Review of Just Looking

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Ebele Ekelobi
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Review of Just Looking

Post by Ebele Ekelobi »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Just Looking" by Matthew Tree.]
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5 out of 5 stars
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Just Looking by Matthew Tree is set in the 2030s. Jim had gone on a cruise ship for leisure after selling the house he had inherited from his father for a huge sum. He had retired, and not long after that, his wife Sally had quietly left him. While on the cruise ship, he ran into a journalist called Jean-Pierre with his partner, Helen. That turned out to be a meeting of fate instead of mere coincidence. Jim also met a sociologist, Raluca, on the ship, and they had a sexual relationship that continued after the cruise was called off. They all got into France at a time when a certain political party, NSLF, was gaining ground, and in more ways than one, they got involved and realized that there was more to it than meets the eye.

There was an influx of immigrants from the Ukrainian-Belarus border into France, and the Nous Sommes La France (NSLF) was against foreigners, especially dark or brown-skinned ones. Jean-Pierre, who worked for a newspaper that churned out articles to favour their shareholders, which Célestine Buchard of the NSLF was leading, thought of a prank that would expose the lies and deceit of the paper. He carried it out, but the response was not something he had anticipated. The response to his little prank led to a nationwide demonstration that opened the doors to the repatriation of helpless foreigners.

I like the lessons behind this story. Each part of this book contained lessons that would be very useful in the present day. Important and sensitive topics like racism, xenophobia, political corruption, and so on were well discussed in this book, and it was seen from the characters' dialogues. I also liked the slight imagery the author used in this book when describing characters and events. I appreciated the fact that the author did not allow the minor themes to change the course of the book but instead stuck to the original storyline. The division of the book into parts instead of chapters worked out well too.

There was little to be displeased about in this book. I was not totally satisfied with the story's ending as the whereabouts of a certain important character were still unknown or left to the reader's imagination. I wouldn't name the character to avoid spoiling the story for readers. Also, the crime perpetrators were not brought to book, and though it may have been left like that to depict what happens in the real world, I found it rather unsatisfactory.

I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars rating. The storyline was superb and thought-provoking. The characters were well-written, and I found the story engaging. The inconclusiveness of a story didn't form enough reason to remove a star from the book, as it can be argued that the author is entitled to his preferred open-ended style of telling a story. I also didn't remove a star because the book was exceptionally well edited.

Just Looking by Matthew Tree is embedded with a lot of adventures, so I recommend it to lovers of adventure stories with hopeful endings.

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Just Looking
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Scott maina
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Post by Scott maina »

Well summarized
Stephanie Stones
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Post by Stephanie Stones »

This is an interesting and well thought of review. I would love to try out this book and know more about the fascinating things in it. This is an interesting storyline.
Adeoluwa Adebusuyi
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Post by Adeoluwa Adebusuyi »

This is a good and well written review. You captured all the important components of the book and I would definitely love to try out this book. Well done.
Favour Hillz
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Post by Favour Hillz »

A unique title with a wonderful plot. The author really did an amazing job in making this book magnificent. Thanks for this review.
Prosper2000
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Post by Prosper2000 »

Adventure lovers will enjoy this one. Great review. I'd love to learn more on racism and xenophobia from this book. Great review.
CrossK
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Post by CrossK »

This doesn't seem like a book I will enjoy, so I'll pass on it. However, I must say that your delivered a brilliant review.
Alexander C Schmoock
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Post by Alexander C Schmoock »

I've really never explored the topic of xenophobia even in the smallest detail in the past. Maybe this is my opportunity to do that.
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