Review of The Heart of the Beholder
3 posts
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Heart of the Beholder" by Tim Blewett.]
The Heart of the Beholder is a novel by Tim Blewett. The protagonist is a young boy called Joey who feels different from the other boys at school and feels confused about his identity. He has a happy family life, but struggles when he is bullied at school. When a new boy, Mike, joins the school, he and Joey become friends, and Mike sticks up for him against bullies. Joey excels at school and is musical and creative. He has a great future ahead of him if only he can resolve his uncertainty about who he is.
A lot has changed by the time they are adults, and a violent incident brings them back into each other’s orbit. Somebody is bringing fear and danger into their lives, and they must keep their wits about them while the police investigate.
A strength of the book is Joey’s story, which is original, intriguing and has some surprising twists and turns. The writing about Joey’s experience is thoughtful and believable. Small details bring authenticity to the story. Joey is a relatable character who readers will empathise with. Joey and his situation make for a memorable and thought-provoking story.
Later in the book, I think there are too many characters and strands to the story. I feel this weakens the narrative and detracts from the main story. There is a lot of unnecessary detail. Later in the book, the actions of the main characters’ family and friends seem overdone and unrealistic. Joey, as a young person, is compelling, but when the two main characters are adults, they lack depth, seeming too good to be true.
Readers who enjoy love stories with a twist would like this book. I have deducted two stars for the points made in the penultimate paragraph and for the editing errors. The rating for this book is 3 out of 5 stars.
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The Heart of the Beholder
View: on Bookshelves |
The Heart of the Beholder is a novel by Tim Blewett. The protagonist is a young boy called Joey who feels different from the other boys at school and feels confused about his identity. He has a happy family life, but struggles when he is bullied at school. When a new boy, Mike, joins the school, he and Joey become friends, and Mike sticks up for him against bullies. Joey excels at school and is musical and creative. He has a great future ahead of him if only he can resolve his uncertainty about who he is.
A lot has changed by the time they are adults, and a violent incident brings them back into each other’s orbit. Somebody is bringing fear and danger into their lives, and they must keep their wits about them while the police investigate.
A strength of the book is Joey’s story, which is original, intriguing and has some surprising twists and turns. The writing about Joey’s experience is thoughtful and believable. Small details bring authenticity to the story. Joey is a relatable character who readers will empathise with. Joey and his situation make for a memorable and thought-provoking story.
Later in the book, I think there are too many characters and strands to the story. I feel this weakens the narrative and detracts from the main story. There is a lot of unnecessary detail. Later in the book, the actions of the main characters’ family and friends seem overdone and unrealistic. Joey, as a young person, is compelling, but when the two main characters are adults, they lack depth, seeming too good to be true.
Readers who enjoy love stories with a twist would like this book. I have deducted two stars for the points made in the penultimate paragraph and for the editing errors. The rating for this book is 3 out of 5 stars.
******
The Heart of the Beholder
View: on Bookshelves |
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