Review of GTO

[Sarah Schmidt]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "GTO" by Roger Corea.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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In 1956, the Prototype Ferrari GTO Berlinetta is thought to be lost at sea, having gone down aboard the Andrea Doria alongside the 1956 Prototype #9999CN Chrysler Norseman. Tomasso “Tommy” Grimaldi, fifty-two years later, is experiencing a rough time as a financial advisor; the recent activity of the stock market heralds a possible economic crash and causes anxiety for him and his clients. To compound his worry, Michael “Mike” Bender, his best friend and client, has an impulsive streak that’s increasingly worrisome. Having inherited his father’s wealth, Mike recklessly purchases one sports racing car after the other, being a car fanatic. Tommy’s efforts to curb Mike’s spending and make his friend see reason are wildly unsuccessful. Incidentally, Mike’s hunt for the elusive Ferrari GTO leads Tommy down his own path of discovery. Tommy’s past and Mike’s determination to salvage the much-sought-after GTO wind up having more in common than they know. A covered-up dynasty, the hunt for a car worth millions, and the story of a man wrongfully accused await readers in this exciting novel, GTO: Race to Oblivion, written by Roger Corea.

GTO is largely predicated on real events, most notably the sinking of the Andrea Doria in 1956 and the Ferrari GTO model. Corea takes a writer’s liberty with the House of Monaco, specifically Prince Rainier III’s generation, as well as the Ferrari GTO being constructed in secret six years before the actual model was launched for public viewing. Everything merges well with each other, so while reading, you won’t have to worry about a particular story point being farfetched, except maybe once or twice.

The subplots melded together to make for an intriguing telling. Time skips feature two main stories, that of Antonio Grimaldi in 1956, then to 2008 with Tommy Grimaldi, constantly interchanging. I appreciated the indicators kickstarting each chapter that gives readers a reference point. The lead up to the main plot points, the climax, and the union of the two key storylines were attributes that held a ton of enjoyment for me.

I was all set to be disappointed by the personality of one of the supporting characters, Mike. This is in part because of how ornery, childish, reckless, and egocentric he was in much of the story. Holding out for character development almost seemed futile, even down to the last third portion of the storyline. To cap it off, Tommy and Lilly mother him to a concerning point. Yes, he’s annoying; Tommy wanted to be apprised of every decision in his life though, which stank of enabling behaviour. Boy, was I pleasantly delighted when he revealed a hidden side to himself and a ruse he had devised, creating a much-needed plot twist in the story.

The resolution of the story was heartwarming and portends good things to come for the protagonists. One issue I noted, though, was how we meet Tommy stressing endlessly about the current economic climate and the bearing this has on his client’s finances, then see nothing mentioned of this in the ending. It’s eclipsed down the road by his uncovering the mysteries of his path and trying to monitor and keep up with Mike’s antics. I loved that everyone got their own happy ending, but knowing that the book is based on real events and about the stock market crash of 2008, which seems relevant to Tommy’s professional and personal life, it seemed bizarre that nothing more was said of this.

As for the writing quality, while I do think this novel has been professionally edited, I do not believe it was done as well as it could have been, namely because of the number of errors that were scattered throughout the writing. These mistakes weren’t too detrimental to the overall plot but did impact my final rating.

In conclusion, I rate GTO: Race to Oblivion three out of four stars. This book would be the perfect treat for car buffs, especially lovers of Ferraris and those who love stories with the found-family trope. Any reader interested in a combination of romance, suspense, and mystery fiction genres might also find this book entertaining.

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GTO
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[Elenimo Chembe]

It sounds like a very educative book, especially on the issue of finances. Will put it on my shelf.

[Amy Luman]

I am not a fan of romance or cars soI don’t think this is the book for me. My son, however, is very interested in classic cars. I will tell him of your recommendation. Maybe it will get him interested in reading.

[NetMassimo]

A mystery about cars created around actual events seems interesting, so I hope the author does another round of proofreading to improve its readability. Thank you for your great review!