Deborah Anderson

Not Just a Book, but an Experience

Revisado: 06-14-21

Charcoal, by J.E. Rowney, was an experience in and of itself. A quality experience, unique, and engaging.

It started out like any other book (so it seemed), setting the stage, introducing you to the characters, drawing your interest. At times, while the "mini-stories" were interesting, I wasn't sure of their purpose in the book. These sort of short stories, encompassed in their own chapters, seemed to be additional entertainment or something that helped to flesh out the characters more. And, besides, even these somewhat unrelated mini-stories were interesting and kept the book flowing at a nice pace, so they definitely added value and interest.

But, then, I realized, there was nothing unintentional about any aspect of this novel. It was like a child cleaning every morsel of food off their plate and realizing that every aspect of the meal related to another aspect and complemented the entire ensemble. It is the same way with this book. Every aspect, every line, every chapter, even every breath felt as you took in this novel, prepared you in a way that you did not realize at the time. That is why I say that this book isn't just a book, it is an experience.

Before you were fully aware of it, you were completely immersed in the experience of the book, and no longer felt like a bystander but experiencing the emotion, the pain, the turmoil, and even the moments of joy and ecstasy along with the main characters, especially Anna.

This is a sad story, true. It is one that caused me to even ask myself, along with the main character, Anna, how things could have been done differently. At what point in time, could all of the pain have been averted, or minimized? How does one aspect of one character's life affect another aspect and not only that but aspects of other people's lives? This novel was almost a study in psychology itself (which IS my area of study, btw), helping one to understand the intricacies of this synchronous relationship between people, their thoughts, their behaviors, their actions (or lack of actions), and how there is no such thing as a calculated outcome and yet there are commonalities that exist when characteristics interrelate and interact on the playing field of life.

Even weeks after reading this book, and taking my own unplanned "break" from life while fighting off a cold/flu, I still would wake up in the morning thinking about Anna, the loss of her child, the loss of her best friend, the loss of her lover-who-shouldn't-be-her-lover. It was as if I was feeling that pain with Anna, and not just reading about it in a book... even weeks after "hearing" the story of Anna. That isn't something that all novelists or writers can accomplish, to be able to insert the reader into the storyline to a point where the book almost becomes real. Oh, sure, a momentary commonality with the emotion is fairly normal and attainable, but for the entire book, every morsel of every chapter, to interrelate and impact the reader to that point, that is a talent on the part of J.E. Rowney. And, to accomplish this when the is no commonality between the story and that of the life of the reader/reviewer, that is a gift. J.E. Rowney is that gifted and I would welcome another book by this author.

Note: I was provided with a review copy of this book. I have written this review honestly and voluntarily.

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Perfect Ebb and Flow of an Intriguing Storyline

Revisado: 04-28-21 El oyente recibió este título gratis

This book had a gentle, but curious entrance. It was just enough to cause the listener/reader to want to know more, and to dig deeper into the story, to read more, to listen longer.

This draw that the book has continued throughout the book, never dwindled in its appeal or flow. There was a gentle ebb and flow sort of a feel. This ebb and flow is what allowed the book to progress at a comfortable pace and yet not so much that it ever reached a state of boredom.

The story drew on the emotions throughout the book, and especially toward the last half of the book, with a traumatic event occurring with the primary female in the story (Rochelle). This emotional response is an excellent way to retain the attention of the reader. And, that is what it did.

Elijah, as the narrator of the story, was not a perfect character (but then the story would not be interesting if any character was perfect). His imperfection, and how he addressed it within himself, within earshot of the reader, is what helped to make this book raw enough to appeal all the more. It left the reader wanting to know how Elijah (a.k.a. Eli) was going to handle each situation that came his way.

We were not disappointed. Even to the end of the book, the story continued to draw us in further and deeper. We desperately wanted to know how the story ended and could not "put the book down" for fear we would miss the answers to our curiosity. And, even though, for the most part, those questions were answered, there was enough of a question mark left to leave one wanting more and hoping that Ms. Rebekah Dodson provides a sequel to this book... soon.

Oh, a notation about the performance of Mr. Adam Barr in the Audible version. Absolutely superb! He did such a perfect job of representing each character, in what they were saying and how they were saying it. We, as the listeners, were able to get lost in the story and even forget that it was being narrated, feeling as if we were right there. Thank you, Mr. Barr, for such an exceptional performance.

And, thank you, Ms. Dodson, for such an interesting story. We will watch for more...

Note: I was provided with a review copy of this book. I have written this review honestly and voluntarily.

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Exceptionally Helpful Book

Revisado: 04-20-21

This book was very helpful. Ok, so maybe I already knew quite a bit of it and had been practicing it for some time but nonetheless, I highly recommend this book.

For those of you who feel you know this stuff:
* Likely there are some gaps in our knowledge and we still have a lot to learn;
* For those things we know, it is helpful to have it verified and say, "Hey, I did that correctly!"

There is always something to learn and this book covers the gamut, giving us steps to follow and exercises to practice. By digesting what Mr. Kerpen offers, we are in a good place to have that foundation of being "likeable" in any social media marketing efforts (even personal ones!).

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Raw and Inspirational

Revisado: 04-20-21

I was almost reluctant to listen to this book. I had already seen the news about Ms. Hollis' marital situation (which she covers in the book, as well) and I almost felt like I was violating her personal and private space.

But, Ms. Hollis did not disappoint her fans. Similar to her other book that I had listened to, "Girl, Wash Your Face," she maintained her transparency. She did not deny what she felt, and instead, helped us, as listeners, to understand that when we feel pain, that is normal for human beings and that it is ok. No, we don't want to feel pain but we are not cast from the society of humans because we have experienced something unfortunate.

It may be easy for us to know that in our heads but to feel it is something that only someone like Ms. Hollis can portray through her writing and ultimately, her presentation of her material. I felt that it was from her heart and it demonstrates that this lady has a huge heart.

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One of the Best Books Ever!

Revisado: 04-20-21

Ok, so maybe it was the title that grabbed my attention. I mean, who titles their book, "Girl, Wash Your Face?" I had to admit it was intriguing!

Then, listening to a sample, I was further drawn in, by this vivacious, fun-loving, delightful person!

But, it was the content of the book that made me a Rachel Hollis fan forever. She is not only endearing, but transparent, and able to connect with her audience, especially those defined by the same attributes I would use to define myself.

Her transparency is what allowed me to trust her. It is what drew me in to listen to more (almost in one sitting lol) and what made me want to learn from her. Yes, we women are often times called "emotional" based on our gender type... fair or unfair, Ms. Hollis' book allowed me to look past a stereotype and literally feel a virtual hug. And, anyone who knows me, knows I am all about hugs, and especially those virtual ones that can span the globe.

What stayed with me is that this book stayed with me. It wasn't the type of encouragement that ended when the book was closed (or in this case the audio file stopped). To this day, I am encouraged by what I learned in listening to Ms. Hollis read this book. Thank you!

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Wow - More Wonderful than Words Can Describe!

Revisado: 03-29-21

Ms. Jamie Kern Lima is sooooo encouraging. And, she does it in a humble, but yet informative, and helpful manner. You don't feel like she is trying to show you up or say, "Look at how wonderful I am!" No, she is sharing her struggles so as to say it is ok to struggle and in spite of those struggles, you are still loved.

Not only is it evident that Ms. Lima is not judgmental or condemning in any way, but she leaves you feeling like you could be friends, like you ARE friends, like if you run into Ms. Lima on the street, you would just pick up the conversation where you left off and keep going, without missing a beat.

If you have ever been told that you are not good enough for someone or something, or even if you were raised with that idea and it has become embedded in your psyche, then you really should listen to this book. Be encouraged. You CAN do it and at least for me, this book encouraged me to say that I could do it and to move forward with the dream. Thank you, Ms. Lima.

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Painful to Listen

Revisado: 03-29-21

I prefer to only find good things to share but in this case, for the sake of others considering this purchase, I feel I need to share that the performance was, well, painful. Sorry, Mr. Gary Walker, but not only was your performance monotone (as another reviewer wrote) but the starts and stops were disruptive. It was such that subconsciously I "tuned out" for sanity and really actually missed the content. I had to force myself to listen and that only made things worse.

It is a relatively short book, so I am going to try to finish it but I am thankful that it is not longer or I would just skip it because of the narration.

Mr. Jake Clark, and publisher? Please choose another narrator for any future books. Thank you.

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Wonderful Content!

Revisado: 01-18-14

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

The content is brilliant and inspiring. Very relevant to many different industries.

What did you like best about this story?

The content.. The author provides relevant information, in a unique writing style.

Would you be willing to try another one of Erik Synnestvedt’s performances?

No. Not likely.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I'm still listening, so I have not chosen a moment yet.

Any additional comments?

I am looking forward to other books by Mr. Peter Block. His writing style is fun, informative, and applicable.

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