Review of A Rule of Life

[SamaylaM]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A Rule of Life" by Patricia Brandon.]

---

3 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

After the Great War and the Spanish Flu, Tricia Grimball becomes a camp counselor at Camp Arden Woode for Girls. She does this to gain some adventures and leave her restrictive life back home. In the camp, she makes friends, meets different people, falls in love, and experiences the beauty of nature. But, a local man gets murdered in an attempted abduction, and tales of the Sin Eater arise. How could all of it be related? Will Tricia experience more than what she asked for in the camp?

A Rule of Life by Patricia Brandon is a slow-building mysterious historical fiction that includes themes of romance and self-discovery. The book begins with a strange tale of the Sin Eater, told by the camp cook, Otha Moses, to Tricia. A young girl becomes the victim in an attempted kidnapping, and a local man named Chester Graves is dead. So, the Sin Eater will visit Chester's home at night to perform the ritual of sin eating. This grim ritual will cleanse the dead of their sins by transferring them to the Sin Eater. Tricia finds it all weirdly fascinating. After she shares it with her fellow counselor friends, the ladies plan to secretly visit Chester Graves' house to catch sight of the Sin Eater. What unfolds next utterly astonishes Tricia.

This book had several positive aspects. The writing style was excellent. It was the perfect blend of expressing character emotions and narrating various circumstances. The characters all developed nicely and had a purpose in the plot. The story presented the themes of friendship, atonement, and forgiveness. It also portrayed the horrors of racism, slavery, and forced prostitution. I liked the incorporation of romance between Tricia and a man named Ewan Munslow. This romance actually gave growth to Tricia's character. My favorite part of the book had to be the ending. It was not what I expected would happen. The climax was wonderfully written, and the message delivered was incredible. So, reading it come together was satisfying.

However, the story felt dragged unnecessarily at certain parts. For example, Tricia and her friends would plot to do something, and their plans would repeat over multiple chapters. But, the execution would only take one chapter. I also found errors in punctuation and spelling.

So, I would rate A Rule of Life by Patricia Brandon with 3 out of 4 stars. I deducted one star due to the issues mentioned above. This book contains minor profanities. So, it would be better suited for older audiences. Apart from that, it was a delightful read. Although it talks about Christianity, there was nothing degrading about the religion. So, while most readers can read this book, I think readers of the Christian faith would enjoy and relate to it more. I would also recommend it to readers who love historical fiction with elements of mystery and romance. They will like this book very much.

******
A Rule of Life
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Kanchan Bhil]

Historic fiction along with mystery and romance, this book would certainly be a delight to read. I am an avid reader of fiction, and this one sounds like a great book. Thank you for this great review!

[Kaushiki Parihar]

The themes and other horrific elements of the book makes it more fascinating. I like historical fictions if they have mystery and romance. Thanks for the wonderful review.

[Unosthetic]

The review gives off thrilling vibes, but somehow exciting. The themes and plot of the story sounds intriguing. I'll definitely read this one.

[SamaylaM]

Historic fiction along with mystery and romance, this book would certainly be a delight to read. I am an avid reader of fiction, and this one sounds like a great book. Thank you for this great review!

That's wonderful to know!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

[SamaylaM]

The themes and other horrific elements of the book makes it more fascinating. I like historical fictions if they have mystery and romance. Thanks for the wonderful review.

Indeed, it is fascinating.
Thank you for commenting!

[SamaylaM]

The review gives off thrilling vibes, but somehow exciting. The themes and plot of the story sounds intriguing. I'll definitely read this one.

Thank you for your honest feedback!