Some Small Magic by Billy Coffey

Posted by abakersp in Contemporary / 1 Comment

This is the first time I’ve read something by this author. I received it as a review book, and the back sounded interesting so I thought I’d give it a try. I’m not going to lie. It turns out this book was not totally my cup of tea (more on that later). However, had some things been really different I feel like the author would have had a slam dunk story. I’ll let you make your own assumptions.

About the Book

Some Small Magic by [Coffey, Billy]All Abel wants is a little bit of magic in his life. Enough money so his mom doesn’t cry at night. Healing for his broken body. And maybe a few answers about his past.

When Abel discovers letters to him from the father he believed dead, he wonders if magic has come to the hills of Mattingly, Virginia, after all. But not everything is as it seems.

With a lot of questions and a little bit of hope, Abel decides to run away to find the truth. But danger follows him from the moment he jumps his first boxcar, forcing Abel to rely on his simpleminded friend Willie—a man wanted for murder who knows more about truth than most—and a beautiful young woman they met on the train.

From Appalachia to the Tennessee wilds and through the Carolina mountains, the name of a single small town beckons: Fairhope. That is where Abel believes his magic lays. But will it be the sort that will bring a broken boy healing? And is it the magic that will one day lead him home?

You can check out the book here

My Perspective

This book was a difficult read for me. My heart went out to poor Abel. He grabbed my attention from the first few chapters. And I did let out a chuckle when I read about what Abel did to Chris. Willie reminded me of Lenny from Of Mice and Men, big guy with a big heart. The author is a great writer. Very descriptive, and I enjoyed that the sections changed POVs. While never in first person, you got that sense by how he wrote it, and it was interesting to get different perspectives on what was happening.

Two things that were hard though. I struggled with some of the rough scenes between Abel and Chris. It was just heartbreaking to read. But aside from that, the supernatural stuff was not at all something I enjoyed reading. It started when Abel and his momma went to the revival like service. I almost stopped reading, but really wanted to know what happened to Abel so I kept plugging along. I just didn’t feel it was necessary for the story. When Dorothy’s character came into play it could have been handled differently and still had the same affect. I was disappointed that the book has taken this turn.

I think if the supernatural elements had been left out I would have really enjoyed it. Aside from that, the author does have a gift with words. It’s just too bad I’d did not enjoy all the elements in this particular story. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

About the Author

Billy Coffey

I write about what I see and wrap a story around it, which often results in characters who realize stumbling through life is okay because it’s still moving forward. That seems appropriate, I think. In the end we’re all doing the best we can with what we have, smiling through the fear we face, and trying to find the beauty in life’s sameness. So I watch and I listen, and what doesn’t end up in a book will usually find its way to my blog, What I Learned Today.

 

 

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