Review: I Will Rise by Michael Louis Calvillo

Monday, June 2, 2008

'I Will Rise' by Michael Louis Calvillo

I Will Rise by Michael Louis Calvillo

Lachesis Publishing, 2007

Ebook, 374 pages

ISBN: 1897370024

$5.95

Charlie works as a line chef in a seafood restaurant. Since birth, he's been plagued by an odd growth in the palm of his left hand and seizures that are apparently triggered there, rather than in the brain. He's unhappy with himself, with his job, with his life, and has turned inwards, hating himself and everyone else. Yet under his loathsome (at least by his own account) exterior, there's a man desperately seeking his place in the world. And if God won't give it to him, then he'll find it for himself.

For the first forty-five pages or so of this novel, nothing much happens. Instead of a plot, we're treated to an apparently endless stream-of-consciousness tirade from the first person narrator. There's some important information about page twenty-nine, where mystery woman Annabelle first appears, but apart from that, you won't lose much by skipping straight to page forty-seven and reading from there.

Even then, there's a lot of repetition, needless introspection and time-wasting what-shall-i-dos, but at least stuff is happening. Weird stuff. Spooky stuff. Almost weird and spooky enough to be worth tolerating the overwritten and at times turgid narration. But not quite.

In the hands of a more experienced writer and an editor with an endless supply of red pens, this story could have become something intriguing and perhaps genuinely frightening. At present, everything good about it is overwhelmed by what's bad.


- reddit, digg, facebook, stumbleupon, etc... please! ;)
 
posted by Debbie

17 comments; 0 subscribers

Monday, June 2, 2008 / 03:57:22
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To have a chance to win the review .pdf of "I Will Rise", please tell us in comments whether you thought this review was:

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The winner will be drawn at random from the valid entries. Competition open to everyone in the world, and closes on 16th June 2008 (midnight pacific time).
 
Monday, June 2, 2008 / 16:12:22
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Thanks again, Debbie. :) I appreciate your honest reviews, and how considerate you were when you sent me the link. GUD is good. ;-) lol That was weak, wasn't it?
 
Tuesday, June 3, 2008 / 21:55:38
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Honest
 
Wednesday, June 4, 2008 / 14:17:51
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I feel it is an honest review.
 
Friday, June 6, 2008 / 20:16:50
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you are honest
 
Saturday, June 7, 2008 / 14:56:20
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I think you were very honest
 
Sunday, June 8, 2008 / 11:15:56
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Honest review
THANKS
 
Tuesday, June 10, 2008 / 05:22:19
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Honest
 
Thursday, June 12, 2008 / 17:07:27
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Honest. I thought I Will Rise had its moments, but could have been better with some tightening.
 
Friday, June 13, 2008 / 17:07:54
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Honest but also harsh
 
Sunday, June 15, 2008 / 00:15:32
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harsh but honest
 
Sunday, June 15, 2008 / 04:43:05
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That was honest; brutally honest.
 
Sunday, June 15, 2008 / 20:52:20
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thought it very honest
 
Monday, June 16, 2008 / 06:11:39
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Honest
 
Monday, June 16, 2008 / 13:58:30
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pretty honest
 
Monday, June 16, 2008 / 16:52:11
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you say what you think. That is Honest
 
Tuesday, June 17, 2008 / 02:28:50
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And the winner, chosen at random by GameBot, is weblynx! Congratulations!
 

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