Review by adiawayman -- Shifting Sands by Barry Litherland

[adiawayman]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Shifting Sands" by Barry Litherland.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Shifting Sands by Barry Litherland

This book follows the adventures of a soon-to-be-out-of-work journalist named Phil. While following up on an outlandish tip, Phil stumbles across a much bigger story. Come along for the adventure as Phil unravels the clues that tell the shocking story of what's really going on at Westleigh Hall.

Barry Litherland did an exemplary job with both the technicalities and narrative style. That being said, I disliked the inconsistency between using numbers in their numerical format and writing them out. For instance, on page 6, he represents age numerically (50 years old), but on page 36, he spells an age out (thirty years old). This inconsistency goes for everything that could be represented numerically from time to groups of objects. Granted, it is only a small thing but it does bother me as something that doesn't flow smoothly. Perhaps I'm held up on a technicality, but in certain formats (such as APA), this type of inconsistency is considered incorrect formatting. Other than that, there are only a handful of spelling and punctuation mistakes in the entire book. Overall, it is a well-edited read.

By far, the part of the book I liked best was Barry Litherland's portrayal of the protagonist, Phil. In him, we have a tongue-in-cheek, frank, real person, complete with self-doubt and mistakes. The humor of Phil's outlook creates an especially enjoyable read and allows you to smile even during the most intense passages, of which there are plenty. Having a protagonist who is three dimensional and far from perfect creates the opportunity for relating. Relating to the characters makes the story that much more real.

I also enjoyed the present tense narrative style. This form of story telling is uncommon and harder to successfully write. When done well, it adds a certain immediacy and relatedness to the story. Last but not least, the characters all changed throughout the story; they remembered, they grew braver, they learned common sense or compassion. It is the characters that really make a story so their development is what allows the story to progress as it does. That connection was clearly and well-done here. This growth isn't vague or illogical. It creates a three dimensional story.

I would give Shifting Sands 4 out of 4 stars. This book is a delightful read cover to cover. It is well-executed, humorous, and guaranteed to be a delightful read to anyone who cares to pick it up.

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Shifting Sands
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[Hazel Arnaiz]

That being said, I disliked the inconsistency between using numbers in their numerical format and writing them out. For instance, on page 6, he represents age numerically (50 years old), but on page 36, he spells an age out (thirty years old). This inconsistency goes for everything that could be represented numerically from time to groups of objects.

A keen observation! Thank you for the review.