Official Review: The School by Robert Davis
Posted: 09 Sep 2019, 23:14
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The School" by Robert Davis.]
3 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
A high school student named Shawn Kennedy is killed in San Francisco. It is revealed that she was actually an undercover news reporter who was writing articles about the failure of public schools. Detective Mark Collins and Detective Nicole Chan are handling this case. The first suspect is Daniel Helix. He is a teacher who shared a romantic relation with Shawn before her murder. He is a solid suspect because he doesn't have a clean background. Fred Sparrow, the main drug dealer at the school, is the second suspect. He might have killed Shawn for the fear of being exposed. Something is fishy about the publisher named Arthur Harrington. He is hiding something from the detectives. Do the detectives need to look at this case from a different angle?
The School by Robert Davis is a mystery novel set in 1989. It is written from the perspective of multiple characters which gives necessary depth to the story. The major characters are well developed. Helix is a relatable character, while it is a bit difficult to relate to Shawn's character because she seems unsure of herself most of the time.
The author brought forth the issues the people of San Francisco were facing back in 1989. The thing I liked most about this book was that in a short novel of 156 pages, he shed light on a variety of issues, including the lack of facilities in public schools, the prejudice of educational boards, and the use of sensational methods in journalism. He talked about the misuse of funds by the school authorities. The funds were spent on the gym floors, and the needs of the students were neglected. The decisions of the educational boards were biased. The author also criticized the use of flamboyant methods of yellow journalism. The publishers wanted only 'hit pieces' for their newspapers. They didn't care about the good things happening around. They only knew how to distort the image of someone they didn't like. The honest reporters like Shawn were bashed for their balanced opinion.
I also like the way the author describes the city of San Francisco. He draws the image of the city so perfectly that a reader can feel everything happening around him/her. The author's knowledge of sailing is commendable that shines through the whole book.
The thing I don't like about this book is that a part of the story seems incomplete. The story of Detective Chan goes nowhere. The author should have given her story a direction. There are some unnecessary details that add nothing to the story. There are also some repetitive lines that cause annoyance. The author could omit such details to explore Chan's character.
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I reduce one star for the incomplete story of Detective Chan that makes this book less attractive for a potential reader. I am not giving it 2 stars because the book is professionally edited. There is only one notable error in the whole text. This book would appeal to high school students and mystery lovers. People who like sailing might also like it.
******
The School
View: on Bookshelves
3 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
A high school student named Shawn Kennedy is killed in San Francisco. It is revealed that she was actually an undercover news reporter who was writing articles about the failure of public schools. Detective Mark Collins and Detective Nicole Chan are handling this case. The first suspect is Daniel Helix. He is a teacher who shared a romantic relation with Shawn before her murder. He is a solid suspect because he doesn't have a clean background. Fred Sparrow, the main drug dealer at the school, is the second suspect. He might have killed Shawn for the fear of being exposed. Something is fishy about the publisher named Arthur Harrington. He is hiding something from the detectives. Do the detectives need to look at this case from a different angle?
The School by Robert Davis is a mystery novel set in 1989. It is written from the perspective of multiple characters which gives necessary depth to the story. The major characters are well developed. Helix is a relatable character, while it is a bit difficult to relate to Shawn's character because she seems unsure of herself most of the time.
The author brought forth the issues the people of San Francisco were facing back in 1989. The thing I liked most about this book was that in a short novel of 156 pages, he shed light on a variety of issues, including the lack of facilities in public schools, the prejudice of educational boards, and the use of sensational methods in journalism. He talked about the misuse of funds by the school authorities. The funds were spent on the gym floors, and the needs of the students were neglected. The decisions of the educational boards were biased. The author also criticized the use of flamboyant methods of yellow journalism. The publishers wanted only 'hit pieces' for their newspapers. They didn't care about the good things happening around. They only knew how to distort the image of someone they didn't like. The honest reporters like Shawn were bashed for their balanced opinion.
I also like the way the author describes the city of San Francisco. He draws the image of the city so perfectly that a reader can feel everything happening around him/her. The author's knowledge of sailing is commendable that shines through the whole book.
The thing I don't like about this book is that a part of the story seems incomplete. The story of Detective Chan goes nowhere. The author should have given her story a direction. There are some unnecessary details that add nothing to the story. There are also some repetitive lines that cause annoyance. The author could omit such details to explore Chan's character.
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I reduce one star for the incomplete story of Detective Chan that makes this book less attractive for a potential reader. I am not giving it 2 stars because the book is professionally edited. There is only one notable error in the whole text. This book would appeal to high school students and mystery lovers. People who like sailing might also like it.
******
The School
View: on Bookshelves
It sounds like a very interesting plot, and I enjoyed your review. I'll look into it more. Thanks.