Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Although, just as was Dick Haskin, I was enthralled by Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey regarding the work with primates, my life’s ambition was oriented more towards getting inside the heads of humans, just as the great explorer, John Goddard. Perhaps my conditioning was a reflection of my age, or, probably, because Goddard was a frequent lecturer at my high school in Southeast Los Angeles County. At any rate, I selected as my Amazon First Read the book “Zoo Nebraska” by Carson Vaughan with reluctance and trepidation. It, as well as most of this month’s choices, sounded a bit dreary and depressing. As a resident of the Midwest, I witness every day much of that depicted in this study of rural America. I see, all too frequently, the seemingly perpetual decline of what it means to be living in a region in which ‘newcomers’ include even the folks who moved into the town 20 years ago. However, I was a bit intrigued by the thought of someone starting a zoo. So, I took the chance. What follows below is my honest opinion of the writing and conclusions arrived at by the author. In other words, what did I enjoy or find interesting, and what I enjoyed less about “Zoo Nebraska.” BLUSH FACTOR: After I finished reading, I did a search for eff words and found two. I state it this way, because they were included in a way that I easily forgot they were even in the book. They got in the book in honest reporting of what the person said, rather than for artistic purposes. The first is on page 180, the second on page 188, so, if you prefer to skip over them, you can. By no means would I suggest not buying the book due to the language, but that is your choice. POV: Third person point of view. WRITING & EDITING: The book starts a little slowly and with a little jumping around. Yet, without giving us so full a history of the town and its early mishaps and name-changing, the overall story arc might not have felt sufficiently rewarding. By about 20 percent into the book, I found it a real challenge to set the book aside. Perhaps, though, the first forty pages could have been condensed to, say, 20 or 25, to make for a quicker introduction to the more juicy bits. I think what I’m saying is that if you base your purchase decision on reading only the 10 percent sample, you’ll probably not find much of interest. However, I just want to state that the overall reading experience is much more interesting. EXCERPT: ‘…He inched toward the ledge, found Jimmy Joe behind the wheel. “He’s inside here!” he called to Arvin below. “He’s inside the van?” Jimmy Joe began to jump and thrash, rocking the van, screaming and tearing up the upholstery, smearing his blood across the dash, as if he just now realized he was trapped inside. “It was like Planet of the Apes,” Detlefsen says. “Every time I see that movie, I’m looking around because the scream in that movie is the same one [that came] out of that van.” Duaine reparked his truck parallel to the blocks, creating a makeshift barricade. Two more locals joined the huddle with rifles slung over their shoulders. “Take him out inside the van?” the trooper asked Arvin. “Oh, we don’t want to break windows, do we?” “As long as he’s in there—” “If he tries to get out,” Arvin called back over his shoulder, “take him.” But the standoff seemed to enter a strange intermission. Fifty-mile-an-hour gusts now whipped the trees like dirty rag dolls, their shadows dark and distended across the parking lot. The flag clanked against its pole. Another truck rumbled past on the highway. The sun bounced off the shiny hood of the trooper’s vehicle, the whole scene playing out upside down in its reflection. At least seven armed men…’ Vaughan, Carson. Zoo Nebraska: The Dismantling of an American Dream (pp. 180-181). Kindle Edition. BOTTOM LINE If you buy “Zoo Nebraska,” be sure to read the Author’s Note and Acknowledgments in order to more fully appreciate the efforts of this journalist to accurately convey his understanding of the events leading up to, and including, the aftermath. Oh, and you might do as I, and purchase “The Hills of Mars” by D. R. Haskins. I look forward to another interesting history of small-town Nebraska. Certainly “Zoo Nebraska” is not a great read for every reader. It was, though, interesting and an intriguing read for me. It was much better than I feared it would be. Four stars out of five. I am striving to produce reviews that help you find books that you want, or avoid books that you wish to avoid. With your help, my improvement will help other readers find books they enjoy reading..