General Fiction
Whispers in a Phone Booth: A Depression-Era Tale of Danger and Deception
by J. Daniel ReedRating: 7.00
Plot/Idea: Reed’s historical tale begins with a hurried escape from an alcoholic father for teenage sisters Martha and Helen, bound from their home in Poland to the call of freedom on Ellis Island. From there, Reed takes readers on a transformative journey through hardship, determination, and family secrets, centered on Helen’s son, Wally, and his life growing up as the child of immigrants in Chicago. Reed ties numerous stories into Wally’s arc, and the perspective jumps at times become dizzying.
Prose: The prose is efficient and educational, though Reed’s more formal style leads to stilted dialogue in several places.
Originality: Whispers in a Phone Booth delivers as much history as it does plot, gifting readers with a glimpse of 20th century life from the perspective of multiple nations and people—a choice that, though informative, detracts from the story’s excitement.
Character/Execution: Reed crafts his characters with obvious care and attention to detail, while connecting some to well-known historical figures; the preface identifies that a handful of characters are based off his own family members. Despite the large cast, main players are easy to track; Wally stands out as a multilayered, intense protagonist, and his relationship with his traumatized aunt Martha is compelling—and disturbing—to watch.
Plot/Idea: Fire on the Frontier is an immersive and layered work of historical fiction set in ancient Rome. With interwoven stories and multiple perspectives that draw from actual events, it can be challenging to keep track of all the narratives, but invested readers will be richly rewarded.
Prose: Kunkel's prose style is clear, anchoring readers in the time and circumstances with detailed descriptions and an effective balance of action and dialogue.
Originality: Fire on the Frontier captures the ancient era convincingly while maintaining forward momentum and careful plotting.
Character/Execution: While the multiple storylines can become unwieldy, Kunkel is a capable writer invested in the many characters, both male and female. Historical places and events are vibrantly portrayed and provided understandable context.
Plot/Idea: A Kind of Hush conveys the grief of a family’s tragic misfortune with great tenderness, but the forward momentum is blunted by a focus on day-to-day activities rather than forensic details pertinent to the novel's central mystery. When daughter Willa conveys a stunning revelation in a Wattpad story, the two prime suspects in the case quickly become red herrings, leaving readers with a sense of subtle disappointment over the time spent analyzing their involvement.
Prose: Neathery's prose is highly readable, with ample time for the relationships between the characters to be understood and developed over the course of the story. Long passages of extraneous exposition detract from the tension, and side plots—like the interlude when Kurtz spends time with the Jones family while in hiding—sometimes slow the action.
Originality: A Kind of Hush hosts a fascinating central mystery that will prove absorbing for readers. However, the work never seems to pin down its genre—missing details of the police investigation crucial to a mystery, while giving too much detail about people, places, and everyday activities which prevent a deeper emotional resonance one might expect in a family drama.
Character/Execution: Characters are well rounded, and Neathery allows them plenty of time to interact and develop emotionally, though not always with fruitful results. The dialogue, used as a conduit to dispense details, sometimes leans toward an overly formal tone.
Plot/Idea: Wildcat: An Appalachian Romance is a richly rendered novel set in the titular region of the United States. It is not entirely clear to what romance the subtitle refers—the romance of the town of Wildcat, or the romance between the main character and former girlfriend, Carolyn. There's a case to be made that the lovingly crafted portrait of a small town experiencing a communal renaissance is the real love affair.
Prose: There are moments when the prose style works beautifully and the simplicity is elegant (when describing the communal nature of meals at Hotel Wildcat, the woodcrafts at the mill, beekeeping, and mushrooms). At other times, the prose reaches too far to achieve lyricism. The overall effect of the storytelling makes the work feel like an immersive fairy tale.
Originality: Wildcat is infused with atmosphere and charm, if not always forward thrust or tension. As a portrayal of a town decimated by catastrophic job loss and now experiencing a revival through communal living, art, and handcrafted products, there is an undeniable freshness and vitality in the concept.
Character/Execution: The author has an appealing storytelling style that will leave an impression on readers. However, the characters, relationships, and motivations depicted both in the recollections and in the present never quite tip into full portraits.
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Plot/Idea: While struggling to comprehend his wife's terminal cancer and his vivid dreams/nightmares of his service in Iraq, watch repairman/maker Bob receives a very special watch in need of repair–a watch belonging to Death himself. Time is an entertaining read told with empathy, care, and attention to detail that does not become overly bogged down with unnecessary spirituality; nor does it strive to answer life's larger questions.
Prose: Hollister's prose is easy to read and engaging, however, his brief forays into the intricacies of watch repair sometimes take away from the pace of the story. Additionally, the Iraq flashbacks are not as seamlessly integrated as they could be, and their purpose doesn't become evident until the very end of the book.
Originality: A story about death, love, time, and spirituality is not wholly original–yet Hollister adds interest with a watchmaker playing a pivotal role in manipulating time itself: the "time" of people crossing over, the "time" keeping of the watch, the "time" it takes to say farewell to a loved one.
Character/Execution: Bob is the heart of Time and his seemingly mundane daily routine gains depth through thoughtful character development. Mystical neighbor Angie is a nice addition, and serves as the only other character (besides a rather generic Death) to really interact with Bob.
Plot/Idea: Rekindled Love is a wistful novel that reflects on first love and how powerful memories color the present. The novel offers an intriguing setup as the author juxtaposes the protagonist's recollections with his children's underwater explorations.
Prose: The prose is clear and straightforward, if occasionally bland. The carefully detailed descriptions of Anders's everyday life lose their interest when accompanied with very little plot-propelling action.
Originality: Bjerregaard Jessen does an admirable job of blending the present day events with the protagonist's past, though the character development comes across as secondary to the novel's unique conceptual framework.
Character/Execution: While the focus on a man reflecting on a youthful love affair is potentially intriguing, the ordinariness of Anders's relationship with Cecilie weighs down this story. What's missing is a real spark of interest about their relationship.
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Plot/Idea: Readers may find themselves lost in the protagonist's thoughts throughout this harrowing story, but that is fitting for a novel centered around a character with such a traumatic and defining moment rooted in their past. The plot is heart-wrenching, and moves slowly at times, but overall this is a stirring, expressive novel.
Prose: Arbe's tone is engaging, though the text feels information heavy in places. Given the novel's emotional premise, readers may find the prose too practical at times.
Originality: Arbe lays human intricacies bare in this evocative novel, exposing the raw emotion of losing a loved one, the bond between parent and child, and the often fine line between vengeance and justice.
Character/Execution: Arbe's characters are distinctly individual, though the protagonist's primary potential for growth plays out in his journey to seek revenge for his daughter's murder. The scenes detailing his profound grief at the loss of his daughter—and the subsequent changes wrought in his life—are both moving and painful to read.
Plot/Idea: Patterson crafts a refreshing historical romance with an entertaining lead in Abigail Dupree, an unconventional female in every way. The central idea—of a man protecting Abigail from further "ruin" by falling in love with her—is unique and appealing.
Prose: The prose flows smoothly, transporting readers into the novel's time period through Patterson's elegant writing and eloquent dialogue.
Originality: An Unlikely Arrangement follows standard romantic tropes, though Patterson infuses the novel with fresh spirit through her creative female protagonist.
Character/Execution: Abigail, as well as the male romantic lead Garrett Barringer, are well-defined characters who effortlessly fit the genre. Readers will appreciate the easy, polished repartee between the two.
Plot/Idea: Guardians of the Latte Stones is an absorbing historical drama that delicately combines suspense, mystery, and the enduring horrors of the battlefield. The relationships between the central characters are carefully observed, acutely highlighting the plight of the Chamorro people of Guam and their often traumatic experiences during the Japanese occupation.
Prose: Aleja's text is striking in its depiction of graphic imagery, expertly shining a light on the devastating effects of war. There are also affecting scenes of physical and emotional abuse, and Aleja's level atmospheric descriptions neatly draw readers into the narrative's complexities.
Originality: Guardians of the Latte Stones is a consistently engaging and frequently intense war drama. It is a straightforward and well crafted tale that offers eye-opening insights into the experiences of the Chamorro people.
Character/Execution: Guardians of the Latte Stones benefits from a strong sense of natural authenticity. Aleja displays a great understanding of human emotion in their character depictions, particularly through their depiction of Takeshi's intense struggle for survival.
Blurb: A powerful and engaging World War II drama, with supernatural overtones.
