Official Review: Two Sheldon Iowa Summers

Megan01 · Post by **Megan01** » 13 Aug 2018, 10:43

I personnaly think the characters are what make a story great; it seems like it with this book judging by your review so I think it's worth reading. Moreover tragedy, mental illness and other themes of this caliber are totally my type! I don't mind the grammatical errors.

Zain A Blade · Post by **Zain A Blade** » 13 Aug 2018, 10:56

I like that the author touches on real issues that most treat as shameful, such as mental illness and addictions.

Suhaurooj · Post by **Suhaurooj** » 13 Aug 2018, 11:01

A difficult book. People facing With metal illness,drug addiction,relationship breakup issues worse death..........

Elizabeth Pass · Post by **Elizabeth Pass** » 13 Aug 2018, 11:02

Mental illness is a hard thing to write about. So is addiction. To write this story over two summers for comparison is unique and interesting.

Shas F · Post by **Shas F** » 13 Aug 2018, 11:03

We're lucky if we have good ties with the family we're born to and even luckier if we find more families in our lives: friends and allies at work, friends and peers at school, our communities, etc. Les and Lorraine have such a family, as they grow and take care of each other and their friends in Two Sheldon Iowa Summers by Donald De Vries. Looking at the title and then the summary at Amazon, I was expecting a humorous book, a drama and comedy. But wow, while I'm sure there's humor in the pages, considering it's about growing up and friendships, the struggles that the protagonists deal with or witness are serious: mental illness, drug addiction and alcoholism. Thanks to reviewer CatlnTheHat for preparing us for the book's flaw, its lack of professional editing. The fact that the "engaging" story made the reviewer forgive the grammatical errors and give Two Summers a 3 out of 4 stars rating has made me add this book to my shelf.

daniya__shah3 · Post by **daniya__shah3** » 13 Aug 2018, 11:04

In my opinion, the topics dealt with in the books are very important to be discussed publicly and it takes a massive amount of courage to be able to talk about such sensitive themes out in public. However, the editing is really putting me off.

Anamchara1317 · Post by **Anamchara1317** » 13 Aug 2018, 11:12

The story sounds very engaging and I like to read books that do include very real elements (including mental health, addiction, death, etc). So I think I will be finding this a wonderful story to read. Thanks!

Post by **Sanju Lali** » 13 Aug 2018, 11:14

I liked this elaborate review which provide much insight of this book. This book tells not only about summers in Iowa, but also about lives of people who are not mentally at peace and behave erratically at sometimes. Great job done by author to highlight the problems of such people which can help to find some solution to it.

Post by **Alice Heritage** » 13 Aug 2018, 11:15

I like the sound of the realistic writing in this book, so that the small town is vividly described. It's also good to know that the depictions of mental illness and of how the characters deal with this in their loved ones are relatable.

sam_jennifer_may · Post by **sam_jennifer_may** » 13 Aug 2018, 11:16

This books sounds so interesting. I find that mental illness is often romanticised in novels so to see a realistic depiction of poor mental health is something I am eager to read.

Dori Lee · Post by **Dori Lee** » 13 Aug 2018, 11:28

Thanks for the review. I also have experienced friends or family members with addiction and mental illness. I am always interested in books that portray these illnesses. Placing it in a small town should mske it more interesting.

sabrekat333 · Post by **sabrekat333** » 13 Aug 2018, 11:38

Thank you for this comprehensive review! My only major drawback for the entire thing is the broad use of the term mental illnesses, which I have difficulty with only because there is such a spectrum of them and I personally feel that sometimes people can't help but lump them all together. But that is a small issue, and mostly personal. Also, I think some of the grammatical issues might actual be there to help portray the feelings of the author in a way that sometimes words just can't. The disjointed nature of his thoughts put onto page. But I agree, it is hard to read. Thank you again for this summary, it is good to know that if I get past the first few pages there will be some good for the character even with the trauma the character is experiences.

revna01 · Post by **revna01** » 13 Aug 2018, 11:40

A fictional story with aspects of the author's real home town makes me wonder if it's loosely based in a true story. I like the various characters and the real life situations they find themselves in. Thanks for a great review.

Cecilia_L · Post by **Cecilia_L** » 13 Aug 2018, 11:49

The core characters and several of the minor characters are well-developed. Watching how Les and Lorraine mature over time while creating their future amidst tragedy is endearing and genuine. The vivid descriptions make you feel like you are visiting Sheldon and that you could find your way from the family farm to the pharmacy in town. Overall, the realism is what sets this story apart from others with similar storylines.

As a long-time resident of a small town, this story really appeals to me despite the grammatical errors. Thanks for your interesting review!

Ms Maina · Post by **Ms Maina** » 13 Aug 2018, 11:52

A fictional story that the author bases on a small town lowa. Very relatable since we all have had family or friends who have dealt with addiction, death or mental illness. The characters are also very interesting but I think I will pass on this one. Congratulations on BOTD.