Review by buttercake20+ -- The Arrow That Flies By Day

buttercake20+_Modupe Bello · 20 Mar 2021, 07:11

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Arrow That Flies By Day" by John Servant.]

3 out of 4 stars

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With zero professional experience in Football, weighing 160 pounds, six-feet-two inches tall, brown hair, and blue eyes, John Thaddeus walks the way from Patterson to North Jersey to tryout for the New Jersey Raptors. He has new challenges set out before him, ranging from how he did not attend college, to how he has no known history in playing. He faced bullying and constant taunts from a team captain who did his best to subjugate him. John is a patient, calm, and forgiving person who had to learn those virtues the hard way.

He lost both his parents and had Sister Francis (A Nun, who was his high school principal) as his guardian. Sister Francis spared no cost in looking after John, and ensuring that he walked on the right path. She encouraged him throughout his years serving in the Marines, and stood as a support after the death of his mother. She was a character that invested her time and focus into helping those around her find their way, and become better.

What I liked most about this book turns out to also be what I disliked about it. I loved the fact that there was a strong message the writer intended to pass which was done without delay; the book is 77 pages long. To my perception, this also made the storyline appear rushed. The narrative would have been more relatable if there was better exposure to the lives of other characters. For instance, Phil Ryan was one friend that John made amongst the players, yet only a brief story was built around their friendship. This factor made it seem like John was the prime focus in character development.

I rate The Arrow That Flies By Day by John Servant 3 out of 4 stars for the following reasons; there were punctuation and grammatical errors that I noticed, but they didn’t actively interfere with my reading. Also, as I stated in the paragraph above, the storyline would have flowed beautifully if it didn’t seem rushed and if I had a better insight into the thoughts of other characters. I didn’t rate it less because I fully appreciate the message that came at the end.

I would recommend this book for readers that have prior knowledge or interest in Football (American Football). This is because I am certain that if I had better knowledge of the sport, I would appreciate the book more. There were terminologies and jargon that were used to describe the game while it was being played, and when the characters communicated that I found tasking to follow. One prominent factor in this book is Christianity, and it was discussed through the pages. I believe this book has a strong life message to pass across, so I gladly recommend it to all ages.

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The Arrow That Flies By Day
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MsH2k · Post by **MsH2k** » 27 Apr 2021, 00:57

I am interested in how John fared on the football team. It took great courage for him to try out like that! I’m sure his patience and calmness were tested in that process. Thank you for your thorough and honest review.

Holly Fleming · Post by **Holly Fleming** » 27 Apr 2021, 11:48

This sounds like an interesting book based on your summary. It's frustrating when a good book has a plot that feels rushed and needs additional editing. Thank you for this review!