Official Review: Parallel Universes by David B. Bohl

[Brenda Creech]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Parallel Universes" by David B. Bohl.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Imagine from your very first memory, at a very young age feeling as if you're different than everyone, that you don't belong. What could cause a child to feel that way? Such is the case of David B. Bohl, author of Parallel Universes: The Story of Rebirth. David was adopted when he was seven days old by a loving couple who gave him a stable and loving home. So why did he feel like he didn't belong? It was like he was living in parallel universes, one with his family and friends and the other with his inner self, feeling like something was wrong with him.

David knew from a very young age he was adopted. However, In his mind, he believed he was 'relinquished' because something was wrong with him. At the age of six, he told some friends he was adopted. Their reaction was shock and disbelief, and from that point on, they avoided him. Their response convinced him he was right; there was something wrong with him. He struggled with the shame of being 'relinquished.' He pretended to be okay on the outside, while inside, he was in turmoil. He began drinking when he was thirteen because that's what his friends were doing, and when David drank, he felt accepted. By the time David was a young adult, he had a high powered job with the stock exchange, married his childhood sweetheart, had two beautiful children, and was a wealthy man. On the outside, it seemed he had it all. However, on the inside, his feelings of shame were stronger than any of those things. He turned more and more to alcohol to dull the inner pain. How long could he continue to live in his parallel universes? Would he destroy it all with his alcohol abuse and his deeply seeded shame?

As the author pens his story to paper, the reader can feel his inner turmoil. He tells his story openly and matter-of-factly with honesty and transparency. His writing style is unique yet relatable. He uses many one-word sentences and always capitalizes 'shame' for emphasis on his feelings. As I read David's story, I could sense his vulnerability and pain. I could feel his turmoil as he struggled with the inner and outer man, the parallel universes of his life. He had very little information about his biological parents until he was in his forties. His mother was a twenty-one-year-old college student who went through his birth alone in a home for unwed mothers. She died of alcoholism at the age of fifty-six. His father, who would never acknowledge that he was the father, died of a brain tumor.

I love the author's courage in telling his story. This book touched my heart deeply. How young is too young to feel disconnected from everyone else because of the circumstances of your beginning? Can feelings of rejection and not belonging begin in infancy as some research suggests? And, can one ever get over those feelings? Being raised as an agnostic, David still searched for a 'higher power.' He prayed and searched for God but never came to believe that God exists. His conclusion was 'reality' is his 'higher power.' The only thing I disliked about this book was the profanity; however, it was not excessive. I was mesmerized from the beginning to the end. I will leave the ending for the reader to discover how things turn out for David. However, I will say David's story will remain with the reader long after they read the last page and close the book.

The book is very well edited, with only a few errors, mostly related to wording, such as leaving a word out of a sentence or repeating a word twice. I did not notice any actual punctuation errors. I highly recommend this book to anyone struggling with alcoholism personally or in their family. I also recommend it to the average reader who enjoys memoirs. I rate Parallel Universes by David B. Bohl 4 out of 4 stars not only for the content and the editing, but also for the inspiration I received from reading this powerful book.

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Parallel Universes
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[mmm17]

Wow! Such an emotional story! My heart goes out to him. I admire his courage in sharing this. Thanks for a wonderful review!

[Waqas Asghar]

Awsom i'm very impresed by reading this worderful story.Thank you so much for review

[Brenda Creech]

Wow! Such an emotional story! My heart goes out to him. I admire his courage in sharing this. Thanks for a wonderful review!

Thank you! Thanks for commenting!

[Brenda Creech]

Awsom i'm very impresed by reading this worderful story.Thank you so much for review

Thanks! Thank you for commenting!

[Amanda Deck]

I read so many times as a teen about foster kids and adoptees being ashamed, but never understood it. It always struck me that it was the parents who must have been awful and the children luckily escaped from parents who couldn't or wouldn't care for them.
I knew a couple of boys who were fostered and the foster parents tried to adopt them - as soon as they asked, the boys were taken away! They came home for a while, but one was about to be sent back to his bio-mother yet again. He assaulted someone so he'd go to juvie instead. I know that the 'gang of kids' in our neighborhood were glad to have them and never wanted anything but for good for them. if they loved their bio-parents and wanted to be with them, we'd give them up but since they were afraid of them, all we kids were furious that they couldn't stay with us where they were safe and happy.
It's terribly sad to hear that David felt like this. It sounds bizarre to me that a bunch of small children would refuse to play with him after finding out he was adopted. The only thing that makes sense to me about that would be the kids learning about adoption and being afraid they might be taken away from or given away by their parents too, without understanding the whole situation. It seems the shock would be from finding out such a thing happens in the world.

[Shabram22]

I had goosebumps reading your review. This is a very interesting and thought-provoking question, how young is too young to feel disconnected. It proves that there is something greater going on then what we can see and understand. Thanks for your great review.

[Brenda Creech]

I read so many times as a teen about foster kids and adoptees being ashamed, but never understood it. It always struck me that it was the parents who must have been awful and the children luckily escaped from parents who couldn't or wouldn't care for them.
I knew a couple of boys who were fostered and the foster parents tried to adopt them - as soon as they asked, the boys were taken away! They came home for a while, but one was about to be sent back to his bio-mother yet again. He assaulted someone so he'd go to juvie instead. I know that the 'gang of kids' in our neighborhood were glad to have them and never wanted anything but for good for them. if they loved their bio-parents and wanted to be withyoung them, we'd give them up but since they were afraid of them, all we kids were furious that they couldn't stay with us where they were safe and happy.
It's terribly sad to hear that David felt like this. It sounds bizarre to me that a bunch of small children would refuse to play with him after finding out he was adopted. The only thing that makes sense to me about that would be the kids learning about adoption and being afraid they might be taken away from or given away by their parents too, without understanding the whole situation. It seems the shock would be from finding out such a thing happens in the world.

I agree about the young children not playing with David after he told them he was adopted. He even made them go to his house so his mom could tell them it was true, but that didn't change their reaction. I also agree with what you said about the children being afraid they might be taken away from their parents. How young is too young to tell a child they were adopted? I believe David and his friends were around six when he told them. I personally feel that it is too young. I have a granddaughter my daughter adopted and she was told around that age but she did fine with it. We got her from an abusive situation when she was 18 months old to prevent her from going into the system. Thanks for your comments!

[Brenda Creech]

I had goosebumps reading your review. This is a very interesting and thought-provoking question, how young is too young to feel disconnected. It proves that there is something greater going on then what we can see and understand. Thanks for your great review.

Thank you, and thanks for commenting! Maybe research into how much someone knows or understands in infancy will continue and there will someday be a definite answer! I found it fascinating that it has even been started!

[readerrihana]

This sounds like an interesting read and relevant. There are people known to me that may have similar issues and backgrounds. In fact, the issue of adoption and it's affects on children is probably very over looked but important to be aware of. Thanks for the thorough review, it did inspire an interest to read the book.

[Brenda Creech]

This sounds like an interesting read and relevant. There are people known to me that may have similar issues and backgrounds. In fact, the issue of adoption and it's affects on children is probably very over looked but important to be aware of. Thanks for the thorough review, it did inspire an interest to read the book.

Thank you! Adoption is a subject I try to stay abreast of since I have a granddaughter who my daughter adopted. She's grown now with a child of her own. She is a fantastic mom to her son because she did go through a period of time where she struggled with wondering why her birth mother didn't want her. She swore she would never give up a child that way. We brought her into our family when she was 18 months old. Thanks for commenting!

[whiskey2003]

Thank you for the review. I can relate to being in a parallel universe.

[Brenda Creech]

Thank you for the review. I can relate to being in a parallel universe.

Thanks for stopping by and commenting! I guess if you think about it we all live in parallel universes in one way or another. Some are bad and painful for a person while others are just our routine. I had never thought of it until I read this book!

[Twylla]

Excellent review. I will definitely read this beautiful story. Thanks!

[Brenda Creech]

Excellent review. I will definitely read this beautiful story. Thanks!

Thank you. I hope you like the book, I certainly did! Thanks for commenting.