The two must important things when writing a true story are that the story is interesting, and that the writer tells it in an interesting way. This is undoubtedly an interesting story, but unfortunately, it is not told in an interesting way, as least for me. Eve's life includes abuse, strip tease and drugs, all juicy stuff, and if you are happy to hear the memoirs of a strip tease artist as if you're listening to the main character tell their story in a formal interview, then the book will be perfectly fine for you. The characters come across clearly and I felt I had a real sense of what made Eve tick. The friendly, respectful atmosphere in the interview gave the book a kind of cosy feel that I think would help people who may have difficulty with the material to see it in the same matter-of-fact way as Eve does as she tells her tale. Eve says that she doesn't tell people that she is a stripper, not because she is ashamed of it, but because people have preconceptions about … [Read more...]
Escape, love & a true story: Review of ‘The Boy Who Said No’ by Patti Sheehy
The Boy Who Said No, An Escape To Freedom Patti Sheehy Oceanview Publishing Historical fiction The Boy Who Said No is a novelised version of the true story of a young man's escape from Cuba to the USA . Frankie is a young teen when Castro comes to power in Cuba and the story details the harsh reality of life under the dictator's policies. The prior regime may have been corrupt, but Fidel's policies bring greater suffering for the majority of people, at least from Frankie's point of view. As time progresses it become more and more clear that things are not going to get better. Some think the Americans will come and rescue them, but that hope soon fades. Frankie is clever and is taken away to join a special forces unit in the army. He has no choice in the matter, but becomes highly skilled at his job, the top guy in the team. He finds it hard, however, not to occasionally speak his mind about the huge gap between what the party tells them is true (eg that the people are … [Read more...]
