Review by Cii_Mendi -- Geraldine by Edmund M Aristone
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Cii_Mendi
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- Latest Review: Geraldine by Edmund M Aristone
Review by Cii_Mendi -- Geraldine by Edmund M Aristone
[Following is a volunteer review of "Geraldine" by Edmund M Aristone.]
Geraldine by Edmund M. Aristone is a romantic novel about relentless love and friendship. It centers on the lives of Tom and Geraldine the main characters in the story. We meet Tom in the initial stages of the book. He is in a relationship with Paula but they end up separating due to their differences and some arguments they have been having. Nonetheless, they choose to stay on as friends. We also encounter Pat, his father, and Reds, his friend among several other characters that play diverse roles in the narration.
Tom is a medical doctor but due to an incident during his residency, he was suspended from practicing medicine and he now tends bar. Though it has been over six months since his suspension ended, he is still not ready to go back to being a doctor and his friends are concerned that he is wasting his life. Through Tom's continued friendship with Paula his ex-girlfriend, he meets Geraldine, a phenomenal head-turning beauty who is a brilliant artist and part-time singer. She is a caring, sensitive soul and has friends that many would opt to keep away from. To her, beauty is futile probably because of the bipolar disorder she is battling, which causes her to have no hope for the future.
The introduction of Tom to Geraldine births a strong coalesce between them, this likely fueled by the fact that they both lost their mothers in tragic circumstances when they were young. From this point on in the novel, events that will enthrall the reader for the rest of the voyage begin to unfold. Geraldine, with her endearing nature, draws Tom to become acquainted with her eccentric friends and several strong bonds are formed. With some, there will be tragedies that will shake them to the core and with others, there will be triumphs.
The author in most of the 16 chapters of the book has an important message to pass on regarding resilience, that despite the challenges we face we can always rise above them. There is no hopeless situation no matter what life throws your way. Another aspect of his message is unconditional devotion. Friends in the novel stand with each other and ride the storms of life together. Like Tom's father, Pat liked to say, "When your friends are in trouble, you run at them, not from them".
What I liked most about the book is Tom's kind of friendship, one we would all love to have. He will go to any lengths to help those he loves as in the case of Geraldine. He uses his expertise as a medical doctor and his resources to help manage her bipolar disorder. When Reds, his friend gets into trouble, he solicits for help to get him out of confinement and sets him and his family on a pathway to a better life. I did not like the fact that the book is a very short read. There are some great relationships that have been formed, for example, the one between Virginia, Marshal, and Tom, and also between Sally and Geraldine, which are severed prematurely in tragic circumstances. Another thing is the offensive language which is too much.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romance stories and those who may be dealing with a bipolar disorder, or have loved ones dealing with the same. Due to the offensive language that has been used and some distressful moments depicted, I do not recommend it for underage readers. Whereas Geraldine would otherwise have been an excellent read, the profanity and several errors I came across have dampened this. Nevertheless, as it is a book that has a profound message, I rate it 3 out of 4 stars.
******
Geraldine
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Geraldine by Edmund M. Aristone is a romantic novel about relentless love and friendship. It centers on the lives of Tom and Geraldine the main characters in the story. We meet Tom in the initial stages of the book. He is in a relationship with Paula but they end up separating due to their differences and some arguments they have been having. Nonetheless, they choose to stay on as friends. We also encounter Pat, his father, and Reds, his friend among several other characters that play diverse roles in the narration.
Tom is a medical doctor but due to an incident during his residency, he was suspended from practicing medicine and he now tends bar. Though it has been over six months since his suspension ended, he is still not ready to go back to being a doctor and his friends are concerned that he is wasting his life. Through Tom's continued friendship with Paula his ex-girlfriend, he meets Geraldine, a phenomenal head-turning beauty who is a brilliant artist and part-time singer. She is a caring, sensitive soul and has friends that many would opt to keep away from. To her, beauty is futile probably because of the bipolar disorder she is battling, which causes her to have no hope for the future.
The introduction of Tom to Geraldine births a strong coalesce between them, this likely fueled by the fact that they both lost their mothers in tragic circumstances when they were young. From this point on in the novel, events that will enthrall the reader for the rest of the voyage begin to unfold. Geraldine, with her endearing nature, draws Tom to become acquainted with her eccentric friends and several strong bonds are formed. With some, there will be tragedies that will shake them to the core and with others, there will be triumphs.
The author in most of the 16 chapters of the book has an important message to pass on regarding resilience, that despite the challenges we face we can always rise above them. There is no hopeless situation no matter what life throws your way. Another aspect of his message is unconditional devotion. Friends in the novel stand with each other and ride the storms of life together. Like Tom's father, Pat liked to say, "When your friends are in trouble, you run at them, not from them".
What I liked most about the book is Tom's kind of friendship, one we would all love to have. He will go to any lengths to help those he loves as in the case of Geraldine. He uses his expertise as a medical doctor and his resources to help manage her bipolar disorder. When Reds, his friend gets into trouble, he solicits for help to get him out of confinement and sets him and his family on a pathway to a better life. I did not like the fact that the book is a very short read. There are some great relationships that have been formed, for example, the one between Virginia, Marshal, and Tom, and also between Sally and Geraldine, which are severed prematurely in tragic circumstances. Another thing is the offensive language which is too much.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romance stories and those who may be dealing with a bipolar disorder, or have loved ones dealing with the same. Due to the offensive language that has been used and some distressful moments depicted, I do not recommend it for underage readers. Whereas Geraldine would otherwise have been an excellent read, the profanity and several errors I came across have dampened this. Nevertheless, as it is a book that has a profound message, I rate it 3 out of 4 stars.
******
Geraldine
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Geraldine by Edmund M Aristone
