Review by laciscott -- Man Shark by Gerald Knight
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laciscott
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Review by laciscott -- Man Shark by Gerald Knight
[Following is a volunteer review of "Man Shark" by Gerald Knight.]
While reading the book Man Shark, by Gerald Knight, I was transported on a journey of love, friendship, and mystery. Before reading this book I asked myself, “Will Lainjin find the ending to his mom’s story?” The mystery of his mother is so strong, it carries a presence throughout the entire story. You have this young man who travels island to island in search of solving the mystery surrounding his mother Tarmalu, and whether or not he truly finds it is completely up to how you interpret it.
On the way, he falls for Limanman, a smart young lady who entraps Lainjin with her beauty. She coaxes him to help her and her family while falling madly for him. Limanman makes Lainjin promise to stand his guard to her father so he may take her hand in marriage. While on the journey back to Limanman’s island, they face a brutal storm forcing them together. This helps create a strong bond between the two, and Lainjin makes up his mind on Limanman; he wants her to be his wife. Limanman is everything he wants in a woman. He makes her a promise that he will have eyes for no other. We see not only the emotional bonds grow between the two, but the intimate ones as well. Lainjin is passionate for Limanman, and yet as these intimate moments grow, Lainjin’s past is still a mystery to Limanman. She persistently asks him about his mother, or where he came from, yet Lainjin withholds from telling her.
Lainjin stays around Limanman’s island, helping the young men tend to trees and offers his help in preparing them for battle. He befriends one of the most disliked men, Paratak, and offers more than mere friendship alone. It goes to show that to truly know one, you must go beyond the surface and see what is inside. Lainjin learns to trust Paratak and as he befriends him, realizes that Paratak is just misunderstood. This lesson teaches us to be kind and to not listen to people’s judgment on others; to see for ourselves how someone truly is.
There is a complex within this story on how much your love and respect can truly push you in terms of honoring commitments you make with those you surround yourself with. One theme that I picked up on was that lust is tempting, and can guide you down the wrong path. Much temptation is placed in his way, yet Lainjin forces it out of his mind to focus on Limanman; smart, beautiful, and independent. Lainjin was tempted many times to turn away from her, to be aroused by the hands of another, yet he pushed past it because he truly loved Limanman. His love was much stronger than the temptations around him.
My absolute favorite part of this book is that there are words constantly intertwined throughout that are native to the Marshall Lands and the people surrounding it. The culture that is brought to light in this book is truly marvelous, and being able to read these words, while seeing their definitions, is wonderful. You not only can gain a perspective of the culture, but also the customs surrounding it. As a reader who seeks out knowledge, I was thoroughly impressed by Gerald Knight's Man Shark. I had no parts that I disliked, each part of Lainjin’s journey was enthralling to me. I turned the page never expecting what would be next, and that kept me on my toes. I rate this book a 4 out of 4 and highly recommend it to mature audiences who are seeking a mysterious voyage set out in love and hopes of solving the unknown. I do recommend a more mature audience due to the moderately erotic scenes that developed during the book, as they get more detailed further on. Furthermore, this book is a wonderful combination of mystery and love. There are many lessons to be learned from Lainjin’s journey, and many themes surrounding his experiences. Both enthralling and engaging, Man Shark has earned its spot on my bookshelf.
******
Man Shark
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
While reading the book Man Shark, by Gerald Knight, I was transported on a journey of love, friendship, and mystery. Before reading this book I asked myself, “Will Lainjin find the ending to his mom’s story?” The mystery of his mother is so strong, it carries a presence throughout the entire story. You have this young man who travels island to island in search of solving the mystery surrounding his mother Tarmalu, and whether or not he truly finds it is completely up to how you interpret it.
On the way, he falls for Limanman, a smart young lady who entraps Lainjin with her beauty. She coaxes him to help her and her family while falling madly for him. Limanman makes Lainjin promise to stand his guard to her father so he may take her hand in marriage. While on the journey back to Limanman’s island, they face a brutal storm forcing them together. This helps create a strong bond between the two, and Lainjin makes up his mind on Limanman; he wants her to be his wife. Limanman is everything he wants in a woman. He makes her a promise that he will have eyes for no other. We see not only the emotional bonds grow between the two, but the intimate ones as well. Lainjin is passionate for Limanman, and yet as these intimate moments grow, Lainjin’s past is still a mystery to Limanman. She persistently asks him about his mother, or where he came from, yet Lainjin withholds from telling her.
Lainjin stays around Limanman’s island, helping the young men tend to trees and offers his help in preparing them for battle. He befriends one of the most disliked men, Paratak, and offers more than mere friendship alone. It goes to show that to truly know one, you must go beyond the surface and see what is inside. Lainjin learns to trust Paratak and as he befriends him, realizes that Paratak is just misunderstood. This lesson teaches us to be kind and to not listen to people’s judgment on others; to see for ourselves how someone truly is.
There is a complex within this story on how much your love and respect can truly push you in terms of honoring commitments you make with those you surround yourself with. One theme that I picked up on was that lust is tempting, and can guide you down the wrong path. Much temptation is placed in his way, yet Lainjin forces it out of his mind to focus on Limanman; smart, beautiful, and independent. Lainjin was tempted many times to turn away from her, to be aroused by the hands of another, yet he pushed past it because he truly loved Limanman. His love was much stronger than the temptations around him.
My absolute favorite part of this book is that there are words constantly intertwined throughout that are native to the Marshall Lands and the people surrounding it. The culture that is brought to light in this book is truly marvelous, and being able to read these words, while seeing their definitions, is wonderful. You not only can gain a perspective of the culture, but also the customs surrounding it. As a reader who seeks out knowledge, I was thoroughly impressed by Gerald Knight's Man Shark. I had no parts that I disliked, each part of Lainjin’s journey was enthralling to me. I turned the page never expecting what would be next, and that kept me on my toes. I rate this book a 4 out of 4 and highly recommend it to mature audiences who are seeking a mysterious voyage set out in love and hopes of solving the unknown. I do recommend a more mature audience due to the moderately erotic scenes that developed during the book, as they get more detailed further on. Furthermore, this book is a wonderful combination of mystery and love. There are many lessons to be learned from Lainjin’s journey, and many themes surrounding his experiences. Both enthralling and engaging, Man Shark has earned its spot on my bookshelf.
******
Man Shark
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Veil of Secrecy by Margaret Franceschini
