Review of Bite the Hand That Feeds You
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Harty Muli
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Review of Bite the Hand That Feeds You
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Bite the Hand That Feeds You" by JP TruDoc.]
Following Hurricane Katrina, one of the costliest storms ever to hit the U.S., Sethie Williams and her husband, Reggie, were allocated a FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Administration) trailer. The couple had two sons, Reggie Jr., and a younger one, Simon. The striking thing about their trailer or Emergency Housing Unit (EHU), even so, was that it was contaminated with formaldehyde because of being fitted with cabinets and paneling floors that were composed of uncured plywood. The trailer had been manufactured by a Kentucky-based company called Matchless Enterprises.
The described events in JP TruDoc’s novel, Bite the Hand That Feeds You, are so frightening because of their realism. On account of the pervasive nature of the flooding problem in New Orleans, where the Williams lived, the book had a lot of minor characters that were also important to the story’s setting. For example, earlier on, the author delved into the misfortunes suffered by the lead character’s, Simon’s, extended family, something that had an effect of creating a sorrowful mood in the story and foreshadowing an ominous threat to young Simon’s life. Furthermore, I found TruDoc’s third-person omniscient narrative effective in communicating the inner thoughts of the myriad of characters in his story.
I liked the story’s character development best. Firstly, the mythical struggle between good and evil was exemplified by the characters of Dr. Tristan Baines (Tristan), a consulting medical and environmental engineer, and Gordon A. Gasher (GAG), the director of an Illinois-based company that had been accused of polluting the environment. Through Tristan’s philanthropic work with the flood victims, I was impressed with how he managed to morph from being a stranger in Simon’s life to a hero (father) figure. Secondly, in his friends’ eyes, Tristan developed from being a coward, who secluded himself after his family was violated, to someone willing to fight for his family’s honor.
On the other hand, I disliked the high number of editing errors in the book. I also noted some narrative threads were not resolved by the end of the book, thus, suggesting that a sequel may be in the offing. At any rate, I wholly enjoyed the story, and I, therefore, didn’t mind this last aspect. So, because of the errors, I rate the book 3 out of 4 stars.
In summary, TruDoc has written a brilliant novel on greed and the desire for power amid the social and economic upheaval that was Hurricane Katrina. I recommend it to any reader interested in a well-written and well-researched novel about corporate scams and scandals. At the same time, some scenes in the story portray acts of sadism and violence against defenseless women. Any reader triggered by such acts may want to avoid the book.
******
Bite the Hand That Feeds You
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Following Hurricane Katrina, one of the costliest storms ever to hit the U.S., Sethie Williams and her husband, Reggie, were allocated a FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Administration) trailer. The couple had two sons, Reggie Jr., and a younger one, Simon. The striking thing about their trailer or Emergency Housing Unit (EHU), even so, was that it was contaminated with formaldehyde because of being fitted with cabinets and paneling floors that were composed of uncured plywood. The trailer had been manufactured by a Kentucky-based company called Matchless Enterprises.
The described events in JP TruDoc’s novel, Bite the Hand That Feeds You, are so frightening because of their realism. On account of the pervasive nature of the flooding problem in New Orleans, where the Williams lived, the book had a lot of minor characters that were also important to the story’s setting. For example, earlier on, the author delved into the misfortunes suffered by the lead character’s, Simon’s, extended family, something that had an effect of creating a sorrowful mood in the story and foreshadowing an ominous threat to young Simon’s life. Furthermore, I found TruDoc’s third-person omniscient narrative effective in communicating the inner thoughts of the myriad of characters in his story.
I liked the story’s character development best. Firstly, the mythical struggle between good and evil was exemplified by the characters of Dr. Tristan Baines (Tristan), a consulting medical and environmental engineer, and Gordon A. Gasher (GAG), the director of an Illinois-based company that had been accused of polluting the environment. Through Tristan’s philanthropic work with the flood victims, I was impressed with how he managed to morph from being a stranger in Simon’s life to a hero (father) figure. Secondly, in his friends’ eyes, Tristan developed from being a coward, who secluded himself after his family was violated, to someone willing to fight for his family’s honor.
On the other hand, I disliked the high number of editing errors in the book. I also noted some narrative threads were not resolved by the end of the book, thus, suggesting that a sequel may be in the offing. At any rate, I wholly enjoyed the story, and I, therefore, didn’t mind this last aspect. So, because of the errors, I rate the book 3 out of 4 stars.
In summary, TruDoc has written a brilliant novel on greed and the desire for power amid the social and economic upheaval that was Hurricane Katrina. I recommend it to any reader interested in a well-written and well-researched novel about corporate scams and scandals. At the same time, some scenes in the story portray acts of sadism and violence against defenseless women. Any reader triggered by such acts may want to avoid the book.
******
Bite the Hand That Feeds You
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Tujunga by Carlos Alvarado
