Review of A Haven Amidst Perdition
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Esther Lichtenberger
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Review of A Haven Amidst Perdition
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A Haven Amidst Perdition" by Sidra Owens.]
I rated this book a four out of five due to the many sexually explicit scenes (some involving minor and adult men), abuse, violence, domestic violence, drug use, and reading difficulty. Due to the sensitive themes, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone who isn't college-age or older.
By reading difficulty, I mean that there were constant shifts from narrative to multiple first-person perspectives between paragraphs that weren't delineated in any way, and the use of dialect was heavy enough that I had to reread sentences at times. I think the editing was well done, but because of the style of English used, it was difficult to tell if there were errors in spelling or grammar in the book.
I was impressed by the level of research the author did for the book. I even looked up some things from the book, and the timelines matched the book's timeline. It was a fascinating exploration into the American South of the early 1940s before WWII and a coming-of-age story for Eve.
Eve, the main character, is both so young and world-weary simultaneously. The author did a lovely job with the characters' character development, and there were some plot twists I did not see coming. The book and characters kept me engaged, if uncomfortable, throughout the book. How unsettled the book made me was purposeful work by the author. There was no effort to make the reader feel better by moralizing or changing the characters into "better" people. All the characters live with their choices, acknowledge wrongs in their deeds or morality, and keep living their lives. They are unapologetically human. The visceral responses the book provokes are masterfully done and thought-provoking. This book is more than a coming-of-age story but an exploration of humanity, the best and worst of it, and the human experience. Owens's ability to create characters and experiences with which you can empathize with their love and desperation equally makes this book stand out and has left me thinking about it long after I've finished it.
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A Haven Amidst Perdition
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on Smashwords
I rated this book a four out of five due to the many sexually explicit scenes (some involving minor and adult men), abuse, violence, domestic violence, drug use, and reading difficulty. Due to the sensitive themes, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone who isn't college-age or older.
By reading difficulty, I mean that there were constant shifts from narrative to multiple first-person perspectives between paragraphs that weren't delineated in any way, and the use of dialect was heavy enough that I had to reread sentences at times. I think the editing was well done, but because of the style of English used, it was difficult to tell if there were errors in spelling or grammar in the book.
I was impressed by the level of research the author did for the book. I even looked up some things from the book, and the timelines matched the book's timeline. It was a fascinating exploration into the American South of the early 1940s before WWII and a coming-of-age story for Eve.
Eve, the main character, is both so young and world-weary simultaneously. The author did a lovely job with the characters' character development, and there were some plot twists I did not see coming. The book and characters kept me engaged, if uncomfortable, throughout the book. How unsettled the book made me was purposeful work by the author. There was no effort to make the reader feel better by moralizing or changing the characters into "better" people. All the characters live with their choices, acknowledge wrongs in their deeds or morality, and keep living their lives. They are unapologetically human. The visceral responses the book provokes are masterfully done and thought-provoking. This book is more than a coming-of-age story but an exploration of humanity, the best and worst of it, and the human experience. Owens's ability to create characters and experiences with which you can empathize with their love and desperation equally makes this book stand out and has left me thinking about it long after I've finished it.
******
A Haven Amidst Perdition
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on Smashwords
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Shaniz Tobiaz
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Very interesting review there, It is a must read for me.
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Latest Review: The Art of Entertaining by Maggie Fleming
