Rico Austin

This is one gut wrenching, raw, and riveting read. Austin’s descriptions have you right next to him and you feel his pain. I could see the scenery on his travels, I could taste the food and yes, the tequila. I could smell the foul air of the bars and casinos. My Bad Tequila is a very good book that will have you turning page after page until you reach the end, not realizing how much time has passed. I was absolutely blown away by the ending. It’s not often a book like this ends with my tearing up, but this one did. How much is fact and how much is fiction? Austin leaves that up to the reader to determine.… (more)

Most of us have experiences in life we wish we could forget, or did because of alcohol-induced blankness. Austin calls these ‘bad tequila’ moments, as imbibing in that particular libation seems to have more bad consequences than others. This novel, loosely based on his real-life experiences—or those he can remember anyway—is his ‘bad tequila’ moment.
When a young jock on a college football team is cut and down-on-his luck, he is given the opportunity to travel to Mexico with a group of students and take a moment to reflect on his recent bad luck, or to get totally wasted while brooding over his own stupidity. He takes it. Life is grand, not a care in the world, white beaches, surf’s up and pretty woman and alcohol are on the menu.
When tragedy strikes and a motor vehicle accident kills several members of their party, the close-knit group unravels. Rico and Tina, at one moment considering young love, suddenly turn on each other and Rico drowns his sorrows with tequila. The next day when it is time to leave, Tina has vanished. When he arrives back in the States, Rico finds himself under arrest for the murder of Tina. Her father, a US Senator, is baying for his blood, his friends from the trip are all turning evidence against him and by the end of it Rico finds himself in jail facing five long years on a trumped up manslaughter charge.
Rico takes the time to reverse his ‘bad tequila’ moment and rebuild his life, creating a successful life after his prison sentence, until one fateful journey leads him back to San Carlos and the scene of the crime. Faced with his past, he begins drinking again. With a surprise ending, Austin takes us on rough-hewn journey on his debut novel, a 2011 Readers Favorite award winner.
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When he got on the bus to Mexico that chilly Idaho morning in the spring of 1986, little did Rico Austin know how the trip would change his life. He envisioned blue water, sandy beaches, sultry amigas and enough tequila and beer to satisfy even the heartiest drinker. What he got was a double shot of reality, more than enough for anyone.

Funny, revealing, thought provoking and, at times, touching, "My Bad Tequila" runs the gamut of emotions, laying Rico's life bare. One of my favorite incidents is told in Chapter 3 Football Memoirs Part 1. Bronco Stadium at Boise State has blue turf on the football field. Didn't know that? Neither did I. However, the story of how that came to be is told in "My Bad Tequila". Yup, you guessed it—all Rico's fault. It will leave you laughing.

Conversely, the touching story of a special Christmas when Rico's family was visited by a volunteer from the Salvation Army, will make you cry. There are several spots where the reader will need a few tissues.

When doing a review for a book like "My Bad Tequila", the impulse is to share too much—to give spoilers. However, doing so with this book would completely ruin it. "My Bad Tequila" must be experienced. And what an experience it is! From start to finish, Austin draws in readers, laying his sins bare, admitting his faults. It is a uniquely penetrating look at the man, his life and his tequila.

I couldn't put down "My Bad Tequila". Each chapter compelled me to read until it was gone. Like tequila shots, it leaves you wanting more and more. (Only with no pesky hangover in the morning.) This is a book anyone can enjoy. I came away changed in ways I can't even describe. It truly is a double shot of reality.

© Dellani Oakes 2011… (more)