Review by JoeRanjo -- The Spirit of Want

[JoeRanjo]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Spirit of Want" by William H. Coles.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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The Spirit of Want by William H. Coles bears the mark of all great stories. From the very beginning, the author skillfully manages to hold your attention and curiosity to the very end. The characters are realistic in their capacity to embody human attributes. Lucy comes across as misanthrope who only interacts with people out of sheer necessity. Although she is cold and arrogant, it is put in context, that she views life from a lens of abandonment and polite tolerance of her presence, by her family. It could be argued that her willful rebelliousness and stubbornness are born from her cynic view of life.

Lucy’s sister, Elizabeth, though not as beautiful and successful in her love life is a wonderful human being. Their father A.J. is an incredibly successful and wealthy surgeon who loves the power and options his wealth and career afford him. He isn’t afraid to cut any corners to ensure he gets what he wants.

So when Luke, a fellow surgeon who works for A.J.'s hospital is invited to a fundraiser party, fate deemed it, that he would be sucked in the middle of quite the whirlwind of events that seems to surround this family.

William H. Coles takes the reader to the edge of emotional investment in the characters. He makes you love and hate them in equal measure. It is a captivating tale that will make you see the world in all its implicit imperfection. It is rife with deceit, manipulation, secrecy, and lust. The systemic loopholes that steer away justice at the heart of bureaucracy and power relations.

We see how these characters try to rationalize their transgressions through half-baked thought processes. We also see some of the characters try to take on the system and try to ensure the truth has the final say. This is an emotional roller-coaster that will have you rooting for the villains and wishing for the demise of your favorite characters.

What I liked most about this book are its authenticity and great character development. The conversations are quite seamless and dramatic. The story is woven with the ebbs and flow that are akin to real life. That being said, what I liked least about the book is that it could well have been longer. Some characters' stories are quite interesting like Agnes, Elizabeth’s mother could have been done more justice in terms of character development and historical background.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. This is because it engaged and rewarded my curiosity with every new chapter. The book is extremely well written. The chapters are divided into short but robust segments. The breaks between chapters are very convenient. Deliberately well placed so as not overwhelm the reader. It is a book for all readers but I would specifically recommend it to young adults and adults in general.

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The Spirit of Want
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