Review by Kibetious -- McDowell by William H. Coles

[Kibet Hillary]

[Following is a volunteer review of "McDowell" by William H. Coles.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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It is always rare to find a story in which a villain is transformed into a likable character. This is what happens in McDowell. The novel was written by William H. Coles. McDowell falls under the genre of other fiction. The book is about three hundred and forty-seven pages and is divided into two parts. Each part contains thirty-six chapters. The author, William, has written other books and won several awards like the Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction.

The story begins with a prologue describing a decent from a hike in the mountain. Hiram leaves Woolf, a hiking partner, to die and takes his remaining oxygen supply and attaches it to his own pack. Hiram is the only survivor and so he is determined to climb every peak above 8,000 meters in Nepal. Hiram is a renowned surgeon. He has been the regent to the board of directors of the International College of Surgeons. He is unsatisfied with this achievement. His sole aim is to become the president of the International College as it would grant him the authority he needed. He cheats his way to the top. However, he fails to honor a promise he made to Michael O’Leary, a key member of the college’s board of governors’ executive committee. This is where trouble starts brewing. Will Hiram continue being president? What will become of his family?

The whole book was filled with ups and downs. One of the events that ultimately altered the course of the story was a mass school murder executed by Jeremy, Hiram’s grandson. This was apparently a sign of parental neglect since Jeremy’s father overlooked the warning signs that were evident. I had not seen this coming. This led to Hiram’s arrest after he assisted the suicide of Jeremy. The way the other events in the story were connected hatched a nice plot that was easy to follow. The characters were also extensively developed. What I enjoyed most in the story was Hiram’s transformation. At the beginning of the story, throughout the first part, I really disliked him. He was indifferent to other people’s feelings thus never cared about his third wife, Carole. However, at the end of the story, he was a different person. He had changed completely and was the complete opposite of who he was at the start.

The book was intriguing and memorable. However, it also raised concerns on some issues that would demand attention, like the issue of children playing violent video games. Is it time that the society began to look into this? It was clear enough that Jeremy had been playing these games frequently. He became cruel and merciless. The other one was the need for balanced and objective journalism and not one that is spin in favor of a certain person. It is true the mainstream media is a powerful tool. Therefore, there is a need for objective journalism.

I enjoyed reading this book. I was challenged by a question that seemed to provoke the genuine intention behind philanthropic efforts. The question was, ‘How many times a day do we do things for others that are really for our own pleasure and advancement?’This is what I believe can be applied before anyone does anything whose outward appearance is to benefit others. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. The book was professionally edited. I recommend it to those who like fiction stories. It will appeal most to readers who love adventures and stories dealing with thought-provoking subjects.

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McDowell
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Like Kibetious's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Connie Otwani]

A good observation there about video games. The goal is usually to totally annihilate the enemy. I see how this could harden a child's outlook to perceived enemies. Great review!

[Jackie Holycross]

Thought provoking review. Thanks.

[Dolor]

I also noticed the effects of video games on Jeremy when I reviewed this book. Yes, Hiram was despicable at first. He got the redemption at the end of the story, though. Thanks for the very well-written review.

[Kibet Hillary]

A good observation there about video games. The goal is usually to totally annihilate the enemy. I see how this could harden a child's outlook to perceived enemies. Great review!

True about the video games. Thanks for the reply.

[Dael Reader]

I didn't like this book as much as you did. But you wrote a good review!

[Kibet Hillary]

Thought provoking review. Thanks.

This is true. Thanks for passing by and dropping a reply. Grateful.

[Kibet Hillary]

I didn't like this book as much as you did. But you wrote a good review!

Thanks for the comment. I did like it a lot, especially the second part.

[Kibet Hillary]

I also noticed the effects of video games on Jeremy when I reviewed this book. Yes, Hiram was despicable at first. He got the redemption at the end of the story, though. Thanks for the very well-written review.

Very true, about the video games and Hiram as well. I had not anticipated that his end would be the way it was. Thanks for the reply.

[Hiruni Bhagya 81]

Your review is great. I have to agree with you about the points you highlighted in your review regarding video games and what we do for others for our pleasure. Thanks for the interesting review.

[Sahani Nimandra]

Honestly, it's one of the books that I graciously enjoyed the most. Thank you for bringing up old memories back from your review. It's a good one!

[Zimall]

A good and thorough review. Popularity of violent games is really something that should be checked. Thumbs up for a good review

[Book Lover 35]

I like your review! You brought up some great book. The book made me think about certain issues too.

[Kibet Hillary]

Your review is great. I have to agree with you about the points you highlighted in your review regarding video games and what we do for others for our pleasure. Thanks for the interesting review.

Thanks a lot for seeing the point about the video games. I'm grateful for the reply too.

[Kibet Hillary]

A good and thorough review. Popularity of violent games is really something that should be checked. Thumbs up for a good review

Thanks for the reply. I'm glad that you also have seen the need for the video games to be under some control.