Title: Deb
Author: Judy Lennington
Publisher: Toplink Publishing
ISBN: 978-1514452837
Pages: 254
Genre: Literary Fiction; Contemporary
Reviewed by: Jennifer Weiss
Pacific Book Review
Debbi is your typical woman, she enjoys her jobs and has a good time with her friends. That is until she is in a horrific accident while on her way home one night. Somehow she managed to live and people began calling her “the lady with angels riding in her backseat.” Since she woke from her coma, things have been different. She had been different. She now has these knew strange abilities that she cannot explain; moving objects with her mind or healing people without having to touch them. The bigger question Debbi continues to ask herself is who were the four people praying over her, and is all this connected to the lights she had seen in the sky that night? All she knows is she must keep it a secret from her doctors and those around her.
This work of fiction revolves around some of the events of an actual accident that happened in 1995, in Monte Alto in Pennsylvania, which shows the author did some research prior to writing the novel. It adds an interesting personal touch to the story. The premise is interesting enough of a woman involved in an accident and wakes up to having superhuman abilities. It is not something we haven’t seen written about before, but the way Lennington presents it is unique. The dialogue and character interaction is very credible, in being both believable and realistic. The characters do develop and grow as the story progresses in their own way, which gives them each a very unique personality. They are interesting characters in which the readers can envision themselves being friends with and interacting alongside.
There are a lot of filler sentences and unnecessary descriptions of every action the characters perform. For example sentences such as “They made their way in that direction. Debbi and Angela sat down at a table,” are not needed. It is understandable of what the author is trying to accomplish, but it breaks up the flow of the story and makes it feel choppy and rigid to read. There was no consistency in Debbi’s name; sometimes it was Debbie, other times it was Deb. That makes it difficult for the reader to fully understand if it is the same character being referenced or two separate ones with a similar name. It is a little distracting for the reader. It takes a little while for the story itself to pick up pace, it feels like there is a lot of background build up within the tale.
While it was a story that took its time building up, it was an appealing and enjoyable read; one which is great for a rainy or snowy afternoon inside. It is a great book in its own right, and audiences who enjoy a contemporary fiction novel with a sort of paranormal twist to it would love this book.