GERARD BRENNAN - FIREPROOF (2012)

I was lucky enough to get a copy of this from the publisher.

Does that mean I’m expected to praise it to the hilt?

No, I doubt it.

I will start by saying I’m an inexperienced book reviewer, though I do tend to rely a lot on what other people say about books before purchasing most of the time. I find it to difficult to determine how much of the story to discuss without giving away too much of the plot and how the finale unfolds. (Spoiler alert!)

Previously, I’ve found myself re-hashing the synopsis on the back of the cover, and what’s the point in doing that? If the book has piqued someone’s interest then typically they will have picked it up in store, or read the same information on the author or publisher’s website.

I suppose my reviews will contain a lot of box-ticking,

Salient points then,

Did I enjoy it, was I entertained? Yes, yes

Would I read more from the author? Yes

Did it drag? No

Was it un-put-down-able? No

Did I laugh or cry, or feel some empathy or connection to the characters? Yes

Would I want to read more about them in the future? Hmmm....maybe

Would I recommend it to others? Yes

Was it memorable, will it haunt me or stay with me? No

Will I find myself thinking about it in the next week or two? No

Did I feel like I’d wasted xxx number of hours from my life that I will never get back? No

Would I re-read it again at some point in the future? No

Would I want my money back? No, irrespective of the fact I didn’t pay for it.

On the scoreboard then probably .........7.5 out of 12, which seems low considering that I really enjoyed it. Some of the plus points above must carry more weight than some of those that scored negatively.

Overall then - 4 out 5.

Well worth a look if you have a sense of humour, don’t take religion too seriously, and enjoy fine writing that isn’t preachy or pretentious......literature it ain’t.