Official Review: Brailling For Wile by James Zerndt

[Heidi M Simone]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Brailling For Wile" by James Zerndt.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Imagine being a pre-teen and finding your father hanging by a noose in your home. This is the storyline that author James Zerndt bases his book, Brailling for Wile, on. Categorized in the Other Fiction genre, Zerndt explores the idea of loss and sorrow in the voices of several characters. Set in a small Colorado ski town, strangers come together to heal and forgive.

Twelve-year-old Mattias Long used to play Scrabble with his mom while waiting for his father to finish work. Whenever given the chance, Mattias would use brailling as way to help him win; brailling is the act of “feeling the surface of a tile while your hand is in the bag in order to draw a blank tile or specific letter”, states the Scrabble's Official Glossary, which isn't allowed. However, now when Mattias plays, he isn't waiting for his father any more.

About a year after his father's suicide, the Long family continues to endure pain and sadness. It is important to note that Mattias's father was nicknamed Wile (as in “Wile E. Coyote”) because many of Wile's well laid out plans crashed down like an anvil, including his plan to end his own life.

Mattias is filled with confusion and hatred towards his father for leaving everyone behind. His sister, Georgie, sleeps under the desk of where the event occurred, his mother hasn't left their home in a long time, and Mattias seems to be on his own. What makes the sorrow worse is the consent reminder of his father's death that lies within the four trees planted outside of their house, one for every family member. However, one day, Mattias's mother decides to have Wile's tree removed. What seems like a simple decision leads to a series of riveting events that unravel an interesting plot.

An important note: this book is not solely based on Scrabble, even though the concept of the game is mentioned a few times throughout the book. It is more of understanding Wile's actions and the repercussions it had on his family.

Brailling for Wile is filled with themes of sorrow, loss, redemption, and love. Having these deep, realistic themes create a story that can connect with many readers. Mattias's struggles are lifelike and understandable, which helped me sympathize with him more.

I enjoyed Zerndt's assortment of intriguing characters and plot details. Two of my favorite characters are Mattias and his extremely religious best friend, Helyana. Their almost comical relationship adds some lightness to the story. The plot helped me get acquainted with several different characters. It also through me for a loop at its gripping twist towards the end of the book.

I rate Brailling for Wile 4 out of 4 stars. The variety of characters and the twist at the end made the book interesting and memorable. I would recommend this book to mature teens and adults who like to read about people managing and overcoming life's hardships.

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Brailling For Wile
View: on Bookshelves

Like hsimone's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Jamie Zerndt]

Thanks for the great review, Hsimone!
Some people have had trouble with Helyana, so I'm glad you found some humor in their odd relationship.

J-A-M-I-E

[Heidi M Simone]

You're welcome, Mr. Zerndt! Thank you for writing such a good book

It's interesting you say that because I can see why some people may have some trouble with Helyana's character, but I think she definitely added more to the story, and it wouldn't have been the same without her. I also appreciate her backstory. It laid out how she came to be. I don't want to give too much away, but I also liked the how you rounded up her story line.

I did enjoy their relationship. Keeping in mind how young they are helped me find it a bit comical

Thank you again, Mr. Zerndt! Good luck in your story!

[gali]

Great review! It sounds like a good book, and I am glad you enjoyed it.

Congratulations to the author for the positive review!

[Heidi M Simone]

Thank you, gali! I really did

To the author (I've been wanting to use this smilie for a while )

[rssllue]

Excellent review, hsimone! It sounds like a very interesting book!

And that little guy is a great smilie, isn't he?

[Heidi M Simone]

Thank you, rssllue! It is a great book!

That smilie is a pretty cool guy

[rssllue]

You are most welcome! <----

[Heidi M Simone]

Nice!

[rssllue]

[bluemel4]

Wonderful review. I really enjoyed reading it. I am glad there is some humor to relieve the seriousness of the book's major themes.

[Heidi M Simone]

Thank you, bluemel4! It was nice to have some relief from the seriousness of this book.

[bookowlie]

What a wonderful, insightful review! I like that you pointed out all the little things that made the book shine. I absolutely love the cover design (I do love crossword puzzles!).

Congrats to the author on receiving a 4-star review.

[Heidi M Simone]

Thank you, bookowlie! And I love Scrabble, so that's what caught my eye first, which was very clever of the author!

Absolutely, congrats to Mr. Zerndt for writing a such great book!

[bookowlie]

Thank you, bookowlie! And I love Scrabble, so that's what caught my eye first, which was very clever of the author!

Absolutely, congrats to Mr. Zerndt for writing a such great book!

It's funny because I normally don't choose a book based on its cover. However, this one really had me intrigued, so I guess covers are more important that I think.