Review of Flat Top Mountain Ranch -- the beginning
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Abi McCoy
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Review of Flat Top Mountain Ranch -- the beginning
[Following is a volunteer review of "Flat Top Mountain Ranch -- the beginning" by James E Doucette.]
Flat Top Mountain Ranch – The Beginning is a work of historical fiction set in the United States during the latter half of the nineteenth century. The story follows two young men who are from very different backgrounds: one man from Louisiana, one from New York. Both fight in the Civil War for opposing sides, and both find themselves weary of the killing and horrific acts that occur during the war. After being able to leave the battlefield, they each make their way west towards the frontier, looking for peace and prosperity. They meet on their journey, realize they have similar goals, and decide to team up to fulfill their dreams. The rest of the book follows the two men as they begin to learn what it takes to survive out west, including making new friends, making some enemies, several encounters with Native Americans, and making a new home.
There was a lot of good history included in this work; I could tell that James E. Doucette really did his research. The note at the beginning provided helpful historical details that set the backdrop for the story. Throughout the work, Doucette included historical events and facts that added to the depth of the story. For example, the bit of lore included about how the Native Americans first got horses was a perfect detail to add.
The inclusion of the dates at the beginning of each chapter were useful for keeping up with the timeline as the story spans more than 15 years. The last two chapters were a well-written wrap-up of everyone’s storyline. It can be difficult to satisfactorily end a story that covers so much time, but the author did a good job at bringing it all together.
Unfortunately, the writing felt quite flat to me throughout the whole work. The sentence structure was repetitive more often than not, making it feel a bit like reading a grocery list. This was especially unfortunate as there were many action scenes that just completely lacked any sort of feeling, excitement, or drama. Similarly, the dialogue felt just as flat. For example, in several places when people yelled, the dialogue ended with a period rather than an exclamation mark. This also contributed to the monotone feel the entire work had and kept me from feeling an emotional connection to any of the characters.
Overall, I give Flat Top Ranch – The Beginning a 3 out of 4 stars rating. The historical details included really added to the depth of the story and created a strong setting for the characters. Unfortunately, the writing style was not conducive to a wild west adventure. It left the exposition and dialogue feeling flat, which really detracted from the characters and the story. For anyone interested in the Civil War, the period of Manifest Destiny and western expansion, or a solid western adventure, this story is for you.
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Flat Top Mountain Ranch -- the beginning
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Flat Top Mountain Ranch – The Beginning is a work of historical fiction set in the United States during the latter half of the nineteenth century. The story follows two young men who are from very different backgrounds: one man from Louisiana, one from New York. Both fight in the Civil War for opposing sides, and both find themselves weary of the killing and horrific acts that occur during the war. After being able to leave the battlefield, they each make their way west towards the frontier, looking for peace and prosperity. They meet on their journey, realize they have similar goals, and decide to team up to fulfill their dreams. The rest of the book follows the two men as they begin to learn what it takes to survive out west, including making new friends, making some enemies, several encounters with Native Americans, and making a new home.
There was a lot of good history included in this work; I could tell that James E. Doucette really did his research. The note at the beginning provided helpful historical details that set the backdrop for the story. Throughout the work, Doucette included historical events and facts that added to the depth of the story. For example, the bit of lore included about how the Native Americans first got horses was a perfect detail to add.
The inclusion of the dates at the beginning of each chapter were useful for keeping up with the timeline as the story spans more than 15 years. The last two chapters were a well-written wrap-up of everyone’s storyline. It can be difficult to satisfactorily end a story that covers so much time, but the author did a good job at bringing it all together.
Unfortunately, the writing felt quite flat to me throughout the whole work. The sentence structure was repetitive more often than not, making it feel a bit like reading a grocery list. This was especially unfortunate as there were many action scenes that just completely lacked any sort of feeling, excitement, or drama. Similarly, the dialogue felt just as flat. For example, in several places when people yelled, the dialogue ended with a period rather than an exclamation mark. This also contributed to the monotone feel the entire work had and kept me from feeling an emotional connection to any of the characters.
Overall, I give Flat Top Ranch – The Beginning a 3 out of 4 stars rating. The historical details included really added to the depth of the story and created a strong setting for the characters. Unfortunately, the writing style was not conducive to a wild west adventure. It left the exposition and dialogue feeling flat, which really detracted from the characters and the story. For anyone interested in the Civil War, the period of Manifest Destiny and western expansion, or a solid western adventure, this story is for you.
******
Flat Top Mountain Ranch -- the beginning
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Scrolls of the Bonefairy Castle by David Spiegel
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Rm21
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I don't normally read historical fiction but this one sounds pretty action packed and exciting. all the history included with the action sounds like it makes for a great read. thanks for the recommendation.
