Official Review: Helpless (Book one) by Cheyenne Stoddard

[Stephanie Elizabeth]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Helpless (Book one)" by Cheyenne Stoddard.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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Talon Adams' life is a nightmare. He is tortured mercilessly at school and then goes home to endure more brutality at the hands of his miserable parents. Born with albinism, his paperwhite skin and pink eyes are a constant source of anguish. Everyone in his town treats him like a freak—he feels incredibly alone.

At the brink of his suffering, a dark-haired boy named David moves into town and begins attending Talon's high school. He takes an intense interest in the white-haired boy and starts protecting Talon from the vicious bullies. Talon is skeptical, wondering who this mystery person is and what he wants. No one has ever shown him a shroud of compassion. Still, it's impossible to ignore his burgeoning feelings for David. Can he trust him?

Helpless (Book one) is the first book in a new series written by Cheyenne Stoddard. It has a little bit of everything for readers—coming-of-age, romance, and a touch of the supernatural weaved into the storyline. The book takes place in Milan, Ohio, where the population is small, and the tolerance for Talon's appearance is even smaller. The book is told from the third-person perspective and follows the teen as he stands up to bullies, falls in love, and learns who can be trusted and who cannot.

My favorite thing about the book was Talon's character development. The author did an excellent job of portraying a victim's plight—the somber disposition, the self-loathing, and the inability to trust others. It was easy to identify how Talon felt in each situation because of how well I got to know his character at the beginning of the novel.

My main complaint about the book was how gruesome it was. The scenes of violence were undeniably disturbing to the point that I felt nauseated and had to put the book down. Blood spattering, body-slamming and merciless beatings seemed to follow any sign of disagreement. It was as if the characters were incapable of using words to solve problems. While a lot of the violence made sense in the book's context, I feel like it was more than I could handle at times. I especially had a hard time stomaching a particular scene where a male's genitals are mutilated by being repeatedly struck by a metal bar.

Another thing that I found off-putting was the inconsistency in pacing. The first half of the book unfolds steadily, introducing characters and exploring the relationships that Talon forms. The same cannot be said for the last quarter of the book, which seems rushed with an ending that comes out of nowhere. While I enjoy surprise endings, I think the author could have done a better job of leading readers to the dark conclusion.

Despite the above complaints, the book was exceptionally well-edited, and I found no errors. With that being said, I have chosen to give the book a rating of two out of four stars. I did not enjoy the violence, and the ending was rather anticlimactic and confusing, but Talon's character was multidimensional, and I enjoyed learning about him.

If you love rooting for the underdog and enjoy books with strong character development, I would recommend reading this novel. For readers triggered by extreme violence and scenes of sexual assault, I would dissuade them from picking up the story. The book is laced with offensive language and disturbing scenes that may be unpalatable for some readers.

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Helpless (Book one)
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[MarveeAman]

Endings are always important for me, I wish the author had put more effort to it. Thanks for an honest review.

[GoodLuck ES]

I love rooting for the underdog. I love defending the oppressed. I love that David stood up for Talon. That's what humanity should be about; defending the defenceless.

Exceptional review.

[Njatha77]

The violence sounds too gruesome than I can handle; therefore, I'm not reading this one. Nice review anyways.

[Stephanie Elizabeth]

Endings are always important for me, I wish the author had put more effort to it. Thanks for an honest review.

Thanks for your comment!

[Jennifer Garcia 555]

This sounds like an interesting story, but it is too violent for me. Thank you for your review.

[PeterRabitt20]

Though the book seems like it raises awareness about bullying and domestic abuse, the scenes you described are too strong for my taste. Thanks for your review!

[Kennedy NC]

The feeling of being alone and being victim to bullies and abuse is indeed a very sore one. Thankful help came along the way. Great review.

[markodim721]

This is definitely a book I want to read, even when the disturbing parts are taken into account. Thanks for the thorough review.

[Kavita Shah]

Scenes of extreme violence can churn the insides and make one feel sick. It sounds awful that Talon was treated like that.

Thank you for reviewing the book!

[Suzer6440 xyz]

This sounds like something I may want to read . Although it looks like it may have some violence that may be a bit saddening for me. Putting on my bookshelf. Thanks for your thourough review!!