Official Review: Opening Gates by Nancy King

[Rachaelamb1]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Opening Gates" by Nancy King.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Opening Gates by Nancy King is a historical fiction novel set in the 50’s.

When nineteen-year-old Rennie gets a job working as a recreational therapist in a mental hospital, she is only thinking about how well she will be getting paid. She does not expect there to be much difficulty, despite the warnings from her friends and family members. The first day on the job is a nightmare. She is told to do the bare minimum, not get friendly with the patients, and countless other rules which go against her character. She realizes she is in over her head and longs to quit, but there is something about the women that keep her coming back every day. Can one woman, still a teen, really make a difference? Throughout the months that she works at the hospital, Rennie makes friends, enemies, causes problems, solves problems, and learns an awful lot about life and love.

This is an insightful and engaging story. I think it's amazing that the author actually worked as a recreational therapist when she was nineteen. It makes me wonder how many of the characters are based on her real-life experiences, which is probably why the book is so believable. In fact, that is one of the things I like the most about this book; it is realistic. Rennie is a perfect example of that because she is beautifully flawed. She makes mistakes, falls into self-pity, and judges people. However, she has some great qualities as well that keep you rooting for her. She truly cares about the patients, works hard, and is determined. Even with a love triangle this book is handled in a believable way. I am not a fan of unrealistic romance stories, so I enjoyed the way this one ended up.

I would have liked to see a little more of the historical aspect woven into the book. There is mention of events that were going on in that time, but for some reason I had to keep reminding myself that it was taking place in the 50’s. It could have very easily taken place today. The sort of nostalgic feel that I get when reading historical novels is missing from this book.

Unfortunately, there are some typographical errors throughout the book. The most notable are the randomly placed quotation marks. Also, Rennie narrates the story in first person, but she often has present tense thoughts that would have made more sense if they had been set off in italics. There are a few areas I had to read twice because of this, though I do not consider a major issue.

My rating for Opening Gates is 3 out of 4 stars. It is a good story with great characters and a few life lessons as well. The end of the book even contains discussion questions for personal or group reflection. If the book had been better edited, I would have given it a full rating. Even though it is not technically a coming of age story, I think that people who enjoy coming of age novels will like this one as well.

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Opening Gates
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[Amh73090]

Great review. The book sounds interesting. I will have to save it to the bookshelves.

[Silvermoon]

A mental hospital in the fifties is rather a scary thought. It sounds like a good story, though. Nice and thorough review. Good job!

[kimmyschemy06]

Sounds like a very interesting book with endearing and relatable character. The book being 'so believable' is saying much about the writing skills of the author. Too bad, though, about the errors. Great job on the review.

[Rachaelamb1]

Great review. The book sounds interesting. I will have to save it to the bookshelves.

It was really good! Hope you check it out!

-- 23 Sep 2016, 11:14 --

A mental hospital in the fifties is rather a scary thought. It sounds like a good story, though. Nice and thorough review. Good job!

I admit I was a little scared starting the book, you never know what to expect! While there are some sad events, I didn't find anything to be disturbing.

-- 23 Sep 2016, 11:16 --

Sounds like a very interesting book with endearing and relatable character. The book being 'so believable' is saying much about the writing skills of the author. Too bad, though, about the errors. Great job on the review.

Yes the author is talented! With a little more polish this book would truly shine

[Serena [Poetree]]

This sounds like a very unique book! I'm not a huge fan of love triangles, but I do love realistic novels. Too bad about the typographical errors--that's always frustrating. Great review!

[braver]

Good job by the author making the book so believable, and making a story set in the 50s transcend time. Will add this one to my list!

[Rachaelamb1]

This sounds like a very unique book! I'm not a huge fan of love triangles, but I do love realistic novels. Too bad about the typographical errors--that's always frustrating. Great review!

Same here! I'm glad it was realistic in the romance aspect.

-- 25 Oct 2016, 19:50 --

Good job by the author making the book so believable, and making a story set in the 50s transcend time. Will add this one to my list!

Hope you enjoy it!