Review of Mixed Blessings

[Fareed Regal]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Mixed Blessings" by J.M. Muse.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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It is time to tie the knot. Nine hundred and eighty-seven Korean women marry nine hundred and eighty-seven black American males. These weddings happen on the same day, at the same time, at different venues in Detroit. Welcome to Project Mocha, the driving force behind Mixed Blessings by J.M. Muse.

Kimberley is the illegitimate daughter of Hector and Rachel. Hector is a Mexican reporter. Rachel is an American Jew. The author introduces Kimberley to the reader at the beginning of the book. This introduction spans twenty-five pages. The title of the book makes it natural to assume that Kimberley is the central character. This is not the case. The central character is Minister Kublai Khan, a black American. He is the leader of a religious group. We are also introduced to a white priest from America, Reverend Tucker Dalton. Many other characters are getting good introductions. However, they end up being bit players in the context of the narrative.

Khan believes that black Americans are still being marginalized by the government. His mission is to change this situation permanently. Dalton believes that white people were chosen by God to rule the world. Accordingly, he makes it his life's mission to stop Khan at all costs. Dalton does not know exactly what Khan is planning. Despite this, Dalton decides to adopt the proactive approach of preparing himself and his followers. This means they will be ready when Khan's intentions are clearer.

I enjoyed the fast-paced narrative of Mixed Blessings. The pacing was conducive to a fairly quick read. The characters of Khan and Dalton, the protagonists, were well-written. Most of the book's action and suspense stemmed from this. Although both men operated under the guise of religion and race, they were both passionate in their pursuit of a common purpose: power. Dalton wanted the continuance of white supremacy. Khan planned to engineer political power for a mixed-race majority.

I did not enjoy the disjointed storyline. Proper understanding of the two opponents was hampered by the untimely introduction of a new character. Star is a Japanese lady whose father is a black American. Her mixed origins caused her to be a victim of discrimination. There is no connection between her story and the main narrative. Furthermore, Kimberley, who was introduced right at the beginning, only returns near the end of the book. This haphazard juggling of characters caused me to struggle to get comfortable with the overall flow of the narrative.

The editing of the book was not up to standard. I found more than ten editing errors. Coupled with my earlier negative comments, I am giving Mixed Blessings a rating of two out of four stars.

I would recommend this book to adults who are interested in societal issues of race, and religious sects. Putting my negative comments and the poor editing aside, enthusiasts of this genre might enjoy the book's fast pace and unusual central theme. There is frequent use of profanity and a few sexual scenes that stop just short of being graphic. I do not recommend this book to readers who are offended by these aspects. Although religious quotes and references abound in the book, they are not disparaging in nature. As such, they should not deter anyone from reading the book.

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Mixed Blessings
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[MsH2k]

I can see the author's intention by the book's cover, but it sounds like this story lacks focus. Thank you for your honest and thorough review.

[Kira Bonita Reece]

This story sounds like it's all over the place and full of different beliefs. The idea of having so many weddings on the same day seems like an interesting storyline though. Thanks for the review

[Fareed Regal]

I can see the author's intention by the book's cover, but it sounds like this story lacks focus. Thank you for your honest and thorough review.

Your comment is spot on. Thanks for the feedback.

[Fareed Regal]

This story sounds like it's all over the place and full of different beliefs. The idea of having so many weddings on the same day seems like an interesting storyline though. Thanks for the review

Thank you for reading the review and providing feedback. Appreciated.

[NancyDrew12]

Reading this book seems distressing. Thank you for enduring and providing a lovely review!

[Fareed Regal]

Reading this book seems distressing. Thank you for enduring and providing a lovely review!

Thank you for taking time to read the review, appreciated.

[Prisallen]

I'm curious where this book is headed, but I think I will wait until the book's issues are taken care of before reading it. Thanks for an excellent review!

[Fareed Regal]

I'm curious where this book is headed, but I think I will wait until the book's issues are taken care of before reading it. Thanks for an excellent review!

Thank you for the feedback. It will certainly be worth reading once the issues are sorted out.