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House Arrest
by Ellen Meeropol
Puhlease (12/17/2011)
First of all, I have read first year, creative writing, undergrads who have made better attempts than this drivel masquerading as a novel. The story line was absolutely ridiculous, and it made no sense, and the characters were boring and undeveloped.

There is a "cult" and the members are being persecuted. A cult member is on house arrest because of her alleged involvement in the death of her children during a cult ritual. There is a home nurse assigned to this woman for her pre-natal care who becomes so enthralled with her that she wants to help her escape house arrest for just one night so that she can attend an important cult ritual. Sounds compelling, right? WRONG.

First of all, the characters in the novel are not well shaped and not very interesting. You have a woman who is supposedly from the south, who witnessed some sort of KKK rally and a racial killing which drives her to run away and become a prostitute before joining this cult. All of this takes place in the late 1990s to current day. Notice, I wrote 1990s not 1890s. Really? A KKK rally and killing? In 1999?.... PUHLEASSSE! Has this author ever been to the south? Such stereotypes are so cliché and insulting. BORING!

There is a second and third character who make very brief appearances, even though one of these characters is supposed to the "cult leader." These two men are supposed to be from opposing gangs from the mean streets of Newark (yawn), who decide to "come together" and start anew by forming this cult who worships the ancient Egyptian goddess Isis. Believable, right? Hahahaha! Has the author ever met a gang member? Has she ever even watched a cop show on tv?? I'm willing to bet my next pay check that the answer is NO.

Also, (this one is particularly nonsensical), the cult leader is in jail awaiting trial for the death of his children. While in jail, he makes friends with a sympathetic guard. The guard allows him to "escape" the jail to go to a cult gathering, only to arrange to trap him there and have him arrested again. WHAT???? WHY??? He was in jail already, why pretend to be his friend so he can escape so you can arrest him again. This was sooooo irritatingly stupid! I can see some hardened guard in Rikers becoming "friendly" with a cult leader so he can set him up later on for escaping. What the hell is the point??

Lastly, there is this nurse who for some unknown reason becomes so bloody interested in one of the characters (A side note here- The characters are so undeveloped as to have no interest to the reader at all. I can hardly believe that they would be interested in each other in this fantasy land) that she wants to help her escape house arrest long enough to dance in this stupid winter solstice ritual. For God's sake, how lame.

Please, save your money and your time. This book is terrible and is quite insulting for those of us who have traveled a greater distance than our laptops. I suggest the writer write about something she knows instead of these silly empty, stereotyped riddled, cliches that she calls novels.
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