New Writing
Jun
18
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apexrev
REVIEW: A Flaming Rose (E.L. Rhodes)
Published in
Uncategorized by
apexrev
A Flaming Rose
E.L. Rhodes
ISBN: 9781605304731
Rhodes Publishing
Reviewed By Cicily Janus
Official Apex Reviews Rating:
Most readers, despite the adage that you should never judge a book by its cover, do just that. They peruse the cover, the title, and the hook. But above this, in order for them to keep reading, the novel must tell a great story through a fresh and unique voice. A Flaming Rose, although written with questionable technique and ability, tells a very good story. One wouldn't hesitate to say that Mr. Rhodes is easily a fantastic conglomeration of Tyler Perry-meets-Agatha Christie for the urban streets. With a dwindling store of authors who write in this kind of sassy, non-traditional prose, his voice is fresh and accessible. A fast read, A Flaming Rose is worth wading through the coal to find the diamonds.
Melvin Dossier is a humorous, sometimes slow-witted, but never to be underestimated man who never can get things right. His life is dull, with no end in sight, until he meets an older woman – a woman who forces him to learn the error of his ways. But only after he starts to realize that listening to her might not be the end of his life does he begin to see the real problem…and it doesn't stop there. Most new authors have great difficulty with distinguishing the characters from one another in their characterizations, but each character in this book shines on his/her own. Each voice is vivid, real, and makes you wonder if Rhodes possibly knows the people from your hometown – you can picture them all perfectly.
At times, this book is laugh-out-loud funny, but beneath the surface lies the sadness of what this man represents. Mr. Rhodes has an uncanny ability to liven up even the most mundane situations. His descriptions can be rich, tasty morsels giving the reader a pinch of what he is capable of in his prose. Lines such as, "The blade of the ax was at the tip of his skull. Well, at least that's how it felt," lend A Flaming Rose just the right spark needed to push it beyond the self-publishing world. Both this writer and novel have flashes of brilliance one would hope to see, pulling you through page after page.
E.L. Rhodes
ISBN: 9781605304731
Rhodes Publishing
Reviewed By Cicily Janus
Official Apex Reviews Rating:
Most readers, despite the adage that you should never judge a book by its cover, do just that. They peruse the cover, the title, and the hook. But above this, in order for them to keep reading, the novel must tell a great story through a fresh and unique voice. A Flaming Rose, although written with questionable technique and ability, tells a very good story. One wouldn't hesitate to say that Mr. Rhodes is easily a fantastic conglomeration of Tyler Perry-meets-Agatha Christie for the urban streets. With a dwindling store of authors who write in this kind of sassy, non-traditional prose, his voice is fresh and accessible. A fast read, A Flaming Rose is worth wading through the coal to find the diamonds.
Melvin Dossier is a humorous, sometimes slow-witted, but never to be underestimated man who never can get things right. His life is dull, with no end in sight, until he meets an older woman – a woman who forces him to learn the error of his ways. But only after he starts to realize that listening to her might not be the end of his life does he begin to see the real problem…and it doesn't stop there. Most new authors have great difficulty with distinguishing the characters from one another in their characterizations, but each character in this book shines on his/her own. Each voice is vivid, real, and makes you wonder if Rhodes possibly knows the people from your hometown – you can picture them all perfectly.
At times, this book is laugh-out-loud funny, but beneath the surface lies the sadness of what this man represents. Mr. Rhodes has an uncanny ability to liven up even the most mundane situations. His descriptions can be rich, tasty morsels giving the reader a pinch of what he is capable of in his prose. Lines such as, "The blade of the ax was at the tip of his skull. Well, at least that's how it felt," lend A Flaming Rose just the right spark needed to push it beyond the self-publishing world. Both this writer and novel have flashes of brilliance one would hope to see, pulling you through page after page.