Official Review: On The Run by Theolonious Monk

[Monet_va]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "On The Run" by Theolonious Monk.]

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1 out of 4 stars

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On the Run by Theolonious Monk is a short story romance novel following the story of an unlikely pair of African American characters in New York City.

James is our male protagonist, and behind his player like ways and suave moves, he has been hiding a secret – he’s a hitman, and a good one at that. Beatrice is an ordinary, 19-year-old girl who is used to hanging out with her friends and attending college classes. Their lives both change for the better when they see each other for the first time in a busy New York street. From there on, their hearts are not their own. James introduces Beatrice to his world and puts his bachelor days behind him as Beatrice slowly learns that James is far from what he seems to be.

The development of the romance in this novel was quite unusual. They admit to being in love after a few short weeks of only speaking on the phone, and are described as ‘soulmates’, but there was hardly any evidence to support this term. Most of their romance was told to the reader, instead of shown, and it was difficult to believe in them as a couple because there was nothing to invest in.

A large focus is placed on sex in this novel, and the way that James idolizes sex and seems to treasure it above all else showed that he was not the type of protagonist that a reader would route for. Beatrice, on the other hand, is so ordinary that I truly did not understand why James fell in love with her. The most entertaining parts of the story were when James was out on a job, trying to assassinate someone. With that being said, I’m reluctant to label this as a romance novel.

There were several grammar mistakes in this novel, leading me to believe that it was not professionally edited. Besides this, the dialogue was difficult to understand at times because of the large volume of slang. I know that the slang was added to accurately portray the characters and their culture, but it just read as odd at times.

I have rated this book 1 out of 4 stars because of the lack of plot, character development and editing. Even though this was a short story, coming in at around twenty thousand words, there is still a lot a writer can do with that. Unfortunately, Monk fell short with this book.

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On The Run
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[Stephanie Elizabeth]

I kept catching glimpses of this book online, and I was so on the fence about reading it. While reading your review, I think I will skip it; it is too bad about all the errors and how James prioritizes sex above anything else. Thanks for the honest review!

[kandscreeley]

Well, it's definitely not a book for me. I was intrigued because James was a hitman, but you lost me at how he idolizes sex above all. I'm sorry you suffered through this. I'll pass. Thanks.

[ReneeBrown]

Yikes, sounds like a poorly executed novel. Thanks for the well-written review!

[Brutus4g]

Great catchy book. Story right pace easy to follow.

[Ngozi Onyibor]

I can't stand unrealistic portrayal of romantic relationships in books. Some authors go on and on about a couple's love when there is hardly any love nurturing activity or substance to the relationship. That said, the slangs and the errors makes this book a no for me. Thanks for the insight.

[Prisallen]

I also found it intriguing that he was a hitman, but nothing else about the book appeals to me. Thanks for a wonderful review!

[Wyland]

Too bad the book didn't live up to its theme and plot because of poor portrayal of the action and vivid characterization. Thanks for your insightful review.

[Meg98]

This does not sound like it is a good read. The editing flaws and sex is off-putting for me, so I will pass. Thank you for your honest, excellent review! Cheers:)