Rating: Summary: A Great First Novel Review: I listened to this novel on audiobook and was so impressed. Sometimes a book featuring teenage characters comes across with false sounding conversation, but Steve Gannon did a great job of telling the story with believeable dialogue. The character of the father, Dan Kane, was at times likeable and at other times I wanted to kill him. He was trying to make sure his children grew up tough and could never bring himself to say anything positive to any of them, especially Travis, who happened to be a wonderful pianist which really rubbed his dad the wrong way. The author led the plot into a lot of different story lines, but made each of them easy to follow. I can't say enough about the narrator. He did such a good job of bringing each person to life, mainly Dan Kane's voice, that it made the story even better. I was sorry to come to the end of this book, but am hoping to see something new by this author soon. I would recommend it for anyone, even though there is some rough language.
Rating: Summary: Well-written, with characters you care about Review: I was very impressed with this debut novel. While reading, I cared about every character, however flawed. Steve Gannon has captured the family dynamic very well, with all its jealousies, resentments, and love.I very much look forward to his next novel. Read this book!
Rating: Summary: Well-written, with characters you care about Review: I was very impressed with this debut novel. While reading, I cared about every character, however flawed. Steve Gannon has captured the family dynamic very well, with all its jealousies, resentments, and love. I very much look forward to his next novel. Read this book!
Rating: Summary: Really enjoyed the mix of characters, real people Review: I've met people like the ones in Steve's book. Hardly put
the book down until I finished. If you want a book you can
get "in to" this is one. The father was so well done that
I was afraid for his family.
Rating: Summary: Couldn't put it down! Review: It has been so long since I've found myself so engrossed in a novel. The characters were believable and compelling. Usually, I hurry to finish a book, hoping the next one will be better. This is one to savor
Rating: Summary: Bravo-Great drama, humorous, believable, and touching. Review: It's difficult to get me to sit in one place, yet read a novel. I literally could not put "A Song For The Asking" down until it was finished. I was raised in the area where the story takes place, and found Mr. Gannon's writing so accurate that I felt I was in the plot. This is not your typical formula story but rather a gripping account of a family's life that will have you begging for more at the end of the last page. Steve Gannon is not a writer you will soon forget. More please!!
Rating: Summary: You'll love this tape. Buy it! Review: Jay O. Sanders does a great job of reading this work. You won't be disappointed.
Steve Gannon
2/3/97
Rating: Summary: I think this book was the best book I have ever read. Review: My name is Connor Dugan and I am 12 years old. I listened to this book on tape and it was a very powerful book because it really describes how a family going through some hard times and some good times gets along I know this review is very short but the bottom line is this book was excellent.
Rating: Summary: Portrait of a Dysfunctional Family as Clueless Review: The one star is for fine writing Ñ technically good good characterizations, good technical knowledge in many fields. But. Dysfunctional families don't recover as easily as this author concludes in this reviewer's opinion. Kane's alcoholism is never addressed realistically. His wife's major co-dependency is out of control. Kane should have been shot in the first act or at least a restraining order put out on him by his wife and all the kids. Kane is a bad individual. More than alcoholic recovery might be called for here. There are evil people in the world. Identifying them is very difficult because they can be very intelligent. Their malice runs so deep that they are consciously working to effect the failure of those in their family while hiding this motive with phenomenal adeptness. I found nothing redeeming nor redeemable in the antagonist in the context in which the author wrote the book, the context of a limited knowledge of emotional and physical abuse, wife beating, drunkenness, the negative spill over of a police or soldier mentality into family life. Or rather, I did not feel that the father was portrayed and characterized and identified with the use of tools and therapeutic models that have been commonplace in psychotheraby, alcoholics anonymous and family dynamics for at least the last decade.
Rating: Summary: Portrait of a Dysfunctional Family as Clueless Review: The one star is for fine writing Ñ technically good good characterizations, good technical knowledge in many fields. But. Dysfunctional families don't recover as easily as this author concludes in this reviewer's opinion. Kane's alcoholism is never addressed realistically. His wife's major co-dependency is out of control. Kane should have been shot in the first act or at least a restraining order put out on him by his wife and all the kids. Kane is a bad individual. More than alcoholic recovery might be called for here. There are evil people in the world. Identifying them is very difficult because they can be very intelligent. Their malice runs so deep that they are consciously working to effect the failure of those in their family while hiding this motive with phenomenal adeptness. I found nothing redeeming nor redeemable in the antagonist in the context in which the author wrote the book, the context of a limited knowledge of emotional and physical abuse, wife beating, drunkenness, the negative spill over of a police or soldier mentality into family life. Or rather, I did not feel that the father was portrayed and characterized and identified with the use of tools and therapeutic models that have been commonplace in psychotheraby, alcoholics anonymous and family dynamics for at least the last decade.
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