Overall rating and opinion of "McDowell"

Use this forum to discuss the October Book of the Month "McDowell" by William H. Coles.
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yeancha
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Re: Overall rating and opinion of "McDowell"

Post by yeancha »

I haven't read it yet, but would really like to check it out
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Kansas City Teacher
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Post by Kansas City Teacher »

I gave this story a good rating. You must read all the way through the book to fully appreciate it. As the story unfolds, the character must deal with the aftermath of the crime he committed and face the choices he has made. The issues of human nature and psychological concepts of conformity addressed in this novel are applicable to any culture, and any age group. What I liked most about the book was that there were no heroes - only normal people doing normal things.
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Post by Kansas City Teacher »

I found this book very interesting and thought it was well-written. To those who could not read it, I would say that you must read it to the very end. The book has a well-developed plot with many twists and turns. The character actually changes throughout the story, and although he is unlikable at first, but I could identify with him towards the middle and the end.
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Kaylee Elmer
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Post by Kaylee Elmer »

I wasn't sure I would like McDowell at first, but I ended up really enjoying it once things actually started to happen. The first chunk of the book was so boring to me!

I found Hiram McDowell to be such an unlikeable character the first part of the book giving background and talking about his accomplishments was very off-putting to me. I also disliked that it was hard to tell how much time went by in between chapters.

Once a key event happened I was shocked by the events that followed. I couldn't stop reading!

I would give McDowell a 3 out of 4 stars. I would recommend others read it if they have the patience to get through the boring (yet necessary) beginning of the book. I find it amazing that I could hate the main character so much but still enjoy the book!
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Latest Review: McDowell by William H. Coles

Post by Shalu1707 »

I think it was grasping one, the story holds you till the very last as to see what this man is capable of even in the end it was a good one and I ll give it 4 stars
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Kelsey Fulton
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Post by Kelsey Fulton »

Based on the official review of this book, it sounds intriguing! I love vibrant, realistic characters, flaws and all. I don't necessarily have to personally like a character to enjoy their presence in the book. I'd definitely be interested in reading more. Some editing errors would be distracted, but I can get past just a few.
"Everything is nothing, with a twist." -Kurt Vonnegut
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Post by Namaste23 »

I enjoyed reading McDowell. The book was unpredictable and made me want to keep reading to find out what was going to happened next. I didn't enjoy all the violence and misogyny but it was pertinent to the story. I would recommend reading this book especially if you like unpredictability.
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Post by HanElizabeth397 »

While he did get some form of redemption and did make some improvements, I still found his character incredibly dislikable and for me this made it hard for me to enjoy the book.
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Post by rhendel »

I rarely can’t finish a book but I just could not get through the first few chapters. It sounds like there’s redemption later in the story, but unfortunately I couldn’t even make it a 1/3 of the way through before I had to give up and move on.
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Post by Nichole Kurns »

I liked McDowell. It was a good self redemption story and it tackled issues like gun violence. My like and dislike are all around Hiram McDowell. I like how this character was developed and his attempts at self reflection. My dislike is how Hiram McDowell storyline ended. I think a different ending would have more of impact. I would recommend to others due to the main storyline is fully developed.
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Post by Readinggrl18 »

I thought this was a great book. The best part was how developed and interconnected the characters were. I will definitely recommend this book to others.
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Post by ObianujuJane »

Overall, I love the Book.. At the opening when be left his hiking partner I felt crushed and really annoyed at how someone could so easily pass over others because of his quest for power.

But his part to redemption and soul searching was the turning point for me.

I would gladly recommend this book to everyone.
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Post by Mary Lou Mills »

I was initially appalled at McDowell's character. What I liked best about the book was how he found redemption. There's hope for all of us. I also found it interesting how Mr. Coles kept the dialogue local as McDowell traveled to different places.
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Post by Smmwallace »

I loved this book. The characters were so well developed that I became thoroughly invested in them. McDowell's character at the onset was despicable, but by the end of the book, I was rooting for him. I didn't want this book to end!
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Post by photosynthesis19 »

I recently reviewed this book and liked it a lot. I found the beginning very confusing and felt that the author was jumping from one scene to the next without building coherent connections between the early chapters. It was about halfway into the first part when I started to really enjoy the book. The pace slowed down considerably and the plot and characters felt much more connected than at the beginning. At this point, the story started to feel much more interesting with all the unexpected twists and turns. I would definitely recommend this book to people who enjoy a good mystery story with a hint of philosophy woven into the narrative.
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