Official Review: Why? by Joseph Hempsey

[zeldas_lullaby]

Leon, that would be spooky.

Holdonthere, Yes, it is amazing what power the written word can have, isn't it? Your experience remind me of that line from Who Framed Roger Rabbit? in which Jessica Rabbit, Roger's sultry, redheaded wife, says, "I'm not bad. I'm just drawn that way." Or something like that. Sometimes words bring things to life that are better left nonexistent.

[Jesska6029]

Really nice review! The subject matter of depression and addiction is always heavy. It's a shame this book falls so short of being exceptional. I do hope the author is able to get an editor and hone his writing craft.

[bluemel4]

Well done review. It seems like the kind of book that goes from sad to depressing without the much needed break of some other emotion.

[Levi]

Great job on the review Leon! You framed the story for us and, although critical, it was obvious that you were holding back and trying to be fair. The lack of organization would be a killer for me. I've gotten through books that had a great deal of errors just because I enjoyed the storyline, but I really have a hard time with chaos. I don't even like movies that do that, sorry Memento! I feel like this will help the author if he plans on editing the book and therefore you have him a service.

[Cee-Jay Aurinko]

@ Jesska6029

The novel starts off okay, with everything that led to the author's depression and alcoholism, but as soon as this thing with India starts, all he starts doing is confuse me. In my opinion, if the author does decide to give this book a good edit, there's a lot of things he can just plain cut out.

@ bluemel4

This book does offer some dry humor every now and then, which is one of the few good things I liked about this book.

@ Escapeartist

Thanks. I guess there were some points I just thought my review could do without, so that I can at least zone in on the more important facts about the book. The chaos was a total buzz kill. Not even rereading helped.

[H0LD0Nthere]

Zeldas Lullaby - Just wanted to come back again & say that, though I had been struggling toward this insight already, your line "Some things are better left unwritten" really crystallized it for me. I have been chewing on this insight from you. It is my thought of the week, so thanks for sharing.

[zeldas_lullaby]

Hey, you're welcome!!

[Vidya_S]

This book got me glued in the beginning for the fact it was delivered in a brutally honest manner with self depracating humor infused in between.
I do like the way she questioned some of her beliefs, rants about it and then I would not call them repeated rants but reflecting about how her mind interprets or travels around some of those pain areas. Its difficult to jump into the unknown and take a break when you are heartbroken, I appreciate her for that... She set out on the most needed journey at the most sensitive time of her life.
I liked the way she has tapped into her mind struggles while trying to sustain a mediation session and verbalized them, this level of detailing stood out.

Frankly for me, I lost interest in the "Indonesia" part and do not find her reason to visit that place too compelling. She has agreed on the same lines

while enlisting her airport mindtalk. The whole stay and stories about in and around got boring. Especially, I hated to read the broken english excerpts that were long which were an "as-is" conversation with her medicine man of Indonesia. I believe they were repetitive, sometimes gross and inconsequential.

Her quest of love story seemed influenced by many factors like someone who would 'spoil and dote' on her, rather than a satisfaction gained after meeting a 'Kindred' soul.
Overall it gets me to keep the rating at 'three stars'. Definitely an interesting one time read.