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Review of 2007 Recruiting: Defensive Tackles

This is Joe Barksdale. Notice that the maize isn’t quite maize enough and the blue is more of a purple.

THE ROSTER
Will Johnson, Sr.
Terrance Taylor, Jr.
Marques Slocum, So.
John Ferrara, RS Fr.
Jason Kates, RS Fr.


THE RECRUITS
Renaldo Sagesse
High school: Montreal (Quebec) Vieux School
Ratings: Rivals 3-star, #34 DT
College: Michigan
Other notable offers: Illinois
Scoop: Sagesse played in six games as a true freshman in 2007 but didn’t accrue any statistics. As a sophomore in 2008, Sagesse made 3 tackles as a backup defensive tackle, mostly in goal-line situations. Then in 2009 he made 8 tackles and 2 tackles for loss in a backup role. He made 5 tackles and 1 tackle for loss as a senior in 2010. He went undrafted by the NFL in the 2011 NFL Draft but was picked in the 4th round (#25 overall) by the Montreal Alouettes in the 2011 Canadian Football League draft. He played for the Alouettes in 2011 and the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2012, but he has not played in the CFL since then.

THE TARGETS
Joseph Barksdale
High school: Detroit (MI) Cass Tech
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #6 DT, #67 overall
College: LSU
Other notable offers: Florida State, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, USC
Scoop: Barksdale was a backup right offensive tackle as a true freshman in 2007 and played in every game that year, some on special teams. After that he became the starter at right tackle for the 2008 and 2009 seasons and flipped to the left side in 2010, running his streak of consecutive starts to 39 over his final three seasons. As a senior in 2010, he was named Second Team All-SEC. He was chosen in the 3rd round (#92 overall) by the Oakland Raiders in the 2011 NFL Draft, but the Raiders released him before his second year. The St. Louis Rams picked him up prior to the 2012 season and he has started ten games for them over the past couple years.

Josh Brent
High school: Bloomington (IL) Central Catholic
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #11 DT
College: Illinois
Other notable offers: Ohio State, Wisconsin
Scoop: As a true freshman in 2007, Brent made 8 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and .5 sacks as a backup defensive tackle. He became a part-time starter in 2008 and made 34 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and 1 fumble recovery. Then as a junior in 2009, he tallied 29 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble recovery as a full-time starter. Brent was declared academically ineligible for the 2010 season, which caused him to enter the NFL’s supplemental draft, where he was taken in the 7th round by the Dallas Cowboys. He made 44 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and 1 forced fumble for the Cowboys before getting into some serious legal trouble in 2012 when he got drunk and flipped his car with teammate Jerry Brown in the passenger seat. Brown was killed in the accident. The accident and Brent’s treatment afterward caused quite a stir, and he “retired” after failing multiple drug tests while awaiting trial. In January 2014 he was convicted of manslaughter, for which he was sentenced to 180 days in jail and 10 years of probation.

Tonio Celotto
High school: Simi Valley (CA) Royal
Ratings: Rivals 3-star, #38 DT
College: Oregon Humboldt State
Other notable offers: Ole Miss, Washington State
Scoop: Celotto was a backup as a true freshman and made 16 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss in 2007, including 4 stops in the Ducks’ win over Michigan that year. As a sophomore in 2008, he made 10 tackles and 1 tackle for loss. Slowed by injuries, Celotto left Oregon before the 2009 season and ended up at Humboldt State University. He made 1 tackle in 2011 in an injury-shortened season and received a sixth year of eligibility for 2012. As a sixth year senior, he made 14 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 2 pass breakups, and 1 blocked kick but could only participate in six games. He went undrafted in the 2013 NFL Draft and appears to have completed his football career.

Da’John Harris
High school: Gardena (CA) Junipero Serra
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #3 DT, #48 overall
College: USC
Other notable offers: Miami, Nebraska, Oregon, UCLA
Scoop: Harris redshirted as a freshman in 2007. In 2008 he was a backup defensive tackle and blocking tight end, making 1 tackle in limited time before missing several late games for academic reasons. As a redshirt sophomore in 2009, he became a key backup and made 14 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and .5 sacks. He finally became a starter in 2010 and finished the year with 35 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 pass breakup. Then as a fifth year senior in 2011, he had 22 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, and 6 pass deflections. He went undrafted in the 2012 NFL Draft and has played for the Tennessee Titans and Washington Redskins, last appearing in 2012 for the Titans and making 3 tackles total. He is not currently on an NFL roster.

Rolando Melancon
High school: Lutcher (LA) Lutcher
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #22 DT
College: Tennessee Louisiana Tech Texas Southern
Other notable offers: Nebraska, Ole Miss
Scoop: Melancon signed with Tennessee out of high school but failed to qualify academically. He then enrolled at Louisiana Tech, where he took a redshirt for the 2007 season and also sat out 2008 due to academic ineligibility. He got into some off-the-field trouble in the off-season and was dismissed by then head coach Derek Dooley. Melancon transferred to Texas Southern, playing nine games in 2009 and five more in 2010. In that 2009 season, he made 31 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and 1 interception that he returned 26 yards for a touchdown. Then in 2010 he made 6 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 1 forced fumble. He went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft and his career appears to be finished.

CONCLUSIONS
Recruiting defensive tackles is always an iffy proposition, because some players have lots of size and some natural quickness but don’t have the technique to be successful. It’s also tough for any player to carry that much bulk and stay injury-free. When 300+ pounders are diving at your legs and you’re 300 lbs. yourself, you never know what can happen. This class had a mish-mash of talent, and looking through the whole list of defensive tackles from the 2007 class, it didn’t seem to have a ton of depth. Sagesse turned into a decent player and may have been more if not for some shoddy defensive coordinating, although defensive line coach Bruce Tall did okay with what he had.

Biggest miss: Joseph Barksdale. This one is obvious. Barksdale attended Cass Tech – before it became a pipeline to Michigan – and was right in Michigan’s back yard, but they couldn’t reel him in. He started off as a defensive tackle at LSU but almost immediately switched to offense, which worked out well for him. Even if he had made the same move at Michigan, the Wolverines could have used him on the offensive line during that stretch of time.

Biggest bust: Josh Brent. Brent had a decent college career and the beginnings of a promising NFL run, but the college portion was cut short by bad grades and the pro portion was cut short by terrible life decisions. And by the way, 180 days of jail is way too short for someone who chooses to drink and drive, resulting in a death.

Best in class: I would like to say Nick Fairley, but he’s a moron, too. I can’t bust on Josh Brent and then say Nick Fairley was a real gem. Let me just say that I was angry when the Detroit Lions drafted Fairley #13 overall, and I still am. I guess I’ll have to go with Devon Still, the former Penn State defensive tackle who was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals. Still hasn’t done much in the NFL (21 tackles, .5 sacks), but he was the Big Ten’s Defensive Player of the Year and an All-American in 2011, earning himself a 2nd round pick.

Jibreel Black, #55

Jibreel Black (image via Columbus Dispatch)

HIGH SCHOOL
Black attended Cincinnati (OH) Wyoming and originally committed to Indiana, where his older brother Larry was a defensive tackle. But Jibreel earned lots of offers after committing to the Hoosiers and finally settled on Michigan in January of 2010, selecting the Wolverines over offers from Cincinnati, Michigan State, Purdue, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, among others. He was a 3-star and the #26 strongside defensive end in the 2010 class.

COLLEGE
Black entered school during Rich Rodriguez and Greg Robinson’s final year in Ann Arbor, earning some playing time at defensive end immediately. He played in all thirteen games and made 7 tackles. He was a backup weakside end in 2011, making 18 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks. As a junior in 2012, Black became an undersized defensive tackle and made 20 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 2 pass breakups, and 1 forced fumble as a part-time starter. As the full-time starter at 3-tech defensive tackle in 2013, he finished his career by making 27 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and 1 forced fumble.

CAREER STATISTICS
72 tackles
14 tackles for loss
7 sacks
4 pass breakups
3 forced fumbles

AWARDS
None

SUMMARY
Black came in with a middling amount of hype and no clear position. He didn’t seem quick enough for weakside end, he was a little short to be an ideal strongside end, and he was undersized to play defensive tackle. In some packages as a senior in 2013, he played nose tackle, which meant that he played all four defensive line positions during his career as a Wolverine. When his body settled in, he was an undersized defensive tackle hovering around 280 lbs. His quickness was difficult to handle for opposing interior linemen, but his lack of bulk was a weakness for the front seven at times. Black had a solid career for a complementary player, but the lack of a star on the interior exposed Michigan to some run deficiencies during his last couple seasons.

I WILL REMEMBER HIM FOR . . .
. . . his stop near the end of the 2011 game against Ohio State. Black hemmed in fleet-footed OSU quarterback Braxton Miller and recorded half a sack to help seal the 40-34 victory against the Buckeyes.

PROJECTION
Black was not invited to the NFL Combine. He did 29 reps of 225 lbs. on the bench press during Michigan’s pro day in March, but that probably won’t be enough to get him drafted. He was a solid but unspectacular starter in college. I could see him forging a career in the Arena Football League, but that’s probably as far as he could go.

Video: Michigan 20, Washington State 17 (1983)

Recruiting Update: April 28, 2014

New Lenox (IL) Providence Catholic wide receiver Miles Boykin (image via High School Cube)

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2015
Reisterstown (MD) Franklin offensive guard Patrick Allen was offered by Michigan. Allen is a 6’5″, 270 lb. prospect with offers from Arkansas, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Ohio State, and Wisconsin, among many others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #27 offensive tackle, and #236 overall. Allen is a long, athletic kid who I think could play tackle or guard at the next level. He looks like a very good prospect, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he moves up in the rankings.

Montverde (FL) Montverde Academy offensive tackle Abdul Bello was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’6″, 295 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, LSU, and Miami, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #19 offensive tackle, and #204 overall. Bello plays a little high, but he moves extremely well for his size. Florida is the supposed leader here.

New Lenox (IL) Providence Catholic wide receiver Miles Boykin was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’4″, 212 lb. prospect with offers from Florida, Illinois, Michigan State, Notre Dame, and Ohio State, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #23 wide receiver, and #185 overall. Boykin visited Michigan for the spring game on April 5th and picked up an offer this past week. Michigan’s coaching staff has told him that they want to use him like Devin Funchess, but it might depend on how his body fills out. Boykin is a good athlete for his size, but he is not particularly explosive so he will need to be a possession receiver who gets his yards after the catch by overpowering tacklers. The Funchess comparison is apt.

Woodbridge (VA) C.D. Hylton offensive guard Matt Burrell was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 290 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Penn State, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia Tech, and Wisconsin, among others. Burrell visited Michigan in September 2013 for the game against Notre Dame and came away raving about his visit, but the Wolverines held off on offering. He and Manassas (VA) Stonewall Jackson defensive tackle Tim Settle, who also holds a Michigan offer, have been talked about as a package deal, but Burrell seems more attainable than Settle. Burrell is a nasty blocker, but while some sites list him as a tackle, he looks more like a guard to me.

Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy quarterback Deondre Francois was offered by Michigan. There’s actually been some debate about whether an offer was extended or not, but some recruiting sites are still reporting an offer, so I’m leaving him on the board. Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Doug Nussmeier did watch him throw at his school last week, and there’s at least some level of interest there. Francois is a 6’1″, 190 lb. prospect with offers from Central Florida, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Ohio State, Oregon, and South Florida, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #9 dual-threat quarterback, and #249 overall. Francois attended Olympia High School in Orlando last year but has transferred to IMG Academy to get him ready for college. Francois reportedly has some accuracy issues, but he has a cannon for an arm, he looks pretty polished as a thrower, and he’s a good runner with a 4.6 forty. As a junior in 2013, Francois completed 104/213 passes (48.9%) for 1,373 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions.

Augusta (GA) Christian offensive tackle Zach Giella was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’6″, 300 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, Duke, Kentucky, Miami, and Wisconsin, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #74 offensive tackle, and the #666 (yikes!) player overall. Giella has the thick lower body and relative stiffness of an offensive guard, so that’s where I would project him at the next level. It’s tough to pull kids out of the south, and Giella appears destined to stay below the Mason-Dixon Line.

Jacksonville (FL) Bishop Kenny offensive guard Tyler Jordan was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’4″, 280 lb. prospect who committed to Florida in February; he also has offers from Georgia, Miami, Nebraska, Ohio State, Penn State, South Carolina, and Stanford, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #3 center, and #381 overall. Jordan plays left tackle in high school, but the Gators plan to use him as a center; he looks like an interior guy to me.

Tampa (FL) Sickles running back Ray-Ray McCloud III was offered by Michigan. He’s a 5’9″, 175 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, UCLA, and Wisconsin, among others. As a junior in 2013, he had 300 carries for 2,316 yards and 26 touchdowns, plus 11 catches for 173 yards and 1 score. McCloud is a speedy, shifty back who would probably have a fair number of his scores called back for taunting if he were playing college football. Florida looks like the leader right now.

Greenbelt (MD) Eleanor Roosevelt offensive tackle Isaiah Prince was offered by Michigan. Prince is a 6’6″, 275 lb. prospect with offers from Auburn, Florida, Maryland, Ohio State, and Penn State, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #11 offensive tackle, and #114 overall. (In case you’re wondering, I can find no evidence of relation to 2014 offensive tackle Damian Prince, who is also from Maryland and signed with the Terrapins.) Prince broke his leg and missed much of the 2013 season, but the potential is obviously there if he can remain healthy.

Flower Mound (TX) Marcus offensive tackle Keaton Sutherland was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 280 lb. prospect with offers from Arkansas, Baylor, Clemson, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Texas, and Texas A&M, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #30 offensive tackle, and #256 overall. Unger could play guard or tackle at the next level. Both of his parents are Michigan natives, so he has connections to the area, but he has mentioned reservations about playing so far away from home. Sutherland attends the alma mater of former Michigan running back Stephen Hopkins, and the Wolverines have also offered teammate Kaden Smith, a 2016 tight end. Sutherland is expected to commit to Arkansas.

Jacksonville (FL) First Coast offensive tackle William Sweet was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 270 lb. prospect who committed to North Carolina earlier this month; he also has offers from Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, and Miami, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #66 offensive tackle, and #583 overall. Sweet stated that he committed to UNC for their academics, which sort of implies that Michigan would be an acceptable school as well. He appears open to the idea of being recruited by other schools.

Tampa (FL) Wharton wide receiver Auden Tate was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’4″, 195 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, Kentucky, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, and South Carolina, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #47 wide receiver, and #394 overall. As a junior in 2013, he had 49 catches for 815 yards and 5 touchdowns. Tate does not have great speed, but he catches with his hands away from the body and makes some ridiculously acrobatic snags. He’s also a good blocker. Tate immediately named Michigan his top school because the Wolverines were his childhood favorite, although Florida State might factor in if they offer.

Hopewell (VA) Hopewell defensive end Darrell Taylor was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’4″, 220 lb. prospect with offers from Florida, Iowa, Miami, Notre Dame, Virginia, and Virginia Tech, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #21 weakside end, and #481 overall. As a junior in 2013, he had 54 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, 1 interception, 4 forced fumbles, and 3 fumble recoveries. Taylor is a lanky kid who plays some outside linebacker – and made a nice touchdown return on that interception – but he does look like a weakside end at the next level. So far it looks like Virginia Tech will be tough to beat.

Orlando (FL) West Orange running back Dexter Williams was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’0″, 192 lb. prospect who committed to Miami earlier this month; he also has offers from Florida, Georgia, Notre Dame, Ohio State, South Carolina, Tennessee, USC, and Wisconsin, among others. Williams is a 247 Composite 4-star, the #4 running back, and #64 overall. He claims a 4.54 forty and had 1,072 rushing yards as a junior in 2013. Williams looks like he has good speed and is a slasher. Despite being committed to the Hurricanes, he is open to visiting other schools.

Hampton (GA) Lovejoy wide receiver Preston Williams was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’4″, 190 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Ohio State, and Texas A&M, among others; he committed to Tennessee back in September of 2013. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #6 wideout, and the #44 player overall. As a junior in 2013, he had 59 receptions for 1,388 yards and 14 touchdowns. As you might expect from someone averaging about 23 yards/catch, Williams has excellent speed, coordination, and change of direction.

Hit the jump for additions to the 2016 Offer Board, commitments to other schools, and miscellaneous news bits.


ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2016
Plant City (FL) Plant City wide receiver Tavares “T.J.” Chase was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’2″, 170 lb. prospect with offers from Central Florida, Clemson, Miami, and Virginia Tech, among others. He’s a 247 Sports 4-star, the #37 athlete, and #217 overall for his class. As a sophomore in 2013, he caught 28 passes for 562 yards and 4 touchdowns, and he had 43 tackles and 3 interceptions on defense.

Toccoa (GA) Stephens County offensive tackle Ben Cleveland was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’7″, 322 lb. prospect with offers from Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Texas. Cleveland is a mammoth kid who probably projects to right tackle at the next level. He has stated a definite plan to see Michigan before he commits anywhere, although that commitment is not imminent. On a side note, he has hit 10 home runs for his high school baseball team this season.

Darien (IL) Hinsdale South defensive end Josh King was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’6″, 250 lb. prospect with offers from Illinois, Iowa, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Wisconsin, among others. As a sophomore in 2013, he had 25 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, and 5 sacks. 247 Sports ranks him as a 4-star, the #2 strongside end, and the #45 player overall. King looks more like an offensive tackle than a defensive end to me, but he obviously still has some filling out to do either way.

Washington (DC) Archbishop Carroll offensive tackle Jauan Williams was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’7″, 275 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Maryland, Ohio State, UCLA, Virginia, and Virginia Tech, among others. 247 Sports ranks him as a 4-star, the #5 offensive tackle, and #11 overall. (I have a hard time believing there are five offensive tackles among the top eleven players in the nation, but whatever.) Williams’s highlights show a big, athletic guy who needs to work on his balance; they also show a player who could be called for holding on just about every play. I’m not particularly impressed with his technique or attitude, but he’s just a sophomore in high school.

OFF THE BOARD
Alabama transfer Chad Lindsay will play his grad transfer year at Ohio State. Despite having played – and started at times – for new Michigan offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier in Tuscaloosa, Lindsay went with the Buckeyes. He probably would start at either school, and Ohio State lost four seniors after the 2013 season. There has been a rumor that Michigan’s admissions office would not accept Lindsay as a transfer student, which might explain away the expected advantage Michigan had with Nussmeier.

Scottsdale (AZ) Chaparral offensive tackle Keenan Walker committed to Arizona. That’s the same high school that produced Michigan players Craig Roh and Taylor Lewan.

MISCELLANEOUS
Here’s a list of this past weekend’s visitor. Yes, it’s singular, because I’m not sure that anyone else visited. Michigan State’s spring game was on Saturday, and there were a number of prospects flocking to East Lansing. That included St. Paul (MN) Cretin-Derham defensive end Jashon Cornell, who named Michigan State his #1 school, and a contingent of Detroit (MI) Cass Tech players.

Here’s a working list of the players Michigan coaches have visited in the month of April.

Over on Recruiting Season  this past week, I profiled Northville TE Ryan Roberts, East Kentwood OG John Keenoy, Lansing Everett WR Leondre Damon Terry, Grand Rapids South Christian QB Jon Wassink, and Livonia Churchill OT Matt Skibinski.

What I’ve Been Reading

(image via Post-Gazette)

Fourth and Long  by John U. Bacon. I finally got around to reading Bacon’s latest book, which follows Michigan, Northwestern, Ohio State, and mostly Penn State during their recent seasons. The book is mainly centered on PSU’s tumultuous 2012 season in the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky allegations, Joe Paterno’s death, the NCAA sanctions, and Bill O’Brien’s hiring. Bacon, a University of Michigan alum and former lecturer, also spends quite a bit of time looking at David Brandon’s – and the Big Ten’s – money grabs in recent years. Scattered throughout are some looks at Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald, whom Bacon respects a great deal, and OSU head coach Urban Meyer. The PSU stuff is the most inspiring, because it details coaches and players who were willing to work together toward a common goal. That contrasts with the views of Michigan, where Bacon seems to imply that Brandon has himself and the bottom line in mind more than the traditions at Michigan. It was a pleasurable and quick read, but you can tell that Bacon is trying to avoid stepping on any toes. After all, the last time he did so, the University of Michigan basically cut all ties to him following Three and Out. The lack of quality editing in Fourth and Long  is somewhat distracting, what with players and coaches referred to as “Mark Venric” (Northwestern’s Venric Mark), “Gordon Melvin” (Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon), and “Ron Vanderlin” (Penn State linebackers coach Ron Vanderlinden), so be prepared. Following the two aforementioned books, Bacon’s next piece will be titled Fifth and Short, the story of Tom Brady working his way up from the bottom of the depth chart and Tyrone Butterfield’s place in Michigan lore.

The Great Gatsby  by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I’ve read this one before, but I decided to pull it out again for old time’s sake. There’s nothing new to say about the book that hasn’t been said numerous times before, but I’ve always had trouble with how slowly the novel begins. It develops into a very intricate, delicate, and heartwarming love tragedy, but Fitzgerald wasn’t really interested in grabbing the reader’s attention off the bat.

Mystic River  by Dennis Lehane. I sort of stumbled into reading this one. I’ve never been much of one for crime thrillers, but I was in a spot with nothing to read, so I picked up this one and thought I could just leave off whenever I got the chance. But on the way to putting the book down, I discovered I couldn’t. I had seen the movie several years ago (starring Sean Penn, Kevin Bacon, and Tim Robbins), but even though I knew the outcome, I wanted to see how the story developed. I thought the character of Dave Boyle (played by Tim Robbins in the movie) was extremely interesting. Dave, who had been kidnapped and molested at ten years old, still feels the effects of the crimes against him years into his adulthood – as a father, as a husband, as a friend. To me, the murder of Jimmy Marcus’s daughter became an afterthought. I rarely say this about fiction novels, but this one has heart. You can’t help feeling some pity for the characters involved.

Shutter Island  by Dennis Lehane. I cannot extol the virtues of this movie enough, but the book paled in comparison. The reverse was true for Mystic River (still a good movie, though). In case you’re unfamiliar, the story follows Detective Teddy Daniels as he investigates the escape of an inmate from Shutter Island, a facility housing violent and mentally unstable criminals. Expounding on the plot might reveal too much, but if you have to choose, rent the film. Directed by Martin Scorsese, the acting and casting choices (Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Max Van Sydow, Emily Mortimer, Jackie Earle Haley, Elias Koteas, etc.) are impeccable.

A Dance with Dragons  by George R.R. Martin. After reading this, the fifth volume in A Song of Ice and Fire, I felt like I was left with more questions than answers. Perhaps it’s because the sixth book hasn’t been released yet, but when I closed the book, I wanted more. With the other books, I knew all I had to do for more information was crack open the next novel, but I can’t do that here. I appreciated that this book concentrated on some of my favorite characters (Tyrion Lannister, Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen) and mostly left out some of my least favorites (Brienne of Tarth, Jaime Lannister, Arya Stark), but I’m prepared for the sixth to bring them back into the fold.

A Feast for Crows  by George R.R. Martin. This is the fourth book in Martin’s series. I’m leaving my mind open to the idea that the future novels might intertwine these story lines better, but the forays into Dorne and the Iron Islands seemed out of place to me. Obviously, Martin was able to connect them in some fashion, but they seem like filler at this point. I can safely say that A Feast for Crows  is my least favorite of the five novels so far, but it didn’t stop me (nor should it stop you) from marching onward with the fifth book.

Damned  by Chuck Palahniuk. I typically like Palahniuk. One of these days, I will probably devote an entire post to my feelings on his various novels. But I have been disappointed with most of his recent efforts, including this one; I have tried and failed many times to suffer through Pygmy. In the style of Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume, Damned  tells the story of Maddy Spencer, a 13-year-old girl who dies of a marijuana overdose while her famous mom and dad are attending the Oscars. The premise is pretty funny (especially in the wake of Mitch McGary’s banishment for smoking weed, but I digress), but I just had a tough time getting into this one. There are some good parts, like there are with almost all Palahniuk efforts, but the overall theme gets a little tiresome. I probably would have liked it better as a short story. There is a sequel, though, called Doomed, which I have yet to start.

Feel free to leave responses or reading suggestions in the comments or on the Book Suggestions page!