Review of The Urban Panic
Posted: 10 Sep 2022, 11:19
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Urban Panic" by Lisa L Feggans-Odom.]
I recently finished reading The Urban Panic by Lisa L. Feggans-Odom. It is a crime novel that is filled with intense action and suspense. The antagonist was a man named José Hernandez. He escaped prison and was a crazed fugitive looking for revenge. José was searching for the prosecuting attorney, Jessie Lawler, who sent him to jail for committing robbery and murder. José wanted to make him pay and show him no mercy! Meanwhile, he needed some fast money. To remedy this situation, he decided to recruit his two buddies to help him kidnap three little boys for ransom. Kyle Walker accidentally left his front door open and was taken from his home. Dougie Moore was lured away from his front yard with treats. Billy Foster followed the kidnapper into his SUV with the promise of getting his favorite wrestling cards. Although all three boys had been educated in stranger danger, eight-year-olds don’t always make the best decisions. The kidnappings set off a domino effect of wild panic through the Woodlawn Street neighborhood. Would the boys ever see their families again? Would José get the ransom for the boys? Would he finally get his revenge against Jessie Lawler?
There were several aspects of the book that I liked. First, I enjoyed the camaraderie of the neighborhood friends. The ladies created a group called S.A.C. It stood for the Street Alliance Community. They met once a month to empower each other in their community and advocate for their children. The families truly cared for one another and supported each other, especially when the boys were missing. Second, when Jessie was going through his most challenging time, his best friends welcomed his parents and him into their home. They cooked for them and comforted them. They were there through thick and thin. Third, the author did an excellent job of evoking a variety of emotions. I experienced the heart-wrenching worry of the parents when the boys were taken. I sensed the fear of the boys in captivity. I was shocked and angry throughout Jose’s killing spree. I also felt love and comfort from the kind and loving neighbors.
Unfortunately, there were some components I did not like about the book. Reading the Kindle version, there were endless formatting issues. There were many sentence structure, spelling, spacing, and punctuation errors. I also think there were too many characters that were introduced. I had difficulty keeping track of all of the different people, their family members, and their backstories. In addition, the timeline jumped from present to past quite often. All of these aspects interrupted the flow of reading.
I rate The Urban Panic 3 out of 4 stars. There were more than ten errors. I would recommend another round of editing to polish the text. Too many character introductions and backstories cluttered the plot lines. The choppy timeline was a bit frustrating to follow. However, the author did an outstanding job of describing the dangers and reality of living in an urban city where criminals can lurk in the neighborhood and wreak havoc on people's lives.
I recommend this book to mature teenagers and adults. It is filled with kidnapping, violence, and murder. There is a fatal car accident involving a drunk driver. Characters have to cope with the loss of loved ones. In addition, it includes profanity. This is a book for people who like to read intense crime novels that are filled with action and suspense.
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The Urban Panic
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
I recently finished reading The Urban Panic by Lisa L. Feggans-Odom. It is a crime novel that is filled with intense action and suspense. The antagonist was a man named José Hernandez. He escaped prison and was a crazed fugitive looking for revenge. José was searching for the prosecuting attorney, Jessie Lawler, who sent him to jail for committing robbery and murder. José wanted to make him pay and show him no mercy! Meanwhile, he needed some fast money. To remedy this situation, he decided to recruit his two buddies to help him kidnap three little boys for ransom. Kyle Walker accidentally left his front door open and was taken from his home. Dougie Moore was lured away from his front yard with treats. Billy Foster followed the kidnapper into his SUV with the promise of getting his favorite wrestling cards. Although all three boys had been educated in stranger danger, eight-year-olds don’t always make the best decisions. The kidnappings set off a domino effect of wild panic through the Woodlawn Street neighborhood. Would the boys ever see their families again? Would José get the ransom for the boys? Would he finally get his revenge against Jessie Lawler?
There were several aspects of the book that I liked. First, I enjoyed the camaraderie of the neighborhood friends. The ladies created a group called S.A.C. It stood for the Street Alliance Community. They met once a month to empower each other in their community and advocate for their children. The families truly cared for one another and supported each other, especially when the boys were missing. Second, when Jessie was going through his most challenging time, his best friends welcomed his parents and him into their home. They cooked for them and comforted them. They were there through thick and thin. Third, the author did an excellent job of evoking a variety of emotions. I experienced the heart-wrenching worry of the parents when the boys were taken. I sensed the fear of the boys in captivity. I was shocked and angry throughout Jose’s killing spree. I also felt love and comfort from the kind and loving neighbors.
Unfortunately, there were some components I did not like about the book. Reading the Kindle version, there were endless formatting issues. There were many sentence structure, spelling, spacing, and punctuation errors. I also think there were too many characters that were introduced. I had difficulty keeping track of all of the different people, their family members, and their backstories. In addition, the timeline jumped from present to past quite often. All of these aspects interrupted the flow of reading.
I rate The Urban Panic 3 out of 4 stars. There were more than ten errors. I would recommend another round of editing to polish the text. Too many character introductions and backstories cluttered the plot lines. The choppy timeline was a bit frustrating to follow. However, the author did an outstanding job of describing the dangers and reality of living in an urban city where criminals can lurk in the neighborhood and wreak havoc on people's lives.
I recommend this book to mature teenagers and adults. It is filled with kidnapping, violence, and murder. There is a fatal car accident involving a drunk driver. Characters have to cope with the loss of loved ones. In addition, it includes profanity. This is a book for people who like to read intense crime novels that are filled with action and suspense.
******
The Urban Panic
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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