Book Review: "The Queensford Family"

I have created a rule for myself when it comes to literature; if the author is able to weave such a tale that I am unable to figure out the ending for most of the novel, I am a very happy reader. I enjoy being kept in suspense, and I do not take spoilers lightly. Even if the writing is absolutely horrible, I will still enjoy what I am reading if I cannot figure out the direction in which the story is heading.

It is with great disappointment that I report that I figured out the entire ‘twist’ to Shelley M. Hollenbeck’s “The Queensford Family” around page 26, long before any surprise ending was even hinted at. If it weren't for the fact that I agreed to read and review this book, I would have put it down and moved on with something else immediately.

With characters that have no substance whatsoever, Hollenbeck promises a story that may even rival those of Agatha Christie. However, Hollenbeck falls incredibly short of fulfilling her promise as she delivers a sad and failed attempt at creating what I am sure she hoped would be the ‘next big thing.’ Right from the start I began to question the integrity of this story as it was so reminiscent of every other ‘murder at a fancy house’ story line where a number of selected people are invited to gather and then all mysteriously die. Hollenbeck’s style of writing was enjoyable to read, but the actual story was incredibly difficult to get through.

Littered with grammatical errors, I was left questioning whether or not this book was actually edited before print. The characters have no substance, the dialogue is forced, and the flow is terrible. We move from scene to scene with no transition; I had to reread many parts of this book to even figure out where I was as far as the book’s setting is concerned.

It is my recommendation that Hollenbeck look at her ‘final’ manuscript and completely overhaul it. It does have potential to be an excellent read, but its current execution is less than poor. As is, I cannot recommend this book to any of my family or friends; their time would be better spent with another book. I would say, however, that if the book were to be rewritten, I WOULD read it again. It was not completely terrible. If anything, it is grossly unfinished.

This book was published by Dorrance Publishing. Please note that I received a complimentary copy of “The Queensford Family” as a member of the Dorrance Publishing Book Review Team. Visit dorrancebookstore.com to learn how you can become a member of the Book Review Team.

Should you desire to try this book for yourself, you can find it for purchase by clicking here.

Book Review: "The River"

It pains me to write this review. 

When I first heard of Michael Neale’s “The River,” I was ecstatic. I could not wait for the postal worker to deliver it to my doorstep. When I opened the package, I was thrilled! I truly believed I was going to be reading a life changing book. 

I then made a fatal mistake; I read it.

This book promised to deliver to me an experience that I would cherish for some time. The back cover of this novel exclaims that this book“will transform how you see yourself and the world.” Save your time and your money; “The River” does not stand up to this promise. 

We follow Gabriel, who after witnessing a tragic event, tries to live a normal life without falling victim to his past. But that’s about as deep as it goes. Character development, if you can even call it that, is incredibly minimal. We do not learn to love any person in this book, nor do we even feel for his situation. Characters, such as a school teacher and old friend, come and go without any notice. I failed to even see their significance after awhile. The attempts at symbolism were weak, and the plot twists became more than predictable after awhile.

I kept waiting for that spark, for something to change my mind and drawn me in, but it never came. 

“The River” is definitely a quick read, but it absolutely left much to be desired. If you are looking for something to kill time with, you might as well try it. Maybe I missed something along the way. But if you are as excited to read this as I was, prepare to be disappointed. At most I can only give this book 1.5 out of 5 stars.

I received this book free from BookSneeze.com in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: "Where There is Love, There is God - Mother Teresa"

In order successfully review “Where There is Love, There is God,” I find it important to offer two separate reviews; one on the quality of the book’s message, and the other on the way in which the book was created (layout, writing, etc.).

The messages Mother Teresa offers in this book are both vital and beautiful. Her love for Jesus becomes apparent from the moment you begin reading her journey, and continues to grow with every turn of the page. She brings in anecdotes from her life’s work which does wonders to validate her beliefs. As I was reading this book, a comfortable peace fell over me. Her messages of love, both of God and of your neighbor, struck such a chord within me that I did not want this book to reach its end.

There are a number of passages I know that I will continue to look back to in the future, and I believe that this is one of the most successful features of the book – it can’t be read just once. I can see myself referring back to certain messages in this book for the rest of my life. For the quality of the messages in this book, I HIGHLY suggest finding yourself a copy and diving into it as quickly as you can.

My only grievances with this book surround only the book’s production. I found much of this book to be completely repetitive. I understand wanting to get a message across, but there is a fine line between giving foundation to your beliefs and overstating them; this book crossed that line too many times for my taste. This book could have been cut in half and readers still would have been able to feel the full power and beauty of Mother Teresa’s messages.  Despite this, the messages in this book were phenomenal and I recommend this book to you from my heart. I give this book 4.5 of 5 stars.

Should you require to sample this book before reading, the first chapter can be found here: First Chapter

I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.