Review by SFGraham -- 2612 Cherryhill Lane by Glenn Vo
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SFGraham
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- Latest Review: 2612 Cherryhill Lane by Glenn Vo
Review by SFGraham -- 2612 Cherryhill Lane by Glenn Vo
[Following is a volunteer review of "2612 Cherryhill Lane" by Glenn Vo.]
I have just finished reading this wonderful book 2612 Cherryhill Lane by Glenn Vo which is full of optimism and hope. I have followed the journey of Jonathan McCalister, a successful football player on the brink of an amazing career, as he goes from total despair after his car accident where his baby sister was killed and he lost his legs to finally achieving self acceptance, forgiveness and gaining total happiness with the girl of his dreams. Johnathan is helped along his journey by a variety of friends and associates who all have an important part to play in his progression and development.
I liked the natural flow of the writing which led us through Johnathan's journey. There were no sudden shifts backwards or forwards in time and even though the entire journey takes about 5 years in real time, nothing is rushed and there are no sudden surprises. I liked the honesty of the author in portraying how each person in the family felt about the situation and how they individually tried to deal with it. Being a Mom myself meant I connected with the way Rose McCalister never gave up on her son, let him progress in his own time and in his own way whilst putting her own feelings to one side even though at times she was torn between her husband's feelings and supporting her son. The main female characters in this book were strong minded, determined and loving and all very different from each other and not stereotyped at all. The author repeats the story of what happened in "the accident" several times by Jonathan reliving it at different points in his journey and each time the emotion and regret is palpable and genuine and brought tears to my eyes.
For me the parts of the book which discussed technical aspects of football play were harder to follow because I have no knowledge of the sport whatsoever. Anyone with even a little knowledge of football could enjoy this book and similarly those who may have also suffered life changing injury. Readers of non-christian faiths might find it difficult to follow the religious discussions and references but nevertheless this is an important part of the story and perfectly inline with the location of where the characters live. I also wish the book had been longer following Jonathan and Samantha's relationship from her sisters wedding on to the end.
The book is exceptionally well edited, it follows a solid storyline and holds your attention well so because of this and also because of the way that we could understand the feelings and progression of the main character and learn something about ourselves I would give it a rating of 3 out of 4 stars.
Readers of all ages would enjoy the book from young teens to middle aged and they could relate to at least one of the main characters. Those interested in football as a sport would also be able to follow the technical side and understand the emotional journey of this young man. All in all I think we were all hoping for a happy ending !
******
2612 Cherryhill Lane
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
I have just finished reading this wonderful book 2612 Cherryhill Lane by Glenn Vo which is full of optimism and hope. I have followed the journey of Jonathan McCalister, a successful football player on the brink of an amazing career, as he goes from total despair after his car accident where his baby sister was killed and he lost his legs to finally achieving self acceptance, forgiveness and gaining total happiness with the girl of his dreams. Johnathan is helped along his journey by a variety of friends and associates who all have an important part to play in his progression and development.
I liked the natural flow of the writing which led us through Johnathan's journey. There were no sudden shifts backwards or forwards in time and even though the entire journey takes about 5 years in real time, nothing is rushed and there are no sudden surprises. I liked the honesty of the author in portraying how each person in the family felt about the situation and how they individually tried to deal with it. Being a Mom myself meant I connected with the way Rose McCalister never gave up on her son, let him progress in his own time and in his own way whilst putting her own feelings to one side even though at times she was torn between her husband's feelings and supporting her son. The main female characters in this book were strong minded, determined and loving and all very different from each other and not stereotyped at all. The author repeats the story of what happened in "the accident" several times by Jonathan reliving it at different points in his journey and each time the emotion and regret is palpable and genuine and brought tears to my eyes.
For me the parts of the book which discussed technical aspects of football play were harder to follow because I have no knowledge of the sport whatsoever. Anyone with even a little knowledge of football could enjoy this book and similarly those who may have also suffered life changing injury. Readers of non-christian faiths might find it difficult to follow the religious discussions and references but nevertheless this is an important part of the story and perfectly inline with the location of where the characters live. I also wish the book had been longer following Jonathan and Samantha's relationship from her sisters wedding on to the end.
The book is exceptionally well edited, it follows a solid storyline and holds your attention well so because of this and also because of the way that we could understand the feelings and progression of the main character and learn something about ourselves I would give it a rating of 3 out of 4 stars.
Readers of all ages would enjoy the book from young teens to middle aged and they could relate to at least one of the main characters. Those interested in football as a sport would also be able to follow the technical side and understand the emotional journey of this young man. All in all I think we were all hoping for a happy ending !
******
2612 Cherryhill Lane
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: 2612 Cherryhill Lane by Glenn Vo
