Review of Deceptive Calm
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Amy Longmore
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- Latest Review: Deceptive Calm by Patricia Skipper
Review of Deceptive Calm
[Following is a volunteer review of "Deceptive Calm" by Patricia Skipper.]
The novel Deceptive Calm by Patricia Skipper introduces Vanessa, a young Black woman in her teens, set in the south during the turbulent 60’s. However, the author provides interesting twists throughout the woman’s life over several decades. It addresses the battles that occurred for inequality with both Black individuals and women. There are a few characters who have supported and shaped Vanessa into the woman she is and who she becomes. Those include a strong best friend from school, a Black nun who raised Vanessa in the orphanage, and a young man whose father is the doctor of the Black hospital in town. Vanessa’s best friend remains throughout the story even though the two women are split by geography. She serves as a pillar of support who holds Vanessa’s secret and helps to anchor her as she deals with various trials in her life. The nun serves as Vanessa’s voice of reason and strength. Sister Roe is a loveable character in the story who is filled with tidbits of American history, albeit sometimes unsolicited (not that she pays any mind to their protests).
This was a very enjoyable read. Typically, novels with a lot of historical facts cause me to lose interest. However, Skipper’s easy-to-read writing style that weaves the facts into the story turns those facts into fun tidbits. The character development of the main characters is well done, and they feel realistic and relatable. As a personal preference, I would have liked to see the character of Barry be a bit more developed as he serves to be a pivotal character in the story. It was hard for me to really fall in love with him to the extent that a reader would need to truly feel the emotion felt by Vanessa. In fact, there were a few times that I felt distrust for Barry…even the first encounter of them together. I truly enjoyed how the author intertwined history, mystery, and romance throughout the book. There were a few sexual scenes in the story that may be considered graphic by some; however, I believe it added to the understanding of just how naïve Vanessa is. The bottom line is Deceptive Calm is a quick read and was hard for me to put down. The only additional comment / suggestion would be to rework the ending as it fell flat for me. There was such great tension within the book which allowed the reader to root for Vanessa; however, once the actual resolution came it was as if the “ahhhhh” heart swelling moment was missing. Regardless, the ending was still sweet, just could use more development. I would give this story 4 out of 5 stars due to the fact there were just a few minor editing errors at the end of the book, as well as the aforementioned need to develop the ending and the character of Barry a little more.
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Deceptive Calm
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The novel Deceptive Calm by Patricia Skipper introduces Vanessa, a young Black woman in her teens, set in the south during the turbulent 60’s. However, the author provides interesting twists throughout the woman’s life over several decades. It addresses the battles that occurred for inequality with both Black individuals and women. There are a few characters who have supported and shaped Vanessa into the woman she is and who she becomes. Those include a strong best friend from school, a Black nun who raised Vanessa in the orphanage, and a young man whose father is the doctor of the Black hospital in town. Vanessa’s best friend remains throughout the story even though the two women are split by geography. She serves as a pillar of support who holds Vanessa’s secret and helps to anchor her as she deals with various trials in her life. The nun serves as Vanessa’s voice of reason and strength. Sister Roe is a loveable character in the story who is filled with tidbits of American history, albeit sometimes unsolicited (not that she pays any mind to their protests).
This was a very enjoyable read. Typically, novels with a lot of historical facts cause me to lose interest. However, Skipper’s easy-to-read writing style that weaves the facts into the story turns those facts into fun tidbits. The character development of the main characters is well done, and they feel realistic and relatable. As a personal preference, I would have liked to see the character of Barry be a bit more developed as he serves to be a pivotal character in the story. It was hard for me to really fall in love with him to the extent that a reader would need to truly feel the emotion felt by Vanessa. In fact, there were a few times that I felt distrust for Barry…even the first encounter of them together. I truly enjoyed how the author intertwined history, mystery, and romance throughout the book. There were a few sexual scenes in the story that may be considered graphic by some; however, I believe it added to the understanding of just how naïve Vanessa is. The bottom line is Deceptive Calm is a quick read and was hard for me to put down. The only additional comment / suggestion would be to rework the ending as it fell flat for me. There was such great tension within the book which allowed the reader to root for Vanessa; however, once the actual resolution came it was as if the “ahhhhh” heart swelling moment was missing. Regardless, the ending was still sweet, just could use more development. I would give this story 4 out of 5 stars due to the fact there were just a few minor editing errors at the end of the book, as well as the aforementioned need to develop the ending and the character of Barry a little more.
******
Deceptive Calm
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Deceptive Calm by Patricia Skipper
