Reviews

My novel MONSTER received a very special review from bestselling author James Byron Huggins. A few elements in the novel really captivated Mr. Huggins, and he generously provided one of the greatest reviews I’ve ever garnered. Because I’m a geezer, who doesn’t get too far up or down, I enjoy the reviews, including the one star and two star hit pieces I’ve mentioned before. We have to stay ready to counter the Book Killers on the Amazon marketplace or they can destroy our sales, which is the goal. I also confess I see the humor in this particular abstract comparison between James Byron Huggins’ sterling review of a fellow author, and Crusty from San Francisco’s review of the same novel only four days later. My wife, Saint Joyce, rarely understands the humor, when she sees me laughing at the one star BK’s hit pieces, but when I read these two for her enjoyment, even she laughed at the incongruity.

First here is James Byron Huggins’ wonderful review of MONSTER:

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Astonishingly well-done, December 2, 2013

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James Byron Huggins - See all my reviews

This review is from: MONSTER (Kindle Edition)

I am one who tends to say that well-done characters are everything in a novel. I would even say that a great character can carry a poorly written novel. But that is not the case with MONSTER, which is fantastically well-written story of a truly unforgettable character. In fact, the protagonist in "Monster" is one of the most well-defined, well-fleshed out characters I've come across in a very long time. While DeLeo does nothing to attract attention to his true skill as a writer, when he wishes to impress, he does it with a flare of skill and daring that reminds me of a meteorite flashing across the sky.

I am a professional writer with numerous best-sellers, and read quite a lot, but Bernard Lee DeLeo is one of the purest writing talents I have ever had the pleasure of reading - a brilliant writing talent that I can only envy.

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Okay… wow… that was awesome, right - guaranteed to swell the head of any novelist. Not so fast, my friends, because only four days later, Crusty from San Francisco chimed in with a bit different view of my writing. Here’s good old Crusty’s take on MONSTER:

1.0 out of 5 stars why did I waste my time, December 6, 2013

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Crusty (San Francisco) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: MONSTER (Kindle Edition)

Poorly written, formulaic and predictable story. The dialog is stilted and unrealistic. There is very little complexity to any characters or themes. I frankly wonder why this was written and published.

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So, there you have it. In the space of four days, I flashed from a meteoric writing talent to a waste of time. I’m one who grasps whatever entertainment I can, where I can. Although if Crusty is an actual reader of MONSTER rather than a Book Killer, he or she (is Crusty masculine or feminine – I don’t know) of course bypassed the six full chapters Amazon gives away for free with their ‘Look Inside’ feature. All of the elements annoying Crusty were on display in the first six chapters. That’s not the point here. Either you have to enjoy reviews and the gaming that goes on in the Amazon marketplace, or you pretend they don’t exist. I’m not much on pretending, except when I’m writing on my assent into the stars, or crashing into 'waste of time land'. I thought my author friends as well as my blog readers would get a laugh out of this. I did.  :)