Review by hlemeric -- The McCoys Before The Feud

[hlemeric]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The McCoys Before The Feud" by Thomas McCoy.]

---

3 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

If asked if anyone knew anything about the McCoy family, most likely the response would be that they were one half of arguably one of the most infamous rivalries in U.S. history. The McCoys: Before the Feud by Thomas A. McCoy is the first of a series that explores his ancestors as they attempt to rebuild their lives at the end of the Civil War. This story focuses on Thomas McCoy Jr., also known simply as ‘Tommy’ as he rallies the surviving members of his family to reclaim the treasure that was stolen from the Southerners by the Union soldiers. This historical fiction adventure exemplifies pride for one’s homeland, the resilience one can show in harrowing times, and how family can come together to work towards a common goal.

It’s great that a direct McCoy descendant wrote this novel; I feel that it helped ensure its accuracy and his passion for telling the story shows. Reading this book was fairly easy with its shorter chapters, along with the writer focusing on one event at a time instead of going back and forth, so I was not confused of what was happening and to whom.

As great as this book’s premise is, I felt that there were a few flaws to it as well. Although the writer demonstrated his enthusiasm through his writing, some of his sentences seemed a bit long, which in turn would cause a slight bit of confusion, so I would have to dissect a few sentences bit by bit to fully understand what the author was trying to convey. One other aspect that I was not a fan about was although I know this book is fiction, I felt that some things that happened were a bit too unbelievable. For example, every time a character went to town to shop for supplies, somehow the store would have everything that they needed, even though it was after a major war and the South was still reeling from its effects. It gave me the impression that there was a bias towards the main characters, which given the ties the author has to the story, isn’t really surprising.

The McCoys: Before the Feud is a great novel for those who love to read historical fiction. It is refreshing to see a book written around the events of the Civil War, usually when I hear a story taking place around a war, it’s typically about either World War I or II. It also will help introduce the McCoy family to people who only associate the infamous Hatfield/McCoy feud. I also feel that this book is suitable for an expansive age range. Even though historical fiction may not be an extremely popular genre, Before the Feud is a great introductory story to help people get engaged. Obviously, this book is definitely not for those who are enthusiastic about historical fiction.

Overall, I give this book a rating of three out of four stars. Although the book grabbed (and kept) my attention throughout its entirety, the somewhat confusing long winded sentences would occasionally take me out of the story, which would get a little irritating. Thomas A. McCoy had definitely caught my interest, and I am excited to read his future works and learn about the other adventures of the McCoy clan.

******
The McCoys Before The Feud
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon