Review of A Story Of Evil

[Ochieng Omuodo]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A Story Of Evil" by Jose Tarin.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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‘Watching over this apocalyptic landscape, over these ungrateful beings, that know not of my sacrifice to protect their world. The sacrifice of my own life, just so they can squander theirs for eternity.’

So begins A Story of Evil by Jose Tarin. It might as well be Jesus Christ uttering those words. However, nothing could be further from the truth. The words are those of the book’s protagonist, Hunter Blackstone. We learn of his tribulations through his narration of his story to two curious children who got lost within his palace grounds. Before becoming a royal person, Hunter had a normal life. He was a young man of decent morals, had a stable job, a new home and a fiancée. His future looked bright. Then, while on what he calls a ‘pre-honeymoon’, he lost everything. After a strange encounter with an alluring object, Hunter found himself in jail and was transformed into something so grotesque that even he struggles to describe. He has no memory of how this came to be and does not understand what happened to him. This story is about that gap in his memory and the transformation into what he has become. He now seems to personify evil itself and is affiliated with Satan himself. Hunter embarks on a new life with a mysterious and surprising purpose.

I was most impressed by the intense level of mystery and suspense that pervaded the story. The story itself was made more fascinating by the fact that it was delivered by Hunter. His narration of the misfortune that befell him – ripping him away from his normal life in such horrific fashion – evoked sympathy in me. I just could not condemn the evil thing that he had become because he somehow did not seem responsible for it. I was sometimes unsure of whether the events around Hunter were in his imagination or were actually happening. Just when he seems to have explained the bewildering events of most of his story, so begins another mystery at the end of the book. Various other aspects of the book made it enjoyable. For example, Tarin’s portrayal of the identity and emergence of God, Satan’s unconventional persona, and Hunter’s ability to transform into a monster like in the film, The Incredible Hulk.

However, I did have a couple of reservations. First, I was disappointed that one month of Hunter’s incarceration was unaccounted for. Given the detail that Tarin provides in describing the events leading up to and beyond that point, it is surprising that he merely states that a month has gone by. It is not clear what happens during this month, which is a crucial point of Hunter’s transformation. Second, there is some content of a sexual nature in the book that had me wondering if it is appropriate for children. Although this book may not be intended for children, Hunter’s audience comprised two children. I found the inclusion of sexual content disturbing in that context.

Overall, I found the book gripping. The strongest thing going for it is the mystery and suspense which seems to be endless. In fact, the end of the book does not seem quite like one. It leaves the reader to make his/her own conclusions. I would not mind seeing a sequel. It is also well edited and only has a few grammatical errors. I give it three out of four stars. If it were not for the reservations I have discussed, I might have given it a perfect score.

I would recommend A Story of Evil to anyone who enjoys reading books containing murder, mystery and suspense. However, in consideration of the gory nature of the story, the mild sexual content, and the smattering of vulgar language, I feel that this book would not be suitable for children.

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A Story Of Evil
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[Maliha Naveed]

Doesn't seem very appealing. Thanks for the review.

[Aarti Jha]

The mystery feature of the book is definitely a good aspect but the main protagonist personifying evil and affiliating to Satan is just too much for me. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[Amy Luman]

I do more enjoy stories with some sort of supernatural element. The depictions of both God and Satan give it that. Thanks for the review!

[NetMassimo]

This seems like a peculiar thriller about a normal man who becomes something very different and very dark. Thank you for your great review!

[Ochieng Omuodo]

I do more enjoy stories with some sort of supernatural element. The depictions of both God and Satan give it that. Thanks for the review!

Thanks. Then you should try this one. It throws all conventions out of the window.

[Ochieng Omuodo]

This seems like a peculiar thriller about a normal man who becomes something very different and very dark. Thank you for your great review!

Thanks, Massimo.

[Neshboy Aburi]

It seems like this character, Hunter, has a very engaging role. So engaging that you are willing to excuse his evil deeds after he transformed. The book sound very interesting too. Thank you for your amazing review.

[Ochieng Omuodo]

Thanks Clifford. To excuse or not to excuse was indeed the dilemma.