Review of The fountain at Ugalnis

[Merits Anih]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The fountain at Ugalnis" by Jose Saco.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Someone once told me that if one wants to be a good girl or boy, it is a choice to make for oneself, not how one's parents brought them up to be. This is because even people with the strictest of parents are the worst humans. There are many times each of us has been exposed to weird or tight situations; our choices in those situations made us who we are now. In this book, we look into the lives of some teenagers and adults alike to see how the choices they made led them to some consequences that would affect the rest of their lives. The Fountain at Ugalinis is the second volume in the Illicit Liaisons by Jose Saco.

Megan's school had a play, which she was a part of. After the play on Saturday night, the crew was invited by Andrea Sipes's parents to an official chaperoned party. However, there was also an unofficial party at Paul Ugalini's house where there would be booze and drugs. After the play, Megan and others went to Andrea's party. She had just wanted to go home after the party at Andrea's house, which she did, but what she saw on getting home led her to leave again, and she ended up finding herself at Paul Ugalini's party. One thing led to the other, and she was in Trevor Huffman's car after the party some hours after midnight. The problem is that Trevor has a history of sexually assaulting women, and she was aware. She just desperately needed help getting home and hoped that this one time, Trevor would actually do what he promised to do—take her straight home. The events that followed suit that night were ones that I never expected, and you have to get a copy of this book to find out.

I love Megan's character because, irrespective of all she was going through, she was still strong and sensitive enough to recognize other people who needed help and make an effort to help them. I must say that she does act maturely, way above her age, and that comes into play in many areas of her life and her contact with people. The way she figured out what could be the problem between Mr. Ugalini and his daughter Francesca was amazing. I like that each character has complexity. Just like in real life, every individual has a lot going on in different aspects. The author tends to capture this. Even the minor characters, like Ryan and Emmanuelle, had complex lives and well-developed backgrounds. The story is well-developed, and I applaud the author's talent for fiction writing. I appreciate how the author delivered certain delicate topics in such a raw and unfiltered manner. He did not hide the truth because he has heard many such stories in his line of work, and if such frankness will help readers take caution, then so be it.

More than anything or anyone else, I would have loved to recommend this book to teenagers and adolescents. There are places and situations they should uproot themselves from because they might make them do things they might not be proud of. This book sheds light on those places and situations. However, the book does contain explicit sexual content, and parental guidance is advised. I do recommend it to adult readers because of the heavy sexual content. Parents and guardians should encourage the young ones around them to openly discuss "the embarrassing" stuff with them so that they know when trouble is lurking and when the young ones need help.

All things being equal, this book deserves a perfect rating. However, I am pained to rate it 4 out of 5 stars because it still needs another round of editing. There were some places where some characters' names were misplaced. This volume is also lengthy and was not easy to finish. That being said, this book contains scenes of sexual abuse, rape, and substance abuse, and so I would advise those triggered by these topics to stay away from it. Before you read Illicit Liaisons Volume 2: The Fountain at Ugalinis by Jose Saco, I would encourage you to read the prequel (Illicit Liaisons—In Your Wildest Dreams) first, as it would help you understand the book.

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The fountain at Ugalnis
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[Samuel Falle]

This review appreciated the book and applauded the author for doing a great job in creating it. Based on the pleasant impression the author's writing created, the reviewer also did well in making me want to include the book on my bookshelf.

[RJ Reviews]

Wow, this one sounds like an interesting and compelling book. The storyline is eye-catching and I would definitely love to find out what happened to Megan for she seems like a selfless girl. I appreciate that the author attempted to discuss delicate tropics in a straightforward way. Thank you for sharing your honest and detailed review.

[Samuel Falle]

This review appreciated the book and applauded the author for doing a great job in creating it. Based on the pleasant impression the author's writing created, the reviewer also did well in making me want to include the book on my bookshelf.

[Samuel Falle]

This review appreciated the book and applauded the author for doing a great job in creating it. Based on the pleasant impression the author's writing created, the reviewer also did well in making me want to include the book on my bookshelf.

[Aaron Joseph Maupin]

The review provides a detailed and informative assessment of the book "Illicit Liaisons Volume 2: The Fountain at Ugalinis" by Jose Saco. It discusses the plot, character development, and the author's approach to sensitive subjects. The reviewer recommends the book for adult readers due to explicit sexual content and advises parental guidance for younger readers. However, the reviewer mentions some editing issues and the length of the book. While the review is helpful and provides insight into the book's content, it may not motivate everyone to purchase it, especially those sensitive to certain topics. From the reviewer's perspective, it seems to be a good addition to someone's library if they are interested in thought-provoking fiction with complex characters and raw storytelling.

[Donaking]

Based on the review, "Illicit Liaisons Volume 2: The Fountain at Ugalinis" by Jose Saco appears to be a thought-provoking and well-developed book. The reviewer appreciates the complexity of the characters and the author's talent for fiction writing. However, they mention that the book contains explicit sexual content, so parental guidance is advised. The reviewer also notes that the book could benefit from another round of editing and is quite lengthy. Overall, it appears to be an interesting read for adult readers who are comfortable with the explicit content and are interested in exploring complex human experiences.

[Ivan Kovic]

I prefer fiction centered on intimate personal perspectives over broad societal analysis. Microcosms of human experience often reveal universal truths more profoundly.

[Victoria Ukamaka]

The review suggests a certain poetic tragedy in youths contending with harsh life lessons conditional affection proves frighteningly fleeting when convenience dictates.

[Salome Ogani]

I appreciate praise qualified through transparent admission of affinity for certain creative dimensions. It acknowledges subjective bias inevitable shapes any critique framing receipt of a work.

[Richard Thomasalw]

The premise of flawed yet multidimensional characters navigating formative coming-of-age dilemmas shows potential for insightful social commentary through poignant personal narratives.

[William Wrightmill]

_Highlighting positive qualities like characters demonstrating wisdom and empathy beyond their years adds depth beyond basic commentary on plot events. Deeper analysis strengthens assessments.

[Brian Adamss]

The commentary suggests the book authentically captures the complexity of adolescent experiences where youthful impulses clash with harsh adult realities. This honesty resonates.