Friday, October 18, 2019

Review: Call Me Cass by Kelly Stone Gamble



Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Description:

“Cass Adams is finally happy. She has a man who loves her, a family that understands her, and a baby on the way. Other than seeing the occasional dead person, Cass feels normal. But pregnancy has an unwelcome side effect. Cass is having visions of the future, just like Grams does. While some are cloudy, Cass knows one thing for certain. Her best friend, Maryanne, is going to die.

Police Chief Benny Cloud has his own problems. His father has been released from prison and is on his way home to surprise Benny’s mother, who’s been keeping time with the county sheriff. Fat Tina’s Gentlemen’s Club is under siege by protestors. And it’s growing dark outside.

A devastating storm is coming to Deacon, Kansas. In its wake, the town must deal with tragic losses that force everyone to reevaluate their lives.”

Author:

“About Kelly Stone Gamble:

I want readers to take something away from my books and short stories: something memorable, whether it be an interesting protagonist, an emotion or a moment in time.

Depending on what characters decide to sit beside me on a particular day, I may write historical fiction or quirky, dark humor.

My interests are as diverse as my writing. I am at home fishing on a river, riding horses in the mountains, reading on a beach, hiking through the desert or playing pirate with my friends.

I don't believe in growing old and I refuse to grow up.”

To learn more about Ms. Gamble please check out her website, or herFacebook page.

Appraisal:

Cass Adams is a special sort of character that you can’t help but love and identify with. She is plain spoken and many believe her to be a little touched. Is she crazy? Probably no more than the rest of the townspeople. She has inherited her grandmother’s ability of precognition and she sees dead people. Needless to say, Cass sees the world differently than most of us. However, Cass’s precognitive dreams are not as fully developed as Grams’. So, if Grams says stay where you are ‘til the storm passes, you had better stay where you are! There is a monster tornado headed straight towards Deacon, Kansas. Devastation is massive and lives are lost.

Emotions run high as people search through the rubble for their loved ones. No one ever thinks it could happen to them, no matter how often you see the destruction on TV or video. If you live in tornado alley you are more likely to run outside to see the funnel cloud than you are to run for cover when the tornado sirens scream their warning. I’m just as guilty as my neighbors.

I loved getting to know Fat Tina, she is not your typical strip club owner. Fat Tina is full to the brim of integrity and heart. She’s smart and keeps her wits about her whether she is surrounded by protesters or in the midst of a storm. Cass impressed me as well, even though she was trying to control Mother Nature within as well as the storm outside. I am glad she was with Grams and Dog.

As with the first two books in this series, They Call Me Crazy and Call Me Daddy, the story is told through multiple points of view, which are labeled clearly at the head of each chapter. At times it seems a little repetitious, but you are seeing the same events through another character’s eyes. Some back story of certain characters are nicely woven into the story as well. Call Me Cass could be read as a standalone, but why would you do that? You’d miss Ms. Gamble’s great storytelling by skipping either of the other books. I did love the conclusion of this book, it’s one of the best endings I’ve read in a while.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Call Me Cass, is book 3 in Ms. Gamble’s A Cass Adams Novel series, following They Call Me Crazy, and Call Me Daddy.

Format/Typo Issues:

Nothing significant.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 65-70,000 words

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