Slum

by Dan Carroll

Slum is not the typical boy-meets-girl love story. Their situation is impossible. He is the sophisticated president of an organization in New York. She is a former stripper living in a slum on an island in the Caribbean. Besides, he already has a girlfriend; he is not looking for someone else- especially not a married woman from a far-away slum! But, as fate would have it, a six-year-old child is the force which brings them together into a rebellious and passionate entanglement which transforms them both into a deep passion for life itself.

298 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2011

Reviews

[Leah Lindeman · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Slum," written by Dan Carroll, tells the story of Robert Beaufort, the head of a humanitarian company who falls in love with an ex-stripper, present-day entrepreneur Julianna Miranda in the Cienaga slum. This tale of the clash of cultures is vividly portrayed by engaging dialogue; the characters are distinctly endearing. However, the heavy use of profanity at times and the novel's lack of dramatic tension toward the end somewhat damages the story's effort to be a philosophically inspiring novel.

(Spoiler alert) Robert leaves New York, headquarters of his humanitarian organization, to travel to San Cristobal to retrieve an attestation signed by the government concerning the transfer and usage of his brother's donation to the Cienaga slum. Through a horrible auto accident, he meets little Alba, who was born with a hole in her heart, and her beautiful mother Julianna. The love Robert and Julianna have for Alba begins to connect them in an inextricable way. Even though she is married to Pedro, Julianna begins an affair with Robert. Pedro soon receives a near-fatal accident, after his daughter Alba has received a life-saving operation, leaving him a a state of vegetation. Julianna and Robert decide to bring their relationship in the open while deciding to keep Pedro on life support for the present.

Two of the novel's strong points are its dialogue and characters. The dialogue moves the story along at a good pace, never lingering too long upon once scene. Its neatly-clipped appearance and tone is solidified by the characters' unique voices. The characters' dialogues and monologues are what paint such a vibrant picture of their intentions and personalities. Natalia, the first-aid lady in the Cienaga slum, is one force of nature; the reader can gather this impression from the first sentence she utters.

Although the novel's dialogue is full of vitality, it can be at times full of profanity. During these scenes, the reader can be bombarded by f-words. Their presence detracts from the novel's descriptive power.

The first three quarters of the novel was well-built upon the characters' drives and passions. But the anticlimactic last quarter of the novel was disappointing. The main characters' victories over themselves were close to undetectable. The possible troublesome nature of Pedro's character was too easily removed from the picture by an accident in the hurricane. The ending was... boring.

The intention of the storyteller to produce a love story that would uplift the hearts that read it can be seen and appreciated. But the swearing and lack of character empowerment in the end has it falling short of a greater goal.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an interesting book! I have to admit, being someone who works in the developing world, "Slum: a Novel" was a book title that made me a little suspicious. However, Dan Carroll proved that he knew his stuff, and he wrote a great book in the process.

I seriously couldn't put this thing down, and I found myself disappointed when I saw 90% on my Kindle (thank goodness there's a sequel). The characters were pretty well developed, and Carroll does a great job of describing many different bodies of knowledge (New York, the Caribbean, non-profits, commercial printing, etc.)

I would definitely suggest this book to those of you who haven't traveled to the developing world. It's not perfect description of what goes on down there, but it's a great effort. My only criticism was that the dialogue was supposed to be in Spanish (but translated into English), and I wasn't really convinced that was the case. It really seemed like Carroll was thinking in English for the majority of the time and even through in some sort of American south accent from time-to-time.

All-in-all, though, it was a great book. Everyone should give it a read. It has the potential to be a great mainstream read about a subject that often gets overlooked.

[Jan farnworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a way of drawing you into the story -- you want to keep reading just to see what is going to happen next to the characters. You become invested in the main characters, you want to cry and cheer along with them. You want their dreams to come true; you almost become a part of the whole story as you turn each page and devour each chapter. I liked all the descriptions about the slum life as I have no real experience in that type of place or world. The hurricane description really drew me in and felt like I was experiencing the pain and devastion right along with the characters.

I do hope that there is a sequel to the book. I want to see where Robbie's and Julianne's relationships go; I want to know what happens to her husband; and I want to see Alba grow up and flourish beyond the slum. I am invested in the story -- I want an ending.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

What was the most interesting aspect of this book was the fact that this could happen to anybody. Maybe not the specifics of moving to a slum and falling in love, but life taking a complete turn and you ending up where you never dreamed of.

This was an interesting, eye-opening read and I highly recommend it.

[Tiffini Blaisdell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book for a survey and this kind of book would normally not be my type of book to read but i absolutely LOVED it! Dan Carroll does an amazing job at illustrating the life in the Slum. It definitely makes you stop and appreciate the little things in life. :)!

[Deirdre · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel was an unexpected journey into the slum, it was very well written. With allusions to sex without going into extreme details. Very pleasent summer read

[Sarah Barnes]

Great love story

I loved this book from a sad story about a little girl to a great love story definitely recommend to read