Review of Bad Form

[Anu Anand]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Bad Form" by Joe Taylor.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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“Bad Form” is a humorous fantasy novel by Joe Taylor. The story begins with a preface introducing Mr. and Mrs. Snelling, who are planning to get rid of Lady Wisdom. Mrs. Snelling is afraid that Lady Wisdom will tamper with her plan to control ‘The House’ once she regains its power. In the first chapter, we meet Billy Wise, who works as a computer programmer at the University of Alabama. He is going through a divorce, and under the pressure of both work and personal life, he calls in sick and stays at his country house. Strange things started happening around him. He discovers an animal with a single horn (which we later learn is a unicorn) and follows it to the pond near his house. Mist swirls around the pond, and he encounters a woman clad in a blue gown sitting on the pond's tiny island, reading a book. Her name is Soapy (also known as Sophia, The Lady Wisdom). Enchanted by her beauty, Billy follows her underwater and meets Bogus, a talking rattlesnake. Soapy and Bogus take Billy to a bathtub underwater (which serves as a passage to ‘The House’), and they jump into it, arriving at a meadow. He is then escorted to ‘The House’, which is now ruled by Mr. Snelling. ‘The House’ is not an ordinary one; it is a magical house with an infinite number of rooms and special rules, and breaking those rules results in bad form. Leaving ‘The House’ is impossible without its permission. What has Billy gotten himself into? Is he trapped? Read the book to discover the rest of this enchanting story.

I was really impressed by how well the author crafted this fantasy novel. The magical world and the mysterious house felt so vivid and real, I was completely drawn in, as if I were there myself. At the beginning of the story, I was as confused as Billy. I couldn’t tell whether the strange events were just illusions caused by his mental state or if they were truly happening to him. The author’s skill to blur the line between reality and imagination is really commendable. The story takes us through many twists and turns, keeping us wondering what will happen next. My favorite part of the book was the adventure of Billy and Bogus through the mysterious rooms in 'The House' and their funny interactions. This kept me thoroughly engaged. I also enjoyed how the author cleverly included historical figures like Sir Wilfred, Sir John Gower, and Sir Geoffrey Chaucer as characters, adding a unique twist to the story.

Overall, the book was fun to read. There is nothing I dislike about this book, and it is professionally edited. So, I rate it 5 out of 5. And I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good dose of imagination with lots of humor and unexpected adventures.

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Bad Form
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Gerry Steen]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Bad Form" by Joe Taylor.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Share This Review

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“Bad Form” is a humorous fantasy novel by Joe Taylor. The story begins with a preface introducing Mr. and Mrs. Snelling, who are planning to get rid of Lady Wisdom. Mrs. Snelling is afraid that Lady Wisdom will tamper with her plan to control ‘The House’ once she regains its power. In the first chapter, we meet Billy Wise, who works as a computer programmer at the University of Alabama. He is going through a divorce, and under the pressure of both work and personal life, he calls in sick and stays at his country house. Strange things started happening around him. He discovers an animal with a single horn (which we later learn is a unicorn) and follows it to the pond near his house. Mist swirls around the pond, and he encounters a woman clad in a blue gown sitting on the pond's tiny island, reading a book. Her name is Soapy (also known as Sophia, The Lady Wisdom). Enchanted by her beauty, Billy follows her underwater and meets Bogus, a talking rattlesnake. Soapy and Bogus take Billy to a bathtub underwater (which serves as a passage to ‘The House’), and they jump into it, arriving at a meadow. He is then escorted to ‘The House’, which is now ruled by Mr. Snelling. ‘The House’ is not an ordinary one; it is a magical house with an infinite number of rooms and special rules, and breaking those rules results in bad form. Leaving ‘The House’ is impossible without its permission. What has Billy gotten himself into? Is he trapped? Read the book to discover the rest of this enchanting story.

I was really impressed by how well the author crafted this fantasy novel. The magical world and the mysterious house felt so vivid and real, I was completely drawn in, as if I were there myself. At the beginning of the story, I was as confused as Billy. I couldn’t tell whether the strange events were just illusions caused by his mental state or if they were truly happening to him. The author’s skill to blur the line between reality and imagination is really commendable. The story takes us through many twists and turns, keeping us wondering what will happen next. My favorite part of the book was the adventure of Billy and Bogus through the mysterious rooms in 'The House' and their funny interactions. This kept me thoroughly engaged. I also enjoyed how the author cleverly included historical figures like Sir Wilfred, Sir John Gower, and Sir Geoffrey Chaucer as characters, adding a unique twist to the story.

Overall, the book was fun to read. There is nothing I dislike about this book, and it is professionally edited. So, I rate it 5 out of 5. And I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good dose of imagination with lots of humor and unexpected adventures.

******
Bad Form
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

From your review, I got the sense that I would have a lot of fun reading this 5-star fantasy novel. I am intrigued by "The House". I reminds me of the song "Hotel California" and the mafia( once you are in you can't get out). Congratulations to the author, Joe Taylor, for earning a 5-star review.

[Priya Murugesan]

Your review really got me interested! I love this genre and looking forward to reading this book.

[Sasikala gupta]

I love a good fantasy novel, and your rating for this book is quite encouraging, and the humor element really piqued my interest. Reading your review reminded me of Alice in Wonderland and all her adventures. Would love to read this book. Thanks for your review.

[Bettny Andrade]

I like your review, it seems like a book I would like to read. I don't like the cover, it makes me think that this type of fantasy can involve confusing and ambiguous facts. (yes, I'm one of those who usually judges a book by its cover) hahaha.

[Blueberry Dragon]

This sounds like it would be a fun book to read with lots of scope for the reader to imagine their own stuff. Thanks for the awesome review, @Anu Anand.