Instead of a crime novel, this could almost be considered an epic free form poem. Like that book, Winslow has played with the style and format as well as taking that casual SoCal tone of voice he does so well to extreme lengths including incorporating segments that are written like a screenplay and sometimes using sentence fragments arranged on the page for maximum impact. It turns out that that drug dealers Ben and Chon (A mutated version of John.) and their shared girlfriend O (Short for Ophelia.) had a lot to contend with as they built up their pot growing empire that they were running at the beginning of Savages. He has expanded the backgrounds of the characters from Savages and uses their stories to give us an idea of the rise of the drug trade in southern California from the ‘60s through the turn of the century. Frankly, it seemed like a rush job done to capitalize on the movie version of Savages which comes out tomorrow. Hey, George Lucas! Now THIS is how you do a prequel!ĭon Winslow’s Savages instantly became one of my favorite crime novels, and I was a little worried about him doing another one that takes place before it. The result is a book that will echo in your mind and heart long after you’ve turned the last page. It is filled with Winslow’s trademark talents-complex characters, sharp dialogue, blistering social commentary-that have earned him an obsessive following. A series of breakneck twists and turns puts the two generations on a collision course, culminating in a stunning showdown that will force Ben, Chon, and O to choose between their real families and their loyalty to one another.įast-paced, provocative, and wickedly funny, The Kings of Cool is a spellbinding love story for our times from a master novelist at the height of his powers. As the trio at the center of the book does battle with a cabal of drug dealers and crooked cops, they come to learn that their future is inextricably linked with their parents’ history. Spanning from 1960s Southern California to the recent past, The Kings of Cool is a breathtakingly original saga of family in all its forms-fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, friends and lovers. Now, in this high-octane prequel, Winslow reaches back in time to tell the story of how Ben, Chon, and O became the people they are. Among the most celebrated thrillers in recent memory-and now a major motion picture directed by Academy Award–winning filmmaker Oliver Stone-Savages was picked as a best book of the year by Stephen King in Entertainment Weekly, Janet Maslin in The New York Times, and Sarah Weinman in the Los Angeles Times. In Savages, Don Winslow introduced Ben and Chon, twenty-something best friends who risk everything to save the girl they both love, O.

Don winslow kings of cool