Review of Kangaroo House
1 posts
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Kangaroo House" by L. G. Crawford.]
Let me start by saying that Kangaroo House by L. G. Crawford, categorized as historical fiction, took me by surprise. The way the historical portions blend into the plot and twist it was absolutely unexpected, making it an edge-of-your-seat type of entertainer.
The plot introduces us to a young protagonist, Bud Fowler, and his mother, and familiarizes readers with their lifestyle and their surroundings on Shaw Island. Readers learn that Bud is responsible and is being raised by his mother, who relies intermittently on her brother Frank. Blind Island, a secluded and cozy location, is home to Bud’s hideaway. It is an incident here that brings Mary and Bud close, which in turn becomes the starting point for a change in Bud’s life trajectory. Bud starts by working on the Rosario Estate on Orcas Island, where Mary and her wealthy family frequent. Bud’s work ethic gets him the attention of Earl Yansen, the overseer of the estate. One thing leads to another, and Bud ventures into risky terrain. One such adventure leads to an individual with a Nazi link and some treasures. This dangerous adventure that Bud decides to undertake kept me glued until the last page. Bud hit the enemies where it hurt the most, while he was unaware of who they actually were. Now he and his family are in the line of fire; find out what Bud decides to do. Can he protect his loved ones and return alive? What happened to Mary? Who finally ends up with the treasures?
The author’s writing is engaging; I could imagine the story as if I were actually watching a motion picture. Be it the affection and concern of Bud’s mother, the way Bud’s interactions with the women in his life were portrayed, or the descriptive action scenes, all of it felt genuine and kept me glued to the book. Every scene is described well, drawing readers into the emotions in those moments alongside the spatial details. One such fun scene is where Bud succeeds in evading the revenuers. There is another touching moment where the child’s mother conveys her child’s fondness for Bud. There are enough twists and turns, and as the suspense continues to build, I found it hard to put the book down. What I thought would be a story about a small-time island boy venturing into the bad world and probably making it big had much more. It included phases of romance, a student-mentor bond, lots of details about seafarers’ lives, and parts of history that seamlessly blended in. The best part, other than the engaging writing and the gripping plot, is the climax. The book’s title has a sweet story, too. But I will leave it for you to read the book and find out.
I did notice a few errors, but nothing that disturbed my reading flow. I have no negative comments, and the only suggestion is to opt for another round of editing. Considering how entertaining this read was, I happily rate Kangaroo Housefive out of five stars. Given the presence of sexual content, I recommend this book to mature adults. This book offers a refreshing read for fans of the historical fiction genre.
******
Kangaroo House
View: on Bookshelves |
Let me start by saying that Kangaroo House by L. G. Crawford, categorized as historical fiction, took me by surprise. The way the historical portions blend into the plot and twist it was absolutely unexpected, making it an edge-of-your-seat type of entertainer.
The plot introduces us to a young protagonist, Bud Fowler, and his mother, and familiarizes readers with their lifestyle and their surroundings on Shaw Island. Readers learn that Bud is responsible and is being raised by his mother, who relies intermittently on her brother Frank. Blind Island, a secluded and cozy location, is home to Bud’s hideaway. It is an incident here that brings Mary and Bud close, which in turn becomes the starting point for a change in Bud’s life trajectory. Bud starts by working on the Rosario Estate on Orcas Island, where Mary and her wealthy family frequent. Bud’s work ethic gets him the attention of Earl Yansen, the overseer of the estate. One thing leads to another, and Bud ventures into risky terrain. One such adventure leads to an individual with a Nazi link and some treasures. This dangerous adventure that Bud decides to undertake kept me glued until the last page. Bud hit the enemies where it hurt the most, while he was unaware of who they actually were. Now he and his family are in the line of fire; find out what Bud decides to do. Can he protect his loved ones and return alive? What happened to Mary? Who finally ends up with the treasures?
The author’s writing is engaging; I could imagine the story as if I were actually watching a motion picture. Be it the affection and concern of Bud’s mother, the way Bud’s interactions with the women in his life were portrayed, or the descriptive action scenes, all of it felt genuine and kept me glued to the book. Every scene is described well, drawing readers into the emotions in those moments alongside the spatial details. One such fun scene is where Bud succeeds in evading the revenuers. There is another touching moment where the child’s mother conveys her child’s fondness for Bud. There are enough twists and turns, and as the suspense continues to build, I found it hard to put the book down. What I thought would be a story about a small-time island boy venturing into the bad world and probably making it big had much more. It included phases of romance, a student-mentor bond, lots of details about seafarers’ lives, and parts of history that seamlessly blended in. The best part, other than the engaging writing and the gripping plot, is the climax. The book’s title has a sweet story, too. But I will leave it for you to read the book and find out.
I did notice a few errors, but nothing that disturbed my reading flow. I have no negative comments, and the only suggestion is to opt for another round of editing. Considering how entertaining this read was, I happily rate Kangaroo Housefive out of five stars. Given the presence of sexual content, I recommend this book to mature adults. This book offers a refreshing read for fans of the historical fiction genre.
******
Kangaroo House
View: on Bookshelves |
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