Official Review: The Superfund by Rebecca McNutt

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Official Review: The Superfund by Rebecca McNutt

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[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Superfund" by Rebecca McNutt.]
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It is estimated that approximately 1,300 hazardous waste sites exist in the United States, and one in four Americans live within three miles of one of these sites. The Superfund by Rebecca McNutt raises awareness of this problem and the dangers these sites pose to local residents. Published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, The Superfund is available as a paperback on Amazon. This is the latest of several releases from Ms. McNutt which address this and similar environmental issues.

Although fictitious, the story is loosely based on real people and events drawn from past environmental disasters, including the Love Canal site in Niagara Falls, New York and Sydney Tar Ponds in Canada. However, the Superfund is real; it is the US government’s program to clean up the country’s hazardous waste sites. The Superfund also allows for the relocation of residents who live in endangered areas.

From the opening page, we find ourselves in a lawyer’s office listening to Lois, a distraught woman who is beginning to relate to the nameless lawyer her family's experience of living in the Blank Creek subdivision, which was built on the former site of the Point Blank Chemical Corporation. Lois and others want to sue the company because of suffering caused by toxic waste left in the soil and water after the plant was torn down. The story is told from this vantage point, with the narrative following Lois’ recounting of these events to the lawyer. Some of the past events are told as a sort of “flashback,” written in present tense. But within the structure of the story, the reader always understands that these events are simply being related to the lawyer.

The narrative moves quickly, and one disturbing or tragic event after another in quick succession lead the innocent residents of the new community to conclude that something is very wrong with the environment in which they live. Suspicions become reality as people start to die as a result of toxic waste in the soil and water. The main antagonist, if there is one, is the realtor who sold the homes that were built over this poison patch of ground. She appears at convenient, although ironically coincidental, points in the story, just in time to witness another tragedy caused by her keeping secret the true history of the area. (Although the chemical plant was torn down only five years earlier, strangely, no one seems to know that it was there. Only after the determined Lois aggressively does research do the clueless residents learn the truth.)

My ebook comes in at 52 pages, which are divided into 18 short “chapters.” You can read the story in one sitting, and you probably will. It moves quickly, grabbing the attention of the reader and holding it until the end. There is no lull in the action. I was interested enough in the characters and story to want to know what was going to happen next. But this is an event-driven story, not a character-driven one. There is virtually no character development, save for the real estate agent. Even so, her character appears to have some contradictions, as she is sometimes portrayed as greedy, at other times unsympathetic, and at other times dishonest. While these traits are not mutually exclusive of one another, it’s difficult to get a bead on her real motivation for hiding the truth from her unsuspecting clients.

The description of the lawyer in the introductory paragraph is promising, and well-written. He is “a short, ugly, little man…His hair was dirty blonde and very messy. He looked as if he had just crawled out of bed.” His shirt is untucked on one side, and his skin is described as “creepy.” The aim seems to be to portray the stereotype of a sleazy lawyer. It’s not a bad start, but as we read the story it never becomes apparent why he is portrayed this way. He is never represented as a bad or dishonest person. Why he is initially described in such a negative way is unclear. Other characters, however, are not described in much detail aside from what they are wearing. The only other character given this kind of attention is a teacher at the local school. His head was “balanced on his shoulders like an ostrich egg. He had bony claw-like fingers like a turkey’s talons, and he was dressed in his trademark blue suit and red tie.” This is a fine description; why an ancillary character merits such a description is unclear, when even Lois’ children and husband are not described in such detail.

The timeline is hard to follow, probably because there is none. At one point Lois relates a conversation she had with her husband. She says it’s 1980. How long after this is she visiting the lawyer? Over what period of time did the tragic succession of events occur? We are never told. It seems that people in the neighborhood get sick and die in quick succession. Even if the neighborhood was built on a hazardous waste site, it’s hard to believe that it would have such a dire effect in such a short period of time. (At one point a small boy falls into the creek, and it seems that within a matter of minutes he is dead from toxic poisoning.) This is obviously a story with a message, but the seemingly unrealistic rapidity with which people get sick and die detracts from, rather than adds to, the weight of that message. It’s hard to look at it realistically.

There are barely any tears shed when one of the characters dies. The reactions of parents who lose their children are not at all realistic; we don't see them cry or grieve, they simply talk about how their suspicions regarding the toxic waste have been justified. Again, this is very much an event-driven story. If you’re looking for character development, and even consistent and realistic representation of characters, you won’t find it here.

I found only a few typos, and an odd idiosyncrasy with punctuation. After a line of quoted dialogue, a period is almost invariably used instead of a comma, and the next word begins with a capital letter. For example:

“…Right…so, start at the beginning, Lois.” The lawyer suggested, putting the document down on his desk.

“This isn’t about me.” The lawyer told her.

This is, of course, not correct. Many of these post-dialogue statements are not complete sentences, but the punctuation and capitalization indicate otherwise. Two or three times the punctuation in this kind of construction is correct, but the vast majority of instances are written this way.

The Superfund is mentioned a few times throughout the story, but it is not a main idea or theme at all. Why the book is entitled thus is a mystery to me.

Even though The Superfund is clearly a story with a message, it succeeds in not being too preachy. But I did find it hard to swallow that all of the tragic events related therein happened in such a short period of time. This is how it appears, at any rate. Inclusion of dates, months, years, or how much time elapsed between these unfortunate occurrences would have been helpful. The absence of any timeline at all makes it difficult to put the story in any sort of context. Actions and reactions of characters are at times unrealistic and inconsistent. But this story may raise the reader’s awareness of the dangers and scope of hazardous waste sites, and that, I suppose, is the primary goal. I can’t give this 2.5 stars, so I rate it 3 out of 4 stars, since it is reasonably well-written and will hold your interest from start to finish.

***
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Post by ALRyder »

Hm, while this seems to be an interesting premise I think I will pass on it. Looking at the price and length it just seems a bit pricey. I also like a book that is more character driven than this seems to be. Well written review though.
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Post by PashaRu »

Thanks, I appreciate your comment!
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Post by gali »

Thank you for the well written review. I don't think the book is for me.
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Post by David Dawson »

ALRyder wrote:Hm, while this seems to be an interesting premise I think I will pass on it. Looking at the price and length it just seems a bit pricey. I also like a book that is more character driven than this seems to be. Well written review though.
Yes, I tend to think that you shouldn't judge value for money with books based on their length; if you enjoy a 100 page novella more than a 1500 page doorstop of a novel then, even if they cost the same, the shorter book would be a better deal. Having said that, 52 (ebook) pages seems incredibly short for something that the review seems to indicate has the structure of a novel.

(Oh, and complete agree with the compliments for the review...)
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Post by PashaRu »

-- 13 May 2014, 08:44 --
David Dawson wrote:
ALRyder wrote:Hm, while this seems to be an interesting premise I think I will pass on it. Looking at the price and length it just seems a bit pricey. I also like a book that is more character driven than this seems to be. Well written review though.
Thanks for your comments. Yes, I tend to think that you shouldn't judge value for money with books based on their length; if you enjoy a 100 page novella more than a 1500 page doorstop of a novel then, even if they cost the same, the shorter book would be a better deal. Having said that, 52 (ebook) pages seems incredibly short for something that the review seems to indicate has the structure of a novel.

(Oh, and complete agree with the compliments for the review...)
Yes, I agree that the length or size of a book as it relates to the cost shouldn't be the determining factor in whether or not it is purchased. Depending on one's personal taste, more enjoyment and satisfaction can be got from a short story than a "1500 page doorstop of a novel." If it's something you'll remember, re-read, talk about with others, and if it introduces you to a new author whose other works you'll seek out, then it's well worth the price.

I didn't mean to give the impression that this story should have the structure of a novel. I love short stories, and I think that 52 pages is more than enough space for a capable writer to include adequate and consistent character description/development, as well as place events in a time context that makes the story accessible to the reader. I have certainly read many short stories where this was ably done. In many ways, of course, short story and novel are very different, but I think that the basic elements of character description and development, coherent narrative, and a certain narrative structure (although this can very greatly) are common to both.

Thanks for reading the review! )
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Post by David Dawson »

Thanks for clarifying. I suspect it won't change my mind on whether or not I read the book, but good to know nonetheless.
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Post by PashaRu »

gali wrote:Thank you for the well written review. I don't think the book is for me.
Thanks for reading :) It wasn't really my cup of tea, either.
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Post by ALRyder »

When trying out a new author (new to me, not just the world of writing) I have a tendency to either get their book from bookmooch, a second hand store, or download a free copy of something they have written onto my kindle. Considering this is a story that doesn't seem super intriguing to me, and the only way to get it is paying so much on a gamble, I probably wouldn't spend so much on it. I suppose the fact that it is only 52 pages does factor against it when everything else has been put out there as well.

That all being said I have found quite a few treasures that are well under 100 pages. I would probably only pay full price for something like this if I had previously read the author, or it had come highly recommended. Yes, I'm a bit stingy :P . Just figured I'd clarify my earlier statement a bit more.
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Post by PashaRu »

Completely understand. If it doesn't sound that intriguing, I wouldn't buy it either. And as I said in my review, I wish I could have given this 2.5 stars. It's really not good enough to be a 3 (in my opinion), but has enough going for it that I felt a 2 wouldn't be fair. I wish we could rate on a 5 scale instead of 4. Then it would be a solid 3.

I'm pretty cheap too, and I don't like paying more than 5 or 6 dollars for something I'm completely unfamiliar with, regardless of the length. If I know the author or if it's recommended from a source I trust, then I'll fork over the cash.
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Post by gali »

David Dawson wrote:
ALRyder wrote:Hm, while this seems to be an interesting premise I think I will pass on it. Looking at the price and length it just seems a bit pricey. I also like a book that is more character driven than this seems to be. Well written review though.
Yes, I tend to think that you shouldn't judge value for money with books based on their length; if you enjoy a 100 page novella more than a 1500 page doorstop of a novel then, even if they cost the same, the shorter book would be a better deal. Having said that, 52 (ebook) pages seems incredibly short for something that the review seems to indicate has the structure of a novel.

(Oh, and complete agree with the compliments for the review...)
I don't think that 52 pages book should be priced the same as much longer book. Yes, we shouldn't judge value for money with books based on their length, but the prize should be proportional to the book. I would not pay steep price for 52 pages book, good as it is.
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Post by David Dawson »

gali wrote:
I don't think that 52 pages book should be priced the same as much longer book. Yes, we shouldn't judge value for money with books based on their length, but the prize should be proportional to the book. I would not pay steep price for 52 pages book, good as it is.
OK, I definitely accept there's a middle ground here. Books shouldn't be sold by weight, but I would accept that having to pay a large amount of money for a book that takes less than an hour to read (for instance) is probably not OK.
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Post by PashaRu »

David Dawson wrote:
gali wrote:
I don't think that 52 pages book should be priced the same as much longer book. Yes, we shouldn't judge value for money with books based on their length, but the prize should be proportional to the book. I would not pay steep price for 52 pages book, good as it is.
OK, I definitely accept there's a middle ground here. Books shouldn't be sold by weight, but I would accept that having to pay a large amount of money for a book that takes less than an hour to read (for instance) is probably not OK.
I tend to agree with you. Interestingly, though, I don't think the number of pages plays a large role in how much it costs to produce a book. (I worked in the printing industry for a quite few years.) The difference in cost between producing a 50-page book and a 400-page book is negligible. Press set-up is pretty much the same. The binding process is the same. And if there is a full-color cover - even if it's a paperback - it probably costs more to produce than the entire book (inside pages). The difference in paper cost between a 50-page and 400-page book is probably just a few pennies. There are so many other costs associated with publishing, and the process is virtually the same whether it's a short or long book.

In the end, you have to decide what will be a better value for you. If length is an important factor for you - if the "enjoyment" factor for you is largely influenced by the number of pages - then buy accordingly. Other factors, such as how well you like the author, quality of writing, etc., can also be considered.
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Post by gali »

PashaRu wrote:
David Dawson wrote:
gali wrote:
I don't think that 52 pages book should be priced the same as much longer book. Yes, we shouldn't judge value for money with books based on their length, but the prize should be proportional to the book. I would not pay steep price for 52 pages book, good as it is.
OK, I definitely accept there's a middle ground here. Books shouldn't be sold by weight, but I would accept that having to pay a large amount of money for a book that takes less than an hour to read (for instance) is probably not OK.
I tend to agree with you. Interestingly, though, I don't think the number of pages plays a large role in how much it costs to produce a book. (I worked in the printing industry for a quite few years.) The difference in cost between producing a 50-page book and a 400-page book is negligible. Press set-up is pretty much the same. And if there is a full-color cover - even if it's a paperback - it probably costs more to produce than the entire book (inside pages). The binding process is the same. The difference in paper cost between a 50-page and 400-page book is probably just a few pennies. There are so many other costs associated with publishing, and the process is the same whether it's a short or long book.

In the end, you have to decide what will be a better value for you. If length is an important factor for you, then buy accordingly. Other factors, such as how well you like the author, quality of writing, etc., can also be considered.
I agree with you and I understand there are many costs. I have to emphasis that I don't buy books according to their length. However, am looking at it from the consumer point of view. I would not buy 50 pg book of an unknown author if the price is exaggerated. I may buy the book if I like the author and I deem that the book is worth the price. Then again if I deem it unworthy, I would prefer to borrow the book from the library rather than buy a 50 pages book that I can finish in half an hour.
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Post by CapeBretonBookLover »

looks interesting, not sure if I'd buy it but all the same it looks pretty good. 8)
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