�A gripping and masterful novel about the Manson murders, the early years of The Rolling Stones, Kenneth Anger, and the dark heart of the 1960�s�.

Though Lazar lists his sources in the back pages of the novel it never really feels like a well researched depiction of the icons he covers. The novel felt more to me like a bad film that you nod off continuously through and wake up every so often just as lost as you were when it began, and what you do take in seems irrelevant to the grand scheme of things. The quote, well placed, puts to much stock in the presence of iconic figures that very seldom find themselves intertwined, or if they do intertwine its of little consequence.

This was a very difficult novel to get through. Its absolutely not something your going to read straight through to the very end. Lazar has a bad habit of moving along within a story and then dropping in some irrelevant information that seems out of place and disrupts the flow of the novel. His inclusion of metaphor alongside factual events becomes confusing and off putting. To make matters worse the novel feels as if its made specifically for fans of the figures within. If you do not have the specific familiarity of The Stones, Kenneth Anger, or Charles Manson the novel is for not. I would not recommend reading it if you aren�t knowledgeable because even as a fan of The Stones and somewhat privy to the Manson Murders Lazar paints a dull and uninvolved picture noting moments that lack depth.

My biggest quirk with the book was how one dimensional all of the characters remained from page one to page one hundred and fifty five. I found it almost unethical the way Lazar paints a picture of Kenneth Anger. Right from the start Anger�s character is lit up as a closet homosexual (who later comes out) and from then on it seemed like every encounter with Anger his homosexuality was at the forefront and the defining quality of his lifestyle revolved around a sexual nature. If Lazar wanted to paint Anger like this he should have focused more on explaining satyriasis.

It took me awhile to get through the book and usually I can find something of a positive light if I dig deeper, but Sway left me unsatisfied and even a bit frustrated. Lazars depiction of The Stones is limp, his inclusion of Charles Manson and the Manson family short lived, and Kenneth Anger�s character seemed to come and go with little to no significance. Go to your local library if you have to read this but be prepared for a let down.

-AJ Garcia has been a writer for Shakefire.com since 2007.

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