Official Review: The Kanan Doom Rage Girls by James Westly

[Gabriel Merêncio]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Kanan Doom Rage Girls" by James Westly.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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In 2033, a series of earthquakes have devastated Los Angeles, effectively turning it into a post-apocalyptic wasteland. In this lawless city where water is a valuable commodity but lives are cheap, a group of women led by Shyla does their best to live on. Their relative peace is threatened when a street gang starts baring its fangs at Malibu.

James Westly’s The Kanan Doom Rage Girls is an action-packed story filled with gunfights and exciting developments. The book already starts with a bang, throwing us into an intense car chase. At first, the sudden introduction of the setting and a bunch of characters in the middle of an action sequence does feel a bit overwhelming. However, you quickly get used to the novel's fast pace.

Since the novel is so short and focused on action, one would expect it would struggle with the characters. This is especially the case given that there is a grand total of eight members in Shyla’s family. The reader will be pleasantly surprised to find out this is not the case. For starters, the book cleverly splits the characters so that we only follow five of them in this first volume, giving each woman more space to shine.

Another great aspect is how genuine and fun the interactions between the main characters are. You feel like they’re close friends who tease each other and whose personalities sometimes clash, but you know they won’t hesitate in defending one another. My favorite character is likely Maya, a young woman who looks like a princess and often makes light of every situation. But don't drop your guard around her, as she proves to be one of the most dangerous in the group.

As we travel through the roads of Los Angeles, we see how the city and its inhabitants changed after the earthquakes: stores are destroyed, the vegetation is burned down, a shopping mall becomes a housing space and trading center, etc. The author has put plenty of effort into the setting, so readers familiar with Los Angeles should enjoy seeing familiar places reimagined in a post-disaster situation.

There are minor inconsistencies in the book: a character is misnamed once (Xi is referred to as Ele), a few names have different spellings throughout the novel (Razr is first introduced as Razor and the BulletBoyz are sometimes called Bullet Boyz), and the book goes back to chapter eight after chapter ten. I’ve also spotted four errors in the text; it’s not a large number but still somewhat significant for a short book.

The Kanan Doom Rage Girls is an excellent page-turner that can be read in a single sitting, ideal for readers who want a quick fix of action. Since the novel still needs at least one more round of professional editing, I rate it 3 out of 4 stars. The book isn’t suitable for young readers due to the level of violence and profanities. I also wouldn’t recommend it to readers who expect complicated plots or deep themes.

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The Kanan Doom Rage Girls
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[NetMassimo]

Looks like a Mad Max-style story. Indeed it's ideal to have some fun with an action story. Thank your for your review!

[Gabriel Merêncio]

Looks like a Mad Max-style story. Indeed it's ideal to have some fun with an action story. Thank your for your review!

Yes, Mad Max fans should definitely enjoy this one. Thanks for the comment!

[Charlyn Tuzon]

Interesting action-packed plot. And it seems the author planned his setting very well. I hope the inconsistencies get fixed. Thanks for a great review!

[Gabriel Merêncio]

Interesting action-packed plot. And it seems the author planned his setting very well. I hope the inconsistencies get fixed. Thanks for a great review!

Another round of editing should hopefully clear these up. Thanks for the comment!

[unamilagra]

This sounds like it has a fun cast of characters and great worldbuilding. I hope the author gets the errors cleaned up. Great review, as always!

[CherylTegan7]

While dystopian novels can be hit or miss, they're nevertheless intriguing. The grit, the action, the life or death moments all the way through, all dramatic and interesting. A few errors and inconsistencies wouldn't keep me from reading, especially since the characters are fleshed out and interact well. Though I do tend to go for books with depth and complications. Hmm...

Nice review!

[Gabriel Merêncio]

While dystopian novels can be hit or miss, they're nevertheless intriguing. The grit, the action, the life or death moments all the way through, all dramatic and interesting. A few errors and inconsistencies wouldn't keep me from reading, especially since the characters are fleshed out and interact well. Though I do tend to go for books with depth and complications. Hmm...

Nice review!

This sounds like it has a fun cast of characters and great worldbuilding. I hope the author gets the errors cleaned up. Great review, as always!

Yes, hopefully the errors will get fixed since that's my only problem with the novel. If you decide to read the book, I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for the comments!

[Erin Dydek]

A short book with excellent character development and lists of action sound like it would be a nice quick read. The errors don’t sound too distracting, but it’d be nice to see them fixed. Thanks for a great review!

[Gabriel Merêncio]

A short book with excellent character development and lists of action sound like it would be a nice quick read. The errors don’t sound too distracting, but it’d be nice to see them fixed. Thanks for a great review!

Indeed, it's an excellent quick read for action fans. Thanks for the comment!

[Prisallen]

This does sound like a light, fun read with lots of action. I think I would enjoy it. Thanks for your wonderful review!

[Gabriel Merêncio]

This does sound like a light, fun read with lots of action. I think I would enjoy it. Thanks for your wonderful review!

It's definitely a great afternoon read for action fans. Thanks for the comment!

[AvidBibliophile]

A post-apocalyptic wasteland indeed! And I’ve never been to Los Angeles, but this tale would definitely take me on an interesting journey through California - no doubt. Thanks for the lovely review!

[Julius_]

I'm a great fan of action-packed novels. This will definitely appeal to me. Thanks for the review.

[Gabriel Merêncio]

I'm a great fan of action-packed novels. This will definitely appeal to me. Thanks for the review.

A post-apocalyptic wasteland indeed! And I’ve never been to Los Angeles, but this tale would definitely take me on an interesting journey through California - no doubt. Thanks for the lovely review!

Thanks for the comments! If you're into action, you'll likely enjoy this novel.