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Full review on my blog.

The Garden of Unfortunate Souls is American author Eddie Mark’s debut novel. It is a dark story about Shadrack and Audwin, two African American boys, who grew up in opposite ends of society in Buffalo, NY in the 80’s. One of them grew up in an environment that you could say gave him everything he needed to make it in life. The other grew up in an environment that made the act of surviving life a real quest. Despite their opposite backgrounds, they share a common ground, which is that they both face from a young age: neglect, violence and all sort of negative situations that mold them and make them become the men they do in the end.

I must say that this is not a sweet coming of age story. It is a serious and obscure story for adults. It deals with religion, crime, corruption, violence, mental illness, sibling rivalry, rape, drugs, and all sorts of abuse: physical, emotional, verbal, economical, domestic, sexual, etc.

Despite the somber topics this story touches, it is written in a way that keeps you wanting to read the story until the end.

If you’re looking for a feel good fuzzy wuzzy coming of age story, this is not the book for you. If you’re looking for a story that takes you into the minds of deeply troubled people and follow them as they overcome or not their life’s tribulations, this is the book for you. If your book club is looking for a book that will generate deep and serious discussions on the effect of religion, neighborhood or surroundings and parenting, this is the book for you.

The Garden of Unfortunate Souls is a timeless and current story. It is set in the 80’s but as sad as it sounds, it is a story that could be happening in our times regardless of race, creed or gender. It is a book about fortune; it will make you ponder on it. Good or bad fortune, does it matter?

Full review on my blog.

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DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

I received an Electronic copy of this book but was not financially compensated in any way nor obliged to review. The opinions expressed are my own and are based on my personal experience while reading it. This post contains affiliate links as stated in my disclosure policy.