Book Review: Rage

Rage. Sue Rovens, Plump Toad Press/Bowker, June 22^nd, 2021, Paperback and eBook, 232 pages.

Review by Susan Gaspar.

Straddling the genres of suspense, horror, and crime fiction, Rage is an affecting tale of human unravelling. Sue Rovens continues in the gruesome tradition of her earlier work Buried (2019) and brings us characters teetering on the edge who slowly devolve into ghastly, feral versions of themselves. For the reader, Rage feels like sliding into an unsettling yet fascinating shadow world.

The book’s first half is a slow burn that simmers with near-constant tension. The book’s title haunts and tantalizes with looming inevitability, and you wonder just when the Rage will explode. But Rovens makes us wait. For lovers of psychological thrillers and suspense, this book works from chapter one. 

The story begins with a suicide attempt—always an attention getter—and we are introduced to the two main characters: the deeply troubled Weston Cross, and his assigned therapist, Lindsay Yager. We soon learn that neither of these individuals is who they appear to be, and both are nursing old traumas and emotional wounds that drive them to make consistently poor choices. For both, petty annoyances and daily struggles pile up, chapter by chapter, and the stress mounts.

We watch Wes, a longtime victim of abuse, bullying, and neglect, fight and eventually lose a lengthy battle with self-control. As his grasp on reality crumbles, he sinks into a soup of shame, despair, and desire—a perfect recipe for tragedy. We see Lindsay, an unapologetic alcoholic in an unhappy marriage, hit rock bottom and blatantly put herself and others in peril.

There are two unwitting catalysts for Wes and Lindsay: Jay, Wes’ sociable but intrusive neighbor, and Jeremy, Lindsay’s doting but clingy husband. These two prove to be the incendiary sparks that drive the lead characters—and the novel—an explosive end. Without giving away the book’s secrets, it’s safe to say that people are not always who they appear, secrets and addictions often wreak havoc, and sacrifices must usually be made.

The structure of the book is perfect for a tale of this kind: the chapters are short, quick reads, but the chapters each progress in inches and not miles, so you hang on every word as anxiety slowly mounts. The novel flip backs and forth between Wes’ and Lindsay’s worlds—which are exceedingly different but strangely mirrored in hopelessness. The alternating viewpoints keep you equally immersed in both plotlines, and the action never flags. And when the stories inevitably collide, Rage comes to a rolling boil.

Rovens has a talent for drawing you inside the heads of her characters—which are often unpleasant places to be. And once you are firmly ensnared, she is not shy about dishing out the most grim and grisly aspects of human vice, deviance, and depravity. But by then you are bewitched enough to stay, and if you are curious about psychological motivations and the “why” behind criminal behavior, you will get your answers. Thoroughly gripping, Rage is a taut tale of human horror that doesn’t disappoint.    

Book Review: The Prince of Wheelwrights: George Ferris and his Great Wheel

The Prince of Wheelwrights: George Ferris and his Great Wheel. Jack Klasey, Looking Back Publications, April 21, 2021, Electronic and Print, 395 pages.

Review by T.L. Needham.

The Prince of Wheelwrights: George Ferris and his Great Wheel by Jack Klasey, is as magnificent an event in storytelling as the subject itself. Yet, one must ponder, what subject? Am I referring to the fantastic and brilliant creation, the Ferris Wheel? Or, the superb genius who created this glorious and magnificent monstrosity, as some would call it, George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr.?

In this book, the story is brilliantly told by author Jack Klasey. He begins not with the great wheel but another magnificent engineering achievement in the late 19th century: in 1889, Gustave Eiffel’s 984-foot iron tower, conceived and erected in 1889 as a feature of the Paris Universal Exposition. This impressive engineering feat was the talk of the world, especially the engineering world, because it was unique, beautiful, and unprecedented.

Yet, one man was more than fascinated; George Ferris was inspired. He imagined an idea even grander than the great tower in Paris: a great wheel. And, not just a wheel on the horizontal, ala the Merry-Go-Round, but a vertical wheel that rose into the sky to a magnificent, thrilling height just as the great tower. But, unlike the Eiffel Tower, Ferris imagined a wheel that moved!

This brilliant feat of engineering grabs the reader’s attention early in this story. The author sets the stage for a tale of achievement that must overcome all the obstacles and challenges in the way. Author Klasey weaves a fascinating story of not just Ferris the engineer, but Ferris the man, who struggles against impossible odds and challenges to achieve his grand vision. To say this historical account is a page-turner would not be an exaggeration. 

As I read this story, I found my admiration for the author’s brilliance eclipse the protagonists. Jack Klasey is an author with a wealth of experience and credentials in a multi-decade career in the writing profession, including newspaper reporting, technical writing, media author/producer and newspaper columnist, as well as technical books. 

The Prince of Wheelwrights is an outstanding achievement that reads like a thrilling novel yet fascinates the reader in that this is, in fact, history and not fiction. This story reflects the great depth of research, skill, and commitment to telling a story that will inspire and entertain, just as its wonderful subject—THE FERRIS WHEEL.

Book Review: Shadows Unveiled

Shadows Unveiled. Amanda Berthault, EdenEcho Publishing, August 10, 2021, Electronic and Print, 229 pages.

Review by Lisa Lickel.

Shanley, a mysterious pool hustler, arrives in Kansas with little more than a truck to live in, dwindling cash in his pocket, and a need to earn money yet stay on the move. The drama escalates when a young girl, obviously alone and defenseless, comes to town wearing a t-shirt that means trouble to Shanley.

This contemporary action-adventure opens with a noir feeling as Shanley’s favored costume is a black fedora and sunglasses worn at all times. As we peel back the layers of secrets, we’re drawn into a life on the run. Shanley and Macy are engaging people, lovingly illustrated, and wholly engaging. Who couldn’t cheer them on as Shanley reluctantly agrees to help young Macy travel across the country? Their innocent adventure turns harrowing as they encounter the underside of humanity.

Shanley and Macy come from deeply flawed backgrounds and fight for survival after emotional and physical abuse. Shadows Unveiled shows the reader through narrow points of view and flashbacks. We are shown how they learn to make the best of themselves to work together to accomplish a common goal and face the consequences of their actions. 

Ultimately a story of survival and friendship, Berthault, a native Chicagoan with a passion for music, offers a novel that will start serious conversations about how we listen to each other and care about ourselves and our friends. I appreciated the reality of hearing how it sounds when I think I’m offering helpful advice. Plumbing the depth of someone else’s pain, letting them speak their story, and not pushing them deeper into an inability to cope by sharing platitudes and bare shoulders isn’t true support. Shanley can turn his experience around and do something that helps teenage Macy, whose outside life seems idyllic, as much as his own is obviously dysfunctional. Maybe Heavy Metal Fiction will become a shelf label.

I was intrigued by the way Berthault’s characters were so deeply affected by the music and lyrics in different ways. Shadows Unveiled is the first book in a planned trilogy, and I look forward to reading more.

Book Review: From Dog to Wolf

From Dog to Wolf. Delbert Sandlin, MindStir Media, May 5, 2021, Paperback and E-Book, 194 pages.

Review by Denise Roma.

From Dog to Wolf by Lake Forest, IL author Delbert Sandlin is the story of a Native American boy, his tribe, and its history. Through the voice of young teen Daniel, we hear the well-known stories of the U.S. government's theft of land from tribes, the breaking of treaties, and the battle of Wounded Knee.

Sandlin tells of the realities of native people whose land was stolen and then sent out to infertile land to live lives of poverty. His protagonist and other young characters struggle with wanting to leave their reservation while not wanting to abandon their families and traditions. Sandlin offers an interesting historical dive into American Indian life.

A mentor named Horace sends him into the woods on a vision quest to build the confidence and resolve that Daniel needs as a young man. Daniel must survive for days without food and water. He emerges with the knowledge that he can withstand hardship, along with an important vision that his grandmother is able to interpret. This experience prepares Daniel for a role within his tribe where he must fight for his people and, in doing so, gain retribution for them.

This book will appeal to readers in their early teens. They will cheer for Daniel as he overcomes his older brother's bullying and finds his place in the tribe beyond that of a child.

As Daniel becomes part of a political game with the corrupt politicians and president, his speech and manner shift abruptly to that of a college-educated adult acting as negotiator for his tribe. For me as a reader, this character change felt a bit jarring and unrealistic. However, this is young adult fiction where young boys can be heroes, and we wouldn't want it any other way.

When I read a novel, I want to connect with the characters and grow to love them. The characters of Daniel and his immediate family—his grandmother and brother—are drawn well, and I was able to care about and understand them. The relationship between Horace and Daniel is believable and effective. The teacher character spoke in a lengthy and academic way, like a character on a TV show aimed at children or teens, which is appropriate given the audience of this book.

The heart of this book is in the telling of the story of the Native American people, which young adult readers can learn from and enjoy.

Book Review: The Ring

The Ring. Florence Osmund, Self-published, 2021, Paperback and E-Book, 323 pages.

Review by Kelly Fumiko Weiss.

The Ring is a novel written by Florence Osmund. It explores the very complicated relationships of Paige and Jessivel, two strangers who seemingly have nothing in common. The story unfolds as the perspective jumps back and forth between Paige, a very well-off, caring, hardworking person, and Jessivel, a poor, struggling, stubborn person. You wonder how their worlds will ever come together, and the answer is partly through circumstance and partly through sheer determination (mostly on Paige’s part). Through these events, these two women’s lives become intricately and forever tangled.

While the drama of what is happening in their lives propels the story forward, it is Paige’s strength and influence that grounds the story, and it is Jessivel’s personal growth that fulfills it. It is truly rewarding to see these two navigate situations that are completely foreign, life-changing, and altogether difficult for them, and knowing that they ultimately become the better for it. However, I had to ask myself things like, how much more can Paige possibly handle? Is she even human? How does she keep going? Interesting to note, Jessivel has it much worse off. But because Paige is the anchor for so many people—her mother, her other family members, her staff—it seems the weight is on her.

At the end of the book, Kayla, Jessivel’s daughter, asks a question that sums up what this book is about. She asks, “When did you become an adult, Mom?” It’s a great question for a child to ask, but I think it’s also one that adults ask themselves all the time. When does that happen? When does it sink in that you are in charge? And when do you learn that to succeed in life you need other people? In many ways, that’s the journey that most of the characters in this book are on, and thankfully those journeys come to very satisfying conclusions.

Without giving away all the family details of this book, I sense that The Ring is also about all the different ways we can relate to each other. What do those relationships mean? How do they shape us? How do our personal narratives define who we are and how we act? And how do we come to terms with putting those thoughts up to a mirror for who we want to be?

I enjoyed reading The Ring. It was fast-paced, complicated, filled with characters who all had very different vibes and hurdles to overcome. I loved the way the storylines intertwined, and I felt emotionally invested in their journeys. I wouldn’t mind if Osmund wrote another story about this family. Many more characters were referenced than we have yet to meet. I’d love to see how they all fold into the world Paige and Jessivel created for each other.