Official Review: Sequoia Chronicles by Jim Moll

Prisallen · Post by **Prisallen** » 04 Dec 2020, 17:06

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Sequoia Chronicles" by Jim Moll.]

2 out of 4 stars

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Sequoia Chronicles is a historical fiction novel written by Jim Moll with the unusual aspect of an additional story within the story. The tale is told from Mark Keating’s journal, written while hiding in a deserted campground in the middle of winter. Mark worked as a radio reporter for KBSC in the small town of Sequoia City in the northern part of California in the 1970s. He also provided stories for the Sacramento Bee and United Press International. Life was going well for him. Although usually a loner, he was dating a girl named Emma and had made friends with Ed, a journalist for the Sequoia City Bulletin. Mark was also writing a fictional novel about a young man from India named Zia, who was planning an assassination of President Carter. (This is the story within the story, mentioned earlier.)

Mark and Ed started working individually on exposing separate illegal activities. Unexpectedly, an attempt was made to execute Mark, and Ed’s life also became imperiled. Who is responsible and why? What have the two men stumbled upon?

The author enjoyed a professional broadcasting career and worked as a guest columnist for a couple of newspapers; therefore, he knows firsthand what life as a reporter is like. Consequently, his story is completely realistic, which is one of my favorite aspects. His prose is descriptive and easy to understand. Except for the chapters written about Mark’s background, each chapter is labeled; usually, the name of the person the chapter is about, where it is taking place, and the relevant year are stated. This makes it easy to follow without having to second guess anything.

The first-person point of view makes it easy to fathom most of Mark’s thinking and actions. He embraced music and had a song for every occasion. Subsequently, lyrics from several songs from the 1970s were used in the book. I enjoyed reading and recalling them. However, there were some things Mark did that made me scratch my head in puzzlement. For instance, when an attempt was made on his life, he didn’t notify anyone about it—not the sheriff, his best friend, or his girlfriend. He merely kept it to himself. We know he has a history of being a loner; however, that seems to carry it to extremes.

My least favorite aspect of the book is that it drags in the beginning. In fact, I was over halfway through before I really started getting interested. Because the novel is historical fiction, the author includes several chapters of well-researched details about the history of California and one about presidents’ airplanes. However, some information doesn’t really pertain to the story and diverts the reader’s attention away from the primary plot. For instance, there is a whole chapter on the history of the “State Water Project,” a plan to transfer water from northern California to southern California. While this may interest some people, it really doesn’t add to the plot and is actually distracting. So, the novel alternates from Mark’s present-day story to his past, to the novel he is writing, and this is all interspersed with chapters on the history of California. This affects the flow of the book. Just as the story starts getting suspenseful, it goes off on a tangent. I would prefer to have the less pertinent information left out or at least pared down. Instead, more detailed information about the investigations that are endangering Mark and Ed’s lives could be given.

Although I did not find many grammatical and punctuation errors in the book, there were still over ten. It could use one more round of editing.

Because of the slowness of the novel in the first half and the errors encountered, it achieves a rating of two out of four stars. I didn’t give it one star because people who love historical fiction and would like to learn more about California might still appreciate this story. However, if you are looking for something fast-paced from the beginning, with lots of action and suspense, you probably should search elsewhere. A few profanities and some sex (not explicit) were encountered in the story. Therefore, it is unsuitable for young children or readers averse to those things

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Sequoia Chronicles
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Hazel Arnaiz · Post by **Hazel Arnaiz** » 16 Dec 2020, 03:31

The story within a story approach could have been an interesting approach. However, the information that seemed unrelated to the story might be confusing. I wonder why the author included them. Thank you for the balanced review.

RHD · Post by **RHD** » 16 Dec 2020, 04:52

A slow erroneous book borders more on a pass. Still, there's something to learn. Good job on the review!

NetMassimo · Post by **NetMassimo** » 16 Dec 2020, 08:05

I don't mind a slow pace if it makes sense for the story, but in this case it seems that the author included a sort of historical essay within the novel. Thank you for your honest review!

Prisallen · Post by **Prisallen** » 16 Dec 2020, 08:33

sssns wrote: ↑16 Dec 2020, 03:31 The story within a story approach could have been an interesting approach. However, the information that seemed unrelated to the story might be confusing. I wonder why the author included them. Thank you for the balanced review.

It was an interesting approach and would have worked better if all the other unnecessary info had been left out. Still, it was informative and the second half held my attention.

Prisallen · Post by **Prisallen** » 16 Dec 2020, 08:38

RHD wrote: ↑16 Dec 2020, 04:52 A slow erroneous book borders more on a pass. Still, there's something to learn. Good job on the review!

For those people who enjoy learning the history of a place, it could still be worth considering. Thanks for the comments!

Prisallen · Post by **Prisallen** » 16 Dec 2020, 08:45

NetMassimo wrote: ↑16 Dec 2020, 08:05 I don't mind a slow pace if it makes sense for the story, but in this case it seems that the author included a sort of historical essay within the novel. Thank you for your honest review!

It did feel like I was reading a history book at certain points, and the first half was not easy to get through. However, it did get better in the second half. Thanks for reading my review!

Saint Bruno · Post by **Saint Bruno** » 16 Dec 2020, 16:28

I enjoyed reading this detailed and honest review. I guess I have to skip reading this one. Good job!

derialist · Post by **derialist** » 17 Dec 2020, 01:17

The story seems too convoluted for me to appreciate it. Anyway, thanks for the review!

17 Dec 2020, 08:54

While I enjoy books that do not immediately delve into the crux but rather develop gradually, I don't think I am patient enough to wait for the story to pick up pace halfway through the book. I will give this book a pass but your review was interesting.

Raluca_Mihaila · Post by **Raluca_Mihaila** » 17 Dec 2020, 12:01

I also love fast-paced books, but I guess it depends on the reader. I enjoyed reading your thorough review!

Prisallen · Post by **Prisallen** » 18 Dec 2020, 23:15

Saint Bruno wrote: ↑16 Dec 2020, 16:28 I enjoyed reading this detailed and honest review. I guess I have to skip reading this one. Good job!

I understand. Thanks for reading my review and commenting!

Prisallen · Post by **Prisallen** » 19 Dec 2020, 08:39

derialist wrote: ↑17 Dec 2020, 01:17 The story seems too convoluted for me to appreciate it. Anyway, thanks for the review!

It would have been better if it were simplified a bit more. Thanks for reading my review and commenting.

Prisallen · Post by **Prisallen** » 19 Dec 2020, 08:46

Nqobile771 wrote: ↑17 Dec 2020, 08:54 While I enjoy books that do not immediately delve into the crux but rather develop gradually, I don't think I am patient enough to wait for the story to pick up pace halfway through the book. I will give this book a pass but your review was interesting.

I feel the same way. However, for those who manage to stay with it, it does have more action in the second half.