Eve Koguce's Blog, page 2

Inside the Robe: A Judge's Candid Tale of Criminal Justice in America by Katherine Mader

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


As a huge fan of memoirs, biographies, and autobiographies, I could not go by this book when it landed in my email among other promoted titles. Not so long ago, I finally changed my reading preferences on BookBub and started receiving promo deals for the books I’m really interested in reading.

I am not as ardent a fan of crime fiction or shows, though. Since the time the only crime books we knew were written by Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle (yes, I’m exaggerating, but the gist remains), I never found myself immersed in untangling a murder mystery on the pages. As a teenager obsessed with books the way I was then, I, of course, read a few mysteries by renowned crime authors. And still, it ended there, and until this day, I haven’t developed a habit of binge-reading crime novels.

Having made this confession, I must say that Agatha Christie’s autobiography is one of the best books of this kind I have read so far. I enjoyed it immensely and highly recommend it to both fans of memoirs like myself and the author’s fans.

Returning to the book I am reviewing. “Inside the Robe: A Judge's Candid Tale of Criminal Justice in America” by Katherine Mader is an absolutely fascinating and eye-opening insight into the judge’s work. It is written in the form of a diary, which makes it easy to follow. The author meticulously documented a year of her life as a judge of one of the Los Angeles County courthouses.

Every job and every life role is more than the scope of duties a person performs. A doctor not only sets diagnoses and prescribes relevant medicine. A surgeon not only cuts flesh and sews it back. A cop does not solely capture the criminals and issue fine tickets. A parent’s tasks go beyond feeding, clothing, and educating their children. All of these people – all of us – along with performing what our various roles imply, must adhere to the rules of each group we belong to. Doctors and surgeons have to play by the rules of the hospital administration. Policemen must follow the internal rules and instructions as to how to use weapons on the job, which words not to use when performing an arrest, etc. Mothers and fathers are expected to participate in the groups formed within schools to ensure the interaction of their children with their class and teachers. It is the same for judges.

A judge not only presides in court and makes decisions about the punishment measures. A judge walks on the thin ice between colleagues, politicians, judges in more influential positions, trying not to stir wider public opinion, not to spoil the relationships with attorneys, and, ultimately, to ‘follow the law.’ Which, as we can easily see reading Judge Mader’s story, is much harder than can be expected.

Katherine Mader mentions that most people, unconnected with the world of justice, see judges as some superior beings. She says that the title ‘Judge’ clings to you even outside the courthouse, sometimes even among your friends. It is an interesting moment, demonstrating, in my opinion, most vividly how unique a judge’s profession is.

“Inside the Robe” by Katherine Mader is a non-fiction book. For lovers of crime books, it might be a drawback. This book depicts real life, and in real life, not every crime gets solved and not every bad guy gets what they deserve. Some trials the author writes about had started before she began writing this diary. Some weren’t finished within the limits of the year covered in the book. The aim of murder mysteries is to give the reader the satisfaction of seeing a murderer exposed and put in the hands of the justice system. The aim of Judge Mader’s memoir was to show what a year in a judge’s chair is. Some might find it unsatisfactory, but if we stop and think about it – can we imagine how incomparably more upsetting it must have been for the author?

The thing that struck me the most about this book is the realisation of how many crimes the justice system is forced to deal with are committed by people with mental health issues. Something about it nagged at me while I read and analysed the cases mentioned. It still scratches at my consciousness, but I am not ready to express my reflections in words. It is something about us treating the whole mental health problem in the wrong way. It seems that society in general understands that these people require a different attitude, but, at the same time, we expect them to adapt to the rules of conduct designed for everyone.

I am grateful to the author for the excellent read, which “Inside the Robe: A Judge's Candid Tale of Criminal Justice in America” proved to be, and for giving me the food for thought about the US system of justice.



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Inside the Robe: A Judge's Candid Tale of Criminal Justice in America

Snow: Cursed by Willa R Finnegan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


What if there existed a land inhabited by all the characters and magical creatures of our favourite fairy tales and books read to us by our parents when we were little? What if none of them were the way we imagined them while eagerly turning the pages or listening to our moms and dads reading to us?

“Snow: Cursed” by Willa R Finnegan set the readers’ imagination on fire by weaving the tale of the fight between good and evil, throwing into the mix just about every hero of our childhood dreams – and nightmares.

Does Snow White necessarily have to wait for a prince to free her from a terrible curse? What if she takes her fate in her hands and, not relying on anyone to save her, embarks on the journey to save herself?

That’s how this story begins. A fifteen-year-old princess Snow is lucky – or is it bad luck really? – to find out that she has been cursed before the curse comes into effect. Instead of sitting in the castle’s turret, shedding tears about the impending gloom, ruining her eyesight by hours of peering at the horizon expecting her saviour-prince to appear, Snow leaves the comforts of a king’s daughter behind and sets out in search of a solution to her problem.

As we know, after reading countless fairy tales and later fantasy novels, a quest can never be easy. The one who dares to venture out on one meets with all kinds of obstacles and perils on every corner. Princess Snow’s lot is no different. Almost right after she exits the town walls gate, a pack of wolves appears with an unmistakable intention to eat her.

From there, Snow’s transformation from a pure soul and obedient daughter into something completely unexpected starts.

Traversing the magical lands while seeking the way to lift the curse, Snow meets those who will help her, led by both selfish and sincere motives. She also meets those who will want to hurt her, led by the expectation of some gain or simple malice. She learns about betrayal by those whom she thought she could trust and the loyalty of those who, at first glance, appeared to wish to harm her.
Peter Pan and his Lost Boys, the pirates of the Jolly Roger with a not the same Captain Hook leading them, the inhabitants of the land of Oz, gallant and charming as ever but pursuing his own interests Puss in Boots – these are just some of the characters you’ve thought you knew everything about whom you’ll meet in “Snow: Cursed” by Willa R Finnegan.

Prepare to be surprised, charmed, startled, and finally, totally bewitched by this novel written by a young writer, about whose bright future in storytelling I have no the slightest doubt.



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Snow: Cursed

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


“Mansfield Park” is not my favourite book by Jane Austen. It doesn’t stop me, though, from rereading it from time to time as I do with all this author’s books. For a long time, “Northanger Abbey” remained my least favourite Austen novel. But after the last rereading a few years ago, it moved up my scale. I found its sarcastic tone refreshing, and I think the style of this book demonstrates the author’s personal evolution.

When I read “Mansfield Park” for the first time, it felt long. Yet, rereading it recently, I was surprised that a different part of the book seemed too slow to me. The chapters dedicated to Fanny’s stay with her original family in Portsmouth dragged. Before, I enjoyed them more. I think that with age, it became clear that Austen’s portrayal of the domestic routine of an impoverished family with many children is too realistic. When we are young, we often have idealistic views like ‘health cannot be bought with money’, ‘money cannot bring happiness ’, etc. Only when we grow older and face more situations that prove that it isn’t always that simple, do we embrace a wider perspective about money and happiness.

I like Fanny Price. She seems real to me. She is just the way a girl living in Jane Austen’s times, placed in her circumstances, could be. Of course, a daughter of a poor sister sent to reside with the family of a rich one could, unlike quiet, modest and fearful Fanny, be boisterous and active. But here the question arises, wouldn’t people like Lady Bertram and Mrs. Norris send her back home after they found out about the ‘faults’ in her temperament. Not every young girl should be athletic, quick-witted, and spirited. The world is huge, and there is a place for a Fanny Price in it too. It’s another matter altogether if modern readers don’t want to read books with ‘Fannys’ as main characters.

This time, I especially enjoyed reading about sombre and earnest Edmund’s infatuation with Mary Crawford. I thought that it might be how Jane Austen imagined Mr. Bennett had fallen into a matrimonial trap that Mrs. Bennett, with very possibly the help of her mother, had set for him. The girl was pretty, lively, with the manners designed to please a man. Not every man can stop himself from grabbing what looks like a lucky chance if his feelings are set ablaze. I found it endearing how Edmund spoke about Miss Crawford’s ‘virtues’ and her natural goodness, which had been marred by the influences of the society she had been placed in.

While “Pride and Prejudice” and “Persuasion” remain my favourite Austen novels, I find it refreshing to reread all the others as well. With almost every rereading, my impressions and opinions about the characters change, and to me, it is interesting to follow the evolution of my views.



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The Complete Works of Jane Austen (In One Volume) Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion, Lady ... Sandition, and the Complete Juvenilia

A Dread of Blight and Ruin by Laura Maybrooke

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Winning one battle doesn’t necessarily bring you a victory in a war. Garth must embrace this truth, no matter how unmotivating, quickly. Even though he emerged victorious, with the help of a powerful ally, having defeated one enemy, a much greater fight looms on the horizon. The one where Garth must protect the peace and freedom of the whole continent.

“A Dread of Blight and Ruin” by Laura Maybrooke, the second book in the Shadows Across the Ages series, has the same old-school fantasy quest vibe I liked in book one. The stakes are high, the characters seem unfit for the task they cannot fail to fulfil, and new, seemingly insurmountable obstacles get thrown their way to stop them. Still, they push forward, despite their fears and sometimes common sense whispering into their ears that they must give up.

I really appreciated the increased role, compared to what it was in the first book, that Dulcea and Lord Krath played in this book. They are an intriguing couple, and I didn’t want their story to end with the ending of the Dulcea’s Rebellion trilogy. I also enjoyed visiting the Silver Elves' capital, as well as descending underground to see how the Mist Elves live after the blow they received for their help in the liberation war led by Dulcea two centuries ago.

While reading, I thought about why some people always hide their heads in the sand no matter what happens around them, while others step forward to try to help. For the first, I think, the driving force may be either egoism or the unwillingness to leave their families and loved ones should they perish in the battle. But the motivation of the ‘heroes’ is more varied. Some seek glory and people’s admiration they might have lacked in their lives. Others are genuinely concerned about the well-being of the whole world and cannot stand aside when they see that something is threatening it. There are also those for whom jumping into the heat of an impossible mission is like air; they cannot live without it and would wither away without action.

To which group does Garth belong? I don’t have an answer to this question. On the one hand, he undertook the role of the one who fights against the horrible threat voluntarily, without expecting a reward. He doesn’t seem to expect to ever be taken by Elves, his mother’s people, as one of them. He has accepted his half-blood origins and the consequences of never belonging to either race fully. But on the other hanA Dread of Blight and RuinA Dread of Blight and RuinA Dread of Blight and RuinA Dread of Blight and Ruind, he craves to become the dragonlord of the Bronze Dragons and seems to be elated by the respect it brings.

I am looking forward to seeing how Garth evolves personally while fighting to save the world from not one but two enemies, one of which seems to be more than anything people, elves, and other creatures had faced before.



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Sorcery's Dark Embrace: Witches, Shifters, And The Broken Beyond—A Dark Fantasy by Jupiter Rose

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Claire is young, unprotected, and alone. The world she lives in is hostile, joyless, and dark. It seems that Claire’s best chance is focusing on survival. And even then, she might not be lucky. Like those hanging on the wall, demonstrating the power of the nobles and the futility of anyone wishing to fight against their rule.

Claire knows her limitations and thus lies low.

Until she discovers her true power.

Claire learns that she has more life baggage than she’s been made to believe, that she is capable of protecting not only herself but those around her, and that she doesn’t have to fight her battles alone. Yet, the question remains if Claire is powerful enough to save entire worlds. On the road of discovering secrets from her past and the extent of her magic, Claire also learns that the world she’d considered her home isn’t such. Moreover, other worlds exist beyond the one she knows. Overwhelmed but not discouraged by the array of astounding discoveries, Claire embarks on a mission of saving the worlds, one by one. But can she succeed?

Having been used to standing alone against the merciless world, Claire finds herself among people who seem to treat her as a friend and share her goals. She even falls in love. After the dark times that have been her life, it feels like a miracle, unreal. But maybe it all indeed is only a mirage? When people start betraying her, Claire doesn’t know what to believe in or whom to trust.

There are battles where the parties’ powers are unequal. There are tasks which seem unequal to any creature’s potential. The author takes readers on a journey where surprises and revelations await at every turn.

“Sorcery’s Dark Embrace” by Jupiter Rose is full of magic, dark secrets, unexpected twists, and tension. The characters are flawed, some craving redemption, while the minds of others are set solely on destruction. Every victory is only a step in what seems a never-ending quest. And amidst the chaos, Claire has to fight the main battle. Fierce to the enemies, loyal to her friends, she must find a way to make her darkness bring the light.



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Sorcery's Dark Embrace: Witches, Shifters, And The Broken Beyond—A Dark Fantasy

INNOCENT AGAIN: A LEGAL THRILLER by Steven Decker

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Becky is rich and beautiful. She doesn’t have to struggle with mortgage or student loan payments. She doesn’t even have to make a career, enjoying the benefits of well-off parents and a successful husband.

Becky would have been blissfully happy had an unsavoury discovery about her husband having an affair not spoiled her charmed existence. She would have probably lived with the bitterness scratching at the back of her mind and marring her marital eldorado a little for years. Still, since the spouse admitted his guilt and promised not to hurt her again, Becky’s perfect life wouldn’t have suffered from his mishap too dramatically.

Yet, something happens that pushes her husband’s infidelity not even to the background but outside the scope of things that matter. Something unbelievable. And, at first sight, irreversible.
Becky gets accused of murder. And if that isn’t outrageous enough, the jury issues a daunting verdict – guilty! – and the young woman, used to a privileged and mostly carefree life, finds herself locked in prison. Surrounded by people who can, want, and will hurt her – unless she is quick enough to outsmart them.

Truth to be told, Becky isn’t the most likeable of heroines. Still, I found myself admiring her nerve, gumption, and courage. Thrown into the hostile environment – and what environment can be more hostile than jail? – she doesn’t freeze with fear, curl up in a ball and sit in her cell waiting to be abused and molested. Far from it! Not waiting for something horrible to happen and not dwelling on the cruel blows fate has been too generous at dealing her, Becky seeks ways to, first, make her life in prison tolerable, and second, prove her innocence and find the real killer.

I’ve read other Steven Decker books, and although this is his first thriller, “Innocent Again” shares some of his trademark features I’ve grown to appreciate. The story is fast-paced and the pages turn themselves. The plot is packed with action, and every chapter brings a new revelation. You can’t stop reading before you find out how the book ends.

This author’s books are rich with details that make the narrative multi-dimensional and immersive. Whether you are getting ready to land on an unfamiliar planet or travel our beautiful Earth from the US to the ancient Great Wall of China and all the way to the distant shores of Australia or sit in the courtroom, listening to the lawyers and prosecutors deliver their speeches dotted with legal terms, you feel a part of the scene. The author makes you plunge into the story, and after reaching the end, you emerge as if disembarking the spaceship or exiting the grim gates of a correctional institution.

It might seem that fate was too cruel to Becky, putting her through too many hardships and making her suffer too many losses. But long after I finished reading the book, the thought that tough things either break us or make us better versions of ourselves kept lingering in my mind.



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INNOCENT AGAIN: A LEGAL THRILLER

The Siren's Cursed Kiss by Kat Kinney

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I am a huge fan of Kat Kinney and her fantasy series. I’ve read them all, and I always pre-order the next book so I don’t miss out on a new release. “The Siren's Cursed Kiss”, the third book in the Everwood Falls series, wasn’t an exception. I pre-ordered it months ago and was eagerly looking forward to reading Sage and Gideon’s story.

Everwood Falls is a town up in the mountains somewhere in Colorado. It is quaint and pretty, with picturesque hiking trails and all seasonal festivities celebrated in style. It has a place where the best pizza is served and a café with the most delicious coffee, as well as a paradise for every pet owner with the store’s shelves packed with everything one’s fluffy – or scaly – treasure might need. Everwood Falls has everything to satisfy a human soul. Only… most of its inhabitants aren’t strictly human. And those who are, possess powers beyond ordinary people’s abilities.

The little town is a place where the highest magic authority sends those magic users who’d present a threat if they remained living in the Mundane world. For some, Everwood Falls is a prison. While for others, it is a sanctuary and a home.

Sage is a green witch. Trees and plants are her best friends and also allies and protectors. Don’t try to hurt her if a pumpkin is nearby. You’ll end up face down in the mud.

Sage hasn’t settled down in Everwood Falls of her free will. Her magic manifested rather late in life when everyone had already written her off as one of the untouched. And when it did, it was a disaster. Sage couldn’t control her powers, thus was sent away without the right to visit her family even for Christmas. As if it wasn’t enough to be separated from her loved ones and without a chance to explore the world outside Everwood Falls, a man Sage fell in love with left her, breaking her heart.

And yet, Sage isn’t unhappy. She has made good friends in Everwood Falls, and her garden keeps her busy. She decided to close her heart and never let a man hurt her ever again.

Gideon is a merman. Although he is free to leave Everwood Falls, which being far from the ocean doesn’t seem to be a perfect fit for him, the ties connecting him to the quirky town have grown too strong. Moreover, the complications that had forced him to leave his home and family on the coast ceased to be the main reason why he wants to stay. And although Sage had announced at once that they can only be friends, it is enough for Gideon to not even contemplate leaving.

Just when Sage and Gideon begin settling into a friendly routine, with cosy dinners at Sage’s cottage and watching Netflix together, sinister things begin to happen. Everwood Falls isn’t a place that can stay quiet and trouble-free for long. Too many supernaturals per square meter guarantee that someone regularly stirs its peace.

People from both Sage’s and Gideon’s pasts show up in Everwood Falls and complicate the life of the whole town. As the title of the book implies, sirens are involved. And I must say, despite a layer of refinement modern times have forced upon these sea creatures, they still are as vicious as we remember them from Greek myths.

Sage and Gideon get pulled into the whirlwind of solving the mysteries. Think murder, a sudden storm threatening to tear the local pet shop to pieces and the appearance of an oversized kraken in a local lake. Under such circumstances, will their love blossom or fade without having been given a chance?

As always, after finishing yet another book by this author, I pre-ordered the next book in the series. I’m looking forward to reading Norah’s story. The Underworld she is from seems to be a bone-chilling place I wouldn’t want to visit in real life, but reading about it must be an exciting adventure.



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The Siren's Cursed Kiss

Somebody's Nobody by Helen Aitchison

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


It is a bad thing to kill people. No one has a right to decide when someone’s life should end, even if the life this someone leads turns the existence of others into a nightmare. This is a rule everyone raised in a civilised society accepts as an axiom and never doubts.

Unless one grows up with nothing civilised around to tether their morals to.

“Somebody's Nobody” by Helen Aitchison is a careful exploration of the warped mind of a sociopath and so much more.

I’ve read three fiction books written by this author, and I really appreciated that in this one, she, in a way, replicated the trademark style she demonstrated in her debut novel “The Dinner Club”. Helen Aitchison gives the floor to each key character so readers can get to know them beyond their role in the crime investigation. To me, it is a prerequisite to enjoying a story. If the characters feel flat, I can’t make myself become invested in what happens to them.

By the time two horrendous crimes shook the routine of the day centre Homeless Helping Hands in Northumberland, England, I already cared about some of its employees and service users and was wary of what others might be up to.

Two men are murdered. Neither of them an angel. Both having a difficult past and not less tumultuous present. Some might say that they deserved what happened to them. But who is actually capable of carrying on the killing?

The team at Homeless Helping Hands are shattered by the events directly involving them and the people they do their best to help. Their work is hard and nerve-wracking at the best of times. But with the police swarming the premises every day, service users scared and, as a result, even more vulnerable than usual, and each team member struggling with problems in their own lives, the atmosphere becomes unbearable.

I was fascinated by how masterfully the author led me into sympathising with the killer. Delving so deeply into their mind, I couldn’t but understand, at least partly, the logic behind their cruel actions. By portraying the culprit the way Helen Aitchison does in this novel, she uncovers the unsolved issues we have in our society, which strives to offer more help to those in need. A lot of work is still to be done to have tangible results in this field. It isn’t enough to not let homeless people die of hunger by giving them hot meals. It even isn’t enough to set up a place where they can come for counselling and support. The assistance should start much earlier, before a person becomes damaged and unfit to live as per accepted standards.

This book tells the story of a traumatised child with much in-depth knowledge gained from the author’s experience working in the field. Maybe it would make someone who can do something to change the situation for the better think of new solutions or simply motivate people to help others more.

“Somebody's Nobody” by Helen Aitchison will appeal to psychological and crime fiction fans who appreciate learning more about the characters along with untangling the threads of a murder mystery.



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Somebody's Nobody

From Here to the Great Unknown by Lisa Marie Presley

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


“From Here to the Great Unknown” is a memoir of Lisa Marie Presley, legendary Elvis’s daughter, told by herself and her daughter Riley Keough. Lisa Marie Presley recorded her memories and asked her daughter to help her to write the book. Sadly, she died shortly after making those tapes, leaving the task of sharing her story with the world to her daughter.

I love memoirs, autobiographies, and biographies. I could even say that these are my favourite genres. There is something indescribably poignant in reading about real people's lives. Often, the twists and turns which happened in reality are more unbelievable than the most elaborate fiction.
I don’t always like the person who wrote the memoir or to whom the biography is dedicated. To be honest, even as a teenager, I have never been a true fan of any famous person, be it a singer, actor, or band. As to writers, thanks to our excellent Literature teacher at school, I knew too much about their ‘dirty laundry’ to unconditionally admire any of them.

And still, it is exceedingly rare that I can’t relate to the person I’m reading about at all. Alas, this is what happened when I was reading this book. That’s why I was reluctant to write a review and share my thoughts. I don’t like reviewing books I didn’t enjoy. After all, it is purely subjective, and others might feel differently about the story. Yet, after coming across the review of the book around which there is or was huge hype and chatting with the person who wrote it on Instagram, I decided that I could share my thoughts too.

So, here is my take on Lisa Marie Presley’s memoir.

First, I didn’t like the book. At all. It made me boil with indignation – and I didn’t like feeling this way. I am a sympathetic person who always tries to help and comfort people, but it was just too preposterous to feel any sympathy. I guess I should have rated it with one star, but I don’t think it’s fair. I’ve read the book till the end, and it made me think about things. So, it wasn’t without any value.

Riley Keough wrote at the beginning that her goal for making this book even after her mother passed was to show the world what a wonderful person Lisa Marie Presley was. I think that the main reason for the frustration from my side is that she has failed. What I saw, having read the book, was a shallow person without any depth or substance who, by a whim of fate, was born into wealth.

A lot of people lose their loved ones, have difficult relationships within their families, and fight addictions and trauma. Yet, not all of them have the means to try to remedy the damage. Lisa Marie Presley had everything at her disposal to steer her life into a lighter, healthier path than the one her parents had placed her on. Her famous father, unintentionally, by dying when she was a child. Her mother by her marriages and her husbands’/boyfriends’ attitude to Lisa Marie. Instead, she seemed to have floated through life, avoiding anything that required any effort. Her thoughts about school and education are ridiculous. She said she didn’t care about school, wasn’t interested in anything it could offer, and ignored it. But then she went on declaring that she craved to understand life, what it was all about. I’m not a die-hard fan of traditional education. Any system is rigid by default and cannot be perfect. Even so, anyone who wants to achieve something tangible, significant, like exploring space, finding a cure for a serious illness, etc., must go through the education ladder as it is. There is no way around it. Whether it is good and fair is a different matter altogether.

Having read the book, I was left with the impression that it still depends on a person if they strive to achieve something or not irrespective what start they are given in life. Some pursue their passion even if they were born rich. They use the opportunities to build something worthy, to grow. Riley Keough, Lisa Marie Presley’s daughter, is an excellent proof of this theory. She is successful in both her family and professional lives despite having grown up in a dysfunctional environment.

Riley Keough said that it felt like they all had led a charmed existence, what with all the travelling to exotic locations, spending time surrounded by luxury. I wonder if this ‘fairy tale’ wasn’t the reason her mother not simply lost but had never felt a connection with reality. A childhood spent in Elvis’s Graceland, so unlike any place children usually grow in, then changing schools and her mother’s hectic lifestyle – all this could have warped anyone’s mind.

“From Here to the Great Unknown” is not the book I’ve enjoyed reading. Still, it has taught me something and given me some food for thought. I believe it’s not the worst result of an otherwise unsatisfying read.



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From Here to the Great Unknown

Black Sheep by Donna Scuvotti

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Luke could have been that sorry person most people pass quickly on the street, guiltily averting their eyes from the sight of someone else’s misfortune. Luke could have been that bitter person who makes everyone he comes in contact with feel uneasy and bad about themselves.

Luke could have been a failure.

And in a sense, he is. Even though he didn’t give up the countless times he could have dropped hope and sunk into oblivion, life kept throwing hardships at him. Even though he moved forward clinging to the tiny sliver of hope he somehow managed to keep intact in his soul, life continued its attempts to crush him.

Still, he has survived. If it can be said that Luke has thrived remains for every reader to determine themselves. Yet, one thing is absolutely certain. Luke has done something worthy with his life, despite it presenting him with more curveballs than even the strongest person could endure taking.

“Black Sheep” is a kind of ‘memoir’ of the character whom those who enjoyed the author’s books “Just Jonathan” and “Deadly Vendetta” fell in love with. Luke, in a way, ‘outshines’ the main character, making readers crave to learn more about him. I am one of those readers with whom Luke’s character resonated on many levels, so I am grateful to the author for writing his story.

Donna Scuvotti takes us on the journey of Luke’s life, which proves to be a voyage through stormy waters. With every chapter, as we navigate first through his grim childhood and then his tumultuous youth, the author tears piece after piece from our hearts. With every new episode of Luke’s life, we delve deeper into his soul, and soon, he becomes a human being rather than a book character.

Along with desperately wishing Luke to succeed, find happiness and get rid of his demons, I contemplated what helped him to keep going. So many people give up after even one of the tremendous hardships Luke had to endure in his life. Yet, some don’t let the blows, no matter how harsh, destroy them. I think that the reason is an inner core built around decency and kindness. One is able to go through terrible things without losing hope, enthusiasm and interest in life if there is something that keeps one together. Hate, anger, and bitterness tear a person apart, while kindness helps heal the cracks.

“Black Sheep” by Donna Scuvotti addresses issues we as a society tend to overlook. It gets more pronounced as the progress pulls us out of the ‘herd’ and turns us into individualists. As the need for other people in our survival and well-being lessens, we become more prejudiced. Being wrapped up in our own ‘box,’ cosy and plentiful, with limitless entertainment (Internet, Netflix subscriptions, various apps, etc.), we are losing the ability to see beyond it. But the truth is that people don’t change as drastically with the progress which evolves around making our life more pleasant. We can’t miraculously get rid of addictions, mental health problems, and the necessity to love and feel loved. Thus, the book gently teaches us to be more attentive to people around us. They might be in dire need of help, or their, at first glance, ugly behaviour might stem from deep wounds they carry with them for years.

Although a real treat for everyone who loved Donna Scuvotti’s previous books, “Just Jonathan” and “Deadly Vendetta”, the book can be read and enjoyed as a standalone.



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Black Sheep