Review of Finding David
Authors and publishers are not able to post replies in the review topics.
- LinaMueller
- Posts: 1117
- Joined: 09 Jun 2019, 13:22
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 261
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-linamueller.html
- Latest Review: The Wingless Fairy by Kye Strothers
Review of Finding David
Finding David by J. McL. Harris is a historical fiction book set mainly on a yacht in the years before World War II. The two main characters are David, an Australian who is the captain of the ship named Misty, and Maria Pisoni, an Italian who will be employed on Misty but who has gone through traumatic situations that have not yet been healed.
Although she appears less than the two protagonists, Joanna is the granddaughter of the two who will reveal all the secrets. As they are protagonists who spend a lot of time on the ship, it is to be expected that they travel a lot. Even so, France and Italy are the countries that appear the longest in the book. There's a little bit of everything: British intelligence, French Resistance during World War II, romance, crime, mystery, and much more will appear in this fascinating book.
The psychological development of the characters is masterfully done: without a doubt, that's what I liked the most about the book. It's impressive how ghosts from the past brutally affected Maria's mind and how these negative experiences prevented her from having romantic relationships with other people. After meeting a brothel owner who served as a mother and psychologist, Maria came to understand her plight and went from being a scared little girl to a brave woman who was a significant saboteur that undermined the Nazi war effort. That was such a fantastic psychological development, and only someone who knows a lot about the subject could write something so realistic.
Unfortunately, the book needs another round of editing. I'm not just talking about grammatical errors; there's a lot more: incorrect bolding, changing character names (e.g., changing the name Isobella to Isabella), and "nontheless" appearing multiple times. In addition, there's relatively heavy sexual content and dozens of swear words that include words like "bastard," "damn," "bitch," and so forth.
Since it needs another round of editing, I have to deduct one star and rate Finding David three out of four stars. I liked the book a lot for many aspects, including the historical events, the mystery, the psychological development, and the novel, but the poor editing catches the eye. Still, I recommend this book to those interested in World War II. The book focuses more on the aspect of intelligence secret services and sabotage groups, so don't expect to read complex military operations. There is explicit sexual content and a lot of profanity, and for that reason, I don't recommend the book to anyone under 16 years old.
******
Finding David
View: on Bookshelves
You an I, tonight!
You may forget the warmth he gave,
I will forget the light.
When you have done, pray tell me
That I my thoughts may dim;
Haste! lest while you're lagging.
I may remember him!
Emily Dickinson
-
- Posts: 224
- Joined: 07 Aug 2021, 05:11
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 16
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-onyii-review.html
- Latest Review: The Fox by M. N. J. Butler
-
- Posts: 6
- Joined: 31 Aug 2021, 05:49
- Bookshelf Size: 0
- Mbenma Esther 080
- Posts: 856
- Joined: 19 Dec 2020, 11:52
- Currently Reading: My Enemy in Vietnam
- Bookshelf Size: 28
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-mbenma-esther-080.html
- Latest Review: Killing Abel by Michael Tieman