Afbeelding auteur

Dmitri Ragano

Auteur van The Fugitive Grandma

3 Werken 4 Leden 3 Besprekingen

Werken van Dmitri Ragano

The Fugitive Grandma (2013) 2 exemplaren
Employee of the Year (2011) 1 exemplaar
The Voting Machine 1 exemplaar

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The Fugitive Grandma by Dmitri Ragano

From the back of the book:

Deep in the heart of California’s dysfunctional, strip mall suburbs, the city of Santa Ramona is besieged by a pair of unlikely bandits. Johnny Valentine is a lonely boy who dreams of becoming a hero, just like the masked avengers of his comic books. His feisty grandmother Stella is a retired supermarket clerk and cancer survivor with a fierce sense of justice. Running out of time, money and options, the old lady is driven to make one last, great contribution to the world.

Together the boy and his grandmother devise a Robin-Hood style scheme to rob a ruthless, retail conglomerate, stealing cash and medicine for the sick and needy. As their crime spree continues, the citizens of Santa Ramona wonder how to judge the crazy, young boy and his fugitive grandma. Are Johnny and Stella Valentine a menace to society? Or are they the only ones trying to save it?

This story drew me in and held my attention throughout the whole book. There was never a time when I wanted to stop reading. Johnny Valentine and his grandmother Stella Valentine are loveable characters even though they are on the wrong side of the law—maybe. What side of the law you believe these two are on depends on what you believe to be right and wrong.

I really felt for Stella Valentine and her plight. She has a son, Frank, who is not a very likeable character. It is some of the things that Frank has put into place himself that sees his mother and son running away from some very bad characters as well as the police. Stella is a cancer survivor who finds herself in a financial nightmare with no way to pay for her medications. This is another event that sees grandma and grandson hiding from the law because of their criminal activities. Johnny becomes involved in all of this because of his deep love for his grandma.

The Fugitive Grandma by Dmitri Ragano is a lovely read. I loved seeing the connection between Stella and Johnny and could very well understand the relationship between Stella and Frank. This story is as much a look into family relationships as it is a look into what happens when big corporations are allowed to set up shop and do whatever they please to customers and staff alike. This story is a very well written cautionary tale. My rating for The Fugitive Grandma is 5*.
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Gemarkeerd
carfor12 | 1 andere bespreking | Jan 10, 2014 |
The Fugitive Grandma by Dmitri Ragano is an insightful, dark humored story.

Stella Valentine is a prime example of this broken system. Retired from Caruso's Grocery, she lives on a very fixed income. To top it all off, her benefits barely cover an experimental drug that allows her to stay cancer-free.

Stella is a fascinating character. She is the epitome of a time long past. There is an old fashioned moral code within Stella's heart that goes beyond fear, beyond hatred, and every now and then, it makes a ferocious appearance.

The heavy hand of betrayal comes barreling through Stella's quiet life. She loses her benefits and her treatments almost overnight. Great American has absorbed Caruso's Grocery and has refused to honor any pensions or benefits. Dr. Whittier, who had been treating her with the experimental drug that has thus far proven quite effective, has refused to help her; instead, opting to let her die if she can't afford the "miracle cure".

Johnny Valentine is Stella's grandson. He's young and idealistic. Johnny's smaller stature makes him the target of bullying in school. Perhaps that is the putative reason for his deep desire to be a hero.

Together, Stella and Johnny recognize the gaping void of betrayal and despair that have inundated their own lives. There is not a lot of philosophizing at this point. Consistent to Stella's character, the decision was simple and direct. They would steal from the corrupted individuals who had, under the guise of doing business within legal limits, stolen the lives of countless other struggling Americans.

Ragano's story is wholly original, yet the song is a tune that every reader has experienced from one degree to the next. It is the reason the book strikes a chord within each of us. His narrative comes off the page in a life-like manner and keeps the reader hooked in a fast-paced story.

Read the entire review here:
Bookend Chronicles
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Gemarkeerd
gigifrost | 1 andere bespreking | Aug 15, 2013 |
The Voting Machine is an unflinching atmospheric murder-mystery.

Temo McCarthy is the main character who has a connection with the murdered voters. The FBI decide to include Temo in the investigation of the mysterious deaths of two voters.

An investigation reveals something even more sinister, and a simple murder-mystery is turned upside down.

Right or wrong, true vs. false is thrown out the window. There is a sliding grey scale that each character in this book must venture and decide upon. It is a realistic point in certain aspects, such as Brenda with her PTSD and Anabelle's rehabilitation centers. The reader is drawn into a provocative story line that is honest and gritty.

This is the second book in a series of Temo McCarthy stories. I have never read the first book, but The Voting Machine stands well on it's own. I did not miss any character subplots or extraneous references that would have muddled a great book.

Ragano is an exceptional storyteller.

Read the entire review here:
Bookend Chronicles
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Gemarkeerd
gigifrost | May 4, 2013 |

Statistieken

Werken
3
Leden
4
Populariteit
#1,536,815
Waardering
5.0
Besprekingen
3
ISBNs
2