Guy Johnson

This book is jam packed with -- with what? -- adventure? suspense? plot-twists? If it was a movie, it would have a form of "Deliverance" in it, a healthy dose of "Band of Brothers", a smorgasbord of "The Godfather", "Mississippi Burning", and what I would say fits the form, if not the proper setting of a terrific Western, like "Pale Rider". And yet, it ends with a mix of Old Testament Bible and Greek Tragedy. In short, it's not lacking in content. And it does not come across as contrived as it goes through all these machinations. Of course, the fact that it's centered on racially black characters, pretty much takes it off the mainstream reading list, as it would most assuredly have been a massive best-seller otherwise. I have a slight problem with the level of literary skills, but I'm comparing it to some exemplary wordsmiths whose writing styles I prefer. This is not badly written. Actually, my biggest issue with the book is the second most significant character's utter unlikability after first being setup as a potential counterbalance for the raw nature of the main character. But then, I wouldn't tolerate such total lack of personal grace, so maybe it's just me.… (mere)