2 out of 4 stars
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Guardian of Deceit by William H. Coles is a story about 16-year-old Darwin Hastings and what happens to him after his parents die. His aunt takes him in, but when she ends up in assisted living, his cousin and only living relative Luther, a corrupt football player, becomes his guardian. Luther treats him like hired help and denies him access to his inheritance. Darwin has to figure out how to make a life for himself.
The story spans somewhere between 10-20 years with Darwin interacting with various characters over time. He becomes Luther’s lackey handling thousands of dollars for Luther’s poker games. He meets Dr. Malverne, who mentors him on his way to becoming a doctor. Dr. Malverne has two daughters; Darwin marries the social-climbing, self-absorbed one. Lazlo, ex-cop and head of Luther’s security team, becomes a father figure to Darwin, teaching him how to drive and how to be a good person.
Darwin is forever even-tempered, considerate, accepting of whatever happens to him or comes his way, and fairly emotionless. He always does what is asked of him, never complains, never laughs, never cries, never gets mad. To me this is such an unrealistic characterization of a 16-year old boy growing into manhood under such odd circumstances.
I believe Mr. Coles may be trying to show the reader how not only our own, but others’ actions and decisions shape our lives and affect everyone around us. He portrays a young man who, despite unfortunate turns of events, manages to maintain his moral compass while surrounded by people and circumstances that would normally throw the average 16-year-old off course.
I did appreciate the author’s depictions of the lifestyle and arrogance of many celebrities and other wealthy people. I enjoyed the idea that a 16-year-old boy could possibly maintain his innocence amidst this arrogance, but I did not find it believable, especially in today’s world. The secondary characters development was minimal, but it was enough to give the story some flavor.
Although this was an interesting book to read, I thought the execution of the story was poorly done. It seemed more like disjointed memories, which would be fine if the book was presented as such. There were many places where Mr. Coles jumped from one topic to another without finishing that particular storyline, leaving the reader wondering, “What just happened here?” He would jump days, months, or years ahead with no indication of doing so. It was extremely distracting. I also feel that the title does not convey what the story is about. For these reasons, I have to rate this story 2 out of 4 stars.
Guardian of Deceit does show that trials in life can be overcome and that you can make something of yourself despite unfortunate circumstances, but it also shows the seedy side of how poorly some men, like Luther, treat women and the opportunities they have been given and then abused. This is not a book that I would easily recommend.
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Guardian of Deceit
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