Review: Through the Fish Eye Lens of Film Noir
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 6, 2014
Fair Warning This Book Is Not For Prudes Straight Up Graphic Sexual SituationsI love the whole premise of first person writing, most writers are scared to try it because of the possible no let me say probable disaster. But then every once in  while a first person narration comes along like Rebecca, Suspicion. DOA, and of course more recent WhiteOleander.There is nothing worse than first person when done incorrectly. When done the right way the POV style of a good Film Noir is positively voyeuristic in its very nature. I’m a huge fan of the whole Raymond Chandler/Orson Wells POV made famous by Phillip Marlowe. This writer has managed to write the entire story in the first person.My point of prefacing this review with Film Noir notes is because this book screamed Fish Eye Lens POV. Yes Tormented is written in the first person and for the newly baptized to first person reading. It can be very disconcerting, in my opinion, because the intensity of the experience is bigger. The relationship with the characters is immediate as they journal their life to the world in the form of first person narrative.Self-admittedly I’m also a groupie for reality television I like that perspective that these characters really let you inside their heads. It’s a guilty feeling, like when you stumble across someone’s diary. It’s laying there on the table open and no one else around. So . . . why not take a peek. Then after you read it the guilt gets to you because those thoughts and feelings you read were not to be shared.Following the lives of Yasmin and Drake is that kind of experience. The characters have enough realism that honestly it could be your best friend you were listening too. But what really caught my attention was the way that the Hero’s side of the story was told in tandem. When does that ever happen? So I thought that was an original aspect to the writing style of Tormented.I read this in one evening if I were going to critique anything. It would be a good interior redo would really add to the readability. However, when you read Indie you learn to deal with adjustments it’s a small price to pay for original thought, content and a truly unique style of writing and voice.Long live the first person narrative it’s not used enough in today’s vampires and alternate reality flooded market. Give me a good old fashion love story any day of the week. The bonus with first person evolving POV is that you get everyone's perspective not just the main character and for that's why I'm giving this five stars.