Logan's Hill
The Blood Brothers of the Night
by John M. Scanlan
List Price: $24.95
Pages: 227
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780975540527
Publisher: Bookmasters, Inc.
In the summer of 1975, two nine year old best friends --- Jake and Alex --- live a Norman Rockwell existence in Circleville, Ohio.
Meanwhile, Kevin Kiley, and his two adult friends --- who are little more than hockey-playing goons --- have fled their world of pot and prostitutes in New York City after killing a policeman. During a quick gas stop in --- of all places --- Circleville, Ohio, Goon Two accidentally leaves Kevin's mysterious black medical bag in the restroom of Rosie’s gas station.
When Alex finds the locked bag, he is elated. Invoking the time-tested rule of “losers weepers --- finders keepers”, he desires nothing more than to store his G.I. Joe paraphernalia in it.
However, the owner of that black bag is willing to kill for its contents. So upon realizing their error, the evil trio hurriedly returns to Circleville --- livid and looking.
Thus, Jake, Alex, and their secret club, the Blood Brothers of the Night, go head-to-head with Kevin and his cronies in a comical battle for possession of the black bag.
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1. Do you think Butch was sincere in his attempt to start his life over after getting released from the Decatur Correctional Center?
2. How does the phrase "he fell in with the wrong crowd of boys" apply to Logan's Hill?
3. What is the difference between boys raised in the 70s and today?
4. Discuss Emma's comments “I don’t know what it is with boys these days. My son gets married and moves all the way to Philadelphia, giving up everything that he grew up with in Illinois. Where’s his sense of family? Where’s the commitment to his roots? Where’s the respect for his parents? Boys now-a-days don’t feel such things. I don’t know what’s wrong with boys these days.”
5. Discuss Butches comment “Young Boys today ain’t got no respect. It ain’t like when I was a kid.”
6. Was Jeffrey really mentally handicapped? Or was he actually "street smart", and not "book smart". Is there such a thing?
7. Why did the author never give names to Goon One and Goon Two?
8. There were hints that even Jake's Father, Mr. Richard Stout, had a "rough side" in his youth. Can such a man be a good Father? Was he?
9. Tim and Oscar were obviously the "bad boys" in the Blood Brothers of the Night. However, Oscar recalls their former days in Sunday School, and calls Tim "Judas" when he plans to betray the Blood Brothers. Discuss Oscar's loyalty to the Blood Brothers. What about Jerry's? Jake's? Was loyalty an issue with any of the other boys?
10. Was Saint Dorothy a good Mother? An out-of-touch Mother? A stereotypical Mother? Too strict and controlling?
11. Kevin's only prized possession on Earth was his cherry red Mustang. Was there any symbolism in it constantly getting trashed and then fixed?
12. Was Oscar sincere in his efforts to rescue Jake? Why did he lead Barney and Betty to the top of Logan's Hill?
13. The Stout family is obviously very Catholic. Does that impact the morals and values that Jerry and Jake demonstrate in the book? Did it effect the story?
14. Is Alex correct in stating "Losers weepers - finders keepers"?
15. What was symbolized by Kevin making Tim and Oscar fight for the sole purpose of his own entertainment? What was symbolized by Tim winning the first round?
16. How would you describe Kevin Kiley? A sociopath? An obsessive-compulsive? A psycho? A Schizophrenic?
17. Deputy Dan and Officer Barney Clinton - Naive, innocent law officers or bumbling incompetents?
18. Discuss the phrase "Boys will be boys", and how it applies to Logan's Hill.
19. Was the big city versus small town aspect overplayed? Stereotypical? Nonexistent?
20. Once you learned the contents of the black bag, did you feel that Kevin and the two goons were justified in their fight to get it back? Crazy? Stupid? Was it a waste of time? What does it say about Kevin and the two goons?
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