Official Review: Five by Janine Ellis Fynn

[Awilson531]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Five" by Janine Ellis Fynn.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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5ive by Janine Ellis-Fynn is a heartfelt story which I think will appeal particularly to women because the plot covers the lives of several women and tells the tales of misfortune and tragedy they have all sadly experienced in their lives. The women are interlinked and connected through the friendships they forge as a result of their negative life experiences in the past.

I particularly liked the main message of the story the most. It highlights how women can be strong, courageous characters and, with solid support systems from like-minded people, are able to conquer pain and difficulty to eventually flourish and thrive in life. I found this message inspiring as the strong female leads like the character of Diane, who has experienced trauma in her life since a young age, resonated with me and gave me hope and courage.

The story links closely to religious themes, particularly Christianity in that the female protagonists often reflect upon their personal relationships with God and Christianity. For this reason, I believe this book would appeal in particular to Christians as the character's own relationships with Christianity are somewhat relatable in their questions, fears and doubts of both God and the religion itself.

I feel it important to point out the aspect I liked the least, which was the fact that there are many characters and names mentioned throughout the story especially in the early stages. Although this confusion with characters and names eased in the latter parts of the book, I found it difficult at first to keep up with the many names which at times felt like they were dropped into the plot with little context. However, I do feel like this contributed to the fast-paced and tense mood created at several points in the book which was mostly engaging.

I would rate this book 2 out of 4 stars. Although I enjoyed the characterisation of the strong female protagonists and the exploration of trauma, trust and friendship, I found the storyline to be slightly overwhelming at times. I awarded 2 stars rather than 1 due to the seemingly excellent editing of the book and the well written characters. However, I did not award 3 or 4 stars because of the slightly niche readership and confusing elements nearer the start of the story. Overall, 5ive makes for an inspirational and captivating read for those who enjoy an adrenaline inducing story.

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Five
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[Gabrielle Sigaki]

I love books with well written characters, too bad this one is so confusing like this. Thanks for the informative review!