Review by mel_b -- Mixed Blessings by J.M. Muse
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mel_b
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- Latest Review: Mixed Blessings by J.M. Muse
Review by mel_b -- Mixed Blessings by J.M. Muse
[Following is a volunteer review of "Mixed Blessings" by J.M. Muse.]
Book: Mixed Blessings
Author: J.M Muse
"Mixed Blessings" is a novel I would categorize as drama and slice of life. It takes place in a modern-day America where people such as Malcolm X and Martin Luther King did not exist. A world where people of color still face discrimination and racial inequality in everyday life. This novel surrounds our two leading characters, Kublai Khan, a black young man who is also a minister trying to fit himself in the political industry, and Kim, a mixed Jewish and Latina young girl in search of love and acceptance in an unforgiving world. The book bounces between their stories and a few other side characters. Kublai Khan is the minister to a devoted church and produces a plan to wipe out the white race. He wants to use the "Mocha Effect" in order to fulfill his dream of a black-only race world. Continue reading to see his plan unfold to success... or completely fail. On the other side of the story, we have Kim, a young mixed girl who is in search of many things including love, acceptance, truth, and overall herself. Continue reading to find out how she overcomes these obstacles and finds out who she really is outside of the color of her skin.
As much as I wanted it to be good, this book was quite disappointing. I was excited to read about how this author had interpreted a world without these notable influential figures, but instead, I was given a book with a plot that ran all over the place. My most significant problem was purely the plot. I found that it was hard to concentrate and properly understand each leg and branch of the story. I had to go back and re-read chapters just to figure out what was going on. It was as if I was reading 4 different stories at once. I was unable to recognize the connections between characters and the relevance of others. It was, unfortunately, difficult to read and was hard to follow.
In terms of writing and grammar, the book was perfect. I found little to no problems what so ever in regards to spelling or grammar. The individual chapters and the writing style were honestly not bad. Although as I expressed before I had trouble following the plot, the writing was not too shabby and at times I found quite captivating. The descriptions were exceptional and made it easy for me to visualize unique events throughout the book. In these terms, it was great.
My favorite part of the books was the chapters surrounding Kim. I found myself really interested in this character. The way the author described the struggles she went through during the book had me entranced. I appreciated the way the author had written the thought process and events surrounding Kim especially. I believe what set her apart from the rest was me finding myself relating to her in small ways. I found myself sympathizing and slowly becoming more and more attached to this character.
This novel does contain erotic scenes. That is where I draw the line in terms of the audience of this book. I would not recommend this to a younger audience, there are scenes and chapters that are not appropriate for ages 13 and under. There are also swear words in this novel. It does contain foul language. I would say that teenagers above 13 should be able to read this but only with parental consent. People with a more mature mindset would probably enjoy this novel more than I did.
Overall, this novel was not the best hit for me. But, I would recommend others to read this. Some of my opinions are just based on what has really clicked for me in the past, and this novel did not reach those same standards. Because of the plot, I give this book a 3 out of 4 stars, but I do have high hopes for this author.
******
Mixed Blessings
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Book: Mixed Blessings
Author: J.M Muse
"Mixed Blessings" is a novel I would categorize as drama and slice of life. It takes place in a modern-day America where people such as Malcolm X and Martin Luther King did not exist. A world where people of color still face discrimination and racial inequality in everyday life. This novel surrounds our two leading characters, Kublai Khan, a black young man who is also a minister trying to fit himself in the political industry, and Kim, a mixed Jewish and Latina young girl in search of love and acceptance in an unforgiving world. The book bounces between their stories and a few other side characters. Kublai Khan is the minister to a devoted church and produces a plan to wipe out the white race. He wants to use the "Mocha Effect" in order to fulfill his dream of a black-only race world. Continue reading to see his plan unfold to success... or completely fail. On the other side of the story, we have Kim, a young mixed girl who is in search of many things including love, acceptance, truth, and overall herself. Continue reading to find out how she overcomes these obstacles and finds out who she really is outside of the color of her skin.
As much as I wanted it to be good, this book was quite disappointing. I was excited to read about how this author had interpreted a world without these notable influential figures, but instead, I was given a book with a plot that ran all over the place. My most significant problem was purely the plot. I found that it was hard to concentrate and properly understand each leg and branch of the story. I had to go back and re-read chapters just to figure out what was going on. It was as if I was reading 4 different stories at once. I was unable to recognize the connections between characters and the relevance of others. It was, unfortunately, difficult to read and was hard to follow.
In terms of writing and grammar, the book was perfect. I found little to no problems what so ever in regards to spelling or grammar. The individual chapters and the writing style were honestly not bad. Although as I expressed before I had trouble following the plot, the writing was not too shabby and at times I found quite captivating. The descriptions were exceptional and made it easy for me to visualize unique events throughout the book. In these terms, it was great.
My favorite part of the books was the chapters surrounding Kim. I found myself really interested in this character. The way the author described the struggles she went through during the book had me entranced. I appreciated the way the author had written the thought process and events surrounding Kim especially. I believe what set her apart from the rest was me finding myself relating to her in small ways. I found myself sympathizing and slowly becoming more and more attached to this character.
This novel does contain erotic scenes. That is where I draw the line in terms of the audience of this book. I would not recommend this to a younger audience, there are scenes and chapters that are not appropriate for ages 13 and under. There are also swear words in this novel. It does contain foul language. I would say that teenagers above 13 should be able to read this but only with parental consent. People with a more mature mindset would probably enjoy this novel more than I did.
Overall, this novel was not the best hit for me. But, I would recommend others to read this. Some of my opinions are just based on what has really clicked for me in the past, and this novel did not reach those same standards. Because of the plot, I give this book a 3 out of 4 stars, but I do have high hopes for this author.
******
Mixed Blessings
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Mixed Blessings by J.M. Muse
