Bookworm Speaks!- Jellybeaners by Gene Scott
Bookworm Speaks!
Jellybeaners
by Gene Scott
****
Acquired: Free of charge from World Slinger Publicity in exchange for an honest review.
Series: N/A
Paperback: 214 pages
Publisher: Alarice Multimedia, LLC; 1 edition (February 15, 2017)
Language: English
Subject: Fiction
****
The Story: Jellybeaners is a contemporary novel set in the heart of Appalachia, revealing the money ties, political corruption, wasted lives, and overall cash-churning nature of the prescription pill culture from perspectives spanning both sides of the law.
The Review: The book is surprisingly poetic. It describes a history of the land of Appalachia and the events that would eventually lead to the region becoming such a wreck due to the scourge of drug addiction. It is clear that the author did their homework regarding the opioid addiction that at the time of this writing is ravaging the Appalachian region and many other parts of the United States. It is a very complex issue that has ties to many of the social ills that plague the American public. The reader is taken on a tour of the many nuances that make up this issue and it is clear that there is no simple solution to such a issue and no clear line between hero and villain. Addiction is a great equalizer.
At first, the text can come off as bit academic and dry, lacking flourish. However, a patient reader can uncover an unpretentious prose that is surprisingly full of emotion and distinctly American as well. The whole book is a look into the culture of Appalachia.
This book has a hard time finding out what kind of book it truly wants to be. It is partly history, partly creative nonfiction and fiction. The first sections of the story are entirely dedicated the origins of the drug crisis in America. The historical details described are actually pretty interesting and Bookworm would not be averse to reading a nonfiction about the genesis of the drug trade. It should be noted that the historical sections are deprived of footnotes and citations that would otherwise lead credence to their accuracy.
This was book was meant to be a fiction though and Bookworm had read over fifty pages of history and facts before we even got to the start of the story. Even then, it was more like reading a biography. Bookworm is unsure if the events described within are based of off actual events and people but it would not surprise Bookworm if they were. It is never made clear.
Once we get into the journal entries of main characters, the story begins to pick up speed. A better way to format this book would have been to interspace that history throughout the character driven segments. Alas, the book doesn’t really feel like a novel until a full third of the way through the pages. Casual readers would have probably put the book back on the shelf by that point. This isn’t helped by the fact that the characters come out of nowhere with little context that would otherwise add characterization. A lot of names come up but with little to attach to them.
This whole book struggles with formatting. The story doesn’t start a full third and even then don’t really what the story is really about until halfway through! Once that starts, its so haphazardly put together that the end result can be a bit confusing. The reader does get the story though.
While it is considered unwise to postulate on a fiction author(s) political leanings based solely upon the content of their work, the text alone illustrates great passion against the opioid crisis. It can get rather proselytizing at times though, which quickly grows tiresome, especially when we get into more expository passages.
What ultimately saves this book in the end is the amount of heart that was put into the words. The passages of Samantha Walker’s journal entries are very good writing. Her personality oozes off of the words and it is a compelling personality to boot. Major kudos to the author for making the main character a girl and not a girly girl to boot. She’s tough, sassy, and a motocross champ! Even though its not a centerpiece, this book does offer a slight glimpse into the world of off-road biking. These are always fun to experience while reading literature, where some of the author’s likes and interests bleed into the narrative.
Final Verdict: This book can be summed up in a single image: It is an investigative scenario and the characters have constructed a big bulletin board filled with photos, newspaper clippings, reports and other data: all to solve the case. It’s interesting to look at all the pieces and how they connect, but when one takes a step back, they realize as a whole, it is a bit of a mess.
Rating: Three Jellybeans out of Five
****
Icon Source: https://www.mycutegraphics.com/graphics/jellybean/jelly-beans.html
Comments
Post a Comment