Official Review: "Destined to Fail?"

Teele · Post by **Teele** » 15 Oct 2020, 04:07

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of ""Destined to Fail?"" by Solaire Nougaisse.]

3 out of 4 stars

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Have you ever thought about how hard life was during the slave era? Have you thought about the lasting effects of being forced into slavery? If these questions strike a chord with you, pick up a copy of Destined to Fail? by Solaire Nougaisse. This book tells a gripping tale of the lasting effects of slavery in Haiti.

The author is the protagonist, known as Sony. Other characters are real people whose names have been changed in the story. The book opens with Sony as a teenager in high school. He describes how hard it was to obtain an education, and why it was so. How did Haiti, a once versatile nation with numerous trade interests become a shadow of its former self? Find out from this very informative book.

As a child in Haiti, Sony is expected to conform to the rules of total submissiveness and subservience. In school, his class is divided into the 'good kids' section and the 'bad kids' section. Will Sony be contented to be with the good kids? Will his curious mind permit him to remain docile and subservient? Later, Sony's experience with unexpected failures made him question the very foundation of his beliefs.

From the foregoing, you would have guessed that this book deals with serious issues. Everyone has had to deal with failures time and again. It is tempting to give up and stop trying. Sony's story can breathe life into a tired soul. This book engages one's emotions. It is quite suspenseful too. There is so much to learn about Haiti as well. I never knew that slavery could leave such lasting scars on people as observed in some teachers and parents in Haiti. This book elicits empathy for others. It reminded me that many were born into a hard life. For them, a little help would go a long way.

Although I found no typographical or grammatical errors in this book, I would rate this book 3 out of 4 Stars. This is because a very fundamental twist in the story was linked to a personal religious belief held by the author (this occurred when Sony fell sick as he was about to write his baccalaureate test). From this point onward, the story seemed less believable to me. It interfered with my enjoyment of the book.

Destined to Fail? contains valuable moral lessons. The story of Sony can be of help to teenagers who are faced with issues of peer pressure and sex. There were no violent or sexual scenes in this book. However, this book has a strong leaning toward the Christian faith.

Although I would not describe the narrative as awkward, it certainly lacked some flow. This is probably because Solaire is a first-time writer. I look forward to reading more books from this author who has gone through so much, and yet has come off unbroken. Adult and teenage readers who are interested in overcoming failure would find this book to be useful.

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"Destined to Fail?"
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Saint Bruno · Post by **Saint Bruno** » 25 Oct 2020, 01:59

Honestly, I have wondered how folks survived back then. i might check the book out. Thanks for the awesomely detailed review.

Dayodiola · Post by **Dayodiola** » 25 Oct 2020, 03:10

The effect of being powerless on activities about one life is gruelling not to now talk of slavery.

Tarilan · Post by **Tarilan** » 03 Nov 2020, 10:31

When nothing seems to add up in life, questions like these arise. We usually judge people without knowing what they have been through. I hope many will find motivation to move on. Thanks for the review.

EnobongGold · Post by **EnobongGold** » 05 Nov 2020, 17:29

We always hear people saying 'failure is not my portion', it is easy to say this but what are you doing towards this.
Determination is the key. If you fail the first time, pick up the pieces and try again. Good review!