Review: A Star In The Making
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 30, 2014
No spoilers in this review."The Leechers" Is an interesting book, or really a novella. Without spoilers, it is a story about a man recently recovered from an accident, who rents a house in a secluded wood with his family. The house has some surprises for his family and its up to him to figure out what this is before  it destroys them. There is a neighbor in the wood, an older man named Ben, who seems to be a compilation of several Stephen King characters, but Mr. Van Wyk is certainly not the first nor the last to do that. Even a King reference or two, if you are a fan.I found this book an easy read, almost in one sitting. It flowed nicely and held my interest and since I am in pain right now that is not an easy thing to do. If you are a mystery fan you may guess about half way through, but even then your guess will be only partially correct.The author feels like a first-time writer. He certainly has potential.. However, it reads more like an outline for a longer novel than a stand alone piece of work.It is written from the perspective of Jake, the father and husband, who has a painful hip from a freak accident. His marriage is a bit shaky since the accident, as he struggles with pain daily. This scenario alone afforded Mr. Van Wyk plenty of opportunity to delve into the psyche of a man dealing with chronic pain, and his perceived inability to care for his family properly any more, something many book readers can relate to. This could have fleshed out the character of Jake, made him a sympathetic character with moodiness followed by guilt.The marriage being in trouble could have been fleshed out as well, telling the wife's side of how she is torn between being a wife and a nursemaid and possibly how her maternal instincts for her wounded husband was blocking her sexual desire for him and he, in turn, feeling rejected by her for his new handicap. I am just tossing out ideas off the top of my head, just using scenes from the book, but Mr. Van Wyk did not follow through, but simply wrote out scenes with little or no insightful dialog, either internal or between the main characters. This is what made it feel more like an outline. The lack if character development or side plots, the absence of a sympathetic protagonist, who is vital to a good story.The mystery/paranormal end of it was innovative and a nice change from your typical book "monsters" but there just was not enough of it. More clues should have surfaced, and the lack of any suspense was irritating.At the end it all wrapped up quickly, as if the author had reached his deadline and had to bang out the last chapter real quick.When it was over, I was confused as to how I would write my review. On the one hand it was good enough to keep me turning pages, but on the other I kept waiting to feel for or with the characters. In the end, I did not care about any danger they were in because Mr. Van Wyk did not MAKE me care.Good yarn. Put together well. Not fleshed out, lack of emotion, suspense, the human element really.I see places where the author tried, and did well, but there was not enough of it.My advice to Mr Van Wyk as an author? Keep at it Sir, you have what it takes but do not be afraid to open up yourself and pour it on the page. Good writers leave a piece of their soul in everything they do. You have the talent, now add your spirit (W.W. Smith said "Writing is easy. All you have to do is sit at a typewriter and open a vein").And for the reader? I do not know how much this novella will cost since the author gave it to me to read and review (something I feel the need to disclose) but if you have a few bucks to spend and need to kill a day, go ahead and buy the book. Its not The Great American Novel but it is logical, believable, and holds your interest enough to finish it.