Review of Deceptive Calm
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TAGGART C DAVID
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Review of Deceptive Calm
[Following is a volunteer review of "Deceptive Calm" by Patricia Skipper.]
"Deceptive Calm" by Patricia Skipper utilized its ambiguous cover art to deliver me into a story that contained hidden depths while secretly conveying historical secrets through a birth certificate. I began reading my first digital page and magically found myself in North Charleston during the racial tensions of 1968. The author begins without warning because the initial scene shows you standing on an overheated school bus with wealthy teenagers encountering active segregation firsthand.
Through the perspective of Trisha, the white teenage character, we witness her sit on a bus, which transforms into an explosive situation. Gordy, who acts as the bus driver, reveals Martin Luther King Jr.'s parade was not permitted by authorities and implements racial segregation among passengers. Father Kelly has instructed all Black students to occupy the middle rows of the bus. The bus rules forbid any person of African ancestry to claim the seats near the windows. Got it, losers?” Gordy’s words crackle with the casual cruelty of the era. When handsome and dignified Black teenager Barry Hale entered the bus, his quiet presence immediately charmed me. The insecure warning from Trisha about impending violence ("Don’t sit near the window!") presented a heartfelt contact that linked across the vast social divide between the two characters.
After this point the story brings forward Vanessa, who spent her early years at Saint Paul’s Orphanage under the care of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. Her entrance with Sister Rosalie as her companion brings both historical expertise and storytelling sincerity to balance the rising panic.
Sister Rosalie delivered a spontaneous historical review that merged her hometown pride with specific stories about Charleston people becoming signers of the United States Declaration of Independence in 1776 as she taught her students ("Heavens to Betsy Ross, how many of Charleston’s native sons signed the United States Declaration of Independence in 1776?"). The author effectively connected historical information directly to the story.
The false peace of the situation ends violently. A violent Klan assault on the bus leads to an absolute nightmare for Trisha alongside Vanessa and Barry. The depicted action creates intense physical responses together with terrifying fear in the reader. The immense stone hurled itself through the front windshield, thus creating a torrent of broken glass that flew toward Barry. Through the open passenger window, Trisha received a blow from a brick, which caused broken glass to rain over her while blood spilled from her head. Barry maintains his unruffled leadership in the dangerous situation while he tells passengers to "Apply pressure to stop the bleeding!" This stands as a complete opposite to the intense terror of the surrounding disorder. He drives through a dangerous situation to get Trisha to Cannon Street Hospital, which serves the colored community against Gordy's racially charged prejudice.
At the hospital, Doctor Hale earns prominent status because he serves as a neurosurgeon and the father of Barry. Doctor Hale and Sergeant Bibbs communicate at Charleston Hospital under the burden of their past encounters in Korea, where Sergeant Bibbs lost his best friend during Doctor Hale's surgical procedure. A vital person died because the surgeons operated on him at the hospital. Trust becomes a core theme when Doctor Hale faces prejudice during his meeting with Sergeant Bibbs, who says to him, "We met in Korea, Doctor Hale. My best friend died on your operating table. I don’t trust you.” The next chapters follow Trisha's recovery process while Vanessa worries about prom and Barry falls in love with her in the context of deep-seated racial tensions throughout the southern part of the story.
I became intensely interested in all the characters. The trio of characters found deep connections with readers because of Vanessa’s emotional openness and Trisha’s protective spirit as well as Barry’s steady resolve. The author demonstrates extraordinary skill at conveying the internal lives of their characters, thus making all their triumphs and struggles feel genuinely intimate. One of the most memorable characters throughout the book proved to be Sister Rosalie because of her delightful oddness combined with her endless supply of historical facts.
The mixture of historical richness and emotional power gained my approval, but I noticed the plot sometimes moved too fast and too slow. The first pages kept me captivated intensely until the central plot evolved into a sequence that emphasized character development, causing some slowness in story progression. The central mystery depicted in the cover artwork would have benefited from being the central focus of the story while reducing the amount of attention given to the romance plot. This approach would have possibly intensified overall reader suspense. Many dialogues in later chapters appeared more detailed than natural or authentic because they served the main storyline more than establishing believable dialogue.
The writer's minor constructive criticisms do not bother the reader of this fundamentally interesting piece. Through her descriptive writing style, Patricia Skipper effectively brings forth a realistic Charleston setting while also realistically depicting the emotional states of her characters. The writer both brings readers a strong portrayal of the depicted scenarios and shows an evident investment in detailed historical accuracy. A strong editorial touch is demonstrated in this publication. The flawless production of this text became apparent through the absence of any typographical or grammatical problems. The flawless editorial work enabled me to experience the story without any interruptions.
The novel "Deceptive Calm" powerfully presents themes about race along with prejudice, love, and human resilience throughout its historical narrative. The book stays in your mind even after completion because it makes you contemplate historical complexities that continue to resonate in the current times.
The rating I give this book amounts to 4 out of 5 stars. The book "Deceptive Calm" provided an absorbing reading experience starting with its opening pages. The most notable asset of the story is its complete portrayal of racial injustice in 1960s Southern society together with its depiction of brave characters who face that injustice. The book achieves its most value through emotional depth and vivid storytelling elements, even though pacing irregularities and unnecessary exposition characterize minor flaws that reduce the perfect score. I subtracted one star because the story contains occasional historical material integration mistakes that temporarily tested my attention span.
The book "Deceptive Calm" would appeal to those who enjoy reading historical fiction about the American South during the Civil Rights movement. Readers seeking stories with deep characters will relish this book because it gives them both emotional depth and a matter of mystery. The novel brings meaningful parallels to audiences who wish to study themes about social justice while observing human development with its unbreakable bonds in challenging times.
******
Deceptive Calm
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
"Deceptive Calm" by Patricia Skipper utilized its ambiguous cover art to deliver me into a story that contained hidden depths while secretly conveying historical secrets through a birth certificate. I began reading my first digital page and magically found myself in North Charleston during the racial tensions of 1968. The author begins without warning because the initial scene shows you standing on an overheated school bus with wealthy teenagers encountering active segregation firsthand.
Through the perspective of Trisha, the white teenage character, we witness her sit on a bus, which transforms into an explosive situation. Gordy, who acts as the bus driver, reveals Martin Luther King Jr.'s parade was not permitted by authorities and implements racial segregation among passengers. Father Kelly has instructed all Black students to occupy the middle rows of the bus. The bus rules forbid any person of African ancestry to claim the seats near the windows. Got it, losers?” Gordy’s words crackle with the casual cruelty of the era. When handsome and dignified Black teenager Barry Hale entered the bus, his quiet presence immediately charmed me. The insecure warning from Trisha about impending violence ("Don’t sit near the window!") presented a heartfelt contact that linked across the vast social divide between the two characters.
After this point the story brings forward Vanessa, who spent her early years at Saint Paul’s Orphanage under the care of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. Her entrance with Sister Rosalie as her companion brings both historical expertise and storytelling sincerity to balance the rising panic.
Sister Rosalie delivered a spontaneous historical review that merged her hometown pride with specific stories about Charleston people becoming signers of the United States Declaration of Independence in 1776 as she taught her students ("Heavens to Betsy Ross, how many of Charleston’s native sons signed the United States Declaration of Independence in 1776?"). The author effectively connected historical information directly to the story.
The false peace of the situation ends violently. A violent Klan assault on the bus leads to an absolute nightmare for Trisha alongside Vanessa and Barry. The depicted action creates intense physical responses together with terrifying fear in the reader. The immense stone hurled itself through the front windshield, thus creating a torrent of broken glass that flew toward Barry. Through the open passenger window, Trisha received a blow from a brick, which caused broken glass to rain over her while blood spilled from her head. Barry maintains his unruffled leadership in the dangerous situation while he tells passengers to "Apply pressure to stop the bleeding!" This stands as a complete opposite to the intense terror of the surrounding disorder. He drives through a dangerous situation to get Trisha to Cannon Street Hospital, which serves the colored community against Gordy's racially charged prejudice.
At the hospital, Doctor Hale earns prominent status because he serves as a neurosurgeon and the father of Barry. Doctor Hale and Sergeant Bibbs communicate at Charleston Hospital under the burden of their past encounters in Korea, where Sergeant Bibbs lost his best friend during Doctor Hale's surgical procedure. A vital person died because the surgeons operated on him at the hospital. Trust becomes a core theme when Doctor Hale faces prejudice during his meeting with Sergeant Bibbs, who says to him, "We met in Korea, Doctor Hale. My best friend died on your operating table. I don’t trust you.” The next chapters follow Trisha's recovery process while Vanessa worries about prom and Barry falls in love with her in the context of deep-seated racial tensions throughout the southern part of the story.
I became intensely interested in all the characters. The trio of characters found deep connections with readers because of Vanessa’s emotional openness and Trisha’s protective spirit as well as Barry’s steady resolve. The author demonstrates extraordinary skill at conveying the internal lives of their characters, thus making all their triumphs and struggles feel genuinely intimate. One of the most memorable characters throughout the book proved to be Sister Rosalie because of her delightful oddness combined with her endless supply of historical facts.
The mixture of historical richness and emotional power gained my approval, but I noticed the plot sometimes moved too fast and too slow. The first pages kept me captivated intensely until the central plot evolved into a sequence that emphasized character development, causing some slowness in story progression. The central mystery depicted in the cover artwork would have benefited from being the central focus of the story while reducing the amount of attention given to the romance plot. This approach would have possibly intensified overall reader suspense. Many dialogues in later chapters appeared more detailed than natural or authentic because they served the main storyline more than establishing believable dialogue.
The writer's minor constructive criticisms do not bother the reader of this fundamentally interesting piece. Through her descriptive writing style, Patricia Skipper effectively brings forth a realistic Charleston setting while also realistically depicting the emotional states of her characters. The writer both brings readers a strong portrayal of the depicted scenarios and shows an evident investment in detailed historical accuracy. A strong editorial touch is demonstrated in this publication. The flawless production of this text became apparent through the absence of any typographical or grammatical problems. The flawless editorial work enabled me to experience the story without any interruptions.
The novel "Deceptive Calm" powerfully presents themes about race along with prejudice, love, and human resilience throughout its historical narrative. The book stays in your mind even after completion because it makes you contemplate historical complexities that continue to resonate in the current times.
The rating I give this book amounts to 4 out of 5 stars. The book "Deceptive Calm" provided an absorbing reading experience starting with its opening pages. The most notable asset of the story is its complete portrayal of racial injustice in 1960s Southern society together with its depiction of brave characters who face that injustice. The book achieves its most value through emotional depth and vivid storytelling elements, even though pacing irregularities and unnecessary exposition characterize minor flaws that reduce the perfect score. I subtracted one star because the story contains occasional historical material integration mistakes that temporarily tested my attention span.
The book "Deceptive Calm" would appeal to those who enjoy reading historical fiction about the American South during the Civil Rights movement. Readers seeking stories with deep characters will relish this book because it gives them both emotional depth and a matter of mystery. The novel brings meaningful parallels to audiences who wish to study themes about social justice while observing human development with its unbreakable bonds in challenging times.
******
Deceptive Calm
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Memoir of a Deserter by Thomas Foster
