Review of The Assignment
Posted: 21 Jun 2022, 11:07
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Assignment" by Don Chance.]
Dr. Catherine “CJ” McCarter is a woman in charge. She is president of a prestigious university, a renowned economist, a devoted and loving mother and a deeply respected woman known for her beliefs and her faith. Her life, however, is far from perfect. She is married to a man who lives and works halfway across the country, a man that she suspects is cheating on her after over two decades of marriage. She is under tremendous pressure to start a medical school at the university, which entails unprecedented paperwork and fund-raising efforts. On top of all this, she finds herself attracted to a charming, handsome, intelligent, twenty-years younger doctoral candidate that she has been asked to mentor for his final semester.
One day when the stressors and pressure are just overwhelming , CJ consumes way too much wine and makes a terrible mistake in judgment. Is there anything she can do to put her life back on track, or has she destroyed the life and work that came before? The Assignment by Don Chance is a thoughtful reminder that every action has a consequence and each person must determine which consequences they can live with and which are just too horrible to bear.
My favorite part of this book was the deep characterization of CJ McCarter. The reader gets to know her so well, that by the time she commits that lapse in judgment, you feel like things are happening to a close friend. You root for her and fear for her in equal measure. This book also provided a glimpse into the world of academia. If you’ve ever wondered how a university system works, this is the book for you. I found the book to be thought-provoking in many regards. Each decision that CJ makes will have the reader contemplating if they would make the same decisions and what the consequences would be.
The plot is well-developed.
While CJ’s character is well-developed, other characters in the book do not fare so well. I found myself longing for a bit more insight and backstory into these people to better understand why they make the choices they do. Additionally, the book has a few errors of omission- words missing from sentences. I am therefore giving this book 3 out of 4 stars.
The Catholic religion is a large part of this story, as are graphic scenes of sex and sexual assault. If those things bother you, best to skip this one. However, if you enjoy a book with a strong female lead and a well-designed plot, this is the book for you.
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The Assignment
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Dr. Catherine “CJ” McCarter is a woman in charge. She is president of a prestigious university, a renowned economist, a devoted and loving mother and a deeply respected woman known for her beliefs and her faith. Her life, however, is far from perfect. She is married to a man who lives and works halfway across the country, a man that she suspects is cheating on her after over two decades of marriage. She is under tremendous pressure to start a medical school at the university, which entails unprecedented paperwork and fund-raising efforts. On top of all this, she finds herself attracted to a charming, handsome, intelligent, twenty-years younger doctoral candidate that she has been asked to mentor for his final semester.
One day when the stressors and pressure are just overwhelming , CJ consumes way too much wine and makes a terrible mistake in judgment. Is there anything she can do to put her life back on track, or has she destroyed the life and work that came before? The Assignment by Don Chance is a thoughtful reminder that every action has a consequence and each person must determine which consequences they can live with and which are just too horrible to bear.
My favorite part of this book was the deep characterization of CJ McCarter. The reader gets to know her so well, that by the time she commits that lapse in judgment, you feel like things are happening to a close friend. You root for her and fear for her in equal measure. This book also provided a glimpse into the world of academia. If you’ve ever wondered how a university system works, this is the book for you. I found the book to be thought-provoking in many regards. Each decision that CJ makes will have the reader contemplating if they would make the same decisions and what the consequences would be.
The plot is well-developed.
While CJ’s character is well-developed, other characters in the book do not fare so well. I found myself longing for a bit more insight and backstory into these people to better understand why they make the choices they do. Additionally, the book has a few errors of omission- words missing from sentences. I am therefore giving this book 3 out of 4 stars.
The Catholic religion is a large part of this story, as are graphic scenes of sex and sexual assault. If those things bother you, best to skip this one. However, if you enjoy a book with a strong female lead and a well-designed plot, this is the book for you.
******
The Assignment
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon