Review of A Foot in Both Camps

[Emmanuella C Arumeze]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A Foot in Both Camps" by Arrabella Williams.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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A Foot in Both Camps is a book penned by Arrabella Williams. It was intentionally divided into eighteen chapters and written in one hundred and thirty-one pages. It’s a fictional book filled with lessons. It centers primarily on domestic and adverse effects of our actions on people around us.

Arrabella introduces the main character as Susie, a little girl and the first daughter of the Fletchers. The Fletchers have six children, Kingsley, Freddie, Carlos, Susie, Ruby, and Benjamin. They were from Jamaica but immigrated to the UK for a better life. The father, Mr. Solomon Fletcher, was a strict man who believed in male supremacy and the fact that every wrong can be corrected with a rod. His constant beating was not limited to his children but to his wife, inclusive. They were strong members of the Evangelical Church and always attributed their acts, whether right or wrong, to the scriptures. This affected their first daughter, Susie, emotionally and psychologically. The tale of the genesis and effect of their father’s actions was elaborately detailed in this book.

One major aspect of the book that I liked was the author’s skill in conveying the message perfectly to his audience in simple sentences. It was very easy to read and understand. The book is lesson driven. It shows the adverse effects of parents' actions on their kids. The structure of the chapters was very remarkable. It was chronological and touched every important aspect of Susie’s life. It was professionally edited. It is very remarkable to note that the book did not contain any vulgar words. Hence, it was very soothing to read.

The only part of the book that I did not like was the last chapter. It contained some errors and seemed rushed. There are also some unanswered questions in the story, which should have ordinarily been contained in the last chapter. These questions include: What happened to Susie’s father? How was Mrs. Ruby able to pay her debts? What happened to the other siblings after Susie was sent to the Local Authority Care? I believe another part of the story will justify these questions.

I will rate the book 3 out of 4 stars. My reason is that the unanswered questions in the book gave it a pregnant effect, which I did not enjoy.

The book is highly recommended for parents to read. It will help them to be cautious about how they instill discipline in their children.

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A Foot in Both Camps
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[Yasmine Zaki Muhieddine]

I don't believe violence instill discipline on children. Physical abuse can have serious consequences such as what we see in this book with one of the children suffering from mental and emotional issues. I don't like that there are so many things left unresolved at the end of the book. Perhaps the author is planning on writing a sequel.

[Victoria Ukamaka]

This should be an easy read. I love simple writing styles and from this review, you have shown that the author's style is simply and easy to read. Great review.