3 out of 4 stars
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William H. Cole - Guardian of Deceit
This is a truly enjoyable book that talks about the life and struggles of Darwin Hastings, a teenager who has been orphaned for several years. He is sent by his dying aunt to live with his cousin, Luther Pinnelli a famous football player who’s quite infamous in the media due to his lifestyle. Life in Luther’s mansion wasn’t anything like Darwin or anyone had anticipated, as Luther had considered him an inconvenience at first, then he had him doing odd jobs like driving him around, managing his gambling activities and running errands for him as a way for Darwin to earn his allowance. Darwin’s parents had left money for him in a trust fund but this didn’t make it any easier for him since Luther who was his guardian was in charge of it and had no desire to use the money in any way that was going to be productive in Darwin’s favor. Darwin, who slept in a utility room at the mansion and attended public school, knew he had to find a way to turn things around if he was going to ever achieve his dream of becoming a doctor like his father.
Darwin soon learns that the wind of fortune blows in both directions as he is taken in by granny and some of the staff at the mansion, these people helped in making his life bearable, he also met Dr. Malverne on the plane on his way to Luther house. It is this Doctor who takes him under his wings and becomes his mentor, helping him secure admission into school and also playing a vital part in Darwin’s life, both good and bad. Even with all these good fortunes, Darwin’s life was still plagued by difficulties as he had to make painful decisions both at home and at school and live through their uneasy consequences.
Cole made it quite clear in this book which spans for about 20 years that, that our choices and decisions aren’t the only things that shape our lives, as the decisions of others as well as the company we keep, play an integral part in the way our lives eventually turn out, as we see in this story how members of Dr. Malverne’s family all affected Darwin’s life both negatively and positively. This book was basically about finding a place to fit in for most of the characters, leading to actions that eventually made this book an interesting tale.
This is the kind of book you would want to read on a quiet Sunday afternoon, the author hooks the readers with his calm and catchy style with a bit of mystery as well. Some of the characters in this book look as though they were drawn out of real-life stories as a number of relationships in this story look so authentic, Cole must have put a lot of effort into writing this book. People who like books about struggles and family would find this book interesting.
The last few chapters of the book looked as if they were hastily written and some of the major characters like Luther and his wife's stories ended too soon. Other than that I couldn’t find any errors. I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars.
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Guardian of Deceit
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