The New Book Review

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Showing posts with label Fiction: Literary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fiction: Literary. Show all posts

Saturday, July 24, 2021

Linnea Gradin Reviews Japanese Novel (in Translation!)

 

TITLE: Heaven

AUTHOR: Mieko Kawakami (Translated from Japanese by Sam Bett and David Boyd)

GENRE: Literary Fiction

AGE / INTEREST LEVEL: Adult 

ISBN: 1609456211 (ISBN13: 9781609456214)

PAGE #: 192

PUBLISHER: Europa Editions

A LINK TO WHERE THE BOOK MAY BE PURCHASED: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1609456211?tag=reedwebs-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 


Reviewed by Linnea Gradin originally for Goodreads


Linnea Gradin Reviews Japanese Novel (in Translation!)

Mieko Kawakami’s Heaven is a short novel with a deceptively simple set-up. Following an unnamed 14-year-old narrator maliciously nicknamed Eyes because of his lazy eye, Kawakami’s second novel (or third including the novella Ms Ice Sandwich) to be translated into English is an account of cruel and senseless bullying. It’s a complete shift in both theme and scene from her hugely successful Breast and Eggs, but just as thought-provoking and unflinching in its execution.

 

Heaven opens with the narrator receiving an anonymous note in school. Upon reading “we should be friends” he is suspicious, yet hopeful — instantly introducing the reader to the narrator’s inner world and the psychological effects of abuse. It turns out that the note is from Kojima, his female classmate who, like him, is a victim of bullying. Leaving each other notes and eventually working up the courage to meet in person, the two form a bond based on their shared struggles and a mutual longing for human connection. Throughout, I desperately wished for this to be the start of a beautiful friendship, but was left uncomfortably waiting for the other shoe to drop.

 

The narrator is shackled by a profound and frustrating sense of powerlessness but Kojima, in an attempt to rationalize their experiences, has devised a philosophy of her own: “I bet we could make them stop. But we're not just playing by their rules. This is our will. We let them do this. It's almost like we chose this.” She desperately clings to the idea of agency and their victimhood as a “sign” of a higher understanding of pain. This notion sets her on a path of self-destructive martyrdom. As both the narrator and Kojima search for answers where there are no satisfying ones to be found, your heart breaks for them. 

 

Through the narrator’s interaction with Kojima and, later in the novel, one of his bullies, Kawakami manages to make these discussions feel true to the characters’ age, while deftly exploring several perspectives on bullying and cruelty. Their exchanges range from the trivial and banal, to the deeply meaningful. At times, I found that Kawakami has sacrificed believability in order to fully explore these contrasting philosophies and ideas, delivered in ladened dialogue. Despite this, the bullying and its effects never feel anything but horrifyingly real and true to life. Leaving sentimentality behind, Heaven is a perfect example of how creative writing can make suffering intelligible to others, expertly capturing the savage cruelty children are capable of. The use of the lazy eye as a metaphor is also quite apt, as the narrator observes his surroundings but lacks some necessary depth of perception. As he contemplates the opposing notions that Kojima and his bully represent, he asks himself whether his lazy eye is central to who he is, or whether it ultimately makes little difference to his bullies in a world which favors the strong.

 

In the end, it is Eyes who must decide which philosophy speaks to him more — whether to follow the self-destructive path that Kojima is walking or whether he can find solace in the utter meaningless of it all. Excavating the many layers of bullying, Kawakami lets him make his choice in the last few pages of the novel and boldly suggests that liberation might perhaps be best found in the absence of meaning and fate. It is, in many ways, a perfectly imperfect ending.

 

Despite the age of the protagonists, this novel is not published for children. It offers very little hope for goodness in the face of everyday evil, and the descriptions of both physical and emotional violence are disturbing. While ruminating on the meaning of the pain of adolescence, Kawakami doesn’t offer any easy or comfortable answers, making this far from a pleasure to read. There’s no empowering message about how the brutal antagonism the characters face will ultimately make them stronger, nor does it harp on the virtues of empathy. Instead, Kawakami excels at presenting countering arguments without picking sides, staying faithful to the voice of the narrator and simply but powerfully depicting his despair.  Like most great authors, she knows how to make something small and invisible shift inside you without you even noticing. The writing is confrontational and bleak, and though Kawakami’s voice is not as defined as in Breasts and EggsHeaven is sure to leave just as lasting an impression on its readers.

 

⭐⭐⭐⭐


More About the Reviewer

 

NAME OF REVIEWER: Linnea Gradin

ORIGINAL PLACE THE REVIEW WAS PUBLISHED:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3958173318 

 

Linnea Gradin is a writer for Reedsy, a UK-based company in the self-publishing sector connecting authors with freelancing publishing professionals. She has a Masters of Philosophy in Sociology from the University of Cambridge, and is working towards a second degree in Publishing Studies at Lund University. Needless to say, she has a passion for everything reading but is especially interested in translated literature.

 

Twitter: @_linneagradin

 

EMAIL: linnea@reedsy.com





More About #TheNewBookReview 



Blog The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read and love. Please see submission guidelines in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the submission guidelines at http://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews or to the guideline tab at the top of the home page of this blog. Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's "Authors Helping Authors" service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in a tab at the top of the home page, too. Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author, a veteran educator and also contributes reviews and posts on other topics related to books. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing

Monday, March 8, 2021

Idelle Kursman Finds "Anxious People" Perfect for Covid Reading

Title: Anxious People
Author: Fredrik Bachman
Genre: Humorous Literary Fiction
Age Level: 18+
Page Number: 349
Publisher: Atria Books
Purchase on Amazon 


Anxious People is a Winner




Reviewed by Idelle Kursman

2020 was heartbreaking. I lost both of my parents. Countless other people have lost loved ones. There were many job layoffs and jobs furloughed. Families and friends could not get together, even for Thanksgiving. Reading Anxious People is just what I needed. A bank robber on the verge of losing everything holds people hostage at an apartment viewing the day before the New Year. Readers learn the backstory of most of these characters, including the policemen who rescue them.
Swedish author Fredrik Backman combines insights about life, adding humor and some absurd conversations as he chronicles the hostage drama. The theme is life is a struggle and everyone carries their own pain and anxieties. We often cannot create the life we desire but should instead try to get through as best as we can while hopefully cherishing some good memories along the way. At the heart of the story is the despair we often experience when things do not go our way or we cannot save our loved ones from themselves.
We meet a father and son police officer team working on the case. The father is a widower who misses his wife, attempts to boost his son’s confidence in his police skills, and despairs that he cannot help his drug-addicted daughter. The bank robber recently experiences job loss, is in the process of getting divorced, and cannot pay the rent for an apartment. In addition, the robber’s spouse wants full custody of their children. The hostages have their stories as well.
Many of the keen observations about life come from the police officers reminiscing about their late wife and mother. She was a priest and this is just an example of what she used to tell them:
We can’t change the world, and a lot of the time we can’t even change people. No more than one bit at a time. So we do what we can to help whenever we get the chance…We save those we can. We do our best. Then we try to convince ourselves that that will just have to…be enough. So we can live with our failures without drowning” (p. 203).
The witness interviews consist of absurd conversations between the various hostages and the police officers that I found too annoying to be funny, but the dialogue and background information gave the story depth and insights. Backman builds a fascinating character with Zara, one of the hostages, in detailing her meetings with her psychologist prior to the main action.
The writing is superb, the plot is brilliantly woven, and the story is peppered with sharp observations about life.
I must be frank. This has been an all-out crappy year. But reading Anxious People reminds me we must get through these times and try to be there for each other.
More About the Reviewer 
Idelle Kursman is the author of the novels True Mercy and The Book of Revelations. They are for sale on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06W52D7WH and https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088F1P1SY. Idelle is also a copyeditor, proofreader, and SEO Copywriter. Her website is https://www.idellekursman.com. Find her on Twitter @IdelleKursman.
Idelle Kursman Finds "Anxious People" Perfect for Covid Reading


----
MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read and love. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page and in a tab at the top of this blog's home page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites so it may be used a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing 

Sunday, October 11, 2020

Review of Kingsolver's "Prodigal Summer" in Poetry Form

Note from Blogger Carolyn Howard-Johnson: 

Recently, this #TheNewBookReview blog has attracted more interest from poets and readers of poetry and the idea of accepting reviews of books, especially classics and poetry books written in poetry rather than prose came up. My answer? Of course! This from Leslie Klein who was recently interviewed by another #poet, Carol Smallwood! Enjoy! 



Title: Prodigal Summer

Author: Barbara Kingsolver

Leslie Klein (reviewer)

Fiction

ISBN-13 : 978-0060959036 

ISBN-10 : 0060959037


Reviewed in poetry by Leslie Klein


Wild Pages

Another book
has come my way
after abandoning
the read of two others
unable to attach
my interest
for more than mere pages.

This one that
ensnares
is riveting
with passion, flora
and carnivore scat.

Enchanting is my
imagined sketch
of backwood events.
All is pulsing—
moths, bats
and milk-gorged teats
consume
as do the kisses
and long stares
of the lovers
entwined in their
discovery.

                       ~ Copyright by Leslie Klein 

                         



More About the Author of The Prodigal Summer


Barbara Kingsolver is the author of nine bestselling works of fiction, including the novels, Flight Behavior, The Lacuna, The Poisonwood Bible, Animal Dreams, and The Bean Trees, as well as books of poetry, essays, and creative nonfiction. Her work of narrative nonfiction is the enormously influential bestseller Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life. Kingsolver’s work has been translated into more than twenty languages and has earned literary awards and a devoted readership at home and abroad. She was awarded the National Humanities Medal, our country’s highest honor for service through the arts, as well as the prestigious Dayton Literary Peace Prize for her body of work. She lives with her family on a farm in southern Appalachia.


More About the Poet-Reviewer Leslie Klein


Leslie Klein is an artist and writer, living in the Berkshires of Massachusetts. Her op-eds, feature stories, and poetry have been published in various newspapers and magazines. Klein has had a long career teaching and showing her work in galleries and juried exhibitions. She was commissioned to create the sculpture for The Boston Freedom Award.  Reach her at clayforms@aol.comThis poem was originally published by Shanti Arts LLC in Leslie's book, Driving Through Paintings.  


More About the Blogger and Ways to Get the Most from #TheNewBookReview

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) that covers 325 jam-packed pages covering everithing from Amazon vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion. Reviewers will have a special interest in the chapter on how to make reviewing pay, either as way to market their own books or as a career path--ethically!

This blog is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.



Note: Participating authors and their publishers may request the social sharing image by Carolyn Wilhelm at no charge.  Please contact the designer at:  cwilhelm (at) thewiseowlfactory (dot) com. Provide the name of the book being reviewed and--if an image or headshot of the author --isn't already part of the badge, include it as an attachment. Wilhelm will send you the badge to use in your own Internet marketing. Give Wilhelm the link to this post, too!
 Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing

Friday, December 7, 2018

Leslie C. Halpern Shares MyShelf Review of Jendi Reiter's Short Story Collection

 Author: Jendi Reiter
Title: An Incomplete List of My Wishes
Genre: Literary short story collection
Publisher: Sunshot Press
ISBN: 9781944977207
Reviewed by: Leslie Halpern for MyShelf.com
http://myshelf.com/literary/15/anincompletelistofmywishes.htm

Reviewed by Leslie C. Halpern originally for MyShelf.com

This collection of eleven short stories by award-winning poet and novelist Jendi Reiter focuses mostly on interpersonal relationships and overcoming grief, fear, and isolation. Several stories include gay characters struggling with their homosexuality, and adolescents contemplating how their religious backgrounds fit into their evolving self-image.

The length and style of these stories varies, but an underlying sadness permeates most of them. The language mixes pop culture, erudite allusions, and poetic expression for an interesting combination that requires careful attention. For instance, in the story "An Incomplete List of My Wishes," a divorced woman onboard an airplane reflects on her experience at a funeral, her divorce, a family member's death, and the solemn occasion to which she is headed. Most of the story consists of her reflections with no action occurring until the end. Filled with great sadness, flashes of anger, touches of humor, and ultimately, a revelation expressed as a metaphor, this story packs a memorable punch in just 10 pages.

Other stories explore family dynamics, adultery, aging, and infertility, although each selection includes multiple subtexts. For instance, in "Today You Are a Man," written in a stream of consciousness style, a gay Jewish boy fantasizes about comic book superheroes to help him deal with his tumultuous coming of age, his father's infidelity, and his shaky understanding of Judaism, marriage, and homosexuality. Usually associated with a Bar Mitzvah, the term "Today You Are a Man" means something different in this story.

Complex and lovely, this collection is the kind of book where readers will stop reading after each story and think about how the characters mirror their own lives. These are stories to be savored.

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jendi Reiter is the author of the novel Two Natures (Saddle Road Press). It is a multi award-winner:
Rainbow Award winner, Book Excellence Award,  and National Indie Excellence Award finalist
See the book trailer at http://bit.ly/twonaturestrailer

"Intense revelations about what it means to be both Christian and gay...a powerful saga"  --Midwest Book Review
Leslie C. Halpern Shares MyShelf Review of Jendi Reiter's Short Story Collection


MORE ABOUT THIS REVIEW BLOG AND GETTING REVIEWS


 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) that covers 325 jam-packed pages covering everithing from Amazon vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion. Reviewers will have a special interest in the chapter on how to make reviewing pay, either as way to market their own books or as a career path--ethically!

This blog is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Thursday, August 23, 2018

Midwest's Diane Donovan Reviews Jendi Reiter's "Wishes."

Title: An Incomplete List of My Wishes
Author: Jendi Reiter
Genre: Literary Fiction - Short Story Collection
Author website: http://www.jendireiter.com/
ISBN: 9781944977207


Reviewed by Diane Donovan originally for Midwest Book Review

An Incomplete List of My Wishes provides social inspections in short stories that are astute windows into society's secrets, prejudices, double standards, and individual purpose. In the course of short pieces that examine relationships and reactions to life's biggest challenges, these works offer tightly-written, engrossing inspections that are as diverse in nature as they are connected by the unifying theme of plucking elements of humanity from inhuman conditions and fiery reactions. 

Many of these works have won prizes and publication by prestigious literary journals. Their stand-alone nature lends nicely to this pursuit, but when compiled as a whole under one cover, their impact is even greater. 

Take the short story 'Five Assignments and a Mistake', for example. The piece opens with a bang ("The day begins with a dead baby.") that makes it impossible to put down, but events turn far from the compelling opener as readers learn about a college psychology student's assignment to watch a child being wrested from its mother as she pursues a degree in social work. 

The protocols she's absorbing to handle clinical emergencies are actually the same lessons Laura Sue will need to make it through life, ministering to people who could turn violent, bleed, or bite. Riding shotgun with a woman from the city's Child Protection Department provides Laura Sue with a perspective that uniquely defines the world and sets the path for her involvement in it: one that deftly contrasts reality with the possibility of a different kind of discovery about life forces ("The day begins with dark hands...in her sleep, alone, she can lift off again into the oh of discovery: how the buzzing in her limbs subsided, for the first time ever, and she was vast and powerful as a sheet. She was wind. She could lie on the ocean and nothing would stir."). 

Laura Sue has evolved to be a student, a thief, a sexual tease to her boyfriend, and a mama's girl who has learned her lessons far too well. She sports a diamond engagement ring, but the engagement dialogue in her heart is another matter. 

Like the other observational vignettes in this collection, Jendi Reiter offers no easy conclusion. The "incomplete list" slices pieces from lives that, themselves, are works in progress as yet purposeful and undeveloped, offering inspections that cement the notion of lives led in a whirlwind of self-inspection and social challenge. 

The result is a vivid literary and psychological collection especially recommended for those who like their stories passionate yet observational, their psychological depths presented in sips rather than explosions of flavor, and their stories nicely imbedded with social and spiritual reflection alike. 

An Incomplete List of My Wishes offers the kinds of inspections that leave readers thinking far beyond the curtain call of quiet dramas in lives lived on the edge of self-realization and social engagement. 

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jendi Reiter is author of the novel Two Natures (Saddle Road Press), a Rainbow Award winner and finalists at Book Excellence Award and National Indie. See the book trailer at http://bit.ly/twonaturestrailer. Midwest Book Reviews called it "Intense revelations about what it means to be both Christian and gay...a powerful saga"  Jendi is also editor of WinningWriters.com, a Writer's Digest "101 Best Websites for Writers. "

"Things are not what they appear to be: nor are they otherwise."  Surangama Sutra
Midwest's Diane Donovan Reviews Jendi Reiter's "Wishes."


MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG AND GETTING REVIEWS

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) that covers 325 jam-packed pages covering everithing from Amazon vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion. Reviewers will have a special interest in the chapter on how to make reviewing pay, either as way to market their own books or as a career path--ethically!

This blog is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Goodreads and Tweeting Lover of Books Reviews Contemporary Fiction

Title:  Salvation 
Series: Heal Me Series Book 1
Author: Stephanie John
Genre:  Literature; Fiction, Erotica, Romance Erotica, Literary Fiction, Romance, Contemporary Fiction
ASIN #:   B00U8389E8
Reviewer's Rating: 4 star


Reviewed by Tracey Quintin originally for Goodreads
Rating: Four Stars

This debut novel is a great, sweet, hot read! There weren't any moments that I expected to happen.
Nate drips of sex appeal, gorgeous hot bodiness, sweetness, compassion, and charm. He most definitely is not your typical cliche millionaire! 

Kara (yes, I can hear him saying her name in a raspy voice) is lacking in strength, determination, self-confidence and self-esteem. I picture her as a caterpillar waiting to blossom into the stunning butterfly she doesn't realize she is. 

Nate+Kara=ignition ignited! Butterfly blossomed.
They bring out the best in each other and make each other a more confident, assured, and capable of loving and being loved person. They complete each other. But, will their love endure? THAT we'll need to wait to find out!

Love some of the other characters in this story too.

I really enjoyed this story and definitely recommend.

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephanie John connections:

ABOUT THE REVIEWER
Tracey Quintin connections:

MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) that covers 325 jam-packed pages covering everithing from Amazon vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion. 

This blog is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Literary Novel by John Biscello Gets High Praise


Raking the Dust by [Biscello, John]














Title: Raking the Dust
Author: John Biscello
Genre: Literary Fiction
Author's Website: johnbiscello.com
Purchase on Amazon 


Review by Ashleigh Grycner. Originally appeared on Amazon (five stars), and to be part of a review scheduled to be published in Riot Material

Raking the Dust is a deeply felt and yet understated paen to the deepest human aches, hopes, and longings; a testament to second chances.

It  is a grand, shameless, and nonetheless subtle exposition of the human spirit, of addiction, obsession, and ultimately, salvation. Of the fact that “all roads lead to Heaven”, and that sometimes you need to get lost in order to get found. That sometimes things need to get crazy, (pubic) hairy, and utterly confused so that we can come face to face with what we most fear. That ultimately it is in the grip of our own terror that we find the courage to say the brave No that is a Yes to our own Innocence.

I found this novel utterly gripping, and in Alex I found many pieces of myself. This work is one of existential mystery, and with Alex I pondered the dark unknown at the center of my own being. With him I descended and meandered through the twisted corridors of my own psyche. I found myself breathless in fascinated wonder, water-eyed in wistful tenderness, full-hearted with hope. This novel is not just a story. It is an experience. A moving and enriching journey into the heart of another that brought me into deeper communion with my own.

It is refreshing to find this level of profundity, honesty, and artistic restraint in a modern author. I would highly recommend this novel to anyone looking for a complex, full-bodied, and deeply moving reading experience, and one that speaks eloquently to the silent, spiritual tragedy of contemporary American life.



MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) that covers 325 jam-packed pages covering everithing from Amazon vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion. 

This blog is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Saturday, December 2, 2017

Lauren Jones Reviews Robert Eggleton's Sci-Fi Novel



  • Title: Rarity from the Hollow 
  • Author: Robert Eggleton
  • Web site link: www.lacydawnadventures.com   
  • Genre: Adult Literary Science Fiction
  • ISBN: 9781907133060;1907133062
  • Purchase Links: 


Reviewed by Lauren Jones originally for TurningAnotherPage.com

REVIEW


Tom threw in a couple of Amen’s. After finishing the psalm that she had learned in church, she looked into his eyes. “There was nothing that you saw that should have shaken your belief in Jesus. What you saw and what you will see on our mission will make him look stronger and bigger. Jesus is much more than human-kind. He existed for the salvation of all—not just humans. All means all. His sacrifice was never meant to have been discriminatory or selective to just one kind of people on one planet. Right is right and wrong is wrong. It’s just like you know in your heart. Good and evil have always been and will always be the balance on which survival of the universe depends.”

What would you do if you were tasked with saving the Earth or even the entire universe? If a cyber robot came to you from another planet, what would be your first thought? Would you feel crazy? Would you feel safe? What about fearful or excited? All of that is a bit much to take in, but what if you were only an eleven-year-old and told that you were the only one who could do it? With this novel, it is very difficult to put words down regarding the true emotional turmoil that exists in the main character’s life. The author creates an elaborate world, filled with an abundance of fantasy and science fiction. This world contributes to most of the story, an illusion of a world that a little girl can escape to in an attempt to avoid the inevitable and harsh reality of abandonment and abuse.

This story begins with Lacy Dawn, an eleven-year-old girl, who lives in a place called the Hollow. She talks to the trees, the rocks, her dog Brownie, a robot named Dot-Com, and her dead best friend. The first sign that something didn’t seem right, was the dead best friend. Now, this story is for adults and there is satire, but this is not to be misconstrued as a light or easy read. This is definitely not an easy story to read due to content, but it is brutally honest and very credible for an eleven-year-old who has lost her best friend and in a sense, her family as well. Lacy Dawn has suffered abuse at the hand of her father, and her dead best friend died at the hand of her father, aka the meanest daddy in the world. Once Lacy Dawn finds Dot-Com, things start to change for her. This robot teaches her things through plug-ins and tells her that it is her job to save Earth and make the universe safe…from what, he isn’t allowed to tell her until she completes a series of tasks that will validate her capability of such an important task. Can she get the help that she needs to save the entire universe?

Eggleton has a certain way of twisting the seriousness of the story with the satire that follows Lacy Dawn and her entourage on their journey. There are a lot of quips and a ton of experiences that these characters go through that symbolize real-life problems that we, as people face on a daily basis. From an eleven-year-old’s point of view, can it be deeply misunderstood, definitely! Can it be taken out of proportion, absolutely! But, is it credible and original, yes it sure is. Think about what preteens think about at that young age and then readers will be able to rationalize the thought processes that occur within the story. This author does a superb job with character development, but the reader must be open-minded to keep pace with the outlandish scenes and spontaneous adventures that the characters partake in as well as the depth of the issues portrayed. Most of the issues faced are taken lightly by the characters as if this is the typical way of life, but readers must remember that some of these characters do not know any differently and to them, this is the way life is. If you are a reader of science fiction and psychological fiction, you may want to try this book.

A copy of this book was provided to Turning Another Page by the author, but this in no way affects our honest opinion of the book or the review that has been written. We provide a five-star rating for Rarity from the Hollow by Robert Eggleton.




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