Review: Lives Up To Its Billing...And Then Some!!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 26, 2012
When this book's promotional blurb went out of its way (as many do) to tell me that what I was about to read is "Immensely readable and filled with humor, heartbreaking, heartwarming, ... [and] destined to be a classic," I felt faintly annoyed at being told as much before I'd had a chance to decide for myself.It didn't take long to become un-annoyed. RIVER ON FIRE is everything its blurb says it is, and more. It is the first-person account of one Randall Smith, who was born and then abandoned in January 1955, and his story takes us to the point of his reluctant entry into the Army in 1974. It's a simple coming-of-age tale, simply and compellingly told. Again referring back to the blurb, those times were tumultuous indeed, and the historical references to everything from the assassinations of John and Robert Kennedy to integration to Woodstock to Vietnam are related through Randall's eyes with spot-on accuracy. From first page to last, there's not a single false note to be heard. [The obvious book to compare this one to is J.D. Salinger's Catcher In The Rye, to which Pratt impishly refers near the end of his own tale. There's no comparison. Salinger's book is vastly overrated, and his character, Holden Caulfield, whiny and mendacious; RIVER ON FIRE is beautifully rendered, and Randall Smith is a hero you'll find it very easy indeed to root for.]It's a cinch Mr. Pratt doesn't need my help: he's already written several books, each of which has received many fine reviews. I started my little review program as a way of giving deserving indie authors some much-needed recognition; but in this case, it's the author who's done me a favor.I very much enjoyed RIVER ON FIRE, and I recommend it enthusiastically