I wondered at the end of the book, if my $20 I spent on his book was going to go to him getting high on crack that day. I felt that this book just scratched the surface of this man's life. I would have liked to know some of his family background, and I would buy the next book - if he ever writes one to hear about even just another three months in the life of a Hamilton crack user.

Amazon Customer

★★★★★ Great book, great insight

Reviewed in Canada on June 14, 2016

I bought this book from the author outside Union Station out of pure curiosity - I had seen him plenty of times before, exchanged smiles, etc and now he had a book! I was instantly intrigued. Before we parted ways, we had a great conversation and he told me that the book is a true story/depiction of his life and his battle with an addiction to crack. I was sold.

I started the book with an open mind and I was pleasantly surprised. The book occurs over one winter season and I was surprised at how many personal battles and ups and downs the author goes through in that time span. You get a real eye witness account into the struggle that addicts deal with - he wants to change, he feels remorse, but he is addicted and he struggles to change. I am looking forward to the sequels/prequels he mentioned to me were on their way because I feel invested in his story now. I want to see how things turned around for him.

One final note: the book was published independently and all revisions were made by the author and his girlfriend. I was surprised by how well written the book was and also I was surprised to have found only 3 mistakes in the whole thing (I've found more than that before in a book that came from a publishing house with multiple editors). Good job!

derek.pod

★★★★★  Authentic and captivating

Reviewed in Canada on April 13, 2019

I bought this book direct from the author at Art Crawl in Hamilton. I had read good things about it online and was excited to get a copy for myself. The book is well written, authentic and really captivates your attention. I ended up finishing the whole thing in a day. Looking forward to picking up one of his other books next time.

James B

★★★★★ Through the eyes of a crack addict.

Reviewed in Canada on March 4, 2016

A good novel draws you into another world and helps you see life through the eyes of someone different. In this book, set against Hamilton, Ontario's impoverished east end, S.E. Tomas takes us into the mind of a crack addict. Written in the first person, the narration is brutally honest, giving us a brutal lens into the the main character's mind, including, without comment, his self deception. For seven years, I have been working with men coming out of jail in downtown Hamilton and found myself speculating as to whether I actually new the person one character or another was based on. The only words in the book that did not ring true were the first two, on the front cover: “a novel.” S.E. Tomas's main character, Jim, sounded so much like the men I work with that it felt more like a memoir than a novel. This literary devise lets S.E. Tomas tell the story of a slow spiral through the voice of the man caught in it, and at the same time, creating it. It is a book well worth the read.

Amazon Customer

★★★★★  I could not put this down

Reviewed in Canada on August 31, 2018

I walk past the author every day outside of Union station, and finally stopped to buy this book. I have to say that I haven't found a book this captivating and raw in a long time. I'll definitely be back to buy Carnie and Squeegee Kid. A solid 5-star read, especially if you're from the area. He really paints a picture, and transports you into the story.

P.Sol

★★★★★  Depressing, captivating, worth the read.

Reviewed in Canada on May 13, 2016

I bought this book from the author outside of Union Station in Toronto. I have spent almost a decade in Hamilton, and after a quick chat with the author on the street, I was curious to read about this other side of the city that I knew little about. I know the neighbourhoods he references in the book well, but the subject material was still somewhat shocking to me. This is not exactly a work of fiction, it appears to be a personal journal and re-telling of a winter lived through the eyes of a highly functioning but poverty stricken crack addict. The book doesn't go anywhere, there is no plot, it just exists as time capsule of one person's life, and some of the impact it has on his loved ones (his girlfriend, and his daughter). I found it to be a depressing, but captivating read.

Amazon Customer

★★★★★ Honest, engaging, depressing and enlightening. You'll find it difficult to put down.

Reviewed in Canada on April 15, 2017

I purchased this from the author at his spot outside Union Station. I expected a rough, amateurish memoir. Instead, it was excellent in every regard. It's a small story of a small life, honestly detailing the endless loop of hustling, jonesing, scoring and hiding. It's labeled fiction, but the level of candid detail and specific references leaves the reader in no doubt that it's a thinly disguised memoir. And if you know Hamilton at all, you can practically visualize the entire story. It's engaging, interesting and very difficult to put down. Come Monday, I'll be buying Squeegie Kid from the author as well.

Aaron

★★★★★  Engaging, excellent Novel from the author's personal experiences

Reviewed in Canada on March 9, 2016

A fantastic first novel with a well-developed vernacular writing style. The author very effectively brings the reader into his life of crack addiction and the struggle of the working man in modern cities. I often wonder about the lives of those around me, and this novel offers quite an insight, clearly from personal experience of the author. My only complaint is that I was through the book far too quickly - I can't wait for his next novel to continue the story of Jim and Christine. I highly recommend the book, and if you're in Toronto, I recommend visiting the author on Bay St. outside Union Station in the mornings.

Amazon Customer

★★★★★ Fantastic read. I think it's incredibly important for stories ...

Reviewed in Canada on May 17, 2017

Fantastic read. I think it's incredibly important for stories of drug addiction be told in an honest manner such as it is in Crackilton so that we can understand what regular people deal with. It takes guts to put your life in print and share those intimate details with the public. Made respect to you Gord and your girlfriend for creating a great book. I'm almost done Squeegy Kid and it's awesome too. Get your copies folks.

homeofhappycats

★★★★★  I'm glad I bought this book

Reviewed in Canada on March 20, 2016

I enjoyed this book so much I read it in one day. I hope there will be at least another book to continue the story. It took me into a world that I knew nothing about, except for the locations which I am familiar with. It would be good if there was some way of notifying people when the next book is out. I want to know what happens to the people in the book.

Sarah

★★★★★ Amazing!

Reviewed in Canada on April 28, 2017

I wasn't sure what to expect when I ordered the book. I received it two days after ordering and was not able to put it down. He has such talent for writting and I can not wait to read his next book.

Tracy Pedersen

★★★★★ Five Stars

Reviewed in Canada on November 28, 2017

great read

Ron Antopolski

★★★★★ I read Crackilton in one sitting

Reviewed in Canada on April 18, 2016

I couldn't put it down! This is an honest, funny, sad, and above all entertaining snapshot of a seasonally employed carnival worker who feeds his crack addiction with anything he can beg, borrow or steal.

JP

★☆☆☆☆ Move.

Reviewed in Canada on October 15, 2018

The individual who sells this book in Toronto uses the extremely annoying sales tactic of leaving 2 large, bulky coolers (one of which he sits on) right in the middle of one of the busiest pedestrian crossings in the city in an attempt to have you notice him so you may possibly buy a book.

Get your coolers out of people's way and maybe you will sell more books, you are causing a traffic jam every morning and afternoon.

Dez

★★★★★ Great read!

Reviewed in Canada on April 28, 2016

Once I started reading, I couldn't put the book down. I'd pick it up every chance I got, even if it was for only 30 seconds! Great read!

Saj

★★★★☆ A very real depiction of the life and mindset of someone with true addiction

Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2016

Verified Purchase

This describes the mindset and downward spiral of many (maybe anyone?) who have a true addiction, paints a very accurate picture. Not a feel-good book, as one would assume. Some have said that this is a true story but the book is labelled as fiction taking place in the very real city of Hamilton, Ontario. The monotonous tone, dullness and redundancy of the story is depressing - which in a way is genius because it brings you into the character/narrator; you feel his boredom. Maybe this is ignorant of me, but in my experience knowing and working with actual people who have true addiction and - just like this character - lack hobbies, interests, or the ability to occupy their time with something enjoyable, paired with their dependancy on one close person in their life, the likelihood of them being able to overcome the addiction longterm is slim to none.

I also had a really hard time empathizing with the character, which is also very true to life. I imagine that many people who are addicted have few or no people around them who empathize with them or understand where they are coming from. He is completely unaware of the extent of his using his significant other - yes, he says he feels horrible, etc, but at the same time complains about completely legitimate reactions that his girlfriend has to his mooching, using and other negative behaviours.

Phil Dauplaise

★★★★★ Must Read

Reviewed in Australia on March 16, 2016

Verified Purchase

Great book for parents to read to understand what your kids are going through, with how bad the ice and meth problems are in Australia now, people need to understand before they start judging people.

RP

★★★★★ Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2016

Verified Purchase

Very well written!

Ryan Ell

★★★★★  A fascinating ride behind the eyeballs of a crack-addict

Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2016

I loved this book. It puts you right inside the skull of Jim; a man who simply can't outrun his appetite for crack.

It's an absolute page-turner, too. Jim always has a bunch of real-world responsibilities to juggle while he seeks his next fix, and you find yourself right there with him hoping he'll get some relief, but still hold his life together. If you have any conception of crack-addicts as being lazy, this book will change your mind. All through the story you see Jim's resourcefulness as he struggles to hide his addiction from his loved ones. He always ALWAYS has an amazing, plausible excuse for his absences, lack of money, and other ideosyncrasies. All because 90% of his mind at any given time is being dominated by his best friend and enemy - crack cocaine.

If you are looking for flowery, literary descriptions about what it feels like to be on a substance (like in say, "Confessions of an Opium Eater") you won't get that here. Jim is way past the point of crack being a fun "blow your mind" experience. The months of Jim's life that this novel covers shows you the part in the addiction life-cycle where the person knows they are completely enslaved to chasing the ever-diminishing returns that the drug provides. The language used is simple, unadorned, and it really helps to characterize Jim as someone whose appetites don't leave him with a lot of time to be introspective about what he knows is happening to him.

This author succeeds where a lot of others would have failed. He somehow manages to make an interesting, coherent story emerge out of the cataloguing of every last little jot of minutiae that goes into scoring the next fix, getting his bills paid, and trying to keep his girlfriend/common-law wife from discovering his secret until the next carnival season rolls around and he's steadily employed again. Being a first-time author, I can only imagine S.E. Tomas had a really good editor to have come out with a product this polished. It avoids so many of the mistakes an amateur writer typically makes. There really isn't anything in the narrative that digresses from the theme, and there are absolutely no time-outs in order to give lengthy bouts of exposition. You find out about Jim and his life by watching him live it, and try to hold it together. And if you're fascinated by the extremes of human behaviour, as I am, then you will find Jim's story hard to put down.

And isn't that what makes a good story- that you just want to keep seeing what will happen next?

It's a novel, but I strongly suspect it's really a memoir. There is no way an author could have this much insight about the addicted mind without having inhabited it. My guess is that the author opted to avoid calling it a memoir so that he could tighten-up the narrative's pace. I highly recommend this book, and I'm so happy that I happened to be strolling past Union Station when the author happened to be hawking it; with all the flair and enthusiasm you'd expect from a carnival worker.

Amazon Customer

★★★★★  Good stories come from unexpected places

Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2016

Good stories come from unexpected places. It was a damp, snowy day as I walked out of Union Station in Toronto on a Saturday afternoon. I saw a man standing at the intersection with a sign that said "Buy my novel". That's not something I see everyday. So I bought the book. I went home that night and read the novel in one sitting.

Crackilton is his story of life in Hamilton, Ontario with a crack addiction and a job as a seasonal carnie. S.E. gives a very vulnerable recount of his addiction and the influence that this has on his lifestyle and relationships. The story is both revealing and inspiring. Grab yourself a copy on Amazon or better yet outside Union Station.

Lynn Flatley

★★★★★  Stopped on the Sidewalk, Bought a Good Book

Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2016

I also bought this book from the author, having great admiration for his resourcefulness and accomplishment in writing and publishing an actual book instead of simply panhandling in a very to job market. The book is an unvarnished account of the pointlessness, ridiculous financial waste, and ultimate selfishness behind opiate abuse. Which makes it all the more remarkable and hopeful that this book ever saw the light of day. Congratulations to the author(s) for producing a well written and worthwhile read and sincere best wishes to them and their loved ones in the years ahead. I definitely recommend this book and hope it reaches a wide readership.

Amazon Customer

★★★★★  It was a fantastic read and was written by someone with some first ...

Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2016

I purchased this book from the author outside Union Station in Toronto. It was a fantastic read and was written by someone with some first hand experience. Highly recommend this book, very well written.

Amazon Customer

★★★★★  An accurate description of Hamilton or should I say Crackilton ...

Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2016

An accurate description of Hamilton or should I say Crackilton. This true to life story has brought crack to the front stage and Hamilton into the spotlight.