Review of A Bloody Book

[Dallian W]

[Following is a volunteer review of "A Bloody Book" by Chris Bowen.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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A Bloody Book by Chris Bowen is presented to the readers as the product of a writing assignment given to the protagonist Max, when he was in eighth grade. This novel, narrated by Max, addresses the readers directly, therefore removing the fourth wall and demanding the readers' full attention. Max is a troubled student who has learned that the only way to defend oneself against an uncaring system is to stop caring about anything altogether. His entire approach to life has been going along just fine as far as Max is concerned, until everything he thought he knew is challenged. When a new teacher is introduced into Max's life, Max must begin to confront his own passivity before the life he knows and hates consumes him.

This book is a fairly quick and engaging read with quirky characters and a positive message for troubled youth. However, the narration often follows like a stream of consciousness, with many long rabbit trails. Because of the many flashbacks, the timeline and significance of each of the events become obscure. This book is also riddled with grammatical and spelling errors. Many sentences were awkward and would have benefited from an editor or proofreader helping to reword or rephrase.

Overall I would rate A Bloody Book as a 2/4. The main character is interesting, Mr. Foxx engages curiosity, and the message behind the story is meaningful and thought provoking. However, the story, despite its merits, is presented clumsily, and the reading experience is diminished by the errors throughout the text.

I would recommend this book for youth ages 10-12. The content seems well-suited for pre-teens as the protagonist is just entering his teen years.

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A Bloody Book
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