BOOK REVIEW [ASCLEPIUS: a novel by Christpher M. Rutledge]

Writers beware I am extremely critical of novels because I don't indulge in nonfiction too often and when I do it is usually reading the masters of the craft.  Therefore, unless you have ascended to a mastery level you might want to move right on past my review page.

Asclepius: A Novel by Christopher M. Rutledge is a book of undeveloped ideas that need to go back to the drawing board. There are some rights about this book, however, the wrongs far outweigh them. Let me give you the good-good first. The packaging of this book is great! I received a free copy of the book from the author and it arrived in a stunning little customized box with all the bells and whistles of good marketing: a bookmark, business card, and a shiny new book. Great start. The author chose an excellent topic and was culturally real throughout the book. The topic of the book was focused on the disappearances and deaths of naturopathic doctors that have been reported in the news in many states over the past decade. Although these occurrences should be explored further, a “novel” such as this it does no justice to the topic. The other good was the author's bio on the back cover which keyed in on several truths that explained the content of the writing, “indie filmmaker, sophomore release, authorial debut and has written a feature length screenplay”. 

This book took me on a roller coaster of goods, bads and more bads.  The transitions of the scenes were extremely undeveloped and most had no closure it just left the reader hanging. The novel reads like a poorly written script. There are many unrealistic imagines in the book like recording a private conversation between two people with a cell phone from a distance to be undetected on a busy Chicago street. 

The scenes in the novel we're very dull.  It was nothing we haven't seen before, someone shooting through the window,  a stranger following the main characters, the main characters disguising themselves, after the main characters visit with someone they get killed, this happened three times, incriminating evidence is gathered against the bad guys and leaked to the news, the bad guys try to cover their tracks by shredding papers, the hitman turns on his contractors and makes the death look like a suicide, the haunted becomes the victors, they fall in love and live happily ever after. No innovation, nothing new. 

I give this book 1 Ankh, it will eventually fade into the coffers of time. 

K. Akua Gray

July 22, 2019

New York, NY