Third Wheel by Richard R Becker

In or Out.
Part of a group or alone in a crowd.
Is FOMO* dictating your actions?

Third Wheel by Richard R Becker is a socio-analytical book in the brilliant guise of a crime fictional setting. It’s a systematic exploration into how far we humans will go to fit in; even if we knowingly become the third wheel; a misfit in a group.

Set in the 80’s in Las Vegas, Third Wheel is the story of 14 year old Brady Wilks as he meanders the crossroads that is his life. His home life is in shambles, with no love lost between him and his mother. He seeks solace in friends, chief among them is his neighbor Mick. A mix of brotherly love and devoted friendship makes Brady take tough calls and do many a myriad thing against his nature from dealing drugs, shooting guns, to dealing with the cartel– all so he can fit in.

“That’s the funny thing about labels. None of them are ever right, but people will tell you to pretend they are.”

As you are drawn into the labyrinth of deception, lies, love and steadfast loyalty that is Brady; it is Becker’s unique narrative style that captivates your attention through and through. It is a book that you just can’t put down. His analogies at times are both surreal, amusing and hard-hitting all at the same time.  Take for example his analogy of a raw liver milkshake (yuck!) and life in black and white; about how our choices as a whole define and ultimately change us.

“That’s what happens when you mix black and white. Once mixed, you can never make it black or white again, only different shades of gray. It’s the same thing when you’re talking about milkshakes. None of it is any good. We’re all bad men. We’re all sad men. And it doesn’t change when we get a new milkshake because the sin is still there.”

A resonating part of Third Wheel is also the subject of bullying. From parents (yes we often don’t acknowledge that it exists here), friends, and people we encounter in our day to day life.

“I wasn’t saved. I was enslaved.”

It is here that we start really cheering for Brady as he deals with getting bullied, stands up for himself and people he knows and cares about and slowly and steadily finds his own ‘fit’ in the world. A place where he belongs.

 

So glad I got this RC. It is a book that I couldn’t put down. I will be waiting to read more of Richard R Becker’s narrative style in the future. Hope you liked my fair and honest review.

Happy Reading🙂

*FOMO - Fear of Missing Out