Review reprinted with permission: Jhonni Parker
I really enjoyed this book by Gary Hope, and the fact that it is based on his true life is completely crazy! I thought it was excellently written, and in a very lively, natural tone. It definitely kept my attention from the opening to the finish. It is a relatively quick read (or maybe I just gobbled it down fast!) one I finished in the course of a few evenings. I was surprised by how much his story moved me, and I felt like I could relate on some level—like at parts he was almost talking to me. I was genuinely surprised at a few things that happened, and thought the pacing, the narrative flow, and the editing was all great. Much better than I was expecting! I thought the premise sounded intriguing enough, but I thought it was much more cleverly executed than I originally thought it would be. The writing is crisp, clear, and eloquent and the pacing was excellent throughout. I was interested in the author’s experiences right from the beginning. Each character really brought something to the table, and I liked that the narrator seemed “human” and very well-realized… like genuine people going through troubles that we could relate to on some level. Fans of nonfiction and memoirs will enjoy this. In my opinion this book has great general fiction crossover appeal.