Review of The Making of Evil

[Kennedy NC]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Making of Evil" by C. Ross Dutton.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Often in life, we are shaped by our surroundings and events in our lives, either positively or negatively. Juan is no exception. Juan is a promising Niño who grew up surrounded by nothing but hunger, alcohol, sex, poverty, and an irresponsible mother. Circumstances force him to grow into a man without enjoying a proper childhood. He takes responsibility for his siblings and displays maturity for his age. His naivety causes him to derive wrong morals from events happening to him, and he assures himself of one thing; he is a bad man.

The Making of Evil by C. Ross Dutton is a bildungsroman showcasing the growth and development of Juan into a symbol of everything evil. He embraces his destiny and is unapologetic about that fact. This novel is a captivating read that employs foreshadowing quite often, which gives readers a clue of what is to happen in the forthcoming chapters.

In pointing out the positive aspects of The Making of Evil, I would love to acknowledge the somewhat vague language and descriptiveness the author employed, bearing in mind the sexual subject matter the book treated. Most books with similar themes tend to do otherwise. I find this quite thoughtful and considerate of the author.

More so, the author exhibited quite a rich knowledge of drugs and human trafficking, weaponry, and planes, amongst others, through his vocabulary. Befitting the novel's setting in Columbia, mostly, Spanish words were thrown in. Not too much, not too sparse. This would impress potential readers of this novel greatly.

Also, as a bildungsroman, Juan’s character was well-developed and elaborate. I find no rush whatsoever in the mental and emotional development of the character. A full appreciation and understanding of the character are achieved because of this. The author vividly imprints on the readers the harsh realities of children born on the streets and in poverty. The risks they face ranging from sexual abuse, drug trafficking, and debauchery are succinctly dealt with.

Juan is presented as a victim of these. I see this work as a tool for public awareness of such evils. The workings, organization and operation of drug cartels and crime syndicates were also exposed. The bloodshed and atrocities they commit in order to get some money, especially from twisted rich perverts, are not excluded.

I could find no negative aspects to this novel. I would almost say it was perfect. However, I experienced a few momentary confusion of names towards the end of the book. It was professionally edited. I rate this novel 4 out of 4 stars. The novel is beautifully written and organized. I recommend this book to people who enjoy psychological thrillers and adventure fiction.

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The Making of Evil
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[Aisha Yakub]

While this is fictional and meant to entertain, I'll just state that adults and parents have to do better than passing untimely responsibilities to kids. Great review.

[Mbenma Esther 080]

I can imagine the suffering of Juan as a kid that started early in taking family and personal responsibility.

[janeadika]

Juan as a kid had so much responsibilities, and him not enjoying his childhood and having a careless mom yet taking care of his siblings was so much, good review

[Ogechi Orlumeni]

A very rough childhood that none should have to experience. Thanks for teaching me the word “Bildungsroman”.

[Nwadinso Michael]

In my opinion, our environment has role to play in nurturing us into the kind of humans that'd live in the society. Juan is an interesting character that has encountered things and it affects the way he reasons and behave. I would love to read this book so as to know how it ended. Thanks for your review.

[Julius Nwohiri]

An interesting read for those who seek first hand knowledge of the workings of the streets. This book makes one fact very clear: society is responsible for the criminals it breeds. Thumbs up for the well worded review.

[Umesh Bhatt]

This is a powerful storyline. It is sad that due to poverty and other limitations some people are forced to become evil in their lives. Thanks for the nice review.

[Amy Luman]

Sexual content, especially of the kind described here, makes me uneasy. I do understand, however, that it was part of Juan’s world. I won’t be reading this one, though. Thanks for the review!

[Unsullied]

I agree with your opening claim on the classic nature and nurture debate; that our environment has everything to do with what we become. Thanks for the detailed review

[tantao520]

Wow! The kind of thriller novel I'm looking for! Despite the negative side, I should give this book a try. Thank you for the review! Will add this book to my wish list soon

[NetMassimo]

This seems like a terrific thriller that digs into the characters' psychological aspects going into some really dark sides of humanity. Thank you for your great review!

[Clement Paul]

Taking personal and family responsibilities should not in anyway be handed to little kids like Juan I can feel what the kid went through

[Calejay210]

Nature and nurture both play a role in human development, no child should be forced to become an adult to fulfill the parent's responsibility.
Thanks for the review

[Sharon Christanto]

The cover is intriguing! I feel pity for Juan; he has rough childhood. I want to see his character development, maybe I can get life lessons from that. Thanks for the detailed review