Review by AKShanmar12 -- A Bloody Book by Chris Bowen

[writingShannon]

[Following is a volunteer review of "A Bloody Book" by Chris Bowen.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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In 7th grade, Maxx receives an assignment that he isn’t ready to write yet. His teacher, Mr. Foxx, gives him an A anyway because he knows that someday Maxx will write it. Several years later and 150 pages too many, Maxx is ready to share the story about when he stopped caring.

A Bloody Book by Chris Bowen has a shocking title and cover, but Maxx’s tale is intense, raw and emotional, making for one of the best books I have read in quite awhile.

Maxx’s life sucked. It was one big round of poverty, violent abuse, neglect, hunger, and fear until by the age of thirteen he had “put a whole lot of effort into never feeling a thing.” The insight into the assumptions made by teachers and the damage adults can cause with just a little comment was eye-opening.

Maxx met Mr. Foxx in the class where they stuck all the kids they didn’t know what to do with, officially called Reading Lab, or as Maxx referred to it, Reading Hell. Mr. Foxx was like no teacher Maxx had met before. He shocked the class with some pretty dramatic measures. His goal was to make them realize they had value, and there was hope.

This deep dive into a world of drug abuse and neglect was painful, but the description and emotions were artful in their depth and detail. Bowen skillfully illustrates the loss of innocence, for a child who feels the world opening when he learned to spell his name into a teenager who brags about how many F’s he has.

This book would appeal to almost anyone. It could be read by middle-schoolers, although it has some pretty hefty content and violence. It should be required reading for those who want to pursue a career in education.

My favorite part of the book was the insight that Maxx shows in regards to his specific way of looking at the world, and understanding the suffering and pain of others. The book is a study in psychology while still feeling like a teenager wrote it.

The only thing I didn’t like about the book was the cover and the title, neither of which match the content of the story. Because the story was being told by an uneducated individual using quite a bit of slang and poor grammar, the few typos I noticed didn’t take away from the reading.

I am glad to give this book a rating of 4 out of 4. It transported me, educated me and made me cry. I look forward to reading more from this author.

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A Bloody Book
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Like AKShanmar12's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Prisallen]

This sounds like a very poignant story. I do hope it had a happy ending. Thanks for a great review!

[Artizi]

Emotionally raw books are always a good find when they are this highly recommended. Thank you for the review!

[writingShannon]

This sounds like a very poignant story. I do hope it had a happy ending. Thanks for a great review!

I'm not sure I would call it a happy ending, but most of the loose ends were wrapped up in a somewhat shocking manner. I couldn't tell if I was just disappointed the book had ended or if I didn't like the ending. I wanted more!

[writingShannon]

Emotionally raw books are always a good find when they are this highly recommended. Thank you for the review!

Thank you. I hope you get a chance to read it. It is a fairly quick read.

[juliusotieno02]

This sounds like a young teen book with several lessons to learn. Thanks for the review.

[Sanju Lali]

Thanks for your honest review about the book on Maxx’s tale which is intense, raw and emotional, making it quite appealing.

[Fazzier]

Wow, what an inspiring story! A visionary teacher who sees beyond a child's current incapability to his/her a hidden potential . Thank you for this clear and concise review! I really enjoyed reading it.

[Letora]

Sometimes slang can turn me off from a book. Is most of the dialogue written in it? They story sounds amazing though. Thank you for reviewing!

[kdstrack]

The cover does seem to indicate quite a different story line. Your comments about the main character were compelling. Hopefully the author's experiences can help others. Thanks for the insightful review!

[writingShannon]

This sounds like a very poignant story. I do hope it had a happy ending. Thanks for a great review!

I was a little surprised at the ending, not necessarily in a good way, but it made sense.

[writingShannon]

Emotionally raw books are always a good find when they are this highly recommended. Thank you for the review!

It is very raw! Had me bawling like a baby quite a few times.

[writingShannon]

Sometimes slang can turn me off from a book. Is most of the dialogue written in it? They story sounds amazing though. Thank you for reviewing!

I know what you mean, I just read a book where one character had so much slang I would stop reading if I knew it was them talking! But the slang was not overdone at all in this book, very artfully included.

[writingShannon]

The cover does seem to indicate quite a different story line. Your comments about the main character were compelling. Hopefully the author's experiences can help others. Thanks for the insightful review!

Yes, the author's newest book has a similarly odd cover, although not as disturbing. But the book was good!

[writingShannon]

Wow, what an inspiring story! A visionary teacher who sees beyond a child's current incapability to his/her a hidden potential . Thank you for this clear and concise review! I really enjoyed reading it.

Yes, I didn't think I was going to enjoy it based on the cover, but it really was great!