Cruel World
by John R. Morgan

Cruel World is one of those novels that annoys me, because it has the potential for being a truly incredible novel. Unfortunately, poor editing and convoluted sentence constructions keep me from enjoying what promises to be a wonderful story.

The book centers on the protagonist, a young woman named Maddy with some serious psychological issues long before she comes in contact with the supernatural. Phobic and obsessive, Maddy’s first encounter with evil occurs during a nightmare on a plane. At least, she comes across as phobic and obsessive. In reality, I am unsure how to feel about Maddy, because the author’s choice of using the present tense for the narrative, coupled by a tendency to write in run-on sentences, interferes with following the story. And Maddy’s tendency to repeat the same word or phrase multiple times in a sentence is annoying.

In fact, much of the dialogue comes across as either forced or just unnecessary. Instead of helping move along the story, some of the conversations in the novel slow it down. This is most prevalent in the first third of the book. By the end, the author seems to have found his stride and the dialogue flows much smoother.

I am reluctant to completely rule out this book, however, because the author has done a wonderful job developing an interesting and original plot line. The sense of foreboding develops subtly and consistently, as Maddy begins to unravel the truth behind what is really happening.

My concern is that the finished product reads more like a draft than a finished book. I would like to see the author go back and rework the story to address some of the editorial issues that interfere with the novel’s enjoyment. Of the issues that need to be addressed, the typesetting of the book seems designed to add pages. The author appears to employ 16 pt spacing between sentences, and a 12.5 pt font for text. This probably adds a good 20 or more pages to the book than it needs.

Gloomwing Review by Julie Ann Dawson

Pages: 136
Softcover ISBN:N/A
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