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[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Compulsive Move" by Phillip Cornell.]

Official Review: The Compulsive Move!, by Phillip Cornell

The Compulsive Move is the story of Kevin, a young man who is striving hard to make a better future for himself. As the story opens, Kevin is struggling to make the money in order to fund his move from St. Louis to Chicago in order to pursue his dreams of art school.

This story is all about dreams– what it means to have them, what one has to do to achieve them, what one does when other people don’t believe in your dreams, and when to consider giving up on your dreams– or alternatively, choosing to keep following them.

This is a very real story. There is no dramatic deus ex machina that produces an intense or surprising ending. Nothing magically happens to make Kevin succeed or fail. It seems pretty clear that there are thousands of Kevins in the world, people who have a goal, and who set up a plan to pursue that ambition, and work hard to achieve their heart’s desire. But even the best laid plans are no guarantee, and sometimes despite one’s best efforts, life or luck get in the way, making it exponentially difficult to get what one wants.

The pacing is steady but also leisurely. The reader gets little glimpses at the forces that might hold Kevin back, the dedication Kevin devotes to his goal, and his reasoning behind his actions. Kevin is bright and dedicated to making his dreams come true, but he is by no means perfect. Sometimes he makes mistakes or takes unnecessary risks, but more often than not he shows himself for what he is– a young man who is still figuring out how life works. This story is actually pretty short– it’s a novella rather than a full-fledged novel, but there is a lot packed into a relatively brief space.

At times one wishes that Cornell revealed a little more about Kevin’s youth and connections with his family. When certain family members are dismissive or hostile to Kevin’s goals, one gets the sense that something must have happened to their own dreams in the past that may have embittered them. Also, several passages are a little stilted and need a bit of polishing in order to flow more elegantly.

By the end of the narrative, it becomes clear that Kevin’s story does not end alongside the novella. It’s very possible that Cornell will write more about Kevin in the future, and I look forward to seeing more of Cornell’s work.

I give this book three out of four stars.

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The Compulsive Move
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I think this sounds like an interesting story. I like that nothing magical happens to Kevin and that it seems relatable. Thank you for the great review.

Thank you, Insightsintobooks. I appreciate your writing that!

A real story about dreams...How important it is to have them, what to do in order to achieve them, how to react when others don believe in your dreams and the decisions to take when a dream is not fulfilled. Sounds an interesting weekend read.

Sounds like an inspiring book. Discovering your dream and living it is the way to go.

it is great that the reader gets "little glimpses at the forces that might hold Kevin back". Good job on the review!

At one point or another, we all have had a dream or goal that we wanted to pursue. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't. Other times, along the journey, we realize that it isn't something we even want anymore because we find something better for ourselves. I'm looking forward to reading this book today! I can't wait to see the challenges and roadblocks he ran into along his journey. No matter if the decisions he made along the way were good or bad, they were obviously powerful enough to make an impact on his life. Sounds like a book we can all relate to...congrats to the author and thank you for sharing your story!

At 59 pages its not long but it tells a story about following a dream. And dreams are important.

Seems interesting, but rather short. I might check this one out, but not sure yet.

Great review. Congratulations to the author for making BOTD. This sounds like a really interesting book of attempting to make you way in life and the forces that can get in the way.

Great review. This book sounds like one that almost anyone can relate to. Everyone has dreams of some kind, big or small. I'm very interested in reading Kevin's story. Thanks for sharing.

Love that the book is about following your dreams and yet is still realistic.

This doesn't appear to be a book that I'd be interested in reading. I sampled the first ten pages, but nothing stands out to me. I may just have to bog down and read through to the end to understand its worth. Thank you for the thorough review.

Great job on the review. Although I don't think I'll be reading this book, the story of Kevin sounds very relatable.

-- 21 Jan 2017, 12:43 --

I appreciate your review. It seems very thorough and well thought out. It shows Kevin's plight and I can feel the pain of his aspirations. I'm going to add this one to my must reads cause the struggle is real, and in youth, when you don't have support for your vision for your life, it is really bumpy at times. Great job on the review and congrats to the author for the BOTD!

Very good review. Sounds like a great read. The cover is eye-catching. Congrats to the author on BOTD!