Review by Anarchel -- A Police Action by A. A. Freda
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Anarchel
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Review by Anarchel -- A Police Action by A. A. Freda
[Following is a volunteer review of "A Police Action" by A. A. Freda.]
This is a review of A Police Action by A.A. Freda. This novel is set in the United States of America and Vietnam during the time period that the USA warred with Vietnam. The protagonist is an active member of the armed forces named James Coppi who must deal with personal demons and a budding relationship while trying to stay alive in a foreign, hostile country.
I rate A Police Action 2 out of 4. This book was not necessarily bad but it did not appeal to me for several reasons. Firstly, the author wrote in the present tense. This is something I am not accustomed to; it took me some time to really get into the novel due to my discomfort. It felt like I was reading the author’s notes as he was brainstorming ideas about his next book. Secondly, the author tends to fast-forward certain events and occurrences in the main story. I would have preferred fully detailed accounts or no accounts at all because the skipping caused me to lose focus. I understand that authors must condense certain accounts depending on relevance etc., but the accounts did not feel like they were merely condensed. Instead, they seemed rushed and incomplete.
Another point of detraction for me was the protagonist himself. I am always prepared to deal with a measure of impracticality in the words and actions of main characters because they are often people that the readers are meant to look up to. However, Freda takes this to an unreasonable level. James Coppi, the protagonist, cannot do wrong. Every venture he embarks upon is successful, everything he says is brilliant, and every opinion he has is the right one. In fact, he is so proficient and effective at what he does that he earns the moniker “JC”, a title also held by Jesus Christ. This took away some suspense for me because it became very clear what was going to happen depending on how the lead character felt about it or what he said about it. It seemed to me as if James Coppi is who the author wishes he was when he was in the military. Not an unreasonable desire, but it made for a tiresome read.
Despite the above-mentioned issues I had with A Police Action, there are a few things I appreciated about the novel. The author’s character profiles were excellent. I got a good sense as to who everyone was and what each character was likely to say or do from very early on. This made my reading experience quite enjoyable. What also added to my enjoyment was the author’s use of unpretentious and easy-to-understand language. On this point I will also mention that a good portion of the novel centers on Coppi’s experience in the Vietnam War but the reader is not bombarded by technical terms and accounts that would be unfamiliar to them. There was only one account I could remember where the military terms confused me but, for a novel about military action, this could be forgiven.
I might recommend this novel to someone who enjoys military accounts and stories. I would refrain, though, from recommending to young readers due to the depiction of several sexual acts and the presence of at least 61 F words.
******
A Police Action
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
This is a review of A Police Action by A.A. Freda. This novel is set in the United States of America and Vietnam during the time period that the USA warred with Vietnam. The protagonist is an active member of the armed forces named James Coppi who must deal with personal demons and a budding relationship while trying to stay alive in a foreign, hostile country.
I rate A Police Action 2 out of 4. This book was not necessarily bad but it did not appeal to me for several reasons. Firstly, the author wrote in the present tense. This is something I am not accustomed to; it took me some time to really get into the novel due to my discomfort. It felt like I was reading the author’s notes as he was brainstorming ideas about his next book. Secondly, the author tends to fast-forward certain events and occurrences in the main story. I would have preferred fully detailed accounts or no accounts at all because the skipping caused me to lose focus. I understand that authors must condense certain accounts depending on relevance etc., but the accounts did not feel like they were merely condensed. Instead, they seemed rushed and incomplete.
Another point of detraction for me was the protagonist himself. I am always prepared to deal with a measure of impracticality in the words and actions of main characters because they are often people that the readers are meant to look up to. However, Freda takes this to an unreasonable level. James Coppi, the protagonist, cannot do wrong. Every venture he embarks upon is successful, everything he says is brilliant, and every opinion he has is the right one. In fact, he is so proficient and effective at what he does that he earns the moniker “JC”, a title also held by Jesus Christ. This took away some suspense for me because it became very clear what was going to happen depending on how the lead character felt about it or what he said about it. It seemed to me as if James Coppi is who the author wishes he was when he was in the military. Not an unreasonable desire, but it made for a tiresome read.
Despite the above-mentioned issues I had with A Police Action, there are a few things I appreciated about the novel. The author’s character profiles were excellent. I got a good sense as to who everyone was and what each character was likely to say or do from very early on. This made my reading experience quite enjoyable. What also added to my enjoyment was the author’s use of unpretentious and easy-to-understand language. On this point I will also mention that a good portion of the novel centers on Coppi’s experience in the Vietnam War but the reader is not bombarded by technical terms and accounts that would be unfamiliar to them. There was only one account I could remember where the military terms confused me but, for a novel about military action, this could be forgiven.
I might recommend this novel to someone who enjoys military accounts and stories. I would refrain, though, from recommending to young readers due to the depiction of several sexual acts and the presence of at least 61 F words.
******
A Police Action
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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