Official Review: Deviant Acts by J.J. White

Jax14 · Post by **Jax14** » 10 Oct 2016, 05:02

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Deviant Acts" by J.J. White.]

4 out of 4 stars

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Deviant Acts is a standalone thriller by JJ White and set in the seventies against a backdrop of political protests.

Jackson Hurst is a disappointment to his mother. A heroin addict and now unemployed useless son. A son who is plagued daily by the horrors he endured in the Vietnam war and uses the heroin to keep the nightmares at bay. Jackson's future looks bleak until his antagonistic Aunt Camille calls his mother's house one day to offer him a job. His 20-year-old cousin has been kidnapped, and Aunt Camille feels that with Jackson's past he will have no problem using extreme measures to get her back. Taking this job could cause Jackson's life to change in ways he would never have dreamt possible, but will he stay off the drugs long enough to complete the mission? Or will he be opening himself up to face the after effects of the terrors he endured?

The story is gripping from the get go. The gritty writing is harsh and there are no holds barred when it comes to the descriptions of violence or swearing. This added to the bleak tone of the book and emphasised what the characters felt they needed to do in order to survive. It is also a poignant portrayal of ideals in the seventies and how the ideals are often better in theory than practice. The story highlights love in some of its stranger forms - love of an ideal, love of the image of a person, love of a family member and love used for betrayal. The author very cleverly puts Jackson on a path that has you celebrating some small success for him and then he is propelled in a different direction and the ride begins again. You get to experience the heartache of decisions made for the right and wrong reasons and some surprise twists force you to rethink your loyalties.

Jackson was a very well written character as all of his flaws were on show, but the good man that he was destined to be shone through. His troubled journey was beautifully explored, and whether or not you agree with his actions, he felt what he did was right at the time. Cheryl (Jackson's cousin) was an interesting character to come to grips with as initially you sympathised with her, then hated her, then pitied her and then hated her again. Aunt Camille was the epitome of the adage that money does not necessarily buy class and certainly does not place you above the law. The peripheral characters all added to the story and I was glad that some of them got what they deserved. There was good editing in the book which helped with the flow of the read.

The ending is skilfully written as something is alluded to but it is up to the reader to draw their own conclusion. Due to the dark themes as well as the violence and swearing I would only recommend this book for very mature young adults and up. I rate Deviant Acts 4 out of 4 stars for a riveting and coarse read where you feel a little uncomfortable while you are reading it, but for all the right reasons.

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Deviant Acts
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AA1495 · Post by **AA1495** » 14 Oct 2016, 09:47

I'm glad you enjoyed reading this book. Thank you for the great review.

lane_vespertine · Post by **lane_vespertine** » 16 Oct 2016, 02:05

Good review!
Sounds like the kind of book I'd enjoy.
I think I'll add it to my bookshelves

kimmyschemy06 · Post by **kimmyschemy06** » 21 Oct 2016, 05:38

Sounds like a very interesting book with intriguing characters. Jackson seems like a character I would like to read more about. Great job on the review. Congratulations to J.J. White on such an obviously well written book.