Full of Sin by Karl Vadaszffy
Sean is a troubled young man, a product of an abusive childhood, abandoned by his drug addicted, prostitute mother, suffering at the hands of violet foster parents, he finally finds a semblance of happiness with the Anderson family. However, the demons that are already within him cause him to commit an act of violence against his foster sister, which is the catalyst to a series of unfortunate events that befall our young hero.
This debut novel by Karl Vadaszffy is well written and incredibly easy to read. The character of Sean is easy to empathise with, and the book clearly is written with the intention of pointing out that monsters are not born, they are made. Of course, many would argue with this, as prisons are populated with many offenders who came from a perfectly stable background. But it is true that many of society’s more dangerous criminals are themselves victims of circumstance, and Sean is one such person. However, victims should also be taken into consideration, and it would seem the fate of one of Sean’s victims is brushed under the carpet, and all the attention focused on him and his miserable life.
My main criticism of Full of Sin, is that it is too short at 178 pages, and an extra hundred pages would have given us a chance to explore Sean’s story further and would have allowed room for the supporting characters to be more than just clichés and stereotypes, which some of them end up becoming. The ending is rather rushed, which is disappointing, given that we have invested time in getting inside this young man’s head and living his life through him, and because the end is so hurried, you’re left with a slight feeling of ‘eh?’.
I don’t know if the author intends to, but I think he would be very well suited to writing psychological crime books with an anti-hero as the main protagonist. I would most definitely read more of his books, because Full of Sin kept my interest throughout and I see great potential.
Watch this space for more from Mr Vadaszffy!
*****
Buy Full of Sin at Amazon.co.uk and other online sellers.
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