Nova Books

Science fiction is not my usual genre but "Monkey Trap" is not ordinary science fiction. It seamlessly weaves suspense, action, fantasy and science fiction together to produce a fascinating, fun read. The authors use real cutting edge physics as the basis for extrapolations that make the implausible look probable. They make the same use of psychology to produce an aura of mysticism that reflects the genuine dilemmas of man. The characters are vivid and convincing. The titanic struggles between the reptilian, mammalian and human parts of the brain are palpable. The suspense builds to a climax that is not an end but a new beginning that promises more to come, I can hardly wait.

I really enjoyed reading this book. Once I got started, it was hard to put the book down, especially towards the end and the culmination of events. The novel is categorized science fiction, but rarely there is such a deep spiritual and philosophical theme found within this genre. The topic of the evolution of a species and its consciousness was interesting. The book isn't merely a traditional aliens-invade-the earth-the humans-must fight-them, but instead pulls out questions about our own possibilities we can open up to, as well as our own demons we must fight. There are many different themes intertwined inside the story, some of them more scientific and concrete and some of them more mystical and imaginative, which is great combination, and keeps the feet of the story firmly on the ground while its head is in the couds.

At the Goddard Space Flight Center, the staff observes a fight between aircrafts in outer space, which end with both objects plunging toward earth. One crashes in Columbia and the other in Washington DC. Officially the government claims space debris.

In Columbia, Black Ops drug lord assassin Captain John Jacob Connard takes a bullet during a jungle fight and lies near death in a cave until an entity somehow enters his body. John quickly learns to heal himself and to use other telepathic powers. For saving his life, his symbiotic partner demands John kill the enemy who will destroy all living beings on earth unless stopped.

FBI Agent Lara Ellen Picard rides her bike when a bee flies into her mouth stinging her several times. Struggling for air she stumbles off the path and is near death below the biking path until an entity somehow enters her body. Lara quickly learns to heal herself and to use other telepathic powers. For saving her life, her symbiotic partner demands Lara kill the enemy who will destroy all living beings on earth unless stopped.

MONKEY TRAP is a terrific science fiction starring two humans who become the battle armor for aliens at war. Readers will wonder who the evil species is as the evidence is cleverly designed so that the audience keeps switching perspective to include one or the other, both and even neither. The father-daughter team Dennng opens the Nova Sapiens trilogy with an exciting, fast-paced thriller that keeps fans on the edge of their seats wondering who contains the potentially pandemic killer.

Harriet Klausner

I have read few science fiction books in my life (my field is modern languages) but this one certainly got me involved from the first few lines. Once I accepted the necessary "suspension of disbelief" the story seemed highly plausible...and even possible. The occasional difficulty I had with some unfamiliar scientific/philosophical terms did not lessen the enjoyment. I got caught up in the imagery, the suspense and the psychology of the characters, who I found well-developed and coherent. I had to find out: would the two lovers John and Lara save themselves from committing a terrible mistake? Would good triumph over evil, reason over instinct? It was a compelling read to the end.

Honestly, the cover design drew my eye to the book, and after that, the strong narrative and intriguing premise drew me in like moth to flame.

The novel's best features are it's characters, especially the female lead. The pace of the storyline is nearly perfect, which surprised me. Sci-Fi is a difficult genre to nail down and do well; many have fallen to overly-complex plots and undeveloped characters and storylines.

I'm pleased to report that this book doesn't suffer from any of these things. Before settling into the book, I read that the author is really a father-daughter team, so there was a chance the writing would be uneven. It didn't happen. You cannot tell from one author to the other. Well done, well worth your time. Good stuff here...

Novas' poetic writing is amazing. The characters are each gems, even the sinister ones. Santeria, Judaism, Cuban_American mishegas: This story has it all. The sensitive way the author dealt with the transexual character is unique and inspiring. In fact, the whole novel is an inspiration, written by one of America's truly masterful writers.

This novel deals with so many contemporary issues--transexuals, minorities (including Native American, Latinos, Jewish Americans, African Americans), the moral questions of what we owe our fellow human beings and what lies and family betrayals beget...And yet it's the poetry of the prose and the feelings the author Novas is able to bring out in the reader by digging deep into her characters that really wins the day. Victoria and Cooper and other characters lived with me long after I'd read the book. I'm planning to read it again. Himilce Novas is an extraordinary writer.

Princess Papaya is sheer poetry-beautifully written and mystical. It's about love and about forgiveness and human understanding beyond religion, social status and gender lines. The characters are us and the message is one of hope and redemption. Novas is a masterful writer.

The language is wild, over the top. It's like eating too much curry, overcooked, overspiced. Your tongue burns, is dead with too many mishmash flavors. You can't taste anything.

Princess Papaya is really a "rhapsodic, magically real tour de force." The writing is so compelling and the story is so passionate and intense as to be life transforming. The novel is filled with suspense, intrigue and human pathos. I've never read anything so real and yet so out of this world. Novas is an extraordinary writer.

This book by Nona K. Bauer captures the essence of what differentiates the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever from all other retrieving breeds; the "Toller," as it is affectionately known to breed fans, is not merely a smaller version of a Golden Retriever, but a breed in its own right.

For a Toller enthusiast, this book goes beyond all of the essentials of Toller history, conformation, and ownership by pointing out activities and clubs in which Tollers excel (which, it must be pointed out, is practically everything!). These versatile, energetic, social, and fun-loving dogs are champion hunters (their fluffy, brushy tails with their characteristic prance lured, or "tolled" in ducks, making them excellent hunting and retrieving dogs), agility dogs, tracking dogs, therapy dogs--in fact, Tollers are so intelligent that with positive and loving leadership, they succeed in every activity in which they are placed. (Tollers have been trained as avalanche dogs--one was even profiled on "Avalanche Dogs" on the Discovery network of channels.)

I recommend this book to anyone thinking about getting a Toller puppy, for the longtime Toller enthusiast, and/or the serious breeder.

Very detailed and informative. It otld me everything I needed to know about these dogs.

If you live in an area with very few NSDTR's. Not only do you need this book, but so does your vet. Give it as a gift to the vet after you read it. It will help you and them keep your toller in the best of health.

A rather generic book that pastes a few ducktoller specific pages in the front and inserts ducktoller pictures throughout. 90% of the content is general info about dogs.

AFTER SEARCHING FOR SEVERAL MONTHS FOR SUCH A BOOK,IN PREPARATION FOR THE ADDITION OF A TOLLER PUPPY INTO OUR FAMILY, I WAS RELIEVED TO FINALLY FIND THIS BOOK FROM THE CANADIAN KENNEL CLUB ABOUT THE NOVA SCOTIA DUCK TOLLING RETRIEVER! THIS BOOK ANSWERED ALL OF OUR QUESTIONS WHEN WE WERE NOT ABLE TO REACH THE BREEDER REGARDING TRAINING, HEALTH AND CKC BREED STANDARDS, ITEMS TO BUY IN ADVANCE OF THE PUP'S ARRIVAL TO OUR HOME, ETC. IT IS AN EASY READ, CONTAINS GREAT PHOTOS OF ADULT TOLLERS 'IN ACTION' (IN THEIR NATIVE COUNTRY) AND ADORABLE "aw gee" PUPPY PIX WHILE RELATING THE HISTORY OF THE BREED AS WELL! SINCE THIS RARE BREED IS RELATIVELY NEW TO THE USA, ONLY BECOMING RECOGNIZED BY THE AKC AND FIRST ELIGIBLE TO COMPETE IN THE 'SPORTING DOG GROUP' IN 2003, THERE SHOULD SOON BE OTHER BOOKS AVAILABLE ABOUT THE BREED VIA THE AKC.

What a delightful addition to the series. Wish there were more.

The Loudermilks are back in the winnebago named Lucille, on their way to visit their son Eddie, who is living in Washington D.C. Eddie is an activist who doesn't mind ruffling feathers of those who he feel need to be exposed. His work and his big mouth take a turn for the worst when a member of his faction is found dead and he is arrested for the murder. It's up to Joe and Dottie to investigate and bring the real killer to light. The only problem is the suspect himself, because Eddie is not known for being cooperative. He's just as quirky as his brother and sisters, and just as big a headache for his parents. A quick and fun read for mystery lovers and those whose children are the source behind the rise of asprin and bourbin in this country.

You know when you're playing a video game and you have to pause it to go do something, and you cannot even wait to return to the game well that's how this book is. It's hard to stop reading it and when you do you can hardly wait to be swept back into the book. I am not one to read books often, but I haven't appreciated a book more or read one as fast.
This book in narrated by a retired woman by the name of Dottie. Dottie has several children who are all trouble makers and cause lots of stress. Dottie has a great sense of humor along with a big heart with lots of love for all her kids even though they are hellions. She is married to an equally aged man named Joe. Joe is still young at heart but his body doesn't keep up anymore. They are both energetic and they travel the country in an Airstream camper. Joe's camper is his pride and joy and he even named her Lucille, and he feels that it is a crime to do harm to one or call it a Winnebago or along those lines. Together they have agreed to avoid all of their children (except one, their daughter Maureen) for as long as possible.
This story takes place in Washington D.C. where the couple were visiting because it was one of their life goals. But when they arrived their son Eddie some how found out about their arrival and invited them over to his place for dinner and to meet all of his friends. They were rudely interrupted by an old friend of theirs who they did not care for very much, Eddie and him exchanged some harsh words and then he left. A day later Joe and Dottie were notified that their son was being held in jail and being charged for the death of his old friend.
This book is a mystery book, and it definitely has you on your toes. Throughout the book you find yourself stopped from reading and trying to solve the case in your head. I definitely liked all of the twists and turns in the book. But when you start reading the book you feel completely lost, I found out later that this was due to the fact that the book is a sequel and they expect that you have read the first book. The characters were very real and easy to relate to, I mean Dottie kind of reminds me of my grandma because she's the caring one but there is never a dull moment when you are around her. As for Joe, his character fits my grandpa extremely well; stubborn, assertive, and always thinks he is younger than he is.
The book seemed to have quite a boring start to it, and took a while to get the story rolling so that you became interested. That would have normally caused me to find another book but instead I just kept on reading and now I am glad that I finished it.

Delightfully humurous and entertaining while also being a good mystery. Follows after Going Nowhere FAst an equally good book.

Kevin Chong's book is a fast-paced entertaining reading experience. The premise of a faded once-famous Canadian folk singer's son coming to terms with himself as a young man and his parent's past works well. The charcter of Saul St. Pierre is appropriately confused and ambivalent. The father Ian comes off as a self-absorbed loser who would like to be a better man than he is. I enjoyed the character of Leni, Helena St. Pierre, the reclusive mother who seek and shuns the spotlight at the same time only to walk out on the singing act and wind up in a monestary in Thailand and then commit suicide. We see her in several flashbacks, but she comes off as a woman of mystery, intensely interesting. The plot takes off as Urethra Franklin, a rap band, redoes the St. Pierre's hit "Bushmills Threnody" and causes the spotlight to be refocused on the faded folk act after decades of obscurity. Complications arise as two groupies, Louise and Marina, come into the picture to seduce father and son, respectively. References to other singers like Roger Miller, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and Warren Zevon give the tale a sense of reality. At times I was confused as Chong writes dialogue without identifiers that made it hard to determine who was speaking. The novel is alternately funny and touching, but in the end somewhat an enigma, similar to the character of Leni. Jackson Browne once sang, "It's like a song I can hear playing right in my head...," and "Baroque-A-Nova" is similarly a good time if not a great novel. Enjoy.

I never had a brother so this book was perfect for me, because it was about a young, intrepid young man in high school with a decent libido and a wise-cracking mouth, and I just thought it was so darn funny and warm-hearted and I can't say enough good things about it.

I think we can expect great things from Chong, and this book is certainly worth the credit card debt.

It's one of those books where you just wish there was some more Chong to read right after. I want more Chong!! More Chong books!!

This may be the best book I've ever read. I laughed so hard I think I cracked my spine. Everyone should read this book, and anyone who doesn't like it should be banned for life from all water slides.
Chong for President!

.... I was checking out new titles--usually I build up a list of new titles I want and send an order to an online store--but I was absolutely taken with Baroque-a-nova. I bought it there, full price, took it home and read it that night.

Kevin Chong has a smart engaging voice. He can throw down a sentence so clean you hardly are aware that you are reading a book. He knows how to pick the exact right details so the novel beautifully opens the world of its 18-year old narrator.

If you're looking for a fun, smartly humourous book to read--something like Vancouveer meets Houlden Caulfield meets 1990s multicultural communities--give this one a spin. I don't think you're regret it.

....

A highway patrolman, a computer repairman, their girlfriends (one from Russia) and some strange side characters all contemplating their every sensation and thought in great detail. The fog gets pretty thick at times and within it a few people are killed, some are terrified and some love weaves though it, both beautiful and sick. I would not have thought I would like such a book, but at the end, it left me with such strong feelings that I had to say it was pretty good - at least a 3.5. It is not so much a mystery, nor a thriller, as it is just a psychological study through which, if we hang in there, we may learn a few things about ourselves

A murdered woman lying by the side of the road, her breasts mutilated; a pregnant Russian mail order bride; a strangely conceived foxhunt; and a black snake - a metaphor for all that is evil - slithering through the rafters of a country cabin. With an almost symphonic force, author Craig Nova brings these seemingly disparate elements together to create a story that is infused with drama, love and tells an evocative tale of loneliness and the isolation of life. The characters in Cruisers are desperate and fraught, trapped in emotional cages of their own making; they're ready to snap, endlessly driven by anger, desperation, and colossal family conflict.

Told in alternating chapters and set in Southern Vermont, Cruisers is a portrait of two men, each battling with his own conflicted soul. Both become the prey and the predator, and together they are irrevocably set upon a collision course with one another. Russell Boyd is a Vermont state trooper having doubts about the risks his night-shift job entails. Every night as he traverses the highways and tickets speeders, he wonders whether there are other possibly more serious offenders out there. Falling into the arms of Zofia, his lover, Russell seeks solace from the rigors of the job. But Zofia, a responsible schoolteacher, knows the inherent dangers of Russell's job and hesitates to make a binding pledge to him.

When Zofia becomes pregnant and considers an abortion, Russell is left with a sense of a collision between common sense and his beliefs about what he should do. He tries to decide just what it was he needs to hang on to - was it his grandfathers love or the certainty of what things are like when they go wrong? Plagued by the ineffectual, and haunted by Zofia's worries, Russell feels powerless to stop the tawdry senselessness of his job, which seems to exist in the memory of colours and the half-frozen landscape. Life has left Russell restless and fatigued so he permanently hangs between the two.

Frank Kohler, a thirty-year-old computer repairman, lives alone in the Vermont woods and patrols his property with a fanaticism that borders on the dangerous. Frank is struggling with a "deep and nameless turmoil" and is driven by the angry memories of his murdered mother. In desperation, he decides that love will save him, but since he's too publicly clumsy to court a woman, he orders a mail-order bride from Russia. Frank constantly lives on the edge and the only reason he has been able to survive is by being careful about what he had led himself to remember.

Frank's sense of fragility, which he detested and his closeness to that abyss of sparkling light, steadily becomes worse. Racked with life's claustrophobia, Frank's emotional solace though love is futile, because the dye has already been cast. It is though everything about the world that he couldn't get control of had been there when he found his mother murdered. His new-fangled flashy black sports car and his new Russian bride have unfortunately come to late for him.

Nova steadily builds the tension with a subdued but mighty force. Both men are emotionally disconnected, but they ache to reconnect to those they love. Russell, in an effort to solve the mystery of the murdered woman, goes to the hotel where she was last seen. Frank wonders the fields of his property remembering the battered torso of his mother that was found in a box by the local river. At once refrained, but also quite unnerving and powerful, Nova has a formidable noir style that gradually encapsulates the reader, unadulteratingly revealing the steadfast heart of human quandary and insecurity. Mike Leonard March 05.

I am an avid reader during the summer months and came across this book while perusing the book shelves at my favorite bookstore.
Well! Reading this novel was a brand new experience!
The story is gripping, the characters are "real", and my soul just "resonated" to the "words"....the duality of our humaness and lives, the dark and the light, the mundane and the violence, the confusion and the clarity.
Never have I read anything like this before.

I am a new Craig Nova fan.

Cruisers can refer both to the car driven by State Trouper Russell Boyd or the two men who cruise thorough this dark novel, Boyd and a wacked out computer techie named Frank Kohler.

Boyd cruises Vermont's highways during the night, chasing down speeders and lawbreakers. He loves his job, but broods about the dangers, knowing that anything can happen when he stops someone. He lives with school teacher Zofia Wira who worries throughout the night about whether or not he'll come home safe and sound. Only when he does, can she relax and start her day.

Kohler is a lonely, damaged and slightly deranged soul who saw his prostitute mother murdered when he was a child. It's a memory that haunts him. How could it not? Like the Beatle's song, he believes all he needs is love and he searches for it with a Russian mail order bride, who is not exactly what he expected. Katryna Kolymov, the bride, has her own agenda, one very different from Frank's, and in the end it pushes him beyond where any sane man would ever go and being that Frank is a man drawn to black, to the dark, when he's pushed, violence is the result.

The book alternates between Russ and Frank's stories, crossing paths just three times, the first when Russ and Zofia accidently trespass on Frank's land when they are fishing, from that point on, we sense that something bad, something very bad is going to happen, and it's impossible to stop reading. This is a dark book, beautifully written by a masterful storyteller. The characters stay with you long after you've turned the last page, intruding into your night, hanging around throughout the day.

This book is much more detailed and in depth. Since I am new to this topic, some of it was boring, but I have tabbed the pages to review again in the future. I will keep this book for quite awhile to refer back to.

I was a skeptic until I bought this book and learned about natural magnetism and how magnetic forces actually aid healing. George Washnis did a great job in gathering facts from an impressive array of scientific sources.

Armed with this information,, my friends and I tried magnetic therapy with great success. I now am sharing my good fortune with others.

This book is written in lay terms but gives a good over-view of the use of magnets for help with the multitude of problems we all face. It does not offer true objective studies, although many have been done. For those looking for help to complement more traditional Western therapies, this book gives an overview, but few specifics.

Magnetic healing therapy has been my way of life for 10 years. I always recommend this book to those interested in using magnets for healing. The author keeps it simple and directs the reader by showing where the acupressure points and magnet points are to treat the body for a specific problem. The author also gives a basic overview of the history but does not weight the reader down with scientific data that can be researched elsewhere.

Sorry, but I cannot see why all the other reviews give this 5 stars. At best I can only give it 2 stars.

The book really seemed to need an editor to give it some direction. There are some good ideas in here for an alternate history or a fantasy novel, but it seems like Reginald tried them all to see which ones would stick. Frankly I don't care that this is because is the author is a polymath showing off his many influences and interests (as another reviewer suggests)... to me it just means the book is a cluttered mess.

Additionally it seemed to suffer from constant attempts to inject some humor -- bad puns, joke names, etc. It seems like half of today's fantasy does this, and this is yet another example of where it just doesn't help the story at all.

Finally, only a few of the characters seems to have much, well, character. The Exiled Prince himself was, I thought, pretty blah. He seemed so undynamic that he was almost like a MacGuffin in a Hitchcock, i.e., the object around which everything revolves but in and of itself is not very interesting.

Frankly, it was just a struggle to finish this thing and I don't really know why I did. Maybe so I could convince myself the $25 that I spent on it wasn't wasted.

And why someone would say that if you liked Turtledove's "Ruled Britannia" you'd also like this book, I can't even guess.

I was pleased to review "The Dark-Haired Man", Mr. Reginald's
first Romance set in Nova Europa and Im delighted to let my fellow readers know that his second venture into those exotic lands is every bit as wonderful. This story works on so many levels,as a mystery,as an adventure,alternate history,medieval romance and an intriguing study of power,faith and the men who seek both. Mr. Reginald's world also serves skillfully as a "distant mirror" on our own...genuine history should be half this much fun.
There is a lot to ingest here but it is a marvelous feast that treats us to both a grand story and a richly detailed setting, all seasoned with the author's unique humor and subtle magic. I could easily spend many years pleasurably exploring Mr. Reginald's wondrous world of Nova Europa.
These are important books that deserve a wide readership. The fantasy community has a real treasure in Robert Reginald.

The book is set in Nova Europe 1090 in the French speaking state of Neustria. The plot is involves a ruthlessly ambitious church official (Grégoire Malateste); women of the court who are underestimated and a prince (Prince Théodoric) who is wrong accused of murdering his kinsmen. Prince Théodoric must keep one-step ahead of those who would hang him for a crime he did not commit and restore the throne to its rightful owner. Readers who enjoyed Ruled Brittinia by Harry Turttledove would probably enjoy this book because it reads like rich alternative history.

I have a more detailed review at SFReader.com.

Mr. Reginald has done it again - as I expected he might. His earlier novel, THE DARK-HAIRED MAN, was so exuberant that it was hard to believe that it would remain a one-shot success. More Nova Europa stories were planned, we were told (sequels is not the right word, because the novels will be jumping around between different countries and epochs of the author's alternative world), and this one, THE EXILED PRINCE, has a different feel to it, but it matches its predecessor for colour, action, humour and inventiveness. Some of the details, like the giant semaphore masts with their huge wings, are brilliant, and just as they were in THE DARK-HAIRED MAN the villains are as nasty as villains can get. Mr. Reginald is a polymath, and you may notice a wide range of influences at work in this text - Tolkien, As You Like It, The Prisoner of Zenda, Jacobean Tragedy - as well as spotting touches of Robert Frost, Tom Wolfe, Casablanca, Monty Python, or Edward Fitzgerald's Omar Khayyam. There are even learned in-jokes from different areas, including ancient numismatics (another field in which the author is an expert). It's a rich mixture, yet the recipe works, and the author's narrative skills ensure that the literary and cultural detail never overwhelms the story. It's a fine tale, well told, but be warned: You may find the book hard to put down.

Based on the reviews, I expected to read an excitement filled, humorous novel. The humor was there -- to some degree, but the excitement wasn't. It was a decent read, but it's not one I could pick up again.

It was heartwarming to read about a middle class African American family who encountered the same or similar problems of our blue-eyed brothers and sisters. I WANT TO READ MORE OF THE LOUDERMILKS...WHEN IS THE NEXT ADVENTURE....IT HAS BEEN TOOO LONG..

What do you do when you're kids are grown and won't leave home? Sell the house and buy an Airstream trailer. Afterall, they can't find a moving target, or CAN they? Joe and Dottie Loudermilk, a retired policeman and teacher, respectively, have taken early retirement and hit the road in "Lucille," their Airstream trailer. It's an ideal life until they reach the Grand Canyon and their son, "Theodore," aka "Bad Dog" shows up unexpectedly. He's not alone. Joe and Dottie also find a dead man sitting on the toilet! There's a mystery to be solved and Dottie's going to do it. (Joe's going to help; he just doesn't know it yet.) And the fun begins. After writing the hard-boiled Aaron Gunnar mysteries, it's good to see Gar Anthony Haywood have some fun. The book is funny, suspenseful and unpredictable. The only thing better than the novel is the audiocassette version with Fran Washington narrating.

GOING NOWHERE FAST takes time to introduce Joe and Dottie Loudermilk in their souped-up winebago, traveling here and there, and ending up at a pit stop with two unwanted passengers...baby son(aptly nicknamed), Bad Dog, and a dead white man in there mobile bathroom. The Loudermilks related to each other as if we had known them all along, and the totally manic/off-center Dog will remind you of that one member of your family that acts as if needs Pat Sajak to buy a clue, when all along, he knows more than he's willing to admit. Characterization hits high notes, and the mystery, while simple enough to follow, will take you along until bad guys have been caught and you want to see them in print again.

This book had really change the way i think. It is written so good, its like i really knew jane. It felt like i was attched to her. I have heard about this book from my boyfriend, who also thinks its an amazing book. I would recommend this book to anyone who is 15 and older, only because of the violence and etc.. I know you will like it.. it will move you like nothing else has before..

I haven't read the book but saw the movie made from it on "True Stories" yesterday. The ending left me puzzled. It showed a car sitting out in the middle of nowhere and then it showed a church, with women holding lit candles and the picture of Jane on an altar. They talked about Jane and things she'd said, it seemed like a memorial service. Did she die??????

Once I started reading "Life With Billy" I could not put it down. I find it hard to believe that one person, Billy, could be so cruel, not only to his wife but to his own child and his wife's by a previous marriage. I am glad that the book was written because so many others have read it and have come out of the closet as far as getting out of abusive relationships themselves. It is a very sad and frightening book, but one that had to be written. I feel the author did an excellent job. It is very well written, easy to follow and understand.

This book, "Life With Billy" is intended for adult readers. It deals with mature subject matters and readers discretion is strongly advised. To think that stuff like this happens in this world, not to mention that it is a true story, what is this world coming to any way. Billy, however, got what he deserved, not implying that violence is the answer but no one should be treated in a way the poor mother did. Billy was a disgrace to all men. There are men out there that treat women with respect and dignity and he definitaly was not one of them. This book was an insight of actual domestic violence and reading about it sends shivers down my spine. I just hope that children don't get their hands on the novel and actually read from it. I feel so sorry for the poor boy who went through all this.