Review of McDowell

[Laney K]

[Following is a volunteer review of "McDowell" by William H. Coles.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Hiram McDowell is a surgeon. He seemingly has everything: wealth, status, and women. He is also in line to become part of the President's cabinet. However, he is not a likable man. He is arrogant and greedy. The book opens with him leaving his hiking partner behind, a death sentence, as he flees a storm on a Napali mountain. He also cheats on his wife with no remorse or guilt. His life seems to be going well until, one day, it is all turned upside down. McDowell begins a transformative journey that is captured in McDowell by William H. Coles.

My favorite part of the book was the character development of McDowell. As his life started to unravel, he began to grow and change. The book, in a way, reminded me of a coming-of-age novel because of the transformation that occurred. I hated his character at the start, but my opinion changed throughout the novel.

The only negative aspect was that the beginning of the book was a bit slow. Coles took time to flesh out the character of McDowell, which was needed but could have been done at a slightly faster pace. His relationships with his family were established, including those with his children. Ann, one of McDowell's children, had a son named Jeremy. Jeremy was troubled and ended up a school shooter. This incident led to a major source of trouble in McDowell's life. From this point in the book, the pacing begins to pick up. I thoroughly enjoyed the latter part of the book.

I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. While I thought the beginning was a little slow, it was not significant enough of an issue to warrant taking off a star. I recommend this book to fans of character-driven novels. It follows a fascinating character and shows his development as life throws him curveball after curveball. It was an amazing book that I highly recommend.

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McDowell
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[Cara Wilding]

[Following is a volunteer review of "McDowell" by William H. Coles.]

Hiram McDowell is a surgeon. He seemingly has everything: wealth, status, and women. He is also in line to become part of the President's cabinet. However, he is not a likable man. He is arrogant and greedy. The book opens with him leaving his hiking partner behind, a death sentence, as he flees a storm on a Napali mountain. He also cheats on his wife with no remorse or guilt. His life seems to be going well until, one day, it is all turned upside down. McDowell begins a transformative journey that is captured in McDowell by William H. Coles.

My favorite part of the book was the character development of McDowell. As his life started to unravel, he began to grow and change. The book, in a way, reminded me of a coming-of-age novel because of the transformation that occurred. I hated his character at the start, but my opinion changed throughout the novel.

The only negative aspect was that the beginning of the book was a bit slow. Coles took time to flesh out the character of McDowell, which was needed but could have been done at a slightly faster pace. His relationships with his family were established, including those with his children. Ann, one of McDowell's children, had a son named Jeremy. Jeremy was troubled and ended up a school shooter. This incident led to a major source of trouble in McDowell's life. From this point in the book, the pacing begins to pick up. I thoroughly enjoyed the latter part of the book.

Laney, this has been on my 'maybe' list for quite a while now, so I'm glad to see your review of it! The consistent description of Hiram as being unlikable in the beginning and having a journey of personal growth to the point where he becomes likable is something I can see myself enjoying. I feel I would similarly appreciate the character-driven aspect of this book. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts on this particular read; I'm still convinced I need to get after this one! Until next time...

[David Samanthaa]

I couldn't put "McDowell" down. The story is captivating, and the characters are richly drawn. William H. Coles has a talent for creating complex, multidimensional characters that feel incredibly real.