Official Review: Grape Nuts or Corn Flakes

[Nonso Samuelson]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Grape Nuts or Corn Flakes" by Jane Waters Bugg.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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On the surface, 60-something-year-old Deb Cromwell looked like any other woman her age. She seemed to have everything going for her: a good husband and two amazing kids in their twenties. But beneath the smile, Deb was carrying around deep emotional and psychological scars from a violent gang rape incident she had survived in her college days.

Deb had succeeded in tucking the memory away and raising a family, despite her experience. But after she lost her father, experienced a carjacking attack, and consequently suffered amnesia, events began to align that set her on a path to confront her emotional wounds. Will she find closure, or will this lead her to uncover more demons from her past?

Grape Nuts or Corn Flakes was a delightful read. I suspected that the author, Jane Waters Bugg, was a copywriter, given the story's effortless flow and word and phrase choices. After visiting her website, my suspicions were confirmed. My favorite character in the book was Deb. This statement would seem expected, given that she was the central character of the book. However, the author did an excellent job of developing her character. She sufficiently portrayed the loving but sometimes withdrawn connection between Deb and her husband, Joe, and the love and concern her children — Miles and Zannah — had for her. The other support characters, Tyler, Donna, Dennis, Dr. Nutley, Susie, and Michael, only featured when it was appropriate. None of them threatened to outshine Deb's central positioning. I found this to be very refreshing. I also like that Waters Bugg used profanity sparingly and only in strict contexts. This means that anyone can read this book even if they're uncomfortable with such language.

While I loved the story and the author's writing, I didn't like that I found some grammatical, typographical, and formatting issues while reading. They did not detract from my reading experience at all. Still, they were enough of them for me to take notice. These errors suggest that this book needs some professional editing work. I also wasn't excited by the book's cover design; I felt like it didn't do anything to portray the book's message.

In all, Grape Nuts or Corn Flakes was a winner in my mind. However, considering the number of errors with the writing and the cover design, I can only give it 3 out of 4 stars. I desperately wish I could have given it more because the story was terrific. I would recommend this book to anyone who has had to live with the trauma of physical or emotional abuse.

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Grape Nuts or Corn Flakes
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[MsH2k]

This sounds like a story I might enjoy. I agree with you on the cover, but the title is unique. Thanks for a great review.

[Nonso Samuelson]

This sounds like a story I might enjoy. I agree with you on the cover, but the title is unique. Thanks for a great review.

Yes, I share the same sentiment. Thanks for commenting.

[inaramid]

This sounds delightful indeed! Very curious how Deb fared after all that. Thanks for the recommendation!

[Chimdi_3]

Nice review.Great story too, Deb has really gone through a lot. I hope she finds closure and healing at the end.

[Vickie Noel]

Excellent review; I really enjoyed reading it. In this period of resurfacing rape incidents and allegations, I can only but imagine how Deb would have felt, as blasts from her past emerged to shatter her world, forcing her to confront the emotional trauma all over again. Hope she finds closure. Thanks for sharing!

[Leen282]

Catchy title, I wasn't expecting a story with such a serious topic behind it. I liked reading your review, thanks.

Edit: I went to add the book to my shelves, is it really a book from 1918 or is that a typo in the shelves?

Edit again: I saw publication year 2017 on Amazon and reported the mistake on shelves.

[Nath_chuks]

I wish to know if Deb finds closure. Its not easy covering such a huge trauma for years. Excellent review

[J_odoyo]

That is a nice review. I love it that the author maintained well-developed characters throughout the book. Thanks for your informative review.

[Adanna Inya]

I love the premise of the book. And I love that knew that the best healing anyone could get is the one they give themselves. I praise her courage. Beautiful review.

[Samgum50]

Deb seems like a very strong character and I sympathize with her. This book seems very interesting to read. Great review!

[Kanda_theGreat]

Once I saw the book's title, I thought that the content would be food-related topics and such.
I'm surprised that there's more to it than meets the eye.
Your review is well done!

[Melisa Jane]

An effortlessly flowing book can be amazing. Can't wait to see the book. Great review.

[Ellylion]

Sounds like a great and inspiring read, really worth checking out I like that the book has a strong and reliable main character. Thank you for a great review!

[Tonika632]

This sounds like a good read. The title intrigued me, and I think that I'll enjoy this one. Great review!