Review: Striking and Honest
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 21, 2014
It takes a lot of guts to pour out your heart on the page, and to have something so personal not come off as a memoir or an autobiography, but as a beautiful work of literature and storytelling is quite an accomplishment. Akley isn't afraid to dig deep into his personal experiences for the meat of these stories, and he doesn't simply tell the stories; he fleshes out his mentality and shares some of the more personal revelations about life that he has had. I have read one other book by Akley, and this shows a very different side that is just as talented and impressive, but somehow more appealing. I feel like I understand him as an author, and as a person.It's difficult to give an honest account of your life without trying to glamorize, embellish, or censor certain moments. In this collection of stories and poems, I feel like this stream of consciousness wasn't edited or picked over with a fine-tooth comb; it is raw and brilliant in a way that makes you want to re-read certain passages so they can properly sink in. Some of the pieces are simple and straightforward, but they are discussing some of the most complex issues that families, individuals, addicts, lovers, fathers, and....human beings experience. His ability to deconstruct certain elements of life into touching, amusing, thought-provoking, or gut-wrenching turns of phrase is rare - and valuable. If I wasn't sure about Akley before, I certainly am now. I'll be reading more of his work; now that I feel as though I know him as a person, I am eager to see more of what he can do as a writer.