Mary's Reviews > A Patient Man
A Patient Man
by
by
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
A Patient Man by S. Lynn Scott is very short coming in at just 240 pages, but it is definitely one odd little book!
What it's about: It is the 1970s and Mikey is only eight, but he's not your typical eight-year-old. Growing up in a family with a mother that doesn't really care, a dad that's away in London a lot, and a brother and sister that don't really pay him any mind - he has his run of Canvey Island, even skipping school most days. But this doesn't stay the same for long when his older neighbors, the Freemans, win a huge amount of money. They become the victims of a criminal act that leaves the wife dead and the husband wanting revenge. Aiming his sights on Mikey's family, Mr. Freeman comes up with a very special way of trying to bring them down, one that leaves Mikey not very happy. But is Mr. Freeman actually right about who killed his wife?
A Patient Man is definitely a bit of a coming-of-age novel, while also touching on things like greed, revenge, and crime. The mystery of who committed the act that killed Peggy seems like somewhat of a minor plot point compared to what happens after Mr. Freeman initiates his revenge. Who killed Peggy is what starts everything, but the novel is really about so much more.
Reading things from Mikey's POV was very interesting, albeit sometimes frustrating for me. I would have maybe liked to have had at least 1 other viewpoint. The touches of humor in the book caught me off guard a few times, and even though there are very serious themes, I found myself laughing out loud in a few spots. Sometimes even at just how ridiculous something was. Mikey's story really is quite sad though when you think about most of his upbringing, and I really liked how his story evolved in the book as he got older. Note: The book is written from Mikey's POV of what happened, looking back as an adult.
The reason I say A Patient Man is odd is mainly because of the writing style. It was very unique, and I haven't read anything like it that I can compare it to. It almost made things a little confusing for me, and I did get a little lost in the beginning. I also wouldn't necessarily call this book gripping, I wanted to know what would happen, but it didn't keep me glued to the pages like some books do. It's definitely a slow burn that is highly character based/driven.
Song/s the book brought to mind: 7 Years by Lukas Graham
Final Thought: Overall, I was very satisfied with A Patient Man though, and it definitely provided for a very unique reading experience. If you are a fan of character driven novels told in a unique writing style, I would definitely recommend checking this book out. It kind of gave me a bit of The Bird Tribunal vibe although it is not a Scandinavian fiction novel. This book is out now and available for purchase on Amazon!
Thank you to Random Things Tours and the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
A Patient Man by S. Lynn Scott is very short coming in at just 240 pages, but it is definitely one odd little book!
What it's about: It is the 1970s and Mikey is only eight, but he's not your typical eight-year-old. Growing up in a family with a mother that doesn't really care, a dad that's away in London a lot, and a brother and sister that don't really pay him any mind - he has his run of Canvey Island, even skipping school most days. But this doesn't stay the same for long when his older neighbors, the Freemans, win a huge amount of money. They become the victims of a criminal act that leaves the wife dead and the husband wanting revenge. Aiming his sights on Mikey's family, Mr. Freeman comes up with a very special way of trying to bring them down, one that leaves Mikey not very happy. But is Mr. Freeman actually right about who killed his wife?
A Patient Man is definitely a bit of a coming-of-age novel, while also touching on things like greed, revenge, and crime. The mystery of who committed the act that killed Peggy seems like somewhat of a minor plot point compared to what happens after Mr. Freeman initiates his revenge. Who killed Peggy is what starts everything, but the novel is really about so much more.
Reading things from Mikey's POV was very interesting, albeit sometimes frustrating for me. I would have maybe liked to have had at least 1 other viewpoint. The touches of humor in the book caught me off guard a few times, and even though there are very serious themes, I found myself laughing out loud in a few spots. Sometimes even at just how ridiculous something was. Mikey's story really is quite sad though when you think about most of his upbringing, and I really liked how his story evolved in the book as he got older. Note: The book is written from Mikey's POV of what happened, looking back as an adult.
The reason I say A Patient Man is odd is mainly because of the writing style. It was very unique, and I haven't read anything like it that I can compare it to. It almost made things a little confusing for me, and I did get a little lost in the beginning. I also wouldn't necessarily call this book gripping, I wanted to know what would happen, but it didn't keep me glued to the pages like some books do. It's definitely a slow burn that is highly character based/driven.
Song/s the book brought to mind: 7 Years by Lukas Graham
Final Thought: Overall, I was very satisfied with A Patient Man though, and it definitely provided for a very unique reading experience. If you are a fan of character driven novels told in a unique writing style, I would definitely recommend checking this book out. It kind of gave me a bit of The Bird Tribunal vibe although it is not a Scandinavian fiction novel. This book is out now and available for purchase on Amazon!
Thank you to Random Things Tours and the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
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Reading Progress
Finished Reading
May 13, 2019
–
Started Reading
May 18, 2019
–
Finished Reading
September 28, 2024
– Shelved