Review of The Abalone Ukulele

[Krishi Shah]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Abalone Ukulele" by R. L. Crossland.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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The Abalone Ukulele by R. L. Crossland invites readers to join well-developed characters on a fascinating journey of political intrigue. The historical fiction novel lays the groundwork of the plot in the first part of the story, wherein a Korean officer Jung-hee Yi gets caught up in a ploy by the Japanese. Disgraced and humiliated, he sets off on a journey to redeem himself and give his homeland his due. In the second part of the story, we meet a US Navy Quartermaster named Hobson, who is facing his own destiny in Shanghai. We meet even more interesting people as the book progresses, forming a unique bunch that pulls off an epic plan to prevent a historic disaster.

I have to start off by saying that the historical aspects of this book were not only fascinating, but they were well-explained and well-researched. The accuracy was delightful, and one can tell that the author is writing from an informed point of view. This was the first time where I got to experience some important moments in history from an Asian standpoint with a fictional lens. It was just as eye-opening and entertaining as I’d hoped and imagined.

The characters were certainly the cherry on the icing. They were so incredibly well fleshed out, the intricacies of their desires, goals, values, and motivations intertwining to form a complex plot that had a lovely payoff. I was curious to see how characters who were somehow simultaneously similar but different would cross paths, and the wait was worth it. The book had some truly amazing character development and plot progression, making for an enjoyable read. I found no typos or grammatical errors in the book; it was definitely well-edited.

I did, unfortunately, have two issues with the book. One was the writing style. I understand that it cannot be easy to lay out such an intricate plot, but the writing felt a little too complicated, leaving me confused about what was actually going on. My second issue was that it really felt very jarring when the perspectives of the characters changed through different points in the book. It made me feel disconnected from the book. It felt like I left a character midway through his journey. This is why I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

I would recommend this book to lovers of politics and historical fiction who don’t mind some complex storytelling.

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The Abalone Ukulele
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