Review of Deceptive Calm
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sayjil gordhan
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Review of Deceptive Calm
[Following is a volunteer review of "Deceptive Calm" by Patricia Skipper.]
Deceptive Calm is set in the 1960s in Charleston. The story follows Vanessa, who is best friends with Trisha. They are both of different races: Trisha (White) and Vanessa (Black). This is important to the story as segregation was prominent in that period. The reader follows Vanessa more closely than Trisha. Vanessa is a child who was given up for adoption as a baby. However, her childhood at the orphanage was good as she was raised by a wonderful lady, Sister Rosalie. Due to her light-colored skin, Vanessa often gets mistaken for White. The reader can follow Vanessa’s journey from teenager to womanhood. Vanessa runs away and decides to embrace her “Whiteness” by committing a felony, and the reader is then swept away by the drama, friendship, and lessons of Vanessa's journey.
The book is written in the third person. Part of the dialogue between teens feels forced more than organic. However, the dialogue between adults feels more authentic. This is especially apparent when race and politics are the topics. I think that the characters needed more depth and description. For example, Vanessa is described as beautiful repeatedly, but what features that make her beautiful or what characteristics she has are left up to the reader's imagination. I do think that the plot of this book should’ve been more refined. For example, due to many events within the book, the reader might be confused as to what the main plot is. The author's prose proves to be skilled and has much potential in producing books with good plots and characters.
The main reason I liked this book was that it was not written in a melancholy tone. The reader can discern that the main characters radiate positivity and goodness. I liked that Vanessa's problems were more focused on her being a teenager and lacking emotional intelligence, rather than her problems arising from race. Even though some events are quite serious, the author maintains a levity and respect for that situation, but it will most likely not depress the reader. I did like the ingenuity of the storyline, as I have not quite read something similar to this book. The American history focal point of this book was highly fascinating to me, as I know a bare minimum of American history. I think going into this book with an open mind has made it enjoyable for me.
The book contains themes of colorism, racism, and segregation. The book contains sexual content and profanity. I would not recommend this book to young readers. I recommend this book to people who like stories set in American history. I would like to state that my knowledge of American history isn’t good enough for me to state the accuracy of historical events within this book. I did enjoy this book, as the author is an amazing writer and the plot was truly unique. I believe that 4 out of 5 stars is an appropriate rating.
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Deceptive Calm
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Deceptive Calm is set in the 1960s in Charleston. The story follows Vanessa, who is best friends with Trisha. They are both of different races: Trisha (White) and Vanessa (Black). This is important to the story as segregation was prominent in that period. The reader follows Vanessa more closely than Trisha. Vanessa is a child who was given up for adoption as a baby. However, her childhood at the orphanage was good as she was raised by a wonderful lady, Sister Rosalie. Due to her light-colored skin, Vanessa often gets mistaken for White. The reader can follow Vanessa’s journey from teenager to womanhood. Vanessa runs away and decides to embrace her “Whiteness” by committing a felony, and the reader is then swept away by the drama, friendship, and lessons of Vanessa's journey.
The book is written in the third person. Part of the dialogue between teens feels forced more than organic. However, the dialogue between adults feels more authentic. This is especially apparent when race and politics are the topics. I think that the characters needed more depth and description. For example, Vanessa is described as beautiful repeatedly, but what features that make her beautiful or what characteristics she has are left up to the reader's imagination. I do think that the plot of this book should’ve been more refined. For example, due to many events within the book, the reader might be confused as to what the main plot is. The author's prose proves to be skilled and has much potential in producing books with good plots and characters.
The main reason I liked this book was that it was not written in a melancholy tone. The reader can discern that the main characters radiate positivity and goodness. I liked that Vanessa's problems were more focused on her being a teenager and lacking emotional intelligence, rather than her problems arising from race. Even though some events are quite serious, the author maintains a levity and respect for that situation, but it will most likely not depress the reader. I did like the ingenuity of the storyline, as I have not quite read something similar to this book. The American history focal point of this book was highly fascinating to me, as I know a bare minimum of American history. I think going into this book with an open mind has made it enjoyable for me.
The book contains themes of colorism, racism, and segregation. The book contains sexual content and profanity. I would not recommend this book to young readers. I recommend this book to people who like stories set in American history. I would like to state that my knowledge of American history isn’t good enough for me to state the accuracy of historical events within this book. I did enjoy this book, as the author is an amazing writer and the plot was truly unique. I believe that 4 out of 5 stars is an appropriate rating.
******
Deceptive Calm
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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Gerry Steen
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Like you, I enjoyed reading this story. Even though Sister Rosalie was a supporting character, she was my favorite. Her personality was bigger than life. The author hit a home run by creating Sister Rosalie's character. I also enjoyed the historical references to the South, Carolina in particular. The plots kept me enthralled as there was a lot of suspense.
Latest Review: Red Spy in Harbin by Mark Oulton
