Official Review: Everything Solid Has a Shadow

[Kourtney Bradley]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Everything Solid Has a Shadow" by Michael Antman.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Everything Solid Has a Shadow by Michael Antman is a fiction novel set mainly in present-day Chicago. Charlie Alessandro is a successful marketing executive and aspiring musician with a tendency to lean towards the negative in life. Having suffered from an extremely traumatic childhood experience that he was never quite able to overcome, Charlie is psychologically disturbed and forms relationships with a bit of unease. As if still suffering from the traumatic experience during his youth wasn’t enough, Charlie begins to have unfavorable apparitions while he sleeps about a woman he seems to know little about.

There was so much about this book that I enjoyed, but I was immediately impressed by the author’s vocabulary throughout the entire novel, even bringing it about within the character dialogue. Showing Charlie as an intellectual individual made the story even more compelling. Told in the first-person perspective of Charlie, readers are introduced to an exclusive set of characters that were all unique in their own ways. Ranging from the three beautiful women in his life, his alcoholic parents, an unethical boss, and a strange but beneficial psychologist, this list of characters each bring their own story to the table and only enhance the novel from the beginning.

The depth within the plot is much deeper than I imagined it would be upon the start of the story, which elaborated into a significant set of events that continued to change who Charlie is as a person. His character’s development progressed continually, advancing Charlie from a psychologically damaged and unsecure man to a prudent character proving worthy of recognition.

I am pleased to say that I found no grammatical errors while reading, but was not surprised by that with how well-written and elaborate Michael Antman’s writing is. With Everything Solid Has a Shadow being his second novel, Antman is no rookie to the literary world, and has proven his worth in the aspect of writing compelling stories that will pull readers in from the very beginning. This story taught me a lot regarding the state of mind while dreaming, which also proved that the author did a significant amount of research on the topic of dream interpretation.

As a huge fan of psychological mystery novels, I was certainly not disappointed with Everything Solid Has a Shadow, and would highly recommend it to readers who enjoy pacing their reading experiences with an equal balance of dialogue and events that lead to the climax. I am pleased to rate this story a full 4 out of 4 stars and would hope that other readers are able to take away even half of what I have from this novel. I’m looking forward to experiencing other novels by the author, and his work will certainly be added to my reading list.

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Everything Solid Has a Shadow
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Like klbradley's review? Post a comment saying so!

[kandscreeley]

Well, I had a completely different experience with this one than you did. I'm glad that you enjoyed it. Thanks for the information.

[ashley_claire]

I love a good psychological mystery and the title of this book really draws my in for some reason. I've been having trouble the the dialogue I've been reading in some books lately so I'm glad to hear this book does a good job with it.

[Kourtney Bradley]

It was a difficult read, but I enjoyed it! Thank you!

[Gunnar Ohberg]

I must admit, the title originally pushed me away from considering this novel (I thought it sounded very fancy, which in my experience means "lots of fluff and little substance"). However, your review might have convinced me to give this book a try. I am especially fond of dream interpretations, so if that is the crux of the novel, I am intrigued. Thank you!

[Kourtney Bradley]

I must admit, the title originally pushed me away from considering this novel (I thought it sounded very fancy, which in my experience means "lots of fluff and little substance"). However, your review might have convinced me to give this book a try. I am especially fond of dream interpretations, so if that is the crux of the novel, I am intrigued. Thank you!

If you are considering it, don't let the beginning push you away. It seemed like it took me a few chapters to get into the story, but once I did I really liked where it was going.

[Whippet]

Thank you for writing such a positive review - makes me confident in seeking out this author's work to try something new! Love me some dream interpretation as well so this novel should be worth a read for that reason too

[Kourtney Bradley]

Thank you for checking it out!

[Lisa19643]

Thanks for the review. I like to read to escape real life. Real life seems like a psychological thriller right now, so I think I'll pass on this one. It sound interesting and well-written. Maybe once the world settles down I'll pick it back up to read.

[KamalK]

I enjoy the books that have psychological twist in the story. The variety in characters and the way they are written is very important. I will check out this book to find out more.

[KFree_Reads]

Not a huge fan of this genre but I read the sample and really loved the start! So far so good. I think I'll continue to read this one. Thanks for your great review!

[gali]

A Psychological Mystery revolving around a protagonist looking for answers to a traumatic childhood event sounds intriguing. It is good that the book balances dialogue and events well, and that it is well edited to boot. The blurb didn't grab me, but your review sure did. I also fan of the genre, so will give it a try. Thank you for the review!

[Farmgurl1]

The review really makes this book sounds intriguing. I love psychological thrillers and the character development sounds right up my alley. The review mentions that Charlie suffers a traumatic childhood experience which shapes him into who he is, which is often the story with these types of novels where the main character is battling their own demons. I also like a book with a rich story so I will add this one to my to read shelf.

[Beckers0981]

I’m not normally one for psychological novels but your review has peaked my interest. I’m also glad to hear about the lack of grammatical errors. Nothing turns me off a book more than to have the flow ruined by a grammatical error.

[mindyg123]

Great review. Psychological thrillers are definitely my cup of tea and this one sounds like it really fits the bill. A man who is trying to overcome a childhood trauma and an apparition haunting him is they type of book I love. Can't wait to read this thriller. Congrats on being BOTD