Review of Looking Glass Friends
-
Martin Skinn3r
- Posts: 60
- Joined: 31 May 2022, 17:14
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 54
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-martin-skinn3r.html
- Latest Review: American Dream? by Jeoung Lee
Review of Looking Glass Friends
[Following is a volunteer review of "Looking Glass Friends" by E L Neve.]
Neil is living a life of daily torment, where the joy and love he once felt for his wife, Fay, seemed to disappear with the setting sun. Gun in hand, death in mind, he danced this dance on occasion, flirting with the idea of ending it all and finding that peace he longed for. But a thought washed over him that stopped him from pulling the trigger. He remembered this sweet woman who would come by Bake 4U, his place of employment, buying cream puffs every other Friday. If angels were real, then this must have been one. Ellie, that was her name, and she was beautiful and feminine, unlike Fay. A book happened to bring Neil and Ellie together, and so an intense friendship began that is the basis of Looking Glass Friends.
I have never read words so beautiful in my life, so intentional and vibrant with life. E L Neve is an unmistakable talent so far ahead the rest, I imagine future generations uncovering this novel in a treasure chest and asking themselves how Shakespeare and E L Neve were never mentioned in the same breath. Yes, that's how much I admired the writing I uncovered here. It had all that magic that makes me envious, wishing I, too, could have that level of creative prowess.
The story was also as intense as the words, always skirting the fabrics of emotion, lust, and a new love that some of us have experienced at least once before. I could relate, and I remembered my own Ellie, and how much that feeling had brought chaos and an identity crisis that left me in limbo for many years that followed. I am still reeling from the remnants of that love.
I just wish the plot could have gone a little further than it did. I knew how the novel would end, but I wish I didn't. I wish the author would have explored ideas beyond the drama that happened with the core characters and brought in another element that would have taken me by surprise.
As a romance novel, this is the best one I have ever read in my life. It went a little deeper than exploring romance on the surface. It explored the philosophy of love and life, and it engaged the reader to ponder on their own existence, their choices, and what their choices say about them. I simply rate this book four out of four stars. I think I have just discovered a favourite author to add to my list, which hasn't grown since 2006.
I would ordinarily recommend a book like this to readers who enjoy a specific genre, romance being the case here, but I will take this one a step further and also recommend it to readers who love poetry. Whether reading from a lens that enjoys romance or poetry, the reader will most probably find this an amazing read.
******
Looking Glass Friends
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Neil is living a life of daily torment, where the joy and love he once felt for his wife, Fay, seemed to disappear with the setting sun. Gun in hand, death in mind, he danced this dance on occasion, flirting with the idea of ending it all and finding that peace he longed for. But a thought washed over him that stopped him from pulling the trigger. He remembered this sweet woman who would come by Bake 4U, his place of employment, buying cream puffs every other Friday. If angels were real, then this must have been one. Ellie, that was her name, and she was beautiful and feminine, unlike Fay. A book happened to bring Neil and Ellie together, and so an intense friendship began that is the basis of Looking Glass Friends.
I have never read words so beautiful in my life, so intentional and vibrant with life. E L Neve is an unmistakable talent so far ahead the rest, I imagine future generations uncovering this novel in a treasure chest and asking themselves how Shakespeare and E L Neve were never mentioned in the same breath. Yes, that's how much I admired the writing I uncovered here. It had all that magic that makes me envious, wishing I, too, could have that level of creative prowess.
The story was also as intense as the words, always skirting the fabrics of emotion, lust, and a new love that some of us have experienced at least once before. I could relate, and I remembered my own Ellie, and how much that feeling had brought chaos and an identity crisis that left me in limbo for many years that followed. I am still reeling from the remnants of that love.
I just wish the plot could have gone a little further than it did. I knew how the novel would end, but I wish I didn't. I wish the author would have explored ideas beyond the drama that happened with the core characters and brought in another element that would have taken me by surprise.
As a romance novel, this is the best one I have ever read in my life. It went a little deeper than exploring romance on the surface. It explored the philosophy of love and life, and it engaged the reader to ponder on their own existence, their choices, and what their choices say about them. I simply rate this book four out of four stars. I think I have just discovered a favourite author to add to my list, which hasn't grown since 2006.
I would ordinarily recommend a book like this to readers who enjoy a specific genre, romance being the case here, but I will take this one a step further and also recommend it to readers who love poetry. Whether reading from a lens that enjoys romance or poetry, the reader will most probably find this an amazing read.
******
Looking Glass Friends
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: American Dream? by Jeoung Lee
