Reviews By Charline

“When Reality Hits”

Author: Teresa Amanda Allen

I just recently finished reading “When Reality Hits” by Teresa Amanda Allen and having to write its review is a bitter pill to swallow. On the one hand the message contained within “When Reality Hits” is a great one; on the other hand the delivery of this message was poor at best…

For the good stuff… “When Reality Hits” is meant to be an inspirational / self-help book that showcases one woman’s struggles with finding both herself and love. Author Teresa Amanda Allen shares with us some of her heart wrenching past experiences in an effort to help other women realize that they don’t need to jump through hoops in order to win a man’s affections. Through her words she tries to explain that above all else you must listen to your inner self. She wants other women, both younger and older; to understand that they must first make the right decisions for their own lives rather than trying to mold themselves to a man’s ideals. She tries to coach her women readers to size a man up; see him for who he is before falling head-over-heels in love with him. In other words, if the guy is bad for you then just walk away from the start; save yourself the needless pain and heartbreak.

Now on to the bad stuff… In reading through my copy of “When Reality Hits” it’s pretty obvious that this manuscript was not edited by a professional before being published. By “professional” I mean someone who makes their living solely as a book editor not someone who just has a degree in English Lit. I’m not trying to pick on the author. I applaud Allen for having the drive and determination to complete and publish her book. However, as a published author myself; I do understand the importance of having a book that uses proper English while also being grammatically correct. “When Reality Hits” has many misspellings, misused words and words that are oddly hyphenated just to name a few of the oddities that caused this to be an extremely difficult read.

My advice to the author: find yourself a good editor; make the revisions and re-publish this book because it really does have a great message…

“The Poison Glen”

Author: Ashley Simmons

Where do I begin in my review of “The Poison Glen” by author Ashley Simmons? Well, I guess I could start by saying I loved it… I was definitely hooked even before I finished the first page. Truth be told, I enjoyed “The Poison Glen” so much that once I had finished reading it I sat down and read it again. That is rare indeed for me…

The premise of “The Poison Glen” is this: many years ago a cruel race called the Zadok came to Caspria’s shores from across the sea; their leader intent on enslaving the people of Caspria. The Casprians fought valiantly but it was in vain. They relied on their god Uriel to save them and that too was for naught. Now, twenty years later the Casprians are a broken people; robbed of their dignity, their culture, their religion, and even more importantly their freedom.

Amariah is the sole heir to the Casprian throne but, having been raised in secrecy, she is unaware of her true identity until a foolish act on her part puts her life and the life of her beloved “uncle” at risk. Suddenly Amariah learns she is not really the daughter of a simple farmer and she now struggles with the truth of who she is and what her ultimate purpose is. She is a strong-willed woman and at first she refuses to accept her royal lineage. The legacy of her noble blood will allow her use of a magical talisman; but the question is whether or not she will acknowledge and embrace her gifts. And if she does, will she be able to free her country and save its inhabitants or will the Zadok prove too strong for her?

There are many different facets within “The Poison Glen;” each of them unique; each of them interesting and all are woven skillfully together. Simmons is a fantastic writer; her words are descriptive and the story contained within the pages of “The Poison Glen” flows as easily as a river winding its way downstream.

For those of you who enjoy the fantasy genre then “The Poison Glen” will hold you completely captive; riveted and on the edge of your seat. Five-stars…

“F.N.G.”

Author: Donald Bodey

I just finished reading my copy of “F.N.G.” by author Donald Bodey and I have to admit it wasn’t really my cup of tea. No, “F.N.G.” is not a terrible book. For the most part it’s well written and readers can definitely empathize with the various characters that have roles in this story. “F.N.G.” is also descriptive but unfortunately the writing style itself is extremely direct, clipped, and short which didn’t allow Bodey’s story to have that “flow” which is one of the major components that makes a “good” book “great.” I know there are some who appreciate and enjoy this type of terse writing style but I am not one of them; consequently “F.N.G.” read more like the short-hand version of a Vietnam Vet’s journal rather than the fictional, historical, and biographical story I think the author was intending it to be.

The premise of “F.N.G.” is this: Gabriel Sauers, the “F***ing New Guy,” has just arrived in the beautiful country of Vietnam. He’s still wet behind the ears and if he wants to survive this savage war he’s going to need to find his courage while still keeping his wits about him. He will have to face his enemy; he will have to go through incoming mortar fire and he will eventually become certain that Vietnam is hell. Forty years later Gabriel Sauers is now a “death-hardened veteran” and his grandson Seth is about to be deployed to Iraq. Knowing what awaits Seth; knowing that he will come back from Iraq a man forever changed by what he will have to see and endure, Gabriel wars with himself about taking an action that, on the one hand, will spare Seth from the Iraq war but, on the other hand, will have a lasting effect on his grandson and their relationship from that day forward. When it comes to war what’s really right and what’s really wrong? Does the line blur when you’re faced with the possibility of never seeing a friend or loved one again?

In summary I feel “F.N.G.” is an accurate accounting of one man’s life journey during the Vietnam War. While I wasn’t crazy about the writing style I would still say that the premise of “F.N.G.” was a good one and I would still recommend this book to readers who enjoy the War / Military genre or that historical time period.