Official Review: To love in vain by Pedro Merchant

[Sam Lauren]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "To love in vain" by Pedro Merchant.]

---

2 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

To Love in Vain is about a kid who is born of murder and destined by it. Miracle survived a tragedy, but his life is another one. He sells drugs on the street. He deals with gang violence and unjust arrests. The redeeming part of his life is his girlfriend, Asia, a woman determined to love him no matter what.

It is clear from the writing that Pedro Merchant, the author, has creativity and passion. There were a lot of ideas thrown into this book. The sex scenes make up most of the book, but they have a good build-up and give a lot of insight into the characters. The downside is there are way too many side plots. Nothing got the page time it deserved because the book rushed from one scene to another.

The biggest problem I had with this book was that it jumped around a lot. The scene changed without warning, from one paragraph to the next. It had an overarching plot that got neglected except for random information dumps. Miracle learns about his parents early on in the book and wants vengeance. That is interesting, but it gets buried underneath a tale of his vices.

There are many characters, and they all have two names. It can be hard to keep them straight. The easiest people to remember were the ones with personality. Most were interchangeable and generic. Some, like Tiffany, had an attitude that made them stand out.

Miracle's shenanigans are fascinating, but the writing makes them seem like two separate plots. I'd love to read a version of this book where the excess is cut and the main characters are developed more. Miracle and Asia are so realistic. I saw their feelings and behavior in the people around me, especially in younger people and when I lived in the ghetto. I love that the author was able to capture that.

I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars. I chose this rating because the author has the potential for an amazing story, but this one is not there yet. It badly needs editing. It needs clarification. It requires a stronger plotline so that the reader has something grounding them amongst the chaos.

I recommend this book to adults who appreciate violence and sex. It is not super graphic because the author's descriptions are not detailed, but it does say what is going on.

******
To love in vain
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Mercy119]

Miracle sounds like a troubled youth thanks to his turbulent childhood. I'm glad that the author accurately portrayed the ghetto environment, but the book needs thorough editing to make it enjoyable.

[Peace Odii]

The way you described the childhood of this kid was very impressive. Great work.

[Durgeshwari Dolas]

His childhood seems tragic. Very descriptive review. Thank you for your honest review!

[Kathy Conforti]

The first two lines in this review are difficult to understand. Please clarify how someone is “born of murder” and the meaning behind “. . . but his life is another one.” Another what?
The rest of the review is pretty clear. Thank you.

[Kanchan Sharma]

The review is interesting and intriguing. I am eager to read the book.