Official Review: Mixed Blessings by J.M. Muse

[leiabutler]

I think this is a really great review. You highlight both the negative and positive aspects really well. I like that you set the story up by mentioning the characters and this is a really thorough review!

[Plebe]

Ah, Racism that most reliable of all tropes.
This has all the ingredients to make for a very absorbing read.
A race war, a new as yet undisclosed race shrouded in mystery. A perfect microcosm of today's America.
Should make for an engaging read.
Thanks for the review.

[Elizabeth Pass]

This book includes themes of race and religion. There are a lot of different views on each subject. There also seem to be a lot of characters so you can understand different sides and circumstances.

[skindrukas]

Although racial wars is an important topic, I'm not a fan of it. Especially, of racism in the American context since I live in Europe.

[Florence Nalianya]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Mixed Blessings" by J.M. Muse.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Racial wars have been a defining feature of the free world for a long time. The differences between the whites and people of color always take the center stage when it comes to the politics of America. The novel, Mixed Blessings, by J.M. Muse gives the reader a new dimension in understanding racism.

When the curtains of Mixed Blessings open, the reader meets Kimberly Solberg, a biracial American. Rachel, Kimberly’s mother, is an American of Jewish descent and her father is Mexican. However, her father, Hector, is married to an American woman (Magdalene) and they live in Mexico with their two children, Juanita and Hermando. Kimberly, being a mixed-race child, faces many challenges, such as identity crisis and being bullied by her schoolmates. However, she is not the main character of the story.

Kublai Khan takes the lead in the novel. His church, House of Jeremiah, comprised mainly of African Americans. During a national conference that sought to review the population models in America, Kublai Khan got inspired to hatch a plan that would shake the demographics of the nation to the core. With the help of leaders of minority groups, Khan rolled out a multibillion-dollar project that sought to challenge the status quo by introducing a new kind of a ‘race’. Hung Suk was one of the leaders who supported Khan’s plan wholeheartedly. He was the leader of The World Energy Church, which was predominantly Korean. Pastor Tucker Dalton (whose church was composed of Whites only) could not stand the guts of the mettlesome Kublai Khan. Could Dalton’s hatred stand the test of time?

I liked that the author chose to use religious entities to show how both whites and people of color have used religion to propagate racial wars. Muse used the characters to demonstrate how religious beliefs can be both useful and harmful, depending on how they are applied. For instance, Hung Suk said that race was not his major concern. He was more concerned about mastering love in any given circumstance. On the other hand, Pastor Tucker Dalton used his religious beliefs to bring together his faithful followers who had experience in using heavy artillery to rage war against the new ‘race’ that was being propagated by Kublai Khan and Hung Suk.

The author did an astounding job in developing the scenes in the book. This made reading the book enjoyable. For instance, Cynthia, a TV host, in her show (Talk of Town) hosted Dalton and Reverend Harper. Dalton represented the Whites while Harper represented the African Americans. Have you ever read a book and wished to be one of the characters? I imagined myself taking the role of Cynthia and watching the two men defend their races with all the energy that they could muster. At one point, Cynthia had to get between the two men before they could tear each other-literally. They let their small-minded attitudes deprive them of the ability to think rationally. Who needs to defend their race? No one chose to be born of a certain race.

The only aspect that I did not like was the characterization of Kimberly. In the beginning, Kimberly went to visit her other family in Mexico. The visit was supposed to last one week. I expected to learn a lot from Hector’s family, especially how they viewed biracial children and her reactions. However, the author only documented the events of the first night when Kimberly arrived in Mexico. Muse did not include a detailed account of the events of the weeklong visit. It could have helped the reader to understand the character of Kimberly better. For that, I give the book 3 out of 4 stars. The book was professionally edited. The few errors that I came across while reading the book did not distract me from enjoying the novel. Therefore, I would not give it a lower rating. I recommend it to everyone who is interested in learning more about racism in the American context.

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Mixed Blessings
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Like Jgideon's review? Post a comment saying so!

Great review, you have managed to lure me into getting my copy.

[Aan Granados]

This sounds like a powerful book with racism as a major topic. Thanks for yoour review, I will add this to my want-to-read list!

[AntonelaMaria]

This definitely is a sensitve subject. It sounds like a good book and judging by your review everybody should read it. Good job.

[darknesss_09]

Book Name: Mixed Blessings.
Author's name: J. M. Muse.
Rating: 4/5.
Theme/s: Race, wars, religion, your everyday affairs in The U.S. and Mexico.

The story starts with Rachael (divorced) bidding off her daughter, Kimberly from LA to her father for a short vacation who lives in Mexico. The difference in nationality and religion (Kimberly is half Jewish) makes the title of the story, Mixed Blessings very apt.

Though as the story starts, it's hard to decipher the bond Rachael and Kimberly shares. Yes, Rachael didn't wanted to share Kim with her husband. Thus, showing the overprotective love of a mother but it still, failed to grasp the attention of a reader. Also, the starting felt like a story being "told." You can't feel the story pulling you in and making you live it. As Kimberly said, "keep it real".

I absolutely loved the budding friendship/ bond between the three siblings. I really loved how the author portrayed the obvious reaction of Kim when she saw the horrid head of the pig. Though, the author needs to put a little more light into the relationship of Kimberly and her dad.

I really loved the incident between George and Kimberly and the time when Kim went rebellious, going against the will of her brother by talking to whoever she wants.

Though there a little loops here and there but the story accelerates into a really beautiful tale. It grasps the reader completely and make you want to read more!

[austenfan]

What a wonderfully detailed review. The originality of the plot is what caught my attention. I love to read this book. Thank you for a great review.

[NIRUPAMA JHA]

The core of the novel ' racism' is a topic to be discussed widely. Time has come when people should change their mentality and as an educated and liberal citizens, no one should favor any kind of discrimination on the basis of skin color. Its great that you liked the book and after reading the review, I would love read the book. thanks for an amazing review.

[Chrystal Oaks]

I liked that the author chose to use religious entities to show how both whites and people of color have used religion to propagate racial wars. Muse used the characters to demonstrate how religious beliefs can be both useful and harmful, depending on how they are applied.

It is a Mixed Blessing with how religion can be used to justify ideals, whether good or bad, a person or group of individuals decide to promote. I can see how this can apply not only to race but to life in general. Thanks for the insightful review!

[mmm17]

I believe that sensitive topics such as racism - or any other kind of discrimination - should be brought up and discussed on many levels. Different perspectives can help us understand and deal sensibly with these challenging themes, in my opinion. Great review!

[Krista M]

I wasn’t expecting to be hooked based on the short description of the book, but once I started reading the descriptive language immediately brought the setting to life; I’ve seen plenty of perfect neighborhoods empty during the day except for the landscapers with leaf blower backpacks!

Even in the first few pages of the sample I felt attached to the characters. The author was able to convey the emotion and tension they were feeling in an authentic way.

I’ll download this book and look forward to reading it.

[Oyedeji Okikioluwa]

I love the review of this book. A book that speaks on politics and racism is a must for read for all. We need to feel for one another and embrace one another with their different. Pastor Tucker Dalton not able to stand the guts of the mettlesome Kublai Khan in a religious environment speak volume of how racism have eaten deep to mankind. Great review by the way.

[Miss_BeckyG]

Thank you for a detailed review. I for one find this book hitting close to home. Using religious beliefs to propagate racial prejudices is rife. Instead of finding solace in religion, people are weaponized against those who are "lesser" than they are. This is one book I am gladly adding to my reading list for the lessons we could all learn about valuing people regardless of their race or religion.