Unrequited Reviews
RT Book Reviews, a national book review magazine, gave Unrequited 4 STARS out of 5 stars calling it a “Compelling Page Turner”! Here’s the rest: “This is a story of great sadness and loss, yet also hope and redemption. The hero’s struggle with depression and alcoholism wholly engages the reader’s empathy. The author’s gift for description makes the places visited easy to picture.”
AMAZON
Hotcha
5.0 out of 5 stars Joe felt bad that the old man had to work at his ...
January 7, 2015
Format: Kindle Edition
A simpler time in New England back in 1955, Joe was so nervous as he parked his rusty junkier of a car a block from the five and dime. Before he lost his nerve to ask Kathy out to the movies. He passed an old black man who sat on a bench that invited him to sit and talk with him. Joe felt bad that the old man had to work at his advanced age and decided a few more minutes wouldn't hurt, that he could calm himself before he went to see Kathy. The old man said his name was Riggs and he seemed to know a lot about him, and Joe was really interested in what Riggs daddy said about three truths. After his goodbye he went into the store and claimed one of Kathy's booth and ordered a soda, then as she placed his drink on the table he made a stupid act. Kathy looked hurt and he raced to the exit far away from where she was but aisles later he ran into her again................
Kathy Connelly had waited long enough for Joe to ask her out and decided to let him off the hook when she knew he wanted to ask her out but instead did a childish act instead! Once they dated, they were comfortable with each other and talked about many subjects or just silent. Six months later, Joe proposed on a flat rock in her backyard and she said yes. Once they were married, they headed to the coast and their honeymoon but they were hit by a car and tumbled over and over into a ravine..........
Bill Blodgett spins a wonderful story of the lasting love between Kathy and Joe. It was heartbreaking and filled with addiction as Joe tries to manage his guilt.
RT Book Reviews, a national book review magazine, gave Unrequited 4 STARS out of 5 stars calling it a “Compelling Page Turner”! Here’s the rest: “This is a story of great sadness and loss, yet also hope and redemption. The hero’s struggle with depression and alcoholism wholly engages the reader’s empathy. The author’s gift for description makes the places visited easy to picture.”
AMAZON
Hotcha
5.0 out of 5 stars Joe felt bad that the old man had to work at his ...
January 7, 2015
Format: Kindle Edition
A simpler time in New England back in 1955, Joe was so nervous as he parked his rusty junkier of a car a block from the five and dime. Before he lost his nerve to ask Kathy out to the movies. He passed an old black man who sat on a bench that invited him to sit and talk with him. Joe felt bad that the old man had to work at his advanced age and decided a few more minutes wouldn't hurt, that he could calm himself before he went to see Kathy. The old man said his name was Riggs and he seemed to know a lot about him, and Joe was really interested in what Riggs daddy said about three truths. After his goodbye he went into the store and claimed one of Kathy's booth and ordered a soda, then as she placed his drink on the table he made a stupid act. Kathy looked hurt and he raced to the exit far away from where she was but aisles later he ran into her again................
Kathy Connelly had waited long enough for Joe to ask her out and decided to let him off the hook when she knew he wanted to ask her out but instead did a childish act instead! Once they dated, they were comfortable with each other and talked about many subjects or just silent. Six months later, Joe proposed on a flat rock in her backyard and she said yes. Once they were married, they headed to the coast and their honeymoon but they were hit by a car and tumbled over and over into a ravine..........
Bill Blodgett spins a wonderful story of the lasting love between Kathy and Joe. It was heartbreaking and filled with addiction as Joe tries to manage his guilt.
The Last Prejudice Reviews
Bookaholic Book Reviews
http://www.ourtownbookreviews.com/2018/05/the-last-prejudice.html
MY REVIEW
Out of the mouth of babes... Children say the darnedest things now and then…
Really a tear jerker at times. But… a good story with some reminders about life and how quickly we can miss what we really meant to do. This is a life lesson but not one in a preaching mode. It’s a really intense storyline. Sometimes it will make you angry and sometimes it will make you sad. Others, will make you laugh. It’s about how prejudice and arguing within one’s family can make us all miss some of the most important moments of our lives. How a small difference can hurt and can involve each and every person in our family, no matter what age.
Much of this story is based on memories and what family members didn’t realize about one another. Almost all of the setting is in a hospital room. Sounds impossible doesn’t it? However, I think because the dialog is written so well, the scene or setting only adds to helping the story become more passionate at times. It also takes excellent character definition to tell a story this way and Blodgett seems to have done it quite well.
Bill Blodgett has 3 or 4 other books all with good reviews. Each one looks like a different genre. Takes a good author to write in such different genres and get good reviews. Better check him out.
***This book was provided to me free of charge in exchange for an honest review.
Andi’s Book Blog
https://andisbookreviews.blogspot.com/search?q=the+last+prejudice
**My thoughts**
As I am reading this book, I am in the middle of the anniversary of my own father being in a coma. While my father had a brain bleed and not a stroke, a lot of those medical moments are extremely familiar to me. My father also had a DNR. The other differences are my mother has Alzheimer’s and was unaware of what was happening with my father, and I only have one sister with whom I get along. But all of that emotion with making DNR decisions and still going through family history and drama is quite familiar. I found myself tearing up and crying throughout reading this book. I think even if you haven't been through this kind of a family situation, you may still need a tissue to read this book.
I think all families experience some form of dysfunction, but it varies from family to family. In this case, Ed, the father, didn't necessarily handle his son Steve coming out to him in the best way. Steve's brother Pete has been unable to handle him being gay, for quite selfish reasons, only he has never explained this to anyone else. It's sad that in this day and age this kind of battle has to continue, but it does. You really get to witness the pain on both sides of the issue.
And then there is that pain of trying to figure out what to do when a loved one has a DNR, when you feel like family business is unfinished, when you're trying to let go. It's not easy. What I liked in this book was how you got a sense of this pain from two different sides. You witness how the family members are dealing with Ed's situation. But you also get Ed's perspective from the other side. We often hear that people encounter loved ones on the other side, whether they are coming back to earth or moving on to heaven. Ed spends time with his first wife, who had been taken from him by cancer, and with his own father, as he reflects back on his own life.
I think this book is one of those that is going to make you think about your own life and family, even if you aren't dealing with exactly the same situations. What has divided you from someone in your family? How can you make it right before it's too late?
LASR
http://www.longandshortreviews.com/category/book-reviews/mainstream-fiction-reviews/
This book deals with a topic that would be close to many people’s hearts—and I believe that even if you aren’t facing the particular specific item, there are other stresses in a family’s life that a reader could identify with while reading the book.
There are many times in a family when stress makes a person do or say things they might normally not—and this is the case with the Connor family. Truths come to light and, as often the case when a deep infection is lanced, the pain of those truths is what is necessary for healing to begin.
Mr. Blodgett does a wonderful job at portraying the family members with all their faults as well as their good qualities. I have to admit, my favorite character is Benjamin—he is wise beyond his years. They are all, though, fully drawn and by the end of the book I felt like I had met some new friends.
The book is very much character driven…it is, after all, a family drama and there are enough internal conflicts the characters have to face. The location could be Anywhere, USA (heck, the world as far as I know… family conflicts know no borders).
Kudo, Mr. Blodgett. This might have been the first book by you that I’ve read, but I will definitely be on the lookout for others!
Eddie Wright
https://eddiekwright.wordpress.com/my-book-reviews/
4 out of 5 Gangster Turned Guru stars!
As the father of a gay son, I easily related with the difficulties that Peter had with accepting his brother Steve’s homosexuality, while also appreciating the way Ed, their father, handled his unconditional loving approach.
There were heartfelt metaphorical lessons that showed what seemed to be complex problems, solved with honest communication.
When I realized I was being prejudiced against my son for being gay, I was embarrassed, especially being a black man in America. Some of those embarrassing emotions resurfaced while reading THE LAST PREJUDICE. I enjoyed the fortitude Jan, Kim, Laura, and Greg took to ensure the family works out their issues.
Those grappling with accepting a family member or friend that has a different lifestyle other than theirs will gain a lot from reading this novel.
https://luktenavtrykksverte.blogspot.no/
My Thoughts on the Book
Personally, I found the book heartwarming, even though I got a bit mad at Peter quite a few times because of his behavior, especially towards Steve. Even though the book is in a sense about Ed and him being in a coma, it's also about Steve and him being gay in addition to the dynamics of this particular family.
http://www.ourtownbookreviews.com/2018/05/the-last-prejudice.html
MY REVIEW
Out of the mouth of babes... Children say the darnedest things now and then…
Really a tear jerker at times. But… a good story with some reminders about life and how quickly we can miss what we really meant to do. This is a life lesson but not one in a preaching mode. It’s a really intense storyline. Sometimes it will make you angry and sometimes it will make you sad. Others, will make you laugh. It’s about how prejudice and arguing within one’s family can make us all miss some of the most important moments of our lives. How a small difference can hurt and can involve each and every person in our family, no matter what age.
Much of this story is based on memories and what family members didn’t realize about one another. Almost all of the setting is in a hospital room. Sounds impossible doesn’t it? However, I think because the dialog is written so well, the scene or setting only adds to helping the story become more passionate at times. It also takes excellent character definition to tell a story this way and Blodgett seems to have done it quite well.
Bill Blodgett has 3 or 4 other books all with good reviews. Each one looks like a different genre. Takes a good author to write in such different genres and get good reviews. Better check him out.
***This book was provided to me free of charge in exchange for an honest review.
Andi’s Book Blog
https://andisbookreviews.blogspot.com/search?q=the+last+prejudice
**My thoughts**
As I am reading this book, I am in the middle of the anniversary of my own father being in a coma. While my father had a brain bleed and not a stroke, a lot of those medical moments are extremely familiar to me. My father also had a DNR. The other differences are my mother has Alzheimer’s and was unaware of what was happening with my father, and I only have one sister with whom I get along. But all of that emotion with making DNR decisions and still going through family history and drama is quite familiar. I found myself tearing up and crying throughout reading this book. I think even if you haven't been through this kind of a family situation, you may still need a tissue to read this book.
I think all families experience some form of dysfunction, but it varies from family to family. In this case, Ed, the father, didn't necessarily handle his son Steve coming out to him in the best way. Steve's brother Pete has been unable to handle him being gay, for quite selfish reasons, only he has never explained this to anyone else. It's sad that in this day and age this kind of battle has to continue, but it does. You really get to witness the pain on both sides of the issue.
And then there is that pain of trying to figure out what to do when a loved one has a DNR, when you feel like family business is unfinished, when you're trying to let go. It's not easy. What I liked in this book was how you got a sense of this pain from two different sides. You witness how the family members are dealing with Ed's situation. But you also get Ed's perspective from the other side. We often hear that people encounter loved ones on the other side, whether they are coming back to earth or moving on to heaven. Ed spends time with his first wife, who had been taken from him by cancer, and with his own father, as he reflects back on his own life.
I think this book is one of those that is going to make you think about your own life and family, even if you aren't dealing with exactly the same situations. What has divided you from someone in your family? How can you make it right before it's too late?
LASR
http://www.longandshortreviews.com/category/book-reviews/mainstream-fiction-reviews/
This book deals with a topic that would be close to many people’s hearts—and I believe that even if you aren’t facing the particular specific item, there are other stresses in a family’s life that a reader could identify with while reading the book.
There are many times in a family when stress makes a person do or say things they might normally not—and this is the case with the Connor family. Truths come to light and, as often the case when a deep infection is lanced, the pain of those truths is what is necessary for healing to begin.
Mr. Blodgett does a wonderful job at portraying the family members with all their faults as well as their good qualities. I have to admit, my favorite character is Benjamin—he is wise beyond his years. They are all, though, fully drawn and by the end of the book I felt like I had met some new friends.
The book is very much character driven…it is, after all, a family drama and there are enough internal conflicts the characters have to face. The location could be Anywhere, USA (heck, the world as far as I know… family conflicts know no borders).
Kudo, Mr. Blodgett. This might have been the first book by you that I’ve read, but I will definitely be on the lookout for others!
Eddie Wright
https://eddiekwright.wordpress.com/my-book-reviews/
4 out of 5 Gangster Turned Guru stars!
As the father of a gay son, I easily related with the difficulties that Peter had with accepting his brother Steve’s homosexuality, while also appreciating the way Ed, their father, handled his unconditional loving approach.
There were heartfelt metaphorical lessons that showed what seemed to be complex problems, solved with honest communication.
When I realized I was being prejudiced against my son for being gay, I was embarrassed, especially being a black man in America. Some of those embarrassing emotions resurfaced while reading THE LAST PREJUDICE. I enjoyed the fortitude Jan, Kim, Laura, and Greg took to ensure the family works out their issues.
Those grappling with accepting a family member or friend that has a different lifestyle other than theirs will gain a lot from reading this novel.
https://luktenavtrykksverte.blogspot.no/
My Thoughts on the Book
Personally, I found the book heartwarming, even though I got a bit mad at Peter quite a few times because of his behavior, especially towards Steve. Even though the book is in a sense about Ed and him being in a coma, it's also about Steve and him being gay in addition to the dynamics of this particular family.