Review of Skullduggery at Quanah
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Anna Olson
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Review of Skullduggery at Quanah
[Following is a volunteer review of "Skullduggery at Quanah" by Dennis Boyd Call.]
After years of training, Jonathan Parker finally embarks on his own coming of age quest. The homeschooled teenager has very little idea of the importance of his journey. His adventure across the Texas landscape reveals family history, heritage, and places him right in the middle of a generations-old prophecy. Skullduggery at Quanah by Dennis Boyd Call is the story of a boy learning how to trust others, as well as himself.
Call uses some interesting imagery when conveying Jonathan’s family history. At one point, an ancestor shows Jonathan a historical story by unrolling scrolls in front of him. The scrolls then roll back up when he is finished. I was intrigued by this use of physical objects to symbolize a spiritual conversation.
In addition, Call does a good job of ending most of his chapters with a cliffhanger. These serve as an effective tease for the reader. They can motivate many to turn the page to find out more.
Much of the conflict of this book centers around a past conflict between siblings. Its effects have echoed over a century later. Call shows how this rift has affected the lives of Jonathan and a few other characters. I think this is an interesting theme, providing both pathos and drama.
On the negative side, I found much of this book repetitive. Much of Jonathan’s character development involved him repeating the lessons he’d learned minutes before. In addition, the smaller conflicts of the story were often easily overcome, usually in the chapter following their introduction. While some readers may find this reassuring, I was frequently bored.
Despite Call's claim that this book was “meticulously researched,” I found several uses of words and concepts which many Native Americans find offensive or inaccurate. These included the terms brave, Indian, papoose, and princess. At one point, one character calls the protagonist Christopher Columbus, a figure who is unpopular for good reason among most Native American nations. My personal recommendation is to hire a sensitivity reader familiar with the Comanche nation if the author wants further revision.
Considering the misinformation, and my own boring reading experience, I give Skullduggery at Quanah 1 out of 4 stars. I also found quite a few grammar, syntax, and punctuation errors as I was reading.
I would not recommend Skullduggery at Quanah to a reader looking to learn more about Comanche culture, as this book relies on outdated stereotypes and inaccurate information. Since there were no instances of profanity or sexual content, this book would be a good choice for readers who want to avoid those aspects. Even though some characters threaten violence against others, nothing on that level happens or is described in this book. This makes it a good choice for readers who don’t like reading about violence.
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Skullduggery at Quanah
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
After years of training, Jonathan Parker finally embarks on his own coming of age quest. The homeschooled teenager has very little idea of the importance of his journey. His adventure across the Texas landscape reveals family history, heritage, and places him right in the middle of a generations-old prophecy. Skullduggery at Quanah by Dennis Boyd Call is the story of a boy learning how to trust others, as well as himself.
Call uses some interesting imagery when conveying Jonathan’s family history. At one point, an ancestor shows Jonathan a historical story by unrolling scrolls in front of him. The scrolls then roll back up when he is finished. I was intrigued by this use of physical objects to symbolize a spiritual conversation.
In addition, Call does a good job of ending most of his chapters with a cliffhanger. These serve as an effective tease for the reader. They can motivate many to turn the page to find out more.
Much of the conflict of this book centers around a past conflict between siblings. Its effects have echoed over a century later. Call shows how this rift has affected the lives of Jonathan and a few other characters. I think this is an interesting theme, providing both pathos and drama.
On the negative side, I found much of this book repetitive. Much of Jonathan’s character development involved him repeating the lessons he’d learned minutes before. In addition, the smaller conflicts of the story were often easily overcome, usually in the chapter following their introduction. While some readers may find this reassuring, I was frequently bored.
Despite Call's claim that this book was “meticulously researched,” I found several uses of words and concepts which many Native Americans find offensive or inaccurate. These included the terms brave, Indian, papoose, and princess. At one point, one character calls the protagonist Christopher Columbus, a figure who is unpopular for good reason among most Native American nations. My personal recommendation is to hire a sensitivity reader familiar with the Comanche nation if the author wants further revision.
Considering the misinformation, and my own boring reading experience, I give Skullduggery at Quanah 1 out of 4 stars. I also found quite a few grammar, syntax, and punctuation errors as I was reading.
I would not recommend Skullduggery at Quanah to a reader looking to learn more about Comanche culture, as this book relies on outdated stereotypes and inaccurate information. Since there were no instances of profanity or sexual content, this book would be a good choice for readers who want to avoid those aspects. Even though some characters threaten violence against others, nothing on that level happens or is described in this book. This makes it a good choice for readers who don’t like reading about violence.
******
Skullduggery at Quanah
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Lilly Of The Mountains by D. L. Yoder
