Churchboys & Other Sinners

Rating:
Summary: A sinner is a sinner
Review: Allen illustrates life lessons with a moralistic tilt in his collection of short stories. Many readers will find this book to be an enjoyable read and those new to this genre may be intrigued by his cast of characters. I especially enjoyed the stories that featured the religiously-correct Elwyn; I would take pleasure in a full length novel on his story alone. CHURCHBOYS AND OTHER SINNERS makes a great train ride read. The stories are brief and meaningful and leave the reader satisfied.

Reviewed by Diane Marbury (HonestD)
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Complete review can be found on our website...

Rating:
Summary: Humor and Poignancy
Review: I agree with Jen on this one. These stories are great. Reading this book was fun. Each story sparkled. Preston L. Allen's humor and poignancy shine forth in each story. My favorites are Is RANDY Roberts There, Get Some, Thirty Fingers, Apostate, Prince William Blows Good, and The Lord of Travel. Each story is great, but these are like little novels. You really leave each story with a sense that you know the characters in it. They are so sad. So funny. So touching. SO good. Jen is right about this one. I went back and flipped through his novel, Hoochie Mama, and now I understand it better. It is a mystery story, true, but it is really one of these touching, powerful little stories filled out and blown up to the length of a novel. That's why that thriller of his is so interesting and layered. It has the Preston L. Allen touch: humor and poignancy. He is so good. Zo.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: I had the pleasure of meeting Prof. Allen at a seminar at a local library. My wife is an English student of his. I read the book and found it very entertaining. His writing skill is great. His life story from car salesman to auther is inspireing. His capacity to change into all these different types characters (and include your life occurances) in both Bounce and Church Boys and Other Sinners is spectacular. It is amazing how he can change from this intellectual man, into a poor woman. Amazingly, his stories were short, but to the point. His characters seem to deveolpe quite rapidly and mature fully as the story tanspires. I found it more enjoyable to hear his lecture and stories than to read them myself. As a speaker he is capable of capturing the audiences attention as well keeping them entertained, much as in his short stories. I wish he would consider writing novels or epic stories, preferably non-fiction (science fiction, fantasy just to name two). I really think his character development in these areas will defiantly get him a new audience as well as some writing award.