Amariah: The Boy

by Roland Amariah Gonzales, Victoria Zackheim (editor)

"Our foundations are set in place during childhood. Hard times make for hard foundations. Sturdy, solid. The edifice erected thereafter, its style, its shape…its flow and direction are entirely up to the builder." Come and see the boy Amariah, born into his low existence. See his curiousity, his struggle to understand. Come and see the boy Amariah! See joy and laughter clutched dearly to his breast, glowing fireflies in a dark forest. Come...see the boy Amariah. See each agony experienced anew, each lash of the whip bright, bloody, and fresh. Come, see the boy Amariah. See and wonder what might become of such a wretch?

328 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 3, 2023

Reviews

[Andrew Maltese · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ameriah: The Boy, the first book in a series that cronicles the life of Roland Ameriah Gonzales. One can say this book smacks of desperation, a need to be perceived in a certain light, a need to be liked. I think if one delves deep enough they can see these flaws are within the tales themselves. Yes, it is a story of heartache and woe. I often found myself struggling to continue due to it evoking past hardships that I think most people experience in some form or another in their lives. This is a tale of the author as a child, a boy who is desperate to be accepted and it doesnt take a genius to see while that boy grew into a man, the author that he is today is still holding on to that aspect of himself. That deep psychological hold that stems from a childhood of confusion and from being ostracized by those around him. A struggle for acceptance that gives birth an unconcious filter of self doubt. As Mr. Gonzales continues this series I hope we see this fledgling author move past these shortcomings and remove the mask so carefully painted on, revealing the man beneath. Is the book perfect? Far from it, but it is a tale yet to be completed. So why the 5 star review? Mostly to balance out a review from a certain "Richard Kensington". I feel doing so put the book towards a more reasonable rating that I would give it. At a glance one can see Mr. Kensington reads and 1 star review bombs all the books he decides to read on this platform from atop his ivory tower, well within the deep confines of his mothers basement. Richards parents may not have raised him right when it comes to critiquing other peoples creative works but at least they were correct when calling him "Richard", ensuring that the world will know immediatly that he is a Dick.

[Ana Lourenço · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely life affirming, a perfect mother's day gift!

Gonzales, wether by a natural talent for meditation and memory recall, or as a result of multiple blows to the head, is able to perfectly encapsulate the thought processes, prose and innate reactions of a pre-teen boy struggling through a world entirely against him. Steven King fans will have a field day.
I laughed, introspected and genuinely cried at multiple segments.

If you ever want your mother to feel really good about herself, or are yourself a mother questioning your self-worth, please do not hesitate to buy this book.
I mean you probably should buy it regardless, I finished it in 5 days amid a busy schedule, couldn't put it down.