Review of Curby

[Guda Lydia]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Curby" by Adrian del valle.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Nick Santinelli pensively recalled the events of the past three years. He worked as the driver of a behemoth New York City street sweeper. One evening, through instinct, he decided to check on the worn-out carton placed in the middle of the street. Expecting to find puppies, Nick was shocked to see a newborn baby boy wrapped up in tattered clothes. In confusion and elation, he rushed home to his longtime girlfriend, Sandra, with the bundle of surprise. Sandra had a terminal cancer diagnosis and had three years to live. The child presented an opportunity for her to be a mother. They named him Curby.

Nick was now in a grim and desperate situation, battling a court case to keep Curby. Everything fell apart when Sandra died, and Nick had to find a nanny. She was not as competent, resulting in Curby getting lost in the streets. Police involvement further worsened everything since Nick possessed no proof of parenthood. Everything unfolded so fast, and he was suddenly at the center of a case involving teenage drug abuse, murder, and a conspiracy to derail his custody case. Two simultaneous events that occurred three years ago will merge into a situation that will make or break Nick’s dreams.

Curby by Adrian Del Valle is a fast read that tells a heartwarming story of family bonds and love. The introduction instantly takes the reader to Nick's thoughts as he discovers the baby. The reader also gets to know Nick and everyone associated with him. The story has several distinct characters that construct the plot. The scenes and settings are also vivid through the details in each description. For instance, Adrian writes, ‘He looked up and down the street and behind, but no one was standing nearby and the people that were near enough to see, seemed oblivious to what had just unfolded between Nick's two feet.’

My favorite aspect of the book is the impeccable introduction and impactful presence of every character, despite their numbers. The major characters are five with several supporting, and each has perceivable roles and personality traits. Equally, the story explores societal themes like drug addiction and associated violence, like a murder fueled by a drug high. Additionally, health issues that result from substance abuse, like in Sandra’s case where her lung cancer stemmed from cigarette smoking. However, due to the short nature of the story, everything unfolded too fast and lacked emotions. Moreover, a character like the nanny was left unattended as the story ended.

I did not find any grammatical errors, evidence of the book’s exceptional editing. The language employed is intelligible, with minor cases of profanity and tasteful descriptions of intimacy. Curby is a story of an unusual family bond without the typical blood relations. It also explores various forms of romance, the effects of toxic relationships, and the system that governs child protection and adoption. The story misses some elements like emotions and in-depth plot development, but it has suspense and a captivating series of events. Therefore, it warrants a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. I recommend the book to readers looking for a fictional short story with a healthy sprinkling of cuteness and a dash of mystery and detective work.

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Curby
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Itz Savaga]

Wow! This book seems interesting, this book will teach alot on being good. Nick is still going so much trouble because he helped a poor, helpless child. I would love to know the things that Nick did throughout this story. Great review

[Patty Allread]

I loved your review! Of course, the big question is, did Nick get to keep Curby?

[Okoye Chinonso+]

I'm perplexed by the plot twist after the beginning storyline.

[Okoye Chinonso+]

Thanks for the lovely review though, it made the book seemingly interesting. I'm not a big fan of books like this, but I can always give this one a try.

[Ifesi]

This review sounds interesting. The author did a nice job in presenting the book to be interesting and easy to understand. Thanks for a wonderful and intriguing review.

[Aisha Yakub]

I'd like to know how it eventually turned out for Nick. This seems like a great read. Great review.

[Sarah Sonbol]

I was greatly affected by your nice review. The story looks touching, thus it's surprising that it lacked description of emotions.

[Christopherio]

The book is about new opportunities and the challenges that come with it. Sometimes we want great things but are not fully prepared to handle them when they come. Thanks for the review.

[Aan Granados]

I wonder if Nick was successful in getting custody of Curby. I would love to read this! Thank you for your review!

[Okonobe Chioma Chukwuma]

What an interesting book,I can only imagine what Nick had to go through after Sandra died.he really went through alot trying to keep curby. Your review is nice.

[Yvonne Monique]

This sounds like a heartwarming story. Although Curby had an unlucky start, it seems like he finally will be surrounded by people who love him.

[Hubre De Klerk]

This is a very intriguing story that has so many possible outcomes. I am glad Sandra could experience motherhood before she passed away. I am definitely interested to learn how this story ends for Nick and Curby. Well done on an amazing book and and excellent review!

[Julie Gebrosky]

This sounds like an amazing book to read! This kind of story is right up my alley. I’ve heard of people finding babies on the street before and some have kept them. I wonder if this is based, even loosely, on a true story. I really want to read it and see what happens to Curby!

[Ferdinand_Otieno]

This is an amazing inspiring other fiction novel highlighting cancer, life challenges, motherhood, life changes, and unique characterization. The book is temporarily free on Amazon Kindle and has a well-written OnlineBookClub review. Congrats on the BOTD selection.