4 out of 4 stars
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Dan Brown’s “Origin” meet Marvel’s “X-Men” is the perfect description of this fast-paced YA thriller slash paranormal novel. Who wouldn’t want to be Jake Goddard? An 18 year old who found a powerful ring which granted him enormous abilities and an invisible yet powerful mentor, ala Winston of “Origin”, guiding him against evil forces. The story will take you from an archaeological dig in Israel to New York’s Central Park rooting for the young hero and his faithful mage.
I am awarding this book with 4 out of 4 stars. I really love the story of an ordinary guy being given extraordinary powers to battle evil. Add on having a side-kick literally out of this world and larger than life and it’s a recipe for success. The dialogue is easy and the banter is hilarious. Best of all, if this ever becomes a movie someday, I will line up with a tub of popcorn on the opening day. The author wrote action scenes in almost the whole book but at the same time, the story arch is still there and locked engagingly in your brain. Half-way through, I was of two minds trying to read fast to find out what happens next but at the same time, beginning to dread reading the end of the story.
Another facet of the story that I personally like is the reference to biblical characters and some side stories that I think religious denominations would not take offense from. There was never an attack against any organized religion or sect or even anything against a particular community as a whole. It is acceptable that the villains in the story came from the story’s main location of course, as the story revolved there.
For a YA novel, “Smith” exceeded my expectations. I was expecting something like the Percy Jackson series of Rick Riordan and I found this is so much more. To paraphrase a much loved line from a Spiderman movie, with great powers comes a whole load of responsibility. Jake might have just been eighteen but the author gave him a very mature perspective in life but there were dashes of youth there most adoringly when it came to his growing feelings for Nava. The denouement is perfectly suspenseful and the ending left me lightheaded. I wished so much for an alternative ending but realized eventually that that is the only way to close the story.
Sam B. Miller II will now be in my list of authors to follow and would definitely look out for his books. I wish “Smith” would have a sequel or even a prequel or a novella as I’m not yet ready to let go of this tale. Thank you, Mr. Miller, for such an entertaining and delightful story.
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Smith
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when I get a little money I buy books; and if I have any left l buy food and clothes
