Vicki, A Dream Fan

   I reserve this blog to share the experience of writing a novel.  Blogs are like a writing work out for me and this experience has given me plenty to blog about.  I realized, since I posted a blog about a bad review, it's only fair to counter that with a good one.  But this is not just a good review. 
   Like many of you out there with your novels, I've been blessed with some positive feedback on my work, THE GAZE.  However, this particular review is special because it comes from Vicki, an educator, a high school teacher, whose opinion matters to me a great deal because where I come from, teachers walk on water. 
   I'd like to take this opportunity to share her review, though not for the promotional reasons you'd be fair to assume.  I'm sharing this review from Goodreads because Vicki is the type of reader we write for.  This lady is not just a reader, she's a fan, a dream fan. 
   And I hope you all get to have a few thousand like her.

Jul 05, 2012

Vicki rated it

Shelves: favorite-books

THE GAZE...what can I say except READ IT! I am positively amazed at the way Robayo is able to create impeccable suspense! There were so many twists and turns that I kept trying to figure out who, what, when, where,why and how! I was taken by surprise every time I turned a page, especially the last 100 or so pages of the book. My heart was literally racing at times. I laughed (especially at Lewis...LOVED him), cried, reflected, reminisced, screamed in my own mind...even had a monologue with mysel...moreTHE GAZE...what can I say except READ IT! I am positively amazed at the way Robayo is able to create impeccable suspense! There were so many twists and turns that I kept trying to figure out who, what, when, where, why and how! I was taken by surprise every time I turned a page, especially the last 100 or so pages of the book. My heart was literally racing at times. I laughed (especially at Lewis...LOVED him), cried, reflected, reminisced, screamed in my own mind...even had a monologue with myself. (Hope I am not just losing it!)

Characters: I fell in love, head-over-heals, with all four of the main characters: Samantha, Tony, Gwen (Tony's wife), and Lewis who is Samantha's long-life best friend. I had ambivalent feelings for the villain of the story, Brooks. I say that because his character is, like all the others, built so convincingly that I abhor the person he is, but I love the way he is the epitome of villainy. It's like loving the most wicked character in a movie because he plays his part so well. There are other characters that play important parts in the lives of the above mentioned and, of course, they are also very genuine.

Setting: Well-detailed but not overly descriptive where you're yawning through the pages. Set in different states as well as London...loved learning some new Brit terms...thanks, Mr. Robayo.

Plot: Yes! SO well-developed! The author uses dialogue a great deal to develop the story line. Robayo is brilliant to create the plot by incorporating what millions of us love...Facebook. Samantha "friends" Gwen on Facebook and they develop a true friendship. Gwen is unbelievably a friend that I fell in love with as a friend...strange, huh? Well, considering that I met my husband online and we chatted for several months before meeting in person, I was completely sold by Gwen and Samantha's developing online friendship. I found myself being giddy with them! A little weird? Not really because they were so authentic to me.

SO much more could be said, but I don't want to give away too much of the story. I would LOVE to discuss the book with anyone who has (or does) read it. (Friend me on Goodreads.)

I even created a new shelf for this book called "Favorites" so that when people look at my "books" on Goodreads, they might look to see my absolute favorites and perhaps want to read THE GAZE.

I HIGHLY recommend this book. It has suspense, romance, humor, thought-provoking phrases, and FRESH and unique similes, metaphors, and personification. I absolutely LOVED the author's use of different literary devices. It takes a true gift to write as this man does.

Javier Robayo, you are now among my top three authors, and I will not waste one minute to purchase your next book...The Next Chapter.

NOTE: I purchased this book after entering for the giveaway three times but failing to win. I'm so glad I took the chance! Money well-spent!

   I kept thinking of some way express my gratitude to Vicki, and a memory popped in my head from when I was a sixth grader at Pensionado Borja 3 in Quito, Ecuador. 

   Every April 13, we celebrated Teacher's Day.  I remembered several kids bringing gifts for our teacher, Mr. Villalba.  He was a frank, brutally honest man who grudgingly thanked the class for the gifts.  He then stood and looked at us all with severity and said, "The best way you, gentlemen can show your appreciation for my efforts as your teacher, is to give me your very best in class and earning high marks.  That's the best thank you I can get.  Remember that."

   I will keep this special review up on my wall to remind me of that as I work on my next novel, determined to put the very best of my writing on each page.

   Javier A. Robayo