Entertainment Featuring fresh takes and real-time analysis from HuffPost's signature lineup of contributors Michael Giltz Freelance writerGET UPDATES FROM MICHAEL GILTZ Follow Drugs , Movies , Video , Don Winslow , Oliver Stone , Books , Savages , The Kings Of Cool , Entertainment NewsReact Inspiring Funny Hot Scary Outrageous Amazing Weird CrazyCrime Thriller 'The Kings Of Cool' Is Bloody Good Fun THE KINGS OF COOL *** out of **** By Don Winslow $25.00 336 pages; Simon & Schuster With Savages , author Don Winslow transformed himself from an author into a franchise.</p><p> Critics and fellow writers had enjoyed his playfully funny and brutal crime novels like The Winter Of Frankie Machine for years.</p><p> But Savages pulled out all the stops.</p><p> Winslow rolled the dice on every level with sexy, smart characters; short, sharp, shocked chapters; dips into the screenplay form (because everyone thinks in terms ofmovies now); and even goofing around with punctuation and spacing, letting a thoughtslide down a pageuntil it hit the punchline.</p><p> Get it? Stephen King compared it to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (see, a movie!) and no wonder.</p><p> The story centered on two guys and a girl: Ben, Chon and Ophelia, aka O.</p><p> Ben is a super-smart liberal, Chon an ex-military conservative, O a child of privilege and they're all living the high life.</p><p> Literally.</p><p> Ben and Chon serve up primo marijuana in as many flavors as Ben & Jerry's, with Ben doing social work in Third World countries on the side for his karma and Chon always ready to dish out violence becauseturning the other cheek gets old fast in the drug trade.</p><p> In Savages , they found themselves facing off against a Mexican cartel that not only wanted their turf but insisted the lads come work for them.</p><p> Itskittered to a memorable finale, and if the Oliver Stone movie is half as jazzed up on their sexy fatalism,it could be a blast and bring Winslow even more fans.MOST POPULAR ON HUFFPOST 1 of 2 Mitt Romney To Flood Victim: 'Go Home And Call 211' Former 'SNL' Star Makes Shocking Comments About Rape And Gay Friends Paul Ryan Admits Marathon Lie What's Up With Those Circular Marks On Curiosity? Eastwood Misfires WATCH: Rachel Maddow At A Loss For Words After Clint Eastwood's RNC Speech Celebs React To Eastwood's Wild SPeech 35 Awesome 'Simpsons' GIFs Sarah Palin May Be Done At Fox News: Report DON'T MISS HUFFPOST BLOGGERS 1 of 5FOLLOW USCelebrity TV Political Hollywood Features Hollywood Buzz Videos September 1, 2012 Edition: U.S.</p><p> FRONT PAGE POLITICS BUSINESS MEDIA CELEBRITY TV COMEDY FOOD STYLE ARTS BOOKS LIVE ALL SECTIONS Dr.</p><p> Peggy Drexler Gary Hart Rep.</p><p> Dennis Kucinich Kevin MaurerHOT ON THE BLOG HuffPost Social Reading Like 107 Posted: 06/19/2012 2:25 pm SHARE THIS STORY Submit this storyLike 6k Like 1k Like 6k Like 32 Like 4k Like 2k Like 201 Like 1k Like 2kOscars 2013 iPhone app iPad app Android phone app Android tablet app More Log in Create AccountThey would do well to start with this prequel, The Kings Of Cool, before reading Savages or seeing the movie.</p><p> It has all the snap and savvy of Savages but with even more ambition and heart.</p><p> Here we get the origin story of Ben and Chon and O, along with flashbacks to the '60s for the origin story of the drug trade in California.</p><p> As is only hinted at in Savages , this involves their parents to a surprising degree.</p><p> Surfers, free love, messed up parenting, communes, therapy and more all combine to propel first theparents and then the children into drug dealing.</p><p> Winslow also artfully shows how the game changes alongwith the drugs: the mellowness of pot slides into the trippy-ness of acid which burns into the stinging nastiness of cocaine.</p><p> The money gets bigger, the stakes get higher and the violence turns from an off- screen flirtation into a live-in lover.</p><p> Savages was fun but The Kings of Cool has more emotional weight.</p><p> Parents betray -- or, worse, simply fail -- their children.</p><p> Children must decide whether their loyalty lies with biology or those they've bonded with.</p><p> And the multi-generational arc of the story (we go back and forth in time throughout) showsWinslow's ambitions have risen along with his success.</p><p> From watching Ben seduce a federal agent intobecoming his paid informant to watching O literally seduce first one and then the other dude of herdreams, we are entranced.</p><p> Winslow even humanizes a beautiful gold-digger named Kim, showing the drive and determination it takes to leap from dismal trailer park to dissatisfied trophy wife.</p><p> Winslow himself has probably justpulled off the same trick: graduating from well-reviewed writer to a name brand author who delivers thegoods.</p><p> Let's hope they don't share the same fate because in Winslow's world, ambition -- even ambitionspiked with good intentions -- almost always proves fatal.</p><p> BOOKS I'VE READ SO FAR IN 2012 1.</p><p> The Underneath by Kathi Appelt *** 2.</p><p> Jack Holmes and His Friend by Edmund White ***3.</p><p> The Last Unicorn by Peter S.</p><p> Beagle **4.</p><p> Fun Home by Alison Bechdel ***5.</p><p> Death Walks In Eastrepp by Francis Beeding ***6.</p><p> Luminous Airplanes by Paul La Farge ***/7.</p><p> The Professionals by Owen Laukkanen ** 1/28.</p><p> Unterzakhn by Leela Corman **9.</p><p> The Child Who by Simon Lelic ***10.</p><p> Hinterland by Caroline Brothers ***11.</p><p> The Yard by Alex Grecian *** 1/212.</p><p> The Alienist by Caleb Carr ***13.</p><p> On The Wings Of Heroes by Richard Peck *** 1/2 14.</p><p> A Princess Of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs * 15.</p><p> The Gods Of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs ** 16.</p><p> The Warlord Of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs ** 1/2 17.</p><p> Undefeated: America's Heroic Fight For Bataan and Corregidor by Bill Sloan ** 1/2 18.</p><p> Stoner by John Williams **** 19.</p><p> The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt *** 1/220.</p><p> The 500 by Matthew Quirk **21.</p><p> The Age Of Innocence by Edith Wharton ****22.</p><p> The Alienist by Caleb Carr ***\23.</p><p> Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi **24.</p><p> Rogue Male by Geoffrey Household ***25.</p><p> The Perks Of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky **26.</p><p> Traitor's Gate by Avi ** 1/227.</p><p> Cogan's Trade by George V.</p><p> Higgins ***28. 2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson *** 1/229.</p><p> The Twelve Rooms Of The Nile by Enid Shomer ** 1/230.</p><p> Bring Up The Bodies by Hilary Mantel *** 1/231.</p><p> In One Person by John Irving ** Dr.</p><p> Peggy Drexler Why It’s Important To Let Your Child Make Mistakes Gary Hart Welcome to the American Republic, Mr.</p><p> Eastwood TOP VIDEO PICKS 1 of 8 MOST DISCUSSED RIGHT NOW 1 of 2 HOT ON TWITTER 1 of 2 HUFFPOST'S BIG NEWS PAGES Movies Most Popular Golf Detroit Sports Karl Rove Serena WilliamsWhat Is Gene Simmons Doing With His Lips Colin Ferguson Shows Up At LA Premiere Spencer Matthews TalksAbout The Bachelor Winner Khloe Celebs React To Eastwood's Wild SPeech PETA: Rihanna And Lady Gaga Are 'Freaks' aol RetweetIn honor of Labor Day, here are some of TV's hardest workers http://t.co/XTjvtfGy via @HuffPostTV aol RetweetStaying in this Labor Day Weekend? Here's what to watch onTV http://t.co/Ygqtb4U6 via @HuffPostTVFOLLOW ENTERTAINMENT Kellan Lutz On 'Twilight': 'I Didn't Like...</p><p> Guy Pearce 'Prometheus' Deleted Scene: 'They Could...</p><p> Review: Little Birds Never Soars High... 'The Hobbit: There And Back Again' Trilogy...32.</p><p> A Million Heavens by John Brandon *** 33.</p><p> The Case Of The Deadly Butter Chicken by Tarquin Hall *** 34.</p><p> Seward: Lincoln's Indispensable Man by Walter Stahr *** 1/2 35.</p><p> The Kings of Cool by Don Winslow *** 36.</p><p> The Case of The Missing Servant by Tarquin Hall *** 37.</p><p> Savages by Don Winslow ***38.</p><p> The Case Of The Man Who Died Laughing by Tarquin Hall ***39.</p><p> Alif The Unseen by G.</p><p> Willow Wilson ** 1/240.</p><p> I Am Spartacus: Making A Film, Breaking The Blacklist by Kirk Douglas ***41.</p><p> Showdown At Shepherd's Bush by David Davis ***42.</p><p> The Trillion Dollar Meltdown by Charles R.</p><p> Morris ***43.</p><p> The Age Of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker ** 1/244.</p><p> Mrs.</p><p> Robinson's Disgrace: The Private Diary Of A Victorian Lady by Kate Summerscale ** 1/2 Thanks for reading.</p><p> Michael Giltz is the cohost of Showbiz Sandbox , a weekly pop culture podcast that reveals the industry take on entertainment news of the day and features top journalists and opinion makers as guests.</p><p> It's available for free on iTunes.</p><p> Visit Michael Giltz at his website and his daily blog.</p><p> Download his podcast of celebrity interviews and his radio show, also called Popsurfing and also available for free on iTunes.</p><p> Link to him on Netflix and gain access to thousands of ratings and reviews.</p><p> Note : Michael Giltz is provided with free galleys and/or final copies of books to consider for review.</p><p> Follow Michael Giltz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/michaelgiltz Read more from Huffington Post bloggers: Marshall Fine: Interview: Author Don Winslow and The Kings of Cool The Kings of Cool picks up the story of the Savages trio -- the weed-dealing Ben, Chon and Ophelia -- afew years before Savages.P requel? Not exactly -- at least writer Don Winslow doesn't look at it thatway.</p><p> More in Entertainment... 06:02 PM on 06/20/2012 Winslow brings the Southern California surfing culture to vivid life & creates memorable characters who do not always behave in a predictable fashion-definitely a talent to watch.</p><p> Barack Obama West Virginia Iran MORE BIG NEWS PAGES » Recency | Popularity HUFFPOST SUPER USER themightyabealrd screw the real world-I'm an artist!Like 75k GET ALERTS Comments 3 Pending Comments 0 View FAQ Comments are closed for this entry View All 353 Fans01:47 AM on 06/20/2012 Have not read a good thriller book in a long time now.</p><p> This seems like a good one, will get it. 01:23 PM on 06/20/2012 Great.</p><p> Hope you enjoy it; definitely a quick, violent, stylistically accessible but playful summer read.</p><p> Advertise | Make HuffPost your Home Page | RSS | Careers | FAQ User Agreement | Privacy | Comment Policy | About Us | About Our Ads | Contact Us Copyright © 2012 TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc. | "The Huffington Post" is a registered trademark of TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc.</p><p> All rights reserved.</p><p> Part of AOL-HuffPost EntertainmentPermalink | Share it agape1104 Permalink | Share it HUFFPOST BLOGGER Michael Giltz freelance writer Permalink | Share it53 Fans 127 Fans
