Review of Wonks
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Laurel Amelda
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Review of Wonks
[Following is a volunteer review of "Wonks" by William Reese Hamilton.]
Wonks by William Reese Hamilton is a historical novel inspired by the author's own experiences during the World War II. In this novel William Reese Hamilton views the brutality of war through the eyes of a young boy.
Johnny Oldfield, a 12 year old boy and his mother Ruth were prisoned by Japanese Imperial army in an internment camp at the university of Santo Thomas in Manila city during the war. Johnny and Ruth meet variety of characters in there and try to fill up the space left by Johnny's father Ben Oldfield who was separated from his family by the Japanese invasion. Being a young wise boy, Johnny has his own ways to tell his story about how it feels to be in a prison camp during a war. His life was filled with fear, adventure, danger, cruelty and betrayal but still Johnny seems to be a strong character not just for him but for everyone around him. The story continues with strong and very supportive characters like Harry Barnes, Southy Jacks, Polecat, Colonel and Haverford.
Johnny called himself a Wonk, (from a Chinese won-gue yellow dog) a mongrel running with a pack of rebellion kids and planning mischief all around the camp. With Harry's stories about his past experiences and the boxing lessons from Southy will Johnny and and his friend Polecat be able to find their freedom? Will Johnny ever get a chance to see his father again? All of them will remain a mystery.
I think that the way the author had connected all those characters was the book's strongest aspect and it was what I enjoyed the most. And every character has their own uniqueness which made the story more interesting. The connection between Southy and Johnny was my favorite. The way they react to each other was very fresh and honest. The connection between Harry and the Oldfield family was even deeper and the stories Harry brought with him have added more color to that. The way the connection between Johnny and Polecat grew was very impressive and fun. The pranks and tricks they played together was very creative which made the book more interesting.
The book was nicely edited and I didn't find any grammatical mistakes except a misspelling of the word "said" in page 172. The beginning of the story was a bit confusing so it takes few chapters to identify the characters and the story but as soon as the story started to make sense it wasn't actually a matter at all And also there is a big hole in the descriptive side of the story and it would be amazing if we could use some.
However, I rate Wonks 3 out of 4 stars. I had a great time reading it. It will be very interesting to those who prefer historical novels with a bit of humor but it won't be a very good choice for those who are looking for action. And also I don't recommend this book for teenagers who are under 14 because there are some words that is not very suitable for them but I should say that this book is worth a look.
******
Wonks
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Wonks by William Reese Hamilton is a historical novel inspired by the author's own experiences during the World War II. In this novel William Reese Hamilton views the brutality of war through the eyes of a young boy.
Johnny Oldfield, a 12 year old boy and his mother Ruth were prisoned by Japanese Imperial army in an internment camp at the university of Santo Thomas in Manila city during the war. Johnny and Ruth meet variety of characters in there and try to fill up the space left by Johnny's father Ben Oldfield who was separated from his family by the Japanese invasion. Being a young wise boy, Johnny has his own ways to tell his story about how it feels to be in a prison camp during a war. His life was filled with fear, adventure, danger, cruelty and betrayal but still Johnny seems to be a strong character not just for him but for everyone around him. The story continues with strong and very supportive characters like Harry Barnes, Southy Jacks, Polecat, Colonel and Haverford.
Johnny called himself a Wonk, (from a Chinese won-gue yellow dog) a mongrel running with a pack of rebellion kids and planning mischief all around the camp. With Harry's stories about his past experiences and the boxing lessons from Southy will Johnny and and his friend Polecat be able to find their freedom? Will Johnny ever get a chance to see his father again? All of them will remain a mystery.
I think that the way the author had connected all those characters was the book's strongest aspect and it was what I enjoyed the most. And every character has their own uniqueness which made the story more interesting. The connection between Southy and Johnny was my favorite. The way they react to each other was very fresh and honest. The connection between Harry and the Oldfield family was even deeper and the stories Harry brought with him have added more color to that. The way the connection between Johnny and Polecat grew was very impressive and fun. The pranks and tricks they played together was very creative which made the book more interesting.
The book was nicely edited and I didn't find any grammatical mistakes except a misspelling of the word "said" in page 172. The beginning of the story was a bit confusing so it takes few chapters to identify the characters and the story but as soon as the story started to make sense it wasn't actually a matter at all And also there is a big hole in the descriptive side of the story and it would be amazing if we could use some.
However, I rate Wonks 3 out of 4 stars. I had a great time reading it. It will be very interesting to those who prefer historical novels with a bit of humor but it won't be a very good choice for those who are looking for action. And also I don't recommend this book for teenagers who are under 14 because there are some words that is not very suitable for them but I should say that this book is worth a look.
******
Wonks
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The FBI Inspector by Jay Dubya
