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Too Cool
by Duff Brenna

Reviewed by Christine Westwater
copyright 2004
All Rights Reserved

Duff Brenna’s Too Cool is about Elbert Earl Evans, a.k.a, Triple E, a teenage kid from the bad side of Denver who’s sole purpose is to drink, smoke pot, screw girls, fight, and steal cars. Triple E thinks that the more scars you have, the better off you are because then people know you’re tough, and Triple E knows he is tough. He’s shot a girl. It was an accident, but he shot her all the same. He steals cars like a pro. He likes people to think he’s going to cause problems. He’s Trouble with a capital T. He’s the reason mothers keep their children in at night. But, he’s also a boy who’s turning into a man who’s trying to figure out what he’s doing, where he’s going, and how soon he’s going to die. Too Cool is also the story of true love, and the way it sometimes turns out when you live fast and hard and can’t keep up with yourself.

Triple E escapes from his first stay at a correctional facility and resurfaces in Denver to pick up his girlfriend, Jeanne Marie Windriver. They set off for Utah to get the heck out of Colorado and away from the law. After a car chase with police, they find themselves stuck in the snow in the midst of a snowstorm. During their stay in the middle of the Colorado Mountains, Jeanne and Triple E learn to love, mourn, and also lose themselves through no fault of their own. Triple E relives the moments that brought him to this fateful mountaintop and his love for Jeanne.

Reading Too Cool is like watching a train wreck, unable to take your eyes away from the horror of it. All of the characters are believable. Triple E’s voice tells a fair tale with good imagery and honesty. Most of the time, he sounds like a gun half-cocked, but unsure why he’s that way. He’s a teenager; he’s focused on himself and his love. He doesn’t care about anyone else but Jeanne, and says he doesn’t care what anyone thinks of him, but he’s always aware of being watched and the impression he makes on others. He breaks the hearts of his teachers and parents, throwing away the dreams that they place on him. None of the characters are especially deep, with perhaps the exception of Triple E, but that could be due to Triple E’s preoccupation with himself.

Duff Brenna’s Too Cool is not a book I would’ve picked up on my own. I don’t generally go for male protagonists who think being violent is a way of life. That’s not my type of book. However, saying that, I couldn’t put this book down. Actually, there were places where I had to put the book down, I was afraid, actually afraid, to read what was going to happen next. But then there I was reading again. As all good books do, it haunted me during the day when I knew there was more to read, and it settled to peace when I finished the book. The ending was a bit of a let down, but the type of ending I like. It ties most things up neatly and leaves you still a little wondering. In summary, if you want a book that is well written and can take you to another place for a while, then I would consider checking this book out.

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