Official Review: Gift or Curse? by Roger Rapel
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hwestman
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Official Review: Gift or Curse? by Roger Rapel
[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Gift or Curse?" by Roger Rapel.]
3 out of 4 stars
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The book Gift or Curse by Roger Rapel is a mystery/thriller genre. The story intertwines Mark, Michaela, and Christina’s lives throughout many years and countries.
The story starts with Mark traveling to meet his estranged wife Christina. He is trying a last ditch attempt at an amicable divorce. His reflection on his and Christina's marriage is that he was happy but married to an overly ambitious woman, who let that ambition take over their lives. While on this journey to meet Christina, he meets Michaela, a woman who awakens him in ways he had forgotten.
Michaela has an ability to see images of future events; her issue is that she can’t control them. She considers this talent a curse, where her mother calls it a gift. This talent is the basis for the title of the book. Michaela’s talent does not stay the focus of the book, which left me feeling that either the title or the introduction for the book didn’t match. Michaela’s mum Brenda is also an occult and reads tarot cards and her card reading are carried through most of the book. Brenda’s tarot readings are often the foreshadowing of what’s to come.
The book is full of twists and turns where things are rarely what they seem to be. You will be taking on an international adventure including secret agencies including MI6, KGB, MOSAD, and the CIA. There are double agents that leave you wondering who to trust and who are the good guys and who are the bad. Be prepared for the book to change perspectives by chapter. Chapters will come from the perspective of Michaela, Mark, and Christina’s perspectives in the beginning and then shift to additional characters as they are introduced into the storyline. This did not detract from the story, other than at one character introduction where two characters shared some behaviors and traits. I think there could have been some simple changes made that would have eliminated the confusion.
I found the book to be interesting and an entertaining to read although I can’t say that I found it very memorable. The writing style was easy to follow and kept me turning pages to find the next storyline twist. I wish there had been a bit more suspense and mystery but regardless I rated the book a 3 out of 4 stars.
As an additional note, I found the editing in the last quarter of the book to be a bit frustrating. This left me wondering if the editor actually finished reading the book, none of the errors were spelling errors, but were syntax errors and at least twice Christina was Christian.
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Gift or Curse?
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3 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
The book Gift or Curse by Roger Rapel is a mystery/thriller genre. The story intertwines Mark, Michaela, and Christina’s lives throughout many years and countries.
The story starts with Mark traveling to meet his estranged wife Christina. He is trying a last ditch attempt at an amicable divorce. His reflection on his and Christina's marriage is that he was happy but married to an overly ambitious woman, who let that ambition take over their lives. While on this journey to meet Christina, he meets Michaela, a woman who awakens him in ways he had forgotten.
Michaela has an ability to see images of future events; her issue is that she can’t control them. She considers this talent a curse, where her mother calls it a gift. This talent is the basis for the title of the book. Michaela’s talent does not stay the focus of the book, which left me feeling that either the title or the introduction for the book didn’t match. Michaela’s mum Brenda is also an occult and reads tarot cards and her card reading are carried through most of the book. Brenda’s tarot readings are often the foreshadowing of what’s to come.
The book is full of twists and turns where things are rarely what they seem to be. You will be taking on an international adventure including secret agencies including MI6, KGB, MOSAD, and the CIA. There are double agents that leave you wondering who to trust and who are the good guys and who are the bad. Be prepared for the book to change perspectives by chapter. Chapters will come from the perspective of Michaela, Mark, and Christina’s perspectives in the beginning and then shift to additional characters as they are introduced into the storyline. This did not detract from the story, other than at one character introduction where two characters shared some behaviors and traits. I think there could have been some simple changes made that would have eliminated the confusion.
I found the book to be interesting and an entertaining to read although I can’t say that I found it very memorable. The writing style was easy to follow and kept me turning pages to find the next storyline twist. I wish there had been a bit more suspense and mystery but regardless I rated the book a 3 out of 4 stars.
As an additional note, I found the editing in the last quarter of the book to be a bit frustrating. This left me wondering if the editor actually finished reading the book, none of the errors were spelling errors, but were syntax errors and at least twice Christina was Christian.
******
Gift or Curse?
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on Barnes and Noble | on Smashwords
Like hwestman's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: "The Only One" by JF Holland
