The following is a review of my debut novel, Detours…
I’ve recently finished reading Detours by Sam McManus. I will begin this review by saying that I was somewhat wary to step out of the comfort zone of my usual reading genre. I will say next that I’m so very glad I took that step.
Detours is the tale of a normal man’s life, but it’s not a normal story by any means. Imagine one man living three different lifetimes – any of them as possible and feasible as the next. It’s the story about how different – or similar – your life could be, if you’d only just made a different turn along the way.
The manner in which it’s written – almost as snippets of journal entries (or pieces of time) from each of those different lives – is absolutely captivating. I found myself wanting to get through the entire thing, hoping for clarity and a resolution.
There were many times as I was reading that I wished so badly to sit down and have a conversation with the characters of the story – at times to give them an unpleasant piece of my mind, others to scream at them. Then there were the moments where I wanted to say, “I’m sorry.” In that sense, those characters could’ve been a member of my family, or one of my friends. The author ensures some connection to the characters, which is so very important. And those characters are realistic with their many – and varied – flaws.
If you’re looking for an engaging read, try it out, but don’t expect a book full of sunshine. Personally, I’m looking forward to any future novels by Mr. McManus.
{Review by C.N. Miller}
Good for you!
Thanks, Daryl!
Sam, I just found your blog through the WordPress Postaday challenge and read the excerpt from your book. I’ve ordered it and am looking forward to reading it.
Will, I’m glad to see that the excerpt interested you enough that you want to read the entire work. Enjoy the book!