What a wonderful way to start the week!
This post is to show our appreciation to JOHN HOWELL, our kind friend and fellow writer/blogger, who has just published his fabulous review for Anita’s book, Bad Moon.
We have always found this to be a hard story to promote. Powerful, disturbing, and set in Virginia at the turn of the last century. Not one for the faint-hearted, for sure, although those who have been brave enough to read it have sung its praises!
We thank you, John, for adding your voice to Bad Moon’s journey…
John Howell’s Review
John W. Howell
4.0 out of 5 stars An Unusual Story Not to be Missed. Reviewed in the United States on 8 July 2022
After reading the book’s blurb, I picked Bad Moon by Anita Dawes. The part that got me was. “Young Annie’s life was perfect until she uncovers a nasty family secret, something her parents have been doing for years.”
I was intrigued by the idea of a story about someone coming of age in a family with some dark secrets. I expected maybe some unusual sexual activities or maybe abuse. These would be bad enough, but it turned out undoubtedly mild compared to what Annie had to discover and overcome.
The story is told in the first person by Annie herself. Although not unique in point of view, the author crafts the narrative so the reader not only sees the world from Annie’s perspective but identifies with the struggles Annie must overcome. Even when Annie is at her worst, I was always rooting that she would find her way to happiness.
Although the setting is the backcountry, the emotional turmoil and the depth of character development give the reader the feeling that this story could have taken place anywhere. This fact is where the quality of the author’s storytelling skills shine. Using the backcountry setting as an excuse for what transpires in the plot would be easy. However, that would be a disservice to the story since the action gets down to fundamental human issues and predispositions that are not necessarily only the purview of uneducated backcountry folks.
There are examples that I would like to cite, but each would be a spoiler. So I guess I will leave it at this. Once you start reading Bad Moon, you won’t be able to stop. The story is well crafted and moves at just the right pace. If you like well-written human drama stories with a lot of action, this one is for you.
