Review by Chali -- The Juicy Fruit Man by LaMar Going

[Chali]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Juicy Fruit Man" by LaMar Going.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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The Juicy Fruit Man by Lamar Going is a thriller about an American veteran who tries to balance his reintegration into society and freedom. Declan Noakes finds his savior in high-grade Thai Sticks, a highly effective strain of Marijuana famously known as juicy fruit. During his time in the war, he finds a way to sneak a sizable amount of this weed into his country. With the help of his cousin Rachel and Herman, a friend who owns a funeral service business, they are able to safely transport, store, and sell this weed to close friends.

The plot suddenly becomes juicy with the introduction of Ben Fisher, Declan's former colleague from the Vietnam War. He expresses a lot of interest in Declan's illegal business. His appearance coupled with that of policemen, both going to the extent of hounding Rachel, presents Declan with a crossroads decision. Either he falls in line with their demands or Rachel bears the brunt of his illegal business.

I enjoyed the thrilling escapades of Declan and the front seat to his tormented mind. I was able to empathize with his situation and even understand his need to drown his demons in the marijuana haze. The author does a great job of bringing to light issues faced by veterans. The way he writes it, anyone will relate to their plight.

The one thing I did not particularly like was the use of discriminatory words. Although they were used in context and between two people from minority groups, I still found their usage distasteful.

Barring that it was a true page-turner. There is nothing else for me to complain about. I rate the book 4 out of 4 stars regardless of the racial slurs. They were present only in select areas, and I could easily ignore their presence mainly because of their premise in the story. I found no errors and the book was professionally edited. It contains a lot of profanities, instances of nudity, and suggestive language.

I recommend it to veterans as they are uniquely positioned to understand Declan. Lovers of suspenseful thrillers also will enjoy themselves. I suggest it for readers above eighteen years because of the colorful language.

I applaud the author for writing a common story, but with a unique twist, that is entertaining as well as relatable. Governments should take better care of their war veterans after they have served their country. It is no secret the kinds of traumas they come back carrying, both emotionally and physically. The author's style of writing will, without a doubt, leave many wanting more from him.

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The Juicy Fruit Man
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[Njoxs-19]

Great review, I also enjoyed reviewing this book.

[rahilshajahan]

Nice choice of words in the review! Good job! The book was an awesome read for me as well. I loved the fact that Declan became the beast he feared in the end !!

[David_Kariuki]

Nice review there.

[LiLj]

Great Review. I think it is interesting when an author twists the plot of a well known story.

[JeanyJean]

This review is very insightful and I agree that the book is very uniquely written

[Cyrus Michino]

This review is beautifully written. Basing on the fact that marijuana is its storyline, I'll consider reading it.

[Lilyflower-x2]

Thank you for doing a through job reviewing a book that focus on veterans and the struggles they go. Definitely one for my library.