Tuesday, July 4, 2017

The Standard Grand by Jay Baron Nicorvo: A Review

Bellum has gone AWOL and left her husband and home in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.  She is already suffering from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from her past deployments and can't stomach the idea of another one.  She follows an older veteran that has set up a camp for homeless veterans called The Standard Grande.  Milt inherited The Standard Grande, an old resort in the Catskills, from his father-in-law and uses it to help veterans become more self-sufficient and acclimate to coming home from a war environment.  Milt is under water on the venture, though, and is being aggressively pursued by a company that wants to use the land for what they say is a golf resort.  The veterans aren't so sure that is the real purpose, though.

This book just didn't hit the spot for me.  Most of the story dragged.  I didn't find it humorous and the mystery wasn't enough to keep my attention.  I actually had to leave this book several times and come back to it while reading other books in order to finish it.  There were some questions that I had throughout the book but the book ended without ever answering those questions, ruining any chance of any mystery with a climactic ending.  The writing is strange and very choppy.  I did enjoy Bellum's character and Bellum's story about her childhood and marriage made me understand why she did certain things later.  Most of the characters were very interesting but I think I enjoyed their back stories more than I enjoyed the story about The Standard Grande and IRJ's reasons for wanting to buy it.  This book did have some information about PTSD but I think I would have enjoyed the story more if it had focused on those aspects.  Overall, I just didn't like this book.  I think it would be good for someone that enjoys military banter and doesn't mind when a mystery is not solved at the end of a novel.  It just wasn't my cup of tea, though.   

Watch a video about how EMDR works for victims of PTSD and other types of trauma:
    

My rating:
★★☆☆☆

Reviews for books like this one:
The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit by Michael Finkel
One Perfect Lie by Lisa Scottoline
Windy City Blues by Renee Rosen

This book is currently available and can be purchased from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  Read more reviews on this book on Goodreads.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher in order to review it but that did not have an effect on my review of the book.  This is my honest opinion of this book.  I am a participant in the Amazon Affiliates program.  By clicking on the Amazon link and purchasing this product, I receive a small fee.  I am not associated with Goodreads or Barnes and Noble in any way and the links provided are available strictly for your convenience and not to imply a relationship of any kind.

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