ARA Review by William gates of The Sword Swallower and a Chico Kid

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William gates
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ARA Review by William gates of The Sword Swallower and a Chico Kid

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[Following is an OnlineBookClub.org ARA Review of the book, The Sword Swallower and a Chico Kid.]
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3 out of 5 stars
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"The sword swallower and a chico kid" by Gary Robinson.

Duke Reynolds, a young run away, journeys on a troubled road that leads him down a path of drugs, alcohol, and bad decisions. As a sword swallower for the circus, Duke Reynolds leads a rebellious life on the verge of death every step of the way. He turns to his tattoo family, and family at the circus for advice until he is forced to live on his own, traveling and marveling the world with his circus acts and bravery.


Gary Robinson a young college student stumbles down a path of addiction and reckless behavior. Parties, women, and drugs land him on the verge of eviction and demise until he meets Duke Reynolds the sword swallower, who immediately befriends him, and teaches him the arts of his celebrity and guides him from the seas of debts and despair, back to the shores of life.


A tale of friendship, desperation and love, grips you in the tangles of this novel. Raw, and riveting, this tale captivates the reader in awe, in lure of its lust, and reckless desire. Free and spontaneous, a good adult read for those with big imaginations and wondering hearts.


I like Gary Robinson's "The sword swallower and a chico kid", because of its variety of ideas, possibilities, situations and creativity. The writer at times can grip you in a surge of crafty penmanship, detail, even emotion, and sets you on a pace to turn the next page.


To the contrary, the author at times fails to keep a steady flow of connecting details, often blurring times and events. Further discouraging the reader with outrageous scenes, and reckless behavior, ideas and horrid intimate encounters.


The author has a lot of ideas, and good writing, but fails to keep a steady connection with the reader, emotions and necessary details, majority of the time leaving the reader lost as to time, reason, and actual possibilities.


I was originally captivated by the idea that the story seemed like it was a biography about a real person, and then got lost in the fantasy of it all. The drug use, alcohol binges and flat-out disturbing scenes made the book an odd read, mostly the only desire to finish the book was my respect for reading "finish such that is started", and partially because I recognize myself as a beginning author in alot of the authors flaws.


I give this book a rating of 3 out of 5.

The reason for my rating is because although fiction, to often in the book there is a severe disconnect with truth, detail, and reason.


I didn't give the book a 4 because the disconnecting portions of the book were very important, and the ideas were often wild and outrageous. Finally, the debt of the destructive fantasy, coupled with the heights of what the author sought to teach were too often cancelled out by the other.


I did not give this book a 2, because of the abilities seen through most of the authors writing. When the author did connect, it was a strong connection, and kept me, the reader scavenging the book for that potential. The ideas of the authors were plentiful and often very good. To say the least, the book not only had two parts and featured two characters, but truly held two personalities.

Duke Reynolds the "sword swallower", and Gary Reynolds the "Chico kid".

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