Review of Howard
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Bertha Jackson
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Review of Howard
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Howard" by Ronald J. Gerhard.]
Elaine and George loved their newborn son and considered him a miracle. Then, a few days later, George and her three-year-old son from her first marriage, James, are killed in a car accident. As the newborn baby grows, he becomes aware that his mother wishes it had been he instead of James who had died in the accident. Several years later, Elaine marries Jeff, a drug user, who thinks the young boy is a loser like his father, so he nicknames him Chip. Life becomes so unbearable in his hostile environment, Chip knows he must run away if he wants to have a future. He starts saving his money and develops a detailed plan to avoid Child Protective Services and secure employment to support himself. However, before he runs away, fate reshuffles the deck, and he finds himself running from drug dealers and law enforcement. Will Chip successfully escape and survive on his own, or will fate reshuffle the deck again? Read Howard by Ronald J. Gerhard to find out Chip’s fate.
The author did an excellent job of pulling at my heartstrings with this fictional coming-of-age storyline. The sketches of Preston, Jean, Mary, and Freddie made the characters feel realistic, as if they were real people. The depth of the characters was also enhanced by the social issues that the author addressed in this book. A few examples are the dangers and consequences of drunk driving, spiritual poverty, latchkey children, prescription drug addiction, date rape, and the risk of older adults dying from falls. The author‘s comparison of life being like a deck of cards being shuffled was thought-provoking, as you never know what life will bring you. I enjoyed the poetry and song lyrics within the narrative. My favorite quote in this book was by Elie Wisel (sic) (the correct spelling is Wiesel): “Hope is like peace. It is not a gift from God. It is a gift only we can give one another.”
My only complaint about this book is the lack of professional editing. There are many errors in this book that distracted me, such as misspelled names (as shown above), capitalization errors, and incorrect verb usage, among others. These errors made it necessary for me to give this otherwise enjoyable book 4 out of 5 stars. I found the storyline interesting and hard to put down, as I wanted to know what would happen next. The positive aspects discussed above further justify my rating.
I recommend this book to mature adults who enjoy coming-of-age stories. Although not all characters believe in God and the author does not preach any particular religious belief, this book has some religious content that may be offensive to non-religious readers. You will want to avoid this book if non-borderline profanity offends you.
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Howard
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Elaine and George loved their newborn son and considered him a miracle. Then, a few days later, George and her three-year-old son from her first marriage, James, are killed in a car accident. As the newborn baby grows, he becomes aware that his mother wishes it had been he instead of James who had died in the accident. Several years later, Elaine marries Jeff, a drug user, who thinks the young boy is a loser like his father, so he nicknames him Chip. Life becomes so unbearable in his hostile environment, Chip knows he must run away if he wants to have a future. He starts saving his money and develops a detailed plan to avoid Child Protective Services and secure employment to support himself. However, before he runs away, fate reshuffles the deck, and he finds himself running from drug dealers and law enforcement. Will Chip successfully escape and survive on his own, or will fate reshuffle the deck again? Read Howard by Ronald J. Gerhard to find out Chip’s fate.
The author did an excellent job of pulling at my heartstrings with this fictional coming-of-age storyline. The sketches of Preston, Jean, Mary, and Freddie made the characters feel realistic, as if they were real people. The depth of the characters was also enhanced by the social issues that the author addressed in this book. A few examples are the dangers and consequences of drunk driving, spiritual poverty, latchkey children, prescription drug addiction, date rape, and the risk of older adults dying from falls. The author‘s comparison of life being like a deck of cards being shuffled was thought-provoking, as you never know what life will bring you. I enjoyed the poetry and song lyrics within the narrative. My favorite quote in this book was by Elie Wisel (sic) (the correct spelling is Wiesel): “Hope is like peace. It is not a gift from God. It is a gift only we can give one another.”
My only complaint about this book is the lack of professional editing. There are many errors in this book that distracted me, such as misspelled names (as shown above), capitalization errors, and incorrect verb usage, among others. These errors made it necessary for me to give this otherwise enjoyable book 4 out of 5 stars. I found the storyline interesting and hard to put down, as I wanted to know what would happen next. The positive aspects discussed above further justify my rating.
I recommend this book to mature adults who enjoy coming-of-age stories. Although not all characters believe in God and the author does not preach any particular religious belief, this book has some religious content that may be offensive to non-religious readers. You will want to avoid this book if non-borderline profanity offends you.
******
Howard
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Bertha R. Jackson 
Book Reviewer at OnlineBookClub.org
Book Reviewer at OnlineBookClub.org
Latest Review: Howard by Ronald J. Gerhard
