Review of Racket Boy

[Amiczy Heaven]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Racket Boy" by Philip George.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Racket Boy by Philip George is a book that delves into the journey of a young boy whose adventure calls out to him. The book is a memoir that follows Philip George from the time he was in primary school until his retirement in Italy. Philip George’s father left Kerala for Malaya, which would later be Malaysia, in 1935 and married his mother, who also moved to Malaya. They had five children, of which Philip George was the first. He was interested in the outdoors, loved sports, and was especially good at badminton. His father made no attempt to conceal his displeasure with his son's poor academic performance while ignoring his son's strength in sports. Philp George moves to England, and badminton becomes the key to accessing great doors.

I liked Philip George’s determination. Despite not having his father’s support and despite all the odds he faced from his teachers and other pupils, he did not stop; he kept thriving; he took his own future into his own hands and was successful. His story was motivating for me and gave me inner strength. The author also shared a lot of amazing history; there was much to learn. I liked how real his father was; this wasn’t one of those memoirs I would read and wonder if everything I'd read was real or made up. There wasn’t a story that I doubted. The author's stories provided insight into the relationship between parents and their children. We could see his rocky relationship with his father and his close relationship with his mother. I also enjoyed all the adventures he went on. My favourite was the trip to Limau Manis, an adventure he took alone as a young boy after playing with his friends.

The author did a great job writing this book; however, it lacked all the emotions I thought it would have. There wasn’t a time I was deeply sad, and although the book had sad events, it did not stir up sadness in me. Even the successes did not elicit happiness; maybe this lack of emotions comes from the author’s lifestyle. He didn’t exactly understand people’s feelings; he was more of an outward person, which isn’t surprising, seeing as he loved the outdoors. Apart from this, there was nothing else that I did not like about this book. The stories he told were absolutely fun and motivating.

For a book that gave me inner strength and didn’t give me a reason to doubt anything, I’d give it 4 out of 5 stars. I deducted a star because it didn’t evoke emotions. I understand that this is a result of the author’s personality, but it did affect my reading. Only the historical events evoked emotions; his personal stories didn't, and I was looking forward to being happy or sad with him, but I didn’t get much of that opportunity. However, the book was wonderfully written and perfectly edited; I did not find any errors in it.

If you are thinking of making that one big move, this book is for you. You will not only be inspired by his success but also learn from his mistakes. People who are interested in adventures will be interested in this book; there are many adventures available, ranging from marathons to circling and various sports and travels. People who enjoy history will also love reading this book.

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Racket Boy
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[Edwardsjay]

This storyline brings messages of hope and determination. I will add this book to my shelf. Great review.

[ViviVivid]

True stories have the strength to make you feel motivated, reading about how others overcame their fears and achieved success. Thanks for the review!

[Mhiz Vyi Vyan]

Never give up and you will get through anything. This is a great review, well worth.