Official Review: When Life Doesn't Turn Out The Way We Ho...

[Nicole Carvalho]

The book When Life Doesn’t Turn Out The Way We Hope It Would? Volume 2 by Tom Wick starts with a brief narration of all the most events of the life of the Capitan Charles Vernon Gridley on American Civil War being part of the US Navy in a very objective way, describing all the dates as they occur with a lot of details. It depicts the journey of Gridley, the promotions he received in the Navy until becoming captain of USFS Olympia, in March of 1897. He was well respected by his ship's crewmen on his brief command aboard until he learned he was extremely sick and passed his command to Commodore Dewey. On 1 May 1898, The USA declared war on Spain, and at the end of his life the Captain still fought along with Commodore Dewey and they won within hours. Gridley's healthy conditions worsened and he could not carry his duty and got sent home but in the same year, the captain unfortunately died.

The author follows by describing very technically the ship USS Olympia, named after Captain C. V. Gridley, the crew numbers its support, its length, the aviation, and propulsion capacity, and the armed forces she contains such as missiles and torpedoes. Describe also the shipping protocol and occupational specialty.

In the end describe the life of Tom Wick since he boarded inside the ship and the daily life on board, what he eats, the process of winemaking, his plan of being promoted, and fighting on board until the ship returns to Seattle, Washington.

I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars, it's technical and contains precise information and the language is objective and plain. It is well written and in some moments the authors bring humor but in other moments the pictures and even some passages are repetitive, also the amount of information in some parts got me bored for a bit.

I recommend it for those who like war, navy, and American civil war-related stories.

[AvidBibliophile]

It sounds like his worldly travels on Navy ships gave him plenty of global memories and adventures! A history of abuse is hard for anyone to overcome, so I appreciate autobiographies that make an effort to realistically address past traumas. Thank you for your review.

[Kajori Sheryl Paul]

I like the way the author adds humor to make the narrative more engaging.

Thank you for the great review.

[ViviVivid]

For someone who had a difficult life growing up, this is truly inspirational. It is not easy to be surrounded by such abuse as a child and not be affected by it. I'm glad that the author came through it all. An excellent review!

[Michele H]

Great job on the review. I like the way you tied in enough information from the first book and how it relates to the second book. Also you made mention of what is to come in the third book. That way readers know what to expect I and get a feel for how the three tied together.

[Creole]

It is great that Mr Wick can use humour as nourishment for the soul. His story is an interesting one, and I hope that continued healing will take place. I like the descriptive information about places. Thanks for an honest review.

[Tars]

Does anyone else think that the picture on the cover looks like it was taken for criminal record? To be honest, it alone is quite able to scare me away from reading it. Not that I am inclined to non-fiction autobiography about less than a happy life. Unfortunately, I will have to pass this one. Still, congrats on BOTD!

[Valkyrie9]

It is so commendable of the author to continue his story. By writing this second volume, the reader is able to see how he processes what happened to him and how he moves forward. This would be very encouraging to victims who suffered similar abuses in their lives. A pity about the less than careful editing in this volume. Thanks for the thorough review!

[Katherine Smith]

I like that the second volume of this man's life was the book of the day today. I read about his childhood in a review a couple of days ago, so it is nice to pick up where the first book left off. I agree with the rating of this book primarily because of the numerous spelling errors and sentence structure issues. I think that the inclusion of photos in the book to illustrate his travels makes the reader feel attached to the author's story. I am wondering if there is a volume three coming soon and what more is in store for the author.

[Guda Lydia]

This seems like an inspiring autobiography. I like that the author is real and honest about his experience and growth path. I think that's quite brave. Congratulations on the BOTD.

[sylvia+cummings]

When Life Doesn't Turn Out The Way We Hoped It Would? Volume 2 ~ is a Historical Fictional Book which traveled more indepth into Tom's Wick's life. His journeys to several detailed cultures, places, and countries.


His life working in the United States Navy. He traveled the world. The book best suited a more mature readers.


Thanks to the Author

[rondanoh1]

Thanks for your honest review. This sounds like a heavy reading experience. I'm sure life aboard a ship is quite mundane at times. I am not a fan of details in areas I'm not interested in.

[Lizvip]

The fact that the author uses humour in the book, makes a sad situation abit lighter to read. Great review!

[Jsovermyer]

This is the second book written by Tom Wick about his life. This one deals with his time in the Navy and various ports he visited. Congratulations to the author for being chosen as BOTD. Thanks to the reviewer for your interesting and honest review.

[Misael Carlos]

Wick seemed to have gone through very harsh times and I am looking forward to digging into this book to find out how he was able to survive and succeed through all of these very difficult hindrances. I don’t know how I would have responded or behaved after being abused and I was very courageous for him to share something horrifying. This book will surely be an enlightenment and an encouragement to those who experienced the same to seek help and realize that whenever there is life there is hope.