Review by Dollybomi -- Mixed Blessings by J.M. Muse

[Dollybomi]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Mixed Blessings" by J.M. Muse.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Mixed Blessings- J.M. Muse

Right from the first page the book dives into the business of race, racism, self-exploration, religion, terrorism, and the related anger that accompanies misidentification, and finally, love. For me I believe the topic race has always been a dicey discussion that I tend to avoid, because it seems to cut across a broad range of sectors even when you don’t see the correlation.

Diving into the book Mixed Blessings, I love the boldness and articulation the author J.M. Muse used to bring the characters to life with ease and without profanity or tongue-twisting difficulty, from his introduction of Mexican Jewish Kimberly Solberg in San Fernando to Minster Khan Kublai in Washington D.C, white supremacist and racist Reverend Dalton Tucker as well as others. Despite springing up with different agendas, dreams with separate plots and settings, these characters still found a way to come together and depart with a bittersweet ending to their stories. Beyond race, I saw that the minor characters such as Star and Jeremy were seeking refuge in the one place they call home without anyone to inform them that it wasn’t going to be smooth or a run in the park.

There were numerous highlights I had while reading Mixed Blessings from the suspense and the thrills, Kimberley had from her first time in Mexico to Ahmed’s life-changing decision and finally Star’s pageant result. I liked the fact that the writer ensured that the first page was as taking a plunge into his world of literature beauty with his great storytelling attributes.

As a person of the Christian religion, I fell overboard disgusted at the hatred and the act of foolishness displayed in the book by the religious leaders. On multiple occasions I found myself slighted, betrayed by the level of ignorance and naivety at play, almost had me dismiss the book but I had been glued. Also the writer’s phrase “In America, we don’t call them bastards. We call them Blacks,” sent a chill down my spine as a young black African.

This book is not for everyone so if you are the emotional kind, or you fall under the category of what some call “too religious”, then I advise that you do not bother about this book. That said, the book was properly edited to perfection, I would rate this book 4 out of 4 stars, because beyond the annoying encounter while reading, the writer showed all his ammunition when it comes to writing and I felt a sense of connection with the author as if I was with him while brewing the concept for Mixed Blessings.

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Mixed Blessings
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[Ballbender]

This book is entertaining and exciting. It has a lot of suspense. The author did a good job in the characters development. It’s an enjoyable read.

[Adanna Inya]

I have reviewed this book previously and I must say that it has a way of getting the readers in their feelings. They hypocrisy and lifestyles of "men of God." The extreme measures employed to gain dominance and all sorts made me want to pull my hair. Thank you for a beautiful review.