Official Review: The Legend of Colgan Toomey by Dargan Ware

[Mindi]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Legend of Colgan Toomey" by Dargan Ware.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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I have never read a book quite like The Legend of Colgan Toomey by Dargan Ware. It is a very interesting book, and the format is very unique and well-crafted. It is one that will definitely leave you thinking after you finish it.

The book is about a young man who was a legend in his Alabama town and among various other people who he came in contact with throughout his life. This man's name was Colgan Toomey, and the story is unique because it is a compilation of remembrances from different individuals who had the privilege of knowing Colgan during his short life. The story begins with a speech from his best friend at his funeral. Apparently, Colgan has passed away from an attack in Central America while he was on a mission. Throughout the book, many friends, family members, mentors, religious figures, teammates, and others tell their own personal stories about how Colgan left an imprint on their lives. Everyone who talks about him, in some way, describes him as an extraordinary person. However, each person had a completely different angle of Colgan's life that they intersected with. He appeared to be so many things, including an athlete, a scholar, and an exceptional friend to everyone who knew him. The book takes many twists and turns and has interesting viewpoints.

I really was intrigued by the many angles from which this story was told. It has a depth that is hard to explain. It is amazing how one person can be described in so many different ways, yet every description tells an extraordinary story. Colgan had so many layers to his personality, and every layer had such a huge impact, regardless of the fact that he was so many things to so many people. Reading these accounts of his life can really make you think about how each aspect of our personalities has an importance. It also shows how different people are affected by and notice different things. At times, I felt like I was reading about different men throughout the book, but the realization hit me that each of us could have a completely unique story told about us from each person we have encountered in life.

I also found the story to have some interesting twists in it. Throughout each description, there were more plot twists that helped pull together some questions about other parts of the story of Colgan.

There were a few times that I had trouble understanding a certain point of view and how it helped the story. Most of the remembrances, though they told very different viewpoints, brought an important aspect to the final understanding of Colgan and the life he lived. However, there were some chapters that did not seem to make sense or have a connection to the overall story being told. I was confused a few times, but the majority of the book told an amazing story of this legendary man.

For anyone who does not care for vulgar language and cursing, there did seem to be quite a bit of language throughout the book. I'm just noting that as a warning. Everyone will have their own opinion of that, and it may not bother some as much as others.

Overall, I am going to rate the book 3 out of 4 stars. It is a very well-written book that I definitely recommend. My only deduction is from parts that seemed a bit confusing, but despite that, it is a book that will leave you thinking long after finishing. I would put this on your reading list, because I feel like it will leave an impact on many readers.

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The Legend of Colgan Toomey
View: on Bookshelves

[derialist]

It didn't occur to me that different people will notice different things about a person until I read your review. Thank you for writing an insightful review.

[Nisha Ward]

There's a film this reminds me of, not with the content but with the idea of different perspectives on the same thing. Memory and the way we have different relationships with different people really do have a funny way of defining how we're seen and it's interesting that this book looks at that.

[Mbrooks2518]

What an interesting way to tell a story. Great review!