2 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Out of Control is a short fiction novel written by Keith B. McMullin Sr. and published in July of 2016. The main character, David, is introduced to the reader as an 8th grader suffering from a difficult childhood, where all he wants is to fit in. The story follows David from a young age to well in to adulthood, showing how his life changed, yet some things remained the same. While the story takes place over several years, the main two time periods are while David is in 8th grade and while in his early 20's. As a child at home, David is ignored and left to fend for himself. When at school, he fails to achieve and falls far behind due to no participation. When legal intervention finally steps in and David is forced to attend a boarding school, he learns more about becoming a part of society.
David owes the change in his life to the successful program he was placed in at the boarding school. Once he is an adult and sent to continue life on his own, he struggles with balancing what he thinks he wants with what he actually needs. When the new girl at the apartment complex that David lives in starts struggling while moving her boxes, David introduces himself and they jump quicky in to what can seem like the perfect relationship. David thinks he has found all he could ever ask for- until he meets Jacky, a cashier that seems to be continuously catching his attention. Will David make the right choice with the two women he's been spending his time with, or will he lose them both in the process? Will David actually end up finding himself along the way?
Although this short story is labeled as fiction, it felt more like a memoir of a regetful life. Some parts of the story seemed to have no purpose other than as a filler, while other parts could have used some more elaboration- such as what type of lessons David learned while in the boarding school. As a huge fan of books about overcoming difficult cirumstances, I was pleased with how this story was laid out, showing people the positive aspects that come along with making changes. This novel deals with friendship, depression, lack of self control, self acceptance, finding love, and finding yourself.
While reading Out of Control, I came across some errors- showing that the novel could use another run through of editing. There were multiple misspellings that could be easily caught, such as, collage/college, knew/new, there/their. There were also a handful of choppy sentences that could have been smoothed out with comma placements.
Although I did find some errors while reading Out of Control, I generally liked the idea that went along with the story, and I also liked the aspect of not always having a happy ending for every character. There were some times that I felt like the story seemed dull, which I feel should not happen so easily with such a short novel. Due to that along with the errors, I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars. I would recommend this book to others who are looking for a quick and easy read, one that will still provide dramatics while staying light enough to read in one sitting.
******
Out of Control
View: on Bookshelves
Like klbradley's review? Post a comment saying so!
