Review of Discards

[Wy_Bertram]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Discards" by Allan davis.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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When Harold ‘Salty’ Saltzmanous makes a fatal mistake, killing his wife and leaving his seven-year-old daughter, Sylvia, without a mother, he is quick to discard his former life and find a new, quiet place on the fringes of society. But the strings of fate, though slow, eventually begin to pull together relics from Salty’s past, starting with a strangely familiar dog, and then a young woman, who, fifteen years ago, lost both of her parents in the same night. As the date of a fated tragedy draws closer, Salty and Sylvia are forced to confront their shared pasts, and young Sylvia is willing to do almost anything to get the closure she needs.

Discards is an incredibly unique and impactful novel written by Allan Davis. It explores the complex relationship between a father and daughter, strained by tragedy and shame. Though both characters desperately seek peace of mind, they skirt around the inevitable confrontation until another critical situation arises. This poignant character-driven masterpiece takes the reader on a heart-rending and somewhat uncomfortable journey that they would be unlikely to forget too quickly.

There is a lot to praise about Allan Davis’s authorial skill, but I would like to begin with his characters. Few, but unforgettable, these characters easily shouldered the burden of carrying a story without a particularly exciting plot. A master of subtlety and “showing,” the author allowed the characters to define themselves to the reader with their flawed self-perceptions, and their interactions with other characters. Salty’s cowardly stoicism and Pavement’s blatant deliriousness made these two characters some of my personal favourites.

This book was perfectly paced as well, and at no point does the reader feel as though the narrative moves too quickly or slowly. Of course, it is all held together by the brilliant penmanship of the author. To me, his style was reminiscent of school curriculum reading, with the exception that I actually enjoyed this book.

This should come as no surprise; my rating of Discards is four out of four stars. With almost impeccable editing, the read was a smooth ride from start to finish, and I recommend this book to readers who enjoy more thoughtful kinds of fiction. If you liked The Last Good Man or anything similar, then this book is probably a good fit for you.

Warning, this book deals with some serious themes and characters tend to use profanity.

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Discards
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Mbenma Esther 080]

I don't really like profanity in books but this is an awesome review.

[Nwadinso Michael]

Salty has made the mistake of killing his wife and leaving his kid motherless. It is quite tragic, and I hope that Salty earns his due for the harm that he has caused. I'd love to read the book so as to know how it all ended. Thanks for your honest review.

[Walter R]

Indeed our past actions always have a way of catching up with us. Great review.

[Amy Luman]

Sounds exciting! I am interested to know how Salty and Sylvia deal with things. Thanks for the review.

[Umesh Bhatt]

Surely, going through this book would be a pleasurable experience. Our old sins never leave us and remain clung to us. Thanks for this well made review.

[Fareed Regal]

Based on your review I am eager to know how father and daughter get through this and what the outcome will be. All the ingredients for an interesting and suspenseful story are certainly in place. Great review!

[Walter R]

This book seems to have such an intriguing plot or storyline. Would definitely love to have this book in my shelf. Great review.

[Yvonne Monique]

Killing your wife is not a mere mistake, and I am sure that this will have serious consequences for Salty.

[Chimdik Chimezi]

The novel deals with the story of a man that killed the the wife and made do with the daughter (Sylvia). The author did a great job on resolving the above tragedy. This novel to me is emotional.

[Eriikeoluwa Nimi]

Wow. What a nice review. This book is a great book. I think one of the major lessons is the past will always have a way of catching up, no matter how it's discarded. Kudos to the author and thanks for the free book.

[Margi zuu202]

C/T/M/H it is after accidentally killed her wifr it's been 14 yrs on the run living a lively of homeless outcast in to big city all of them on the run from the past but police are back on salty trail Sylvia abandoned to foster care and now fully grown who finally decided to track down her missing father

[Margi zuu202]

C/T/M/H it is after accidentally killed her wifr it's been 14 yrs on the run living a lively of homeless outcast in to big city all of them on the run from the past but police are back on salty trail Sylvia abandoned to foster care and now fully grown who finally decided to track down her missing father this was a nice book and was well reviewed

[Olomofe]

The feature of the book that the characters define themeslves and that it was paced smoothly and moderately made me believe that the book would be enjoyable by me.

[Ivan Mukaaga]

This is must be having so many lessons about how parents can get along well with their children. The consequences of strained relationships are clearly seen as you go through the reading. Thanks for the excellent review.