Official Review: Uncommon Counsel by Art Smith

Post by **Annelore Trujillo** » 05 Jun 2018, 12:03

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Uncommon Counsel" by Art Smith.]

4 out of 4 stars

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Uncommon Counsel by Art Smith is one of the best books I have read in a long time. It is written journal-style from William “Rip” Taylor’s point of view. Rip is a successful lawyer who works as a defense attorney in Colorado Springs. One might say he is one of the best lawyers around. He doesn’t lose cases, but he does have a little “secret”. He gets quite a bit of help from two Stellar’s jays, Mara and Kala. They advise him on which cases to take and which ones not to. They also give him information on the cases to help him win. The birds are never wrong, and they lead Rip to the truth of each case. It’s his job to turn their truth into a case that can be heard in court.

The problem is that he is the only person that can hear these birds, and his psychiatrist wants to make them go away. Rip has schizophrenia, a fact that he is well aware of. He knows that he has hallucinations, but he also knows that Mara and Kala are real. Other people can see them; they just can’t understand them. He knows that he can’t live life without medications; the other hallucinations make it too hard for him to function. Too much medication, however, makes it so he can’t understand his jays. Therefore, he must find a balance. What will he do when his new psychiatrist wants to mess with this balance and eliminate all of his symptoms? How will he live his life if he can’t understand Mara and Kala?

The perspective of the story was unique. I have never read a book from the point of view of someone with schizophrenia. Because this book was written journal-style, it really got inside Rip’s head. He wrote about his day, his hallucinations, and his conversations with the jays. My degree is in psychology, so this was really an interesting perspective for me. My logical, educated side wanted to agree with the psychiatrist. I kept thinking that it was dangerous for Rip to be so invested in his hallucinations. The other half of me sided with Rip. Mara and Kala couldn’t really be all in his head, could they?

This perspective combined with the pacing of the book had me not wanting to put the book down. I ended up reading it in just a couple of days. I loved that problems would be introduced with just the right amount suspense to make me really invest my thoughts into what would happen next. The timing was perfect; it was never too fast or too slow. The author also kept me wondering what would happen all the way until the end of the book. I could never quite guess what would happen next. I enjoyed the unpredictability of this storyline.

I also enjoyed the author’s style of writing. His use of vocabulary varied and wasn’t repetitive, which was impressive. I liked that curse words were used where appropriate, but they didn’t bog down the story. As a whole, this author had a very professional writing style even though topics such as drugs and prostitution were brought up. He talked about them in a way that didn’t make me uncomfortable. I think that it was done in a way that would even be appropriate for a young audience.

Because this was the author’s first published book, I really have to commend him for the almost flawless editing on this book. The book was almost completely free from errors. I think I can count all of them on one hand. I really appreciate this in books from new authors. I love when I can get through the story without being distracted by a ton of errors.

I give this book 4 out of 4 stars. It was very well-written and kept me engaged. There weren’t errors, and the author had a great style of writing. The style of this book was balanced in a way that I haven’t seen in a long time. This book would interest a broad audience, and I can’t think of any specific group that wouldn’t enjoy the book. I would recommend it specifically to anyone who has an interest in psychology and schizophrenia and would be interested in seeing it from the patient’s point of view.

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Uncommon Counsel
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arcie72 · Post by **arcie72** » 05 Jun 2018, 23:41

Thank you for a positive and engaging review. My degree is also in Psychology so I am excited that you enjoyed so much. I also have two to four Stellar Jays that visit my bird feeder so I smiled when I read about them in your review. I totally get about wanting to remove all his symptoms but is that the best for him? RIP sounds like a great character and the storyline sounds intriguing as it involves the law. I am starting to get interested. Great review!

Salihu Auwal Lugga · Post by **Salihu Auwal Lugga** » 06 Jun 2018, 00:00

There are some people I saw on the TV that have head injuries or brain tumor which come with super abilities and removing the disease means getting rid of them. Most often some of them prefer to stay untreated. This story is really a delimma that happens even in reality.

Riszell · Post by **Riszell** » 06 Jun 2018, 01:20

It is indeed difficult to study and understand human's mind. This journal-style story sounds really interesting. Reading this review reminded me of Lord Varys from Game of Thrones. He is the Master of Whisperers and get news from his birds.

Riszell · Post by **Riszell** » 06 Jun 2018, 01:23

While it is very interesting to delve and study people's mind. It is also very difficult and complicated. My sister is a major in psychology graduate and I learned many things from her. It is very intriguing and engaging to analyze a client's decision. It's like mind-reading but very complex.

joshfee77 · Post by **joshfee77** » 06 Jun 2018, 01:45

An unpredictable and unique book with almost no errors from a first time author is singularly impressive. Writing is a craft, and you do have to practice plenty to become particularly proficient, which Art Smith has clearly done! Really enjoyed your review.

Helen_Combe · Post by **Helen_Combe** » 06 Jun 2018, 02:52

What a unique story. And what a dilemma! Thank you for the review, I enjoyed reading it.

Samantha Simoneau · Post by **Samantha Simoneau** » 06 Jun 2018, 06:19

This one is definitely unique! I wanted to read it just for the experience of such a singular premise, but then you gave me a number of other reasons to check it out - sounds like a page-turner. Thanks for the great review and the recommendation!

Post by **kandscreeley** » 06 Jun 2018, 07:23

Wow! Almost flawless editing from a first time author is definitely commendable. This one sounds very unique. From the perspective of someone with schizophrenia who has two birds that are real that tell him which cases to take. Not something you see every day. Thanks for the review.

kdstrack · Post by **kdstrack** » 06 Jun 2018, 07:30

Well, that gives a whole new meaning to listening to the birds sing! Sounds like a very unique story line. Thanks for such an interesting review. This book really has me intrigued!

kfwilson6 · Post by **kfwilson6** » 06 Jun 2018, 08:21

What a unique premise for a book. I can see being torn between letting him continue to talk to the birds and insisting that he treat his schizophrenia to the fullest possible extent. It sounds as if he is a really smart guy and the birds are his manifestation of his subconscious thoughts. It's all his own ideas coming out in an unusual form to help him with his cases. I am very interested in this book after reading your review. I love psychology!

Jackie Holycross · Post by **Jackie Holycross** » 06 Jun 2018, 19:22

This reminds me of that movie, A Beautiful Mind. It sounds like a compelling take on a very complex problem. I'd like to read it.

Kristy Khem · Post by **Kristy Khem** » 07 Jun 2018, 10:09

Wow. Certainly sounds like an interesting plot written from a unique perspective! Good job on your review

Suzy1611 · Post by **Suzy1611** » 13 Jun 2018, 17:17

Two birds that give advice. And he never lost a case. WOW! It sounds interesting.
Reminds me of that phrase, A little bird told me so. Or something like that. Thanks for the interesting review.