Official Review: Blood Blossom by Daryl Hajek

shakeitkatie · Post by **shakeitkatie** » 25 Feb 2015, 01:40

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Blood Blossom" by Daryl Hajek.]

2 out of 4 stars

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In Blood Blossom by Daryl Hajek, Christine sets out for California to take revenge on her estranged mother who kicked her out 22 years earlier. Instead of her mother, she finds her older sister Vivian, who has been living the life that should have been Christine’s. Together they learn about their mysterious mother and Christine’s desire for what is rightfully hers becomes stronger. Julia Windom, a wealthy woman with an agenda, takes scheming to another level in her plot to reclaim what was once hers. Along the way, Julia’s plans become derailed by the anger filled Christine and the sisters untangle more family secrets. No one can stop Christine’s need for revenge, not even her own sister.

Hajek has a great Hollywood Noir concept but unfortunately Blood Blossom plays out more like a made for TV movie. The characters lack depth and never seem to be at the same place in the novel as the other characters. Christine’s anger is never really explained or justified and none of the other characters question her actions. Many of the book's events seem unrealistic or outrageous and there is no emotion or reflection taken in the novel. The book just seems to continue on without addressing these events.

The book was written in the first person, which was confusing because the point of view would switch between the characters so quickly, it wasn’t clear who was narrating. The timeline would sometimes skips weeks or months in a single sentence with no acknowledgement of the time that would pass. At certain sections it wasn’t clear if the characters were in the same timeline because the point of view would overlap or skip certain events. Better markings for point of view or time changes would have been helpful.

The dialogue was very confusing because all the characters spoke the same way and used the same tone. The diversity of the language isn’t very wide. The characters all used an immature word choice that didn’t seem to go along with their character development. Julia, who appeared in the novel as almost regal, using slang words didn’t fit in with the rest of her story line.

This book ranks 2 out of 4 stars. This is Daryl Hajek’s, a deaf author, first effort at a full length novel. While Blood Blossom had the potential for a great mystery and suspense novel, the execution fell flat. The suspense will keep you wanting more but you will ultimately be left with more questions.

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Blood Blossom
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