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[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Never Cry Again" by Jim Cole.]

The novel Never Cry Again by Jim Cole is written in the historical fiction genre. The protagonist, Drew (Andrew George Simmons), has had a rough life since birth and his struggles seem to worsen with time. Drew's life starts in a brothel where he was cared for by Maude, the brothel's housemaid, and by the congregation of a nearby church. Even though it was rare for this time period, the all African-American congregation of Ebenezer Church of God in Jesus Christ accepted Caucasian Drew. Although loved by many, his mother, Edith, resented that he was born and genuinely hated him. However, Drew tried his hardest to find a speck of kindness and love in his mother.. After Edith and five years old Drew move away from the brothel, his life gets much more complicated as well as lonely. In the new city, he was picked on for being so poor and for all the “Uncles” that visit his mom. Drew was unloved, unwanted, and unappreciated. His only friends are the colored kids and his Japanese classmate, Kowanda. At such a young age, Drew knows more heartache and pain than most of us will ever know.

The author guides the reader throughout the rest of Drew's life which takes place in the southern Unites States during the Depression era and World War II. There are many twist and turns along the way. Did Drew improve his life or did he turn out just like his hateful and poverty-stricken mother? Do our choices really decide our fate or does our upbringing determine where we end up?

I applaud Jim Cole for numerous reasons. He did a superb job creating, formatting, and editing Never Cry Again. Although an averagely long book, two hundred and ninety pages, I did not find one spelling or grammatical error. Also, the author writes the book in chronological order and the chapters are titled to easily follow the timeline. However, my favorite aspect of the book is the character development. I felt Drew's pain, heartache, love, and happiness. Although, this novel does contain an abundance of characters, the author incorporates them so well that they leave a mark and you do not forget them. My favorite relationship was between Drew and his best friend, Leon. Drew is an outcast because he is so poor and his mom is the town hooker. Leon is degraded simply because of the color of his skin. However, Drew and Leon look past each others differences and choose to love one another. This creates a beautiful friendship. Also, Cole sets the backdrop perfectly. World War II and the Depression are mingled with the story just enough to keep the setting obvious.

On the other hand, I have one complaint about Never Cry Again. The single criticism is the author's use of curse words. Although, I understand some were used to create the setting and mood of that time period. I am a strong Christian and some of the words made me flinch.

I give Never Cry Again by Jim Cole a perfect 4 out of 4 stars. I simply could not have asked for a better book. While reading, I easily realized that the author poured his focus and talent into this book. I wish I could rate it a five just because I could not put it down. The excellent character development, perfect editing, superb formatting, easy progression, and the nicely incorporated backdrop make for a flawless book. I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys historical fiction. However, I would not recommend it to a reader under the age of eighteen because of the foul language and some of the mature events.

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Never Cry Again
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Like Kdonegan91's review? Post a comment saying so!

You have done an excellent job reviewing this book! I always reading about young characters that find strength to cope during troubling times. I have never read anything like and will give it a shot!

I hope you do because I absolutely loved this book. The author did an excellent job. Thank you

It sounds like a good book, but there would probably be too much cursing for me. Thanks for the review though.

The cursing did not offend me too much until blasphemous words were introduced. That was the only downfall for me. Thank you for commenting.

Sounds like a great book, poignant and moving with admirable and memorable characters. However, the book sounds too emotional for me. Great job on the review. Congratulations to Jim Cole on such a glowing review.

It is certainly an emotional book. The author did an amazing job conveying those emotions through well developed characters. So I agree that if emotional books aren't your cup of tea, then this one isn't for you. Thank you so much for your kind words. ?

Great review, Kdonegan91! Books set in during WWII and Depression era are ones that I love since I learn something new each time. I love how Drew seems like a very likable character and that the rest of the characters are well-developed. Congratulations to the author for receiving such a positive review!

Your summary of Drew's childhood piques my interest in the book. The setting is also interesting, but then again there seems to be many interesting elements to the book! I look forward to reading it. Thanks for the review.

Sounds like a good book with an interesting setting. Not many books can boast of an excellent character development and good editing. Great job on the review!

I love that this book is full of well-developed characters. I think I've hit my limit on historical fiction set during WWII for now, but I could see picking this up in the future. Congrats on being BOTD!

This sounds like a really great book. I really like emotional reads with great character development. I'm glad you enjoyed the book. Great review!

Awesome job on the very detailed review! This seems like a well-written and emotional book. Just reading the free sample made my heart heavy!

Thank you! Definitely a heavy read but so worth it.

Sounds good. I want to read this book. Great review.