Official Review: A Thing of Dark Imaginings

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joshfee77
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Official Review: A Thing of Dark Imaginings

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[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A Thing of Dark Imaginings" by Roger Alan Bonner.]
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4 out of 4 stars
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A Thing of Dark Imaginings by Roger Alan Bonner is a crime thriller exploring the current gun violence issue in the United States. Lebanese-American Amir Hawari and his wife Serena lose their daughter Lelah in a mass shooting at Whitetop Mountain College in Virginia. Lelah was their only child. The shooting claims the lives of seventeen students, one teacher, and the shooter, 27-year-old taxi driver Larry Bright. Amir is a quiet, introverted man who struggles greatly with the burden of losing his daughter. He begins to hallucinate, seeing Lelah at various ages in public locations. One day, a deep voice begins to speak in his mind, entreating him to enact vengeance on gun-peddlers like the executives at the National Rifle Association (NRA). Amir thinks of this evil voice as the Beast...

This book opened with a particularly powerful and sickening scene, as Inspector Roundtree of the Virginia police walked into the aftermath of the school shooting at Lelah's college. Bonner's depiction of the carnage was visceral and disturbing as we followed Roundtree through the scene, reconstructing the events that had just occurred. I have read a lot of crime thrillers and have probably become a little desensitised to violence, but this scene hit me right in the gut.

Bonner's writing was gripping and intense, providing a fascinating study of the dark side of human nature. His descriptive sentences and dialogue were short and punchy, making for an easy and enjoyable read. He also used commas correctly all through the book, in direct contrast to much disappointing editing I have seen in other books I have reviewed. The addition of Roundtree's perspective made for an excellent combination of revenge thriller and police procedural.

The pacing of the story was fantastic. The plot moved forward consistently with very few lulls in the action. The tension built beautifully throughout, especially for the scenes from Amir's point of view. Mass shootings in America are particularly topical now, especially with the "March For Our Lives" youth movement after the shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Valentine's Day this year. I felt that the current gun violence debate - and the NRA's complacency toward the loss of human life - were accurately depicted by the author.

The only minor negative I could find was a handful of minor errors, but they did not detract from my enjoyment of the book. A Thing of Dark Imaginings is an excellent thriller and I have no hesitation in awarding it 4 out of 4 stars. The story was tense and engaging and I really enjoyed the ending. This book would appeal to any fan of powerful crime thrillers, but be aware there are some graphic scenes of gun violence and its aftermath which may deter some readers.

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A Thing of Dark Imaginings
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wemimo the 1st lady
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Post by wemimo the 1st lady »

After going through this summary of the book a thing of dark beginning by roger Alan Bonner, I can only say circumstances changed amir a decent person into a gunman himself with a different purpose of vengeance. It was his own way of dealing with a terrible loss that overwhelmed him it isn't a bad book as it depicts what is going on in the American society today.
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Post by Allyseria »

It sounds like an action-packed book! The theme of it feels a little raw for me because the reality of it happening in America makes me want to avoid reading it because I don't think I'll be able to handle it. But it sounds like it will be a thought-provoking read on gun violence. Thank you for your review.
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Post by Bianka Walter »

You're so right - we do become desensitised by graphic violence in books. But a school shooting is not fun to read about, no matter how it gets written. It's also been a while since I have seen commas finding their right homes. Lucky you!
Awesome review :)
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Post by kdstrack »

It is hard to imagine the pain a parent goes through when they lose a grown child. Sounds like a powerful story. This topic touches a societal wound that is open and hurting right now. Great review!
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Post by Sakilunamermaid »

The fact that this book starts with the school shooting is a bit of a deterrent for me to want to read this. Saying that I do enjoy books that show a study of human behavior and vigilante reactions/ thoughts. I will be checking this book out and hope that the descriptive writing and dialogue can make this an enjoyable read.
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Post by joshfee77 »

wemimo the 1st lady wrote: 31 Aug 2018, 18:04 After going through this summary of the book a thing of dark beginning by roger Alan Bonner, I can only say circumstances changed amir a decent person into a gunman himself with a different purpose of vengeance. It was his own way of dealing with a terrible loss that overwhelmed him it isn't a bad book as it depicts what is going on in the American society today.
Yeah, a very powerful story about a subject that is particularly topical right now. Thanks for commenting.
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Post by joshfee77 »

Allyseria wrote: 31 Aug 2018, 18:38 It sounds like an action-packed book! The theme of it feels a little raw for me because the reality of it happening in America makes me want to avoid reading it because I don't think I'll be able to handle it. But it sounds like it will be a thought-provoking read on gun violence. Thank you for your review.
You're right - the subject matter was gut-wrenching. But a very well-written book with plenty of action and suspense.
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joshfee77
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Post by joshfee77 »

Bianka Walter wrote: 01 Sep 2018, 05:22 You're so right - we do become desensitised by graphic violence in books. But a school shooting is not fun to read about, no matter how it gets written. It's also been a while since I have seen commas finding their right homes. Lucky you!
Awesome review :)
Thanks! It is definitely disturbing how desensitised we have become to violence in the modern world.
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joshfee77
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Post by joshfee77 »

kdstrack wrote: 02 Sep 2018, 07:38 It is hard to imagine the pain a parent goes through when they lose a grown child. Sounds like a powerful story. This topic touches a societal wound that is open and hurting right now. Great review!
Thank you! Amir's personal pain certainly made this a powerful story.
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Post by joshfee77 »

Sakilunamermaid wrote: 02 Sep 2018, 18:45 The fact that this book starts with the school shooting is a bit of a deterrent for me to want to read this. Saying that I do enjoy books that show a study of human behavior and vigilante reactions/ thoughts. I will be checking this book out and hope that the descriptive writing and dialogue can make this an enjoyable read.
The opening scene is disturbing, but this is nonetheless a compelling read. Thanks for your comments.
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Post by kandscreeley »

This sounds like it has some themes that are so important for our world today. I've read books like this before that are so engaging that you just want to keep reading. After they are done, though, they leave you with a lot to think about. I love books like that. Thanks for the review!
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Post by CryptQueen »

This book looks sooo good I'm purchasing it on Amazon right now.
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Post by joshfee77 »

CryptQueen wrote: 16 Sep 2018, 20:19 This book looks sooo good I'm purchasing it on Amazon right now.
It is a great read! You won't be disappointed.
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Post by joshfee77 »

kandscreeley wrote: 04 Sep 2018, 10:37 This sounds like it has some themes that are so important for our world today. I've read books like this before that are so engaging that you just want to keep reading. After they are done, though, they leave you with a lot to think about. I love books like that. Thanks for the review!
An incredibly powerful and relevant theme with all the gun violence and mass shootings in the US. A compelling read. Thanks for your comments.
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