*STAR*
Hoffman, Lynn. Bang Bang. Jan. 2007. 176p. Kunati, $19.95
(1-60164-000-5).
When her close friend is shot in the street, the vehemently anti-gun
Paula Sherman has no idea what she's in store for. Interviewed by a
reporter at the scene, Paula later discovers that her grief-stricken
words, taken out of context, are being used by a shady senator and the
gun industry to promote the pro-firearm agenda. Suddenly finding
herself the unwitting-and very public-proponent of a political stance
she abhors, Paula embarks on a decidedly offbeat, one-woman vigilante
crusade to bring the gun trade to its knees, a crusade that involves
an air pistol and an awful lot of running around (which is OK, because
Paula, a waitress whose singing voice has yet to propel her to
stardom, could stand a lose a few pounds). Written in the present
tense, to give the story additional power, the book is filled with
anger and raw urgency. The characters are tough and believable, and
the dialogue positively sings. In many ways it's the literary
equivalent of a Tarantino movie: edgy, streetwise, and a little
arrogant (don't expect a balanced look at the subject of gun control),
with a strong and determined female protagonist. Brilliant might be
too big a word for this novel but not by much. -David Pitt

I like this review. First of all, it reminds me of what the story is about--more or less. But the best part is that I’ve never been called thoroughly charming before. ~ Lynn Hoffman

Kirkus Reviews...

 

Bang BANG

Author: Hoffman, Lynn

Review Date: OCTOBER 01, 2006

Publisher: Kunati

Pages: 176

Price (hardback): $19.95

Publication Date: 1/1/2007 0:00:00

ISBN: 1-60164-000-5

ISBN (hardback): 1-60164-000-5

Category: FICTION

A sweet Philadelphia waitress takes on the pro-gun set.

Plump Paula Sherman, who waits tables in a modestly swell Center City restaurant when she should be singing professionally, accidentally drifts into the sights of the United Gun Association (UGA), America's most powerful gun lobby, after her best friend dies in a street shooting. Understandably distraught, Paula blamed the killer rather than the handgun, just what the UGA wanted to hear. To her horror, Paula sees herself quoted out of context by not only Pennsylvania's pro-gun senator but by the UGA. Her efforts to disclaim the remark and to remove her image from campaign ads and pro-gun advertising are fruitless. But the pro-gun coalition has underestimated the singing waitress.

Determined to avenge the death of her friend and to put the lying bastards in their place, Paula finds a way to turn the guns on the gun-lovers, who, she observes, proudly identify themselves by placing UGA stickers on their automobiles. Wouldn't those stickers make great targets for someone armed with--well, a pistol? Couldn't Paula be that vigilante?

She could indeed, but to be safe on the streets, she needs to whip herself into shape with a program of running, an activity that not only makes it possible to cover a great many streets looking for UGA stickers to shoot with the wee air gun she has bought, but also results in a new svelte figure. Even before her shooting of gun-lovers' windshields is noticed by the city, it is noted by a neighboring journalist who keeps her secret until he is enlisted in the battle. And the battle catches fire. As Paula first runs and then rollerblades her way through Philadelphia's neighborhoods, picking off the conspicuous UGA stickers, copy-cats in other cities, outraged by abuse of the Second Amendment, send the same message.

Thoroughly charming and sure to enrage the NRA, which is, of course, the point.