M. Jonathan Lee

This review originally appeared on my blog at www.gimmethatbook.com.

Thanks to Publishing Push and the author for gifting me this review copy!

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, as the blurb talks about mental health. Was this going to be the crazy ramblings of a manic depressive, or a thinly disguised dream sequence passed off as real life until the very end?

It’s neither. A TINY FEELING OF FEAR is a wonderfully down to earth, no holds barred tale of a man who is suffering from depression. It’s also something more—a story with a crazy, jaw dropping twist that no one could EVER see coming, not in a million years. The plot kept me interested, and I so appreciated the author’s wry humor, especially when describing Walker’s coworkers. After spending time with his office mates, it’s no wonder he was depressed. Hostility and impotence hang over everyone’s head like a miasma, with Andrew Walker at the center. The author’s recounting of a nasty, demanding customer is spot on and cringingly accurate. Anyone who has ever worked in client services will have flashbacks, especially when an angry customer is abusing Walker and we are privy to his mental dialogue. Those are the bright spots. Interspersed with these moments are Walker at his darkest, when he is having such a bad day he can’t even get out of bed and is contemplating suicide. His anxiety and how it affects him is recounted in excruciatingly correct detail; anyone who has suffered from this all too prevalent malady will be intimately familiar with the pounding heart, crushing doubt, and sense of failure. A simple trip to the supermarket nearly turns into a disaster, as Walker almost loses his grip on reality as he travels up and down the aisles.

The one bright spot in his life is his next door neighbor, newly moved in and with issues of her own. The two form an oddly awkward yet comforting relationship, and she helps Walker come to grips with a personal decision that is a long time coming. Some details about his life are revealed very slowly, and I got the sense that even though he was keen enough to make others familiar with the anxiety, I was not permitted to gain very much insight into the man that Walker was. Often the character says that he is worthless, ordinary, and uninteresting, which is normal for someone with depression. Over time, we learn exactly what happened to bring about this life change.

As Walker leaves for a business trip, a few plot lines are near to becoming resolved. I felt so bad for the character and wondered what would be happening–would the author create a happy ending or would there be more misery? Depression and anxiety are not always “fixed”, and I was curious to see how things would turn out. After all, the blurb says that the character is being honest, and this may just save a life.

In any case, no matter what scenario you may have built up in your mind will not prepare you for how things end. Anyone who says they saw this coming is either lying or crazy–or both. I felt exhilarated and manipulated all at the same time, and there were times where I wasn’t sure what just happened. Jonathan Lee is crazy talented and crafty as hell to have pulled this off, that is about all I can say without spoiling the surprise. He has managed to create a book that will spark dialogue about mental illness while entertaining the reader and making their mind boggle. Quite impressive.… (més)

I have read M Jonathan Lee previous book “Broken Branches” and loved that, #driftstumblefall has lots more, who would have thought one could be gripped any more than he gripped me before!!

This is such a realistic book and thought provoking its an emotional story of not realising what you could have done until it is much too late. It’s a story of family loss and feelings of annoyance.

Some of the characters I liked in this book, others really annoyed me, but that’s good in a book it just proves what a good writer M Jonathan Lee is.

Drift Stumble Fall is one of those books that will stay with me for some time.

https://thereadingshed.wordpress.com/2018/05/16/drift-stumble-fall-by-m-jonathan...
… (més)

What a clever book this is.

First are the numbers in the title when read upside down actually been the author’s name, but secondly how it is written, you won’t ever get a spoiler from me 

337 had me completely gripped from the start, it did its job, I needed to know what was going to happen next, my mind was in overdrive, I read it in one sitting, I had to. It’s a good job I’m awake most nights anyway as it really did keep me occupied.

M. Jonathan Lee is a very clever writer, I’ve read his work before and am always gripped. 337 is certainly no exception and I couldn’t wait to start reading it.

**************************… (més)

337 is a story of grief and its far-reaching effects on a person. Samuel Darte still lives in his childhood home where he and his younger brother came across the note left by his mother, accompanied by her wedding and engagement rings, saying that she was leaving their father. Sam, now in his late 30s, never saw her again. The memories of his mum haunt him every day and wondering what happened to her is constantly in the background.

Sam is a man drifting through his life (we know that seismic events that occur in childhood can affect a person throughout their life) but he's very likeable and his own narrative enables us to feel a certain closeness to him.

This is a quiet novel. It follows the day to day life of Sam through a period of time when he's visiting his Gramma who is dying in a nursing home. I love books that focus on the minutiae of life and this is a great book for that. For it to work, though, the writing has to be top-notch and I found M. Jonathan Lee's writing to be brilliant, empathetic and thoughtful.

337 is an unusual book. The hardback copy I read has a double-ended upside-down opening so you can start the book at either end (this feature is available in books ordered in hard copy from UK booksellers only). I think I would have personally benefitted from starting with the night-time cover but you can start at either end. What this feature does is highlight the fact that nothing is at it seems and there are different ways of seeing things (like the title). The author wanted to write a story where the last word changed everything and he's definitely achieved that as I was shocked by the ending.

337 is a wonderful read and I absolutely loved it. I was completely hooked on the mystery of Sam's mum, the different directions Sam and his brother, Tom, had taken, and Sam's visits to the nursing home where he picks apart everything that is so characteristic about such places. It's beautifully written and hugely emotive whilst also having a calm and understated feel to it.… (més)