Review of Shanghai'd

[Benedict Goh]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Shanghai'd" by Curtis Stephen Burdick.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Shanghai’d is a historical fiction that is set during the California Gold Rush. It follows the story of a young man, Joshua Cabot, and the hurdles he faces throughout his life. Overall, Shanghai’d receives a well-deserved 5 out of 5 rating from me.

Shanghai’d is by no means a short novel, but the story is astoundingly well-paced, a testament to the author’s careful and meticulous planning in structuring the book. Though the introduction is slightly tedious, it effectively establishes Joshua’s character and background, setting the stage for readers to empathize with his future choices.
A point that I enjoyed tremendously about the book is that the author perfectly understands how his narration and descriptions will affect his readers.While the author’s writing seems nuanced and unbiased at first glance, a closer look reveals his subtle skill in shaping the reader’s perception of the characters. This skill allows the characters to feel natural and organic rather than contrived, something that is unfortunately prominent in many novels. Additionally, the theme of the California Gold Rush is also seen throughout the story via the many different taboo topics like kidnapping, brothels, war and murder, which is definitely not suited for a younger audience. The author’s unrelenting pursuit of perfecting the context of the book means that the characters are also tools to paint that narrative. Deaths are prevalent in the book and some occur in unexpected ways and at unexpected times, really pushing the point that the California Gold Rush was an era of ambition and dreams, yet also laced with danger and ruthlessness. While I have no lack of praise for this book, the only thing I did not enjoy about the book was the method of foreshadowing. Exceptional foreshadowing often employs metaphors or specific words hidden in plain prose, but the author uses blunt sentences like ‘But little did he know… (spoiler)’. This comes off as a lazy method to build suspense and anticipation for a future event. I am confident that the author is capable of doing a much better job in this aspect, considering the remarkable book he has crafted from scratch.

Overall, the book was well-edited, with minimal mistakes. The book is beautifully crafted with brilliant execution, concocting a fantastic blend of historical facts and fictitious adventures. The author’s amazing execution of this book has definitely enticed me to read his other works.

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Shanghai'd
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