Review of The Bully of Baldwin Street
Posted: 29 Jan 2024, 20:15
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Bully of Baldwin Street" by Wayman Hackley.]
The Bully of Baldwin Street by Wayman Hackley is a coming-of-age novel where we see the expanse of Derek’s life and the situations that led to his dilemma, landing him in prison for life.
In the book, Derek narrates to a group of students about his life, which was cut short by his poor choices and bullying tendencies. He uses this program filled with so many bathroom breaks to discourage students from following on that same part, as he served as a living witness to the fact that it is unprofitable. He tells them his tale with so much vigor, humor, and enthusiasm that you may actually doubt he is in prison.
I loved the humor of the author and how he kept everything light in the book, giving his readers a good laugh. I also loved the way the author was able to narrate the stories of Derek vividly; it was very imaginative, and I could picture everything in my head. I loved how he depicted young, innocent love in the book, which gave the book an extra spice as I looked forward to the scenes of Audrey and Derek. I also appreciate the font choice, as it enhanced my reading experience.
However, I felt that the pacing was too slow, which may make it get boring easily. I oftentimes felt most of the scenes that were added to the book only made the book longer than it should have been. I feel this may be unique to just me but I would have loved to see the pace pick up as the book progressed. In addition, I found a lot of errors in the book. I think it needs one more round of editing.
I would rate the book 4 out of 5 stars because I believe it was not properly edited and also because, despite a nice start, the pace affected my smooth enjoyment.
I would recommend this book to fiction lovers who are looking for a coming-of-age story and also to young adult readers.
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The Bully of Baldwin Street
View: on Bookshelves
The Bully of Baldwin Street by Wayman Hackley is a coming-of-age novel where we see the expanse of Derek’s life and the situations that led to his dilemma, landing him in prison for life.
In the book, Derek narrates to a group of students about his life, which was cut short by his poor choices and bullying tendencies. He uses this program filled with so many bathroom breaks to discourage students from following on that same part, as he served as a living witness to the fact that it is unprofitable. He tells them his tale with so much vigor, humor, and enthusiasm that you may actually doubt he is in prison.
I loved the humor of the author and how he kept everything light in the book, giving his readers a good laugh. I also loved the way the author was able to narrate the stories of Derek vividly; it was very imaginative, and I could picture everything in my head. I loved how he depicted young, innocent love in the book, which gave the book an extra spice as I looked forward to the scenes of Audrey and Derek. I also appreciate the font choice, as it enhanced my reading experience.
However, I felt that the pacing was too slow, which may make it get boring easily. I oftentimes felt most of the scenes that were added to the book only made the book longer than it should have been. I feel this may be unique to just me but I would have loved to see the pace pick up as the book progressed. In addition, I found a lot of errors in the book. I think it needs one more round of editing.
I would rate the book 4 out of 5 stars because I believe it was not properly edited and also because, despite a nice start, the pace affected my smooth enjoyment.
I would recommend this book to fiction lovers who are looking for a coming-of-age story and also to young adult readers.
******
The Bully of Baldwin Street
View: on Bookshelves