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Reminiscent Tartan Noir
That's me finished Scott Rule's The Milk Boys. To paraphrase marty mcfly "you built a time machine out of a milk float." Brilliant tartan noir set in '79. All i will say is I'm glad i live in a douce little parish like The Murray and not the sodom and gomorrha of the woodie. Brilliant. Well done.
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Excellent Read
Loved this book and a good read while on hold. Fantastic characters and wonderfully intertwined. If you’re a kid of the 70s, know East Kilbride or worked on a float you’ll fall in love with this book.
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A series of confrontations culminates in an ending worthy of Tarantino in his pomp. Characters are extremely well drawn and descriptive detail is used brilliantly to show them in action.
Detail also provides an excellently precise sense of time and place (East Kilbride in the 1970s.) It includes milk floats stuck on snowy roundabouts, gang culture, plenty of violence which the younger characters attempt to sidestep through DIY punk bands, glue and football. The book contains the best description of an acid trip I have ever read.
Someone should snap up the TV right sharpish.
A superb debut, and I hope there is more to come from this major new talent.
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Full disclosure, I knew Scott growing up and I lived in the streets mentioned throughout the book, but I haven't seen him since leaving Scotland nearly 40 years ago and I doubt he'd remember me. This book was a time machine back to a time and place I still remember so well, the characters accurately reflect many of the people at the time. Very EK focused, but that aside it was still an enthralling read and I genuinely couldn't put the book down. Plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader surprised and entertained. A truly excellent book, well done Scott.
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Good read—maybe glamourises violence a bit too much
I grew up in and around the streets where the book is set, in Calderwood East Kilbride in late 1970's. I can relate to all of the streets, pubs etc and the gangs in the area of East Kilbride in 1970's/early 1980's
The book does capture the area really well, but I feel that author is a wee bit negative about the area. It was not perfect but it was not declining as rapidly as author describes.
When I was at school at the times the book was set, I knew many of the guys who worked on the milk floats, whilst I delivered news papers, in same area at same times
Maybe I am a bit naive but I do not recall the violence and other crimes as described in the book. Sure there were gangs and gang fights between the different areas of East Kilbride. But I do not recall the drug scenes or prostitution as described in the book. Maybe it was there and I just did not know about it
Fairly enjoyable and great to take a trip down memory lane to the streets and pubs, I once frequented
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This was a trip back to my childhood and youth. It is witty and sad at the same time, with brilliant characters and the setting of East Kilbride and its culture cleverly captured within the story.
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Just finished this on holiday great read from start to finish
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Fabulous read. Brought back so many memories of growing up in a new town
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Took me back to my early youth delivering the Milk
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Fantastic gritty Scottish tale based in the new town of East Kilbride. If you like Shuggie Bain
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Great book, loved it, loved the characters, couldn't put it down, read in 3 days.
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I’m almost finished the book, haven’t been able to put it down. The characters seem so real. Also, it set in my hometown.
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What a fantastic read. Gripping, chilling, funny and exciting. The Milk Boys sets a scene and then blows it's head off. Best thing I've read in a long time.
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Bought this for someone else & they thoroughly enjoyed. Says it took them back to their childhood. I’m going to read next!
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Reading it right now. Got me back into reading. Living in the town the book is based upon makes it a special read. Very well written. Well done, Scott.
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Wonderfully written - I am from the town it is based in and it was a fab walk down Memory Lane (if you lived here you’d get the pun!).
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Fab read…. You are there in East Kilbride, living with these characters… violent times, bleak outlook …but you so need to find out what happens next …
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I could relate totally to all of the book
I was brought up in East Kilbride in the 70s
Worked as a milk boy from 1970-1975
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Spent my life in and around Calderwood and this book has brought back many memories of my youth. A good read and look forward to the next book by Scott Rule
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I admit I did go back in time with this excellent novel. Great characters, and a guy called Kojak, wonder where he got that name from. Couldn't put it down
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Interesting read (although not yet completed) as street names and surrounding areas are authentic to anyone residing in East Kilbride.
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I felt like I was in East Kilbride. The writer creates an authentic story that is difficult to put down. He does this through realistic characterisation and describes the vulnerability, humour and resilience of life, which is often out of our control. You should read it.
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Excellent work by local writer. Straight back to the seventies!
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Although my head was initially turned by the fact the story was set in my hometown, the characters, pace and twists make this a fabulous read.
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As an EK punk band member from when the book is set, I had expected some reminiscing . I was thankfully not disappointed although you could write a whole book about the EK punks. There was plenty of reminiscing for me and the book took me back to some of the places I hung about at as a teenager. The Milk Boys creatively captures that time. The characters are made real by relating them to places I already know. Although EK focused it could be anywhere in the UK at that time. Once started reading I could not put it down. I wanted to know what happened to who and when and the only disappointment I had was when the book was finished.
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Great read
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Great book. couldn't put it down. love books about Scotland but then... I’m biased
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This book gave a fantastic trip down memory lane of growing up in East Kilbride. Although I am younger than the characters in the book, it gave a tremendous insight to my own childhood and teen years and learning where many of the activities I participated in came from.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Milk Boys from cover to cover and I cannot recommend it highly enough. What makes it even more special for me is knowing that this is the authors debut novel. Wow. Tremendous writing, very well developed characters and very much a reflection on growing up street wise, with good humour thrown into the mix. It captures East Kilbride perfectly at a time when the town was run by the people for the people. An utterly outstanding read.
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