The Actor

The Actor

Douglas Gardham

The following ISBNs are associated with this title:
ISBN - 10: 1475977743
ISBN - 13: 9781475977745

From the Publisher

It is 1991 when Ethan Jones finally wins the role of his dreams in an upcoming, big screen movie. With the envelope holding the script clutched in his hand, he arrives at his California apartment where he can hardly wait to tell his live-in girlfriend the exciting news. But when he finds the door unexpectedly ajar, he has no idea that in just a few seconds, the life he has fought so hard to obtain will be shattered. Eight years earlier, Ethan is attending university in Ottawa, Canada. One evening after seriously contemplating suicide, he finds his way into a club where he meets Mila Monahan, a beautiful acting student who saves him from himself. After he watches Mila rehearse a university play, Ethan catches the acting bug and decides to pursue his own creative passions, causing a collision with his more secure ideals. But when Mila suddenly disappears, Ethan vows he will never stop chasing the dream she inspired in him believing in a world entirely different from the one he is living in. The Actor is a gripping tale of rejection, hardship, tragedy, and overwhelming joy as one man embarks on an unforgettable journey of self-discovery learning to portray anything he can imagine.

 

Smell The Book Review

8 out of 10

Overall, the book was an enjoyable light read. I found it well written, captivating and  I was driven to find out "whodunit". The story does start out a little slower but really seems to find its legs for the last three quarters. The book is part mystery and part "I'm gonna make it in Hollywood" as it follows Ethan's efforts to make it as a big-time actor.

The time-shift back and forth with the chapters is clever as it reflects the confusion going on in Ethan's mind. There are hints earlier on in the book that things may not be exactly as they seem (Ethan has dreams of men in white coats standing at the foot of his bed) which had me looking for further clues to what may or may not be happening.

The story raises some interesting questions. How much does actual talent count for in Hollywood? (Can Schwarzenegger and Stallone actually act or is it all about personality and catch phrases?). How much should a person's past count for or against their efforts? (would we still adore George Clooney or Tom Hanks if we discovered they did porn before they were famous?). And some of the biggest questions are about how people deal with grief, loss and healing.
And now... the ending. (Isn't it always about the ending??) I debated just how to comment on the ending without some major spoilers and realized there is no way to do that. So I am not going to spoil anything here.

Read the book. It is worth the time and worth the thought and discussion that the book can inspire. Doug Gardham has hinted at a possible sequel and I would be interested to see where he takes Ethan.
This book was read by the Ottawa Book Club a few months back and Doug was kind enough to visit us to discuss this book.  Where some of his stories come from and the inspiration behind some of the names/places/occurrences in the story are very interesting. I urge you to seek him out at one of his many public appearances and talk to him!

8 out of 10.

Chris

Locker Rooms

Locker Rooms

Patty Lesser

Format: Trade Paperback

Published: December 4, 2013

Publisher: iuniverse.com

Language: English

The following ISBNs are associated with this title:

ISBN - 10: 1491713364

ISBN - 13: 9781491713365

From the Publisher

Like most people, Alida has contemplated one of life's biggest mysteries: What happens to your soul when you die? What if it is stolen by a cruel demon, and your eternity's resting place becomes an empty locker in a secret cavern? What if the biblical hell was a real place, where real people suffered unspeakably? It is real, and it is a horrifying place, where the souls of good people are imprisoned with no hope for escape or rescue . . . until Alida appears. Putting her life in jeopardy, Alida battles a wicked demon and even the true devil to win the right to free the souls and return them to their own graves, where they can rest in peace. Locker Rooms is a story of love and hate, friends and enemies, religion and history, and the eternal battle between good and evil. It tells the story of a lost woman who changes her life when she saves the souls of good people being imprisoned in lockers by a demon for his own narcissistic pleasure. What she experiences in the process will change her life forever.

Smell The Book Review

8.5 out of 10

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS


How much of your own life would you sacrifice to save another's? How much of your own life would you sacrifice to save another's soul?


I found myself very much captured by Alida's adventure. Patty Lesser has written an original and captivating work on the machinations of a demon named Shad who sets up shop in his own version of Hell. Capturing souls that died while suffering and planning to keep them in lockers for all eternity. I found myself quite captivated by her situation and rooting for her to win. Believe it or not, I didn't find the premise all that unusual. The ancient Maya thought the universe was born from the back of a turtle, Christians have a virgin birth, possession of various people and animals abounds in the bible and scripture, the fact that this particular demon chose "lockers" just added to the enjoyable quirkiness of the book for me.


Patty Lesser has a wonderful writing voice. Her characters are well thought out, her plot speeds along fast enough to keep us interested but not to fast that it loses the reader in the weeds. I found nothing extraneous in her story that I would have cut.


Alida is an honest, caring protagonist who represents what good people probably SHOULD do when faced with the situation she finds herself in.


There is one part of Alida's background that I felt was not fleshed out maybe as much as it could be. She reveals later in the book that she is Bi-Polar. We don't really see much evidence of this through the book (though her "sickness" is alluded to several times) it might have been nice to explore this side of her background and maybe see her succeed (or not) in spite of her sickness rather than have the sickness seem as insignificant as it did. Perhaps even use her "bi-polarness" to her advantage somehow?


Overall a fun and original read and a highly recommended book.


8.5 out of 10


Chris  www.SmellTheBook.com

8.5 out of 10.

Chris