Review by Dave Manny -- The Spirit of Want
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Dave Manny
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Review by Dave Manny -- The Spirit of Want
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Spirit of Want" by William H. Coles.]
The Spirit of Want by William H. Coles is a fast paced novel about a family who appears successful and respectable but is quite dysfunctional. The story especially follows the life of the family’s adopted daughter, Lucy MacMiel, and the decisions she makes based on what she perceives as right and wrong.
The synopsis of the book was misleading as it was described as a hard hitting law thriller, when in actuality, it was the life story of Lucy MacMiel after she meet her father’s work colleague, Luke Osbourne. The development of the main character, Lucy, was excellent, however, the personality of the other characters had to be gleaned from the roles they played in the book and the way they reacted to different situations. The story unfolds as Lucy uses her insecurities and ego to make life changing decisions that affected the people involved in her life. Additionally, and more interestingly, the story also looks at the medical system around ophthalmology and the injustices meted out by hospital surgeons and administration to save face during times when they should stand up for what is right.
I rated this story two out of four stars because it was too realistic to be enjoyable. The story was very interesting and fast paced but none of the characters were memorable enough to want you to root for them. Getting lost in a sea of good feelings provided by a story is the purpose of reading fictional writing but this story is very depressing as it explores the selfishness of many people and the injustices that innocent bystanders have to endure because of it. There were a few grammatical errors in the writing but, in general, it was a well written story.
There was a twist in the book that was all the more delightful because I did not see it coming, but the thrill of the twist fizzled out in a very short time as the author did not use it to any meaningful degree in the story. In the transition from part 1 to part 2 of the book, the role played by A.J. MacMiel, Lucy’s father, changed but that is never revealed outright in the story and instead, only when he takes action to have the family home sold is the implied change confirmed.
There is a small amount of profanity in the story, however it does not detract from the story and instead draws attention to how serious the point being made is. This story may not be suitable for persons who have lost children or other loved ones to illness or persons that are skeptics where television evangelists are concerned.
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The Spirit of Want
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
The Spirit of Want by William H. Coles is a fast paced novel about a family who appears successful and respectable but is quite dysfunctional. The story especially follows the life of the family’s adopted daughter, Lucy MacMiel, and the decisions she makes based on what she perceives as right and wrong.
The synopsis of the book was misleading as it was described as a hard hitting law thriller, when in actuality, it was the life story of Lucy MacMiel after she meet her father’s work colleague, Luke Osbourne. The development of the main character, Lucy, was excellent, however, the personality of the other characters had to be gleaned from the roles they played in the book and the way they reacted to different situations. The story unfolds as Lucy uses her insecurities and ego to make life changing decisions that affected the people involved in her life. Additionally, and more interestingly, the story also looks at the medical system around ophthalmology and the injustices meted out by hospital surgeons and administration to save face during times when they should stand up for what is right.
I rated this story two out of four stars because it was too realistic to be enjoyable. The story was very interesting and fast paced but none of the characters were memorable enough to want you to root for them. Getting lost in a sea of good feelings provided by a story is the purpose of reading fictional writing but this story is very depressing as it explores the selfishness of many people and the injustices that innocent bystanders have to endure because of it. There were a few grammatical errors in the writing but, in general, it was a well written story.
There was a twist in the book that was all the more delightful because I did not see it coming, but the thrill of the twist fizzled out in a very short time as the author did not use it to any meaningful degree in the story. In the transition from part 1 to part 2 of the book, the role played by A.J. MacMiel, Lucy’s father, changed but that is never revealed outright in the story and instead, only when he takes action to have the family home sold is the implied change confirmed.
There is a small amount of profanity in the story, however it does not detract from the story and instead draws attention to how serious the point being made is. This story may not be suitable for persons who have lost children or other loved ones to illness or persons that are skeptics where television evangelists are concerned.
******
The Spirit of Want
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
Latest Review: The Mindset by Ace Bowers
