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Nowhere To Go
Matthew “Matt Attack” Potter is 15 years old and a human pinball ricocheting within the foster-care system. After years of abuse and neglect, Matthew breaks free and begins an odyssey to the West that will change his life forever. It’s late- ‘80s Los Angeles, where the punk-rock scene attracts all the weirdos, freaks, rejects and lost kids like him. Hoping to find his place among his fellow outcasts, Matthew becomes disillusioned when the punk-rock scene turns out to be nothing like his dreams.
He’s quickly thrust into the volatile world of skinhead gangs and teenage love, as punk music provides the defiant soundtrack to his journey. Matthew left a lifetime of abuse and horror and risked everything to get to Los Angeles, but will he survive? Or will he become another statistic lost to his own demons?
He’s quickly thrust into the volatile world of skinhead gangs and teenage love, as punk music provides the defiant soundtrack to his journey. Matthew left a lifetime of abuse and horror and risked everything to get to Los Angeles, but will he survive? Or will he become another statistic lost to his own demons?
318 pages, Paperback
Published May 29, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 4, 2024
Intense. A story of a boy becoming a man before he even knew what a man was. Matt “Attack” escaped his nightmare only to be thrust into the depths of a lifestyle that first felt like home, but was a steep learning curve to the ways of life.
Drenched in atmosphere, the author takes the reader on a wild ride of the late-80’s LA punk-rock scene. As I pictured the scenes, I found myself hoping that many of the characters would find their way away from the darkness looming. There is a found family, romance, and coming-of-age, but will Matt “Attack” find his place finally? Or will it all get the best of him?
Drenched in atmosphere, the author takes the reader on a wild ride of the late-80’s LA punk-rock scene. As I pictured the scenes, I found myself hoping that many of the characters would find their way away from the darkness looming. There is a found family, romance, and coming-of-age, but will Matt “Attack” find his place finally? Or will it all get the best of him?
March 31, 2018
A coming of age tale rooted in the punk rock scene of 1980's Los Angeles: skinhead gang warfare, alcohol, drugs, sex, strong-arm robbery, prostitution, assault...mayhem, deliquency, murder.
The author exceeded my expectations.
Okay, let me tick off a few of the positives. A worthy addition to subculture fiction, this book was very entertaining, a page-turner for sure, and one hell of a fun read. Fast paced, and the realism that the author brings to the subject matter speaks to someone who knows what they are talking about. Reminiscent of Another Day In Paradise by Eddie Little, the pulp feel of the dialogue reminds me of the old Richard Allen skinhead novels, but with an American underground slant. I dare say, S. Ludman is this subculture's Donald Goines.
And if you don't know Donald Goines, do yourself a favor. Check him out.
Now for a few negatives. They are minimal, and few. Mainly a few typos that I found distracting, nothing major like continuity problems or plot contradictions. Something that should be paid attention to in subsequent books, though. I could have done with less adverbs...but that's more of a personal peeve.
And speaking of subsequent books...this book left off on one hell of a cliffhanger and I'm looking forward to the next one.
The author exceeded my expectations.
Okay, let me tick off a few of the positives. A worthy addition to subculture fiction, this book was very entertaining, a page-turner for sure, and one hell of a fun read. Fast paced, and the realism that the author brings to the subject matter speaks to someone who knows what they are talking about. Reminiscent of Another Day In Paradise by Eddie Little, the pulp feel of the dialogue reminds me of the old Richard Allen skinhead novels, but with an American underground slant. I dare say, S. Ludman is this subculture's Donald Goines.
And if you don't know Donald Goines, do yourself a favor. Check him out.
Now for a few negatives. They are minimal, and few. Mainly a few typos that I found distracting, nothing major like continuity problems or plot contradictions. Something that should be paid attention to in subsequent books, though. I could have done with less adverbs...but that's more of a personal peeve.
And speaking of subsequent books...this book left off on one hell of a cliffhanger and I'm looking forward to the next one.
September 21, 2024
This was such a heartbreakingly gritty story. The dynamics among the characters was amazing and I enjoyed the downward spiral of Matt….(who I didn’t actually love if I’m being totally honest) but it’s a character that I don’t mind disliking if that makes sense?
I loved the pack mentality and how deeply that resonated throughout the entire story. Matt’s personality and how he treated the people around him came off very real and I appreciated that it didn’t feel like a plot point to be a plot point.
This coming of age story had me in my feels from start to finish and I’m looking forward to seeing where Matt’s story continues to go!
I loved the pack mentality and how deeply that resonated throughout the entire story. Matt’s personality and how he treated the people around him came off very real and I appreciated that it didn’t feel like a plot point to be a plot point.
This coming of age story had me in my feels from start to finish and I’m looking forward to seeing where Matt’s story continues to go!
July 23, 2024
A coming of age story of a young man named Matt who has grown up in our countries failed foster system and takes off on his own to Los Angeles to experience the punk scene in the 80s.
As a child of the last month of the 80s, growing up with the 90s culture I wasn’t too privy to the 80s punk scene but have heard pop culture references. I felt completely immersed in Nowhere To Go, and I couldn’t get enough!
Matt Attack and his found family wormed their way into my heart! They each have their own tragic backstory, and having found each other makes them that much more endearing. While they are part of a Skinhead crew, they aren’t the extreme ideology of what we typically think of when we see the term “skinhead”. The story is rife with 80s punk music references, emotional scenes, and just a kid trying to live his best life.
This is the best parts of a coming of age story, and it left me desperate for what happens next in Matt Attack and his crew’s lives. I hope to see S. Ludman release more, or else I’ll have Nowhere To Go. (Pun intended 😉)
As a child of the last month of the 80s, growing up with the 90s culture I wasn’t too privy to the 80s punk scene but have heard pop culture references. I felt completely immersed in Nowhere To Go, and I couldn’t get enough!
Matt Attack and his found family wormed their way into my heart! They each have their own tragic backstory, and having found each other makes them that much more endearing. While they are part of a Skinhead crew, they aren’t the extreme ideology of what we typically think of when we see the term “skinhead”. The story is rife with 80s punk music references, emotional scenes, and just a kid trying to live his best life.
This is the best parts of a coming of age story, and it left me desperate for what happens next in Matt Attack and his crew’s lives. I hope to see S. Ludman release more, or else I’ll have Nowhere To Go. (Pun intended 😉)
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