PREFACE TO REVIEW
On a superficial reading,
Merging with Monsters might offend or shock some readers. It is a book meant for an adult audience not only on account of the description of a rape, and the struggles of gay and African-American characters to succeed in the business world while fighting against discrimination, but also, the humor of this novel is best understood by an older and more sophisticated audience. If you are easily offended, do not read the book. If, on the other hand, you search out the unusual, cutting-edge, and eclectic book,
Merging with Monsters definitely surpasses the traditional notion of the thriller genre.
The prologue includes a rape scene after which Green describes the melting snow becoming invisible on a car hood. This metaphor brilliantly describes the rendering invisible of the victim by the attacker. As a writer, Green does just the opposite...he renders visible those whom harsh experiences have squashed down.
I have hesitated to post my review of this book because I do not want to offend the casual reader and yet I feel compelled to add my review. Joseph Eugene Green is a local author and Denver native. His thriller is one of the best books I have read in many years. We have heard a lot of what spirituality ought to be from national figures in Colorado Springs but rarely do we find spirituality in such unexpected places. What I most treasure about this book is this modern sense of spirituality and the kindness with which the author creates his characters.
His book can be purchased through Amazon.com, Alibris.com, Biblio.com and Abe.com as well as through our website.
REVIEW: More than a Thriller!
Merging With Monsters is the best novel I have read in years. And I do mean years! From the Prologue metaphor of the melting snow to the very last line, Joseph Eugene Green makes visible to us those that society makes invisible. The writing is shockingly beautiful.
In
Merging with Monsters, Joseph Green views a corporate merger through vignettes of characters struggling to succeed in the business world. Anita, an African-American woman, fights her way up the corporate ladder. But will her close-held secret bring all her hard work crashing down in front of her and the entire company? Will the white good old boy golf partners allow her entry into their closed group? Grayson, a black man living in prestigious Highlands Ranch, Colorado, was promised a leadership role in the merger, but he is stymied at every turn. Will he succeed in grasping power or self-destruct? Phoebe, Anita's assistant, has fought her way through poverty and a bullet permanently disabling her to her current position. How will her momentary error in judgment tip the balance in the struggle between Anita and Grayson? Sherry, Grayson's wife, has fought her family who opposed their biracial marriage. Now, she must fight to preserve her marriage as Grayson's perfect corporate veneer starts to crack. Julian, both gay and Hispanic, finds himself in the middle of both corporate and family struggles. Can he successfully negotiate all the power plays around him and keep himself intact?
Green's book is a thriller....it was impossible to put down, but it is so much more than a thriller.
The author's delightful humor effuses the world he has created. The sex scenes are both raw and classy. Green gives us an incredible depth of character behind the façade and power struggles. He has given us a thriller with a modern sense of spirituality that both grounds the characters and lifts them up.
Merging with Monsters will appeal to anyone who liked
Six Feet Under ... except that Green's book is better in my opinion. What makes
Merging With Monsters truly unique is the generosity of vision with which Green sees his characters. Read this book. Turn off your phone, cancel your engagements and read slowly. This writing is something that you will want to savor. At the same time, you will want to race through the book to find out the answers. Fight that desire and read slowly.
Merging with Monsters will give you a new appreciation for the world around you and the grace within us all.
The ending was a total surprise. With his ending, Joseph Eugene Green has given his reader the same shocking generosity of insight that he has given his characters. Perfect!
Grade: A