Awesomely written by a talented writer.
938622
I'm not exactly sure how to start a review, but I'll try and keep it somewhat conversational. Last night, I finished reading a book called Tree of Life by the talented E.F. Daniels, it is her first book and the first part in a series of books to come, this taken into account, the story starts off pretty slow and much of the language is not as sophisticated as what was to come in the rest of the book; while there were many typographical errors in the first half of the book, I feel that in the first edition of a book, it should not matter greatly unless those errors persist past the second and third printings... and anyway, I believe it makes my copy of the book special.
What I wanted to talk about first was the characters and the rest of my review will probably pale in comparison with this section of discussion. Elita once mentioned that her characters would not leave her alone even while she slept, they whispered inner dialogue in her ear and I cannot blame her, for the characters she creates are intensely realistic, self-aware creatures. The main character, Deacon is, at his core, a good person but he is filled with hatred and other dark emotions, this is portrayed so strongly that at times during the story we're not sure whether he's the hero or villain. He is a singularly determined, stubborn and at times, indecisive character with such pride that it becomes his downfall more than once; both physically and emotionally. Deacon is a unique protagonist in that he is so often his own greatest enemy that we nearly forget what greater purpose he is hellbent on.
The book begins with Deacon as a child, he is quiet and intensely introverted to the point of strangeness, this remains a constant throughout the story and many people are able to detect something strange about him on first glance. While some may be put off by the illusion of "not much going on", there is, in fact a lot going on in the story at any one time when you think of the characters as people.
Elita writes in a style that stirs emotions within people, especially those that have lived with mental illness and can empathise strongly with the characters. I, as a fairly unemotional person found myself almost in tears at several points in the book.
I wanted this review to be special, but I really can't find the words to be erudite right now, so I'll shamelessly plug this book. It's awesome, go buy it if you haven't already.
4275822
One of the guidelines for writers to write well is for them to "write what they know".  Clearly, Malfi knows people, and more than a little about boxing.

This is not an edge-of-your seat novel.  This is not a novel that Oprah will be pushing anytime soon.  This is a real, hard, brilliant chunk of writing.  It is a novel I had a hard time putting down.  "Monsters"  immerses you in the perspective and relationships of the protagonist with consummate craft, and the strange circumstances which dominate his life for much of the book seem to be happening to you.

The characters are believable, and horrible in their believability.  The title is truly apt.

I would readily recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Jonathan Lethem, Ernest Hemmingway, or Kendall Watson.
4456860
Heywood is an excellent storyteller, and the writing is exceptional.  I will definitely come back to this author.  I would have enjoyed this book for the story along but paired with good writing made it exceptional.
1547679
What an incredibly talented writer.  So many unique "pictures" painted with words.  Very interesting story.
4473668
This book takes a little bit of time to get into, and to really understand whats going on, but its worth it. So very worth it. By the time you get to the end, the story will have blown you away.

Its hard to describe the book, but my description would be if someone asked a person high on a variety of drugs for story elements, and then a great writer wove a story around all the ideas. Basically its a crazy mess of a story that was told wonderfully. Thats the only way I can think to describe a story that has missing gods, orphaned children raised as psychopaths, sentient lions, zombie neighbours, and so much more.

I want to say more about the story, and how much I loved it, but I don't know how to describe anything. This is really a book that you need to experience yourself. The writing itself is amazing, weaving a coherent and ever evolving story that just kept pulling me in more and more as I read. That in itself is awesome, and then when you add it everything that actually happens, Im pretty sure I just found my favourite book of the month.
46067
Super fantastic writing. The author is amazing, this is definitely not my last book of hers. I'm excited to read the part 2. Definitely worth it.
91441
Not only was this story well written, but the knowledge of this writer is awesome.  Hard to put down once you start reading.  Absolutely loved reading this.
2705856
Wow!  This is a must read.  Not just if you are a fan of Westerns, but because it is masterful writing.
1613441
It was an awesome story. The writer had it so well written I felt that I had actually walked with him.
1857077
This writer is incredible, more, more, more. His knowledge of the international situation and attention to details is overwhelming. Loved it
1847023
I loved that the book is written in first person deep POV. The action all happens in the moment. The metaphors and description of the daily interactions are amazing.  This is a very skilled writer. I am going to read more of his work.
2945509
Very talented writer... some editing would have been awesome.
4002831
Amazing.... fantastic writing. Cant wait for the next one.
4606173
An awesome and very worthwhile read by a very, very talented writer who hopefully keeps adding to this series. I read the book in one sitting because I couldn't wait to see what happened next. You will not be disappointed!
185284
This is written by a very talented writer and I am looking forward to reading more of her works. The book is clearly not for the light hearted  because it is intense --- rapes, slaughtering of animals, and towards the end; a very ill old man. I live in Michigan not far from where the book takes place and when I look back in time --- the book takes place during the 1970's --- I can see how it was a realistic  depiction of what could have occurred. The  readers need to to keep in mind, too, that the main character is young --- a teenager who was abandoned by her depressed mother so she did not have much guidance. This is important because it will certainly help the readers understand why she lives the life that she does and it will also explain her views. I  would have given it a five star but I thought there was a little too much descriptive writing in regards to the slaughterings.  Other than that, it is certainly a page turner that I don't regret reading!
1948720
Brilliant writer. Very creative. Intense. Suspenseful. The worlds future.
3762728
I read CS Harmon's TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH.  It is full of irony, wisdom and humor, wonderfully written.  I really enjoyed it, at times laughing out loud at its subtle humor.  Good story and good moral in it.  Creative and imaginative uses of language. His writing is very "natural" and shows his full command of the craft.  Also enjoyed the preview of THE FAR SIDE OF THE UNIVERSE, which starts out with a bang.  Would love to read it when he is done with it.  I expect a great writing career from him.  I am quite awed by his ability and command.  Jon Huer