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posies23's review against another edition
4.0
In the sequel to STONE COLD (Aka NO LIMIT), we catch up with poker prodigy Denn after the events of the previous book. Hautman does a nice job of keeping the sequel friendly to people that didn't read the first book, but certain elements of it will resonate more if you read them in order.
This time, Hautman broadens the point-of-view, and raises the stakes (pun intended) for Denn by adding two interesting characters: Cattie, a card-dealer Denn is romantically attracted to but has some secrets, and Jimbo, Denn's only friend and a fellow gambler. As the story progresses, the different POVs help to deepen the storyline and explain the events (and intricacies of poker) as they unfold. This book is quite different in tone from the first book, but I can't say too much more about that without going into spoilers.
As with the first novel, Hautman lets the characters make mistakes, and doesn't moralize about their choices. Like the best writers, he lets the story stand for itself, and lets the readers make up their minds about who is right and who is wrong.
The ending is intentionally ambiguous, which might bother some readers, but there are some clues scattered throughout the book that will help close readers make up their minds about how things turn out.
Highly recommended.
This time, Hautman broadens the point-of-view, and raises the stakes (pun intended) for Denn by adding two interesting characters: Cattie, a card-dealer Denn is romantically attracted to but has some secrets, and Jimbo, Denn's only friend and a fellow gambler. As the story progresses, the different POVs help to deepen the storyline and explain the events (and intricacies of poker) as they unfold. This book is quite different in tone from the first book, but I can't say too much more about that without going into spoilers.
As with the first novel, Hautman lets the characters make mistakes, and doesn't moralize about their choices. Like the best writers, he lets the story stand for itself, and lets the readers make up their minds about who is right and who is wrong.
The ending is intentionally ambiguous, which might bother some readers, but there are some clues scattered throughout the book that will help close readers make up their minds about how things turn out.
Highly recommended.
nerfherder86's review against another edition
3.0
17 year old Denn lives in Law Vegas as a professional poker player, although he's not doing so well at the moment. He's just lost all but his last hundred bucks in a game where the dealer, cute redhead Cattie, cheated the deal so that he lost. In flashbacks and alternating points of view, from Cattie and Denn and "Jimbo" another young poker player, we learn Denn's history: he won a restaurant in a poker game in his hometown, but sold it when it tanked due to his bad management, and moved out to Vegas--the story told in the first book, [book: No Limit]. Now he's trying to win big, but he's gotten distracted by the cute redhead, who earns tons of money but has no one to spend it on or any motivation to change her life of crooked deals. Denn thinks if he could just come up with the $10,000 he needs to enter the big million-dollar tournament, he'll be on easy street. Lots of poker excitement, poker slang terms (luckily there's a glossary coz beyond "full house" and "the river", I don't know much about poker) and a general overall sense of despair and hope. You can almost smell the cigars and see the dim casino lights as you read.
rovertoak's review against another edition
4.0
Hautman is damn fine -- he keeps the prose sparse and maintains a constant level of tension all the way through. This will have teen readers hoping there's some sort of closure or release after the cards are dealt. It's also about the main character's search for something to fill a void -- by just reading this, we don't know where the emptiness comes from, just that this kid is searching to patch it up.
norawc's review
4.0
Intense book, really made me want to pick up a pack of cards and try some of the tricks! (or at least go on youtube and learn how :p)
rovertoak's review
4.0
Hautman is damn fine -- he keeps the prose sparse and maintains a constant level of tension all the way through. This will have teen readers hoping there's some sort of closure or release after the cards are dealt. It's also about the main character's search for something to fill a void -- by just reading this, we don't know where the emptiness comes from, just that this kid is searching to patch it up.
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