Overall rating and opinion of "Deceptive Calm" by Patricia Skipper

[TavantraielG]

I would rate the book 2.5 out of 5 stars, because even it thought it had great scene and a great message. It had a lot of inaccuracy, didn't present a beginning to end story line, and it reinforces a lot of tropes that modern society is trying to lean away from in this day and age (such as The Male-Savior Trope, The Church Girl Trope, The Beautiful Black Fair-Skin Girl Trope).

[Faith Katherine Daniels]

This book is a five start top tire novel. It was really realistic and easy to follow.

[Martin Sifredi]

I would rate this book a perfect rating of five out of five stars. I think it's a very engaging book. The author's writing style is interesting and engaging narrative.

[Martin Sifredi]

I would rate this book a perfect rating of five out of five stars. I think it's a very engaging book. The author's writing style is interesting and engaging narrative.

[Martin Sifredi]

I would rate this book a perfect rating of five out of five stars. I think it's a very engaging book. The author's writing style is interesting and engaging narrative.

[Andrew Darlington]

I had absolutely no issues with the story. I could relate to some of it content. This book gets perfect 5 out of 5 rating from me.

[Slayton Natasha Tillett]

This book is very fascinating and easy to understand, therefore I would rate this book five out of five stars.

[Krebs Karen]

I will rate it four out of five stars because I didn't like the excessive use of profanity and racial words

[Rebecca Dennis 2]

I must say that I differ from most of the other replies in this topic. While I found the book an easy read, it was less engaging than I thought it would be. Instead of describing events and drawing the reader in, I felt like Patricia was simply telling the reader what was happening, making it less engaging. There were also inconsistencies in her reference of the characters, especially in scenes where there were multiple characters involved. I wonder if anyone else also felt the same way?

I couldn't agree more! I felt the same way and only rated the book one star. It was hard to buy into the "romance" of the story because there was very little detail given to describing the love Vanessa and Barry had for one another other than the few physical acts. It was hard to be invested in the characters because it felt like I was just reading dull dialogue the majority of the book with very little attention given their thoughts or feelings.

[Katie Novella]

Deceptive Calm is a great historical fiction book, touching on racism, worker’s rights and women’s rights from the 1960 through the 80s. Each character came to life for the reader through the writing style, giving you multiple points of view from the lens of each character. It was a coming-of-age story for Vanessa, Trisha and Barry as they each had joys and tragedies to overcome throughout the book. Vanessa and Sister Rosalie had a beautiful mother-daughter relationship despite her not being able to officially adopt her, I enjoyed how the author portrayed their relationship and deep mother-daughter love. Vanessa and Trisha had a great friendship with many bonding moments throughout the book as they came of age. One of my favorite parts of the book was when they helped the migrant worker get the pay they deserved. Vanessa's relationships with both Barry and Todd, while abusive, each of them taking advantage of her naivety is tragic, they were well portrayed. I felt that the sex scenes in the book were more graphic than I care for and broke my heart in the way Vanessa was treated by both men. I would have liked more closure at the end of the book, I felt there was more to be told in the conclusion of each of their lives in the story.
I felt that the author pulled in the title of the book in chapter 18 while Vanessa was on her honeymoon in Switzerland. “These locals say that you are incredibly lucky since the weather is clear today for your arrival. During the winter, months go by without seeing the top of the Matterhorn. They hope this deceptive calm will endure for your entire visit so your memories will last a lifetime.” Much of Vanessa’s life seemed to be a deceptive calm. I also like the cover of the book as it represents Vanessa’s love of living in San Francisco, the image of the fog and Golden Gate Bridge is fitting for the setting.
I would recommend this book to others; it’s enlightening and portrays what life can be like for People of Color and women. Vanessa had so many obstacles to overcome in order to meet her goals and grow into the person she became. Overall is was a great read.

[Anthony Ambrose]

Even though I'm only halfway through the book, I can already appreciate the meaning behind the cover and title. The intricate backdrop visuals are appealing, and I find both the cover and title fitting. They evoke a sense of calm, which is interesting, considering the book itself is set during a turbulent period. The contrast between the peaceful cover and the chaotic events within the story adds an intriguing layer to the reading experience.

[Skylar Fox]

I loved the book's cover because it depicted calmness. The book was beautifully written. However, it received a rating of four out of five from me because I would have loved to get to the part about deception faster. The title of the book was a good fit and Vanessa's story was easy to follow.

[Kutloano Makhuvhela]

I would give it an impressive four out of five stars. Not that it wasn't awesome—it was—but, I think it didn't knock me out of my brains like perfect books do. Otherwise this book would make you understand the title and cover and it would give you a satisfactory feeling.

[Ashwini Tawade]

The title and the cover page of this book are gripping. The author's writing is intriguing. I think a movie could be made based on this book. All the characters are done so well, and each page is exciting and like watching a movie scene. I appreciate the editing of this book. I will rate Deceptive Calm by Patricia Skipper 5 out of 5 stars!

[Francis Omotayo Aderogbin]

I like the book cover a d the title; they are inviting. I also like the level of character developments. They make the book fascinating. I don't think I have anything I dislike their.