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Nourished By That Which Consumes
Click the top right-hand corner of the book and read the whole prologue for #FREE it lays the very foundations for the whole plot.
60 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 22, 2012
14 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 29, 2014
My attention was grasped at the very beginning from learning of Yu-Lin’s family suffering as a result of her father’s gambling addiction all the way until her journey to adulthood and avenging those responsible for the cause of said suffering.
I really felt for Yu-Lin. She was written as a very complex and identifiable character. I also like Jared very much, but I did want to find out more about him.
The story itself was very good and extremely intense. I found myself clutching my chest and unable to sleep because I just couldn’t wait to get to the next chapter. This was an amazing read. It would be great to have a sequel to this.
I really felt for Yu-Lin. She was written as a very complex and identifiable character. I also like Jared very much, but I did want to find out more about him.
The story itself was very good and extremely intense. I found myself clutching my chest and unable to sleep because I just couldn’t wait to get to the next chapter. This was an amazing read. It would be great to have a sequel to this.
August 18, 2014
This action packed novel is a short read but that doesn't mean it isn't a complete and compelling story. Zhang Yu lin has had a terrible life, a controlling father who neglected his family as he became a compulsive gambler losing everything and leading to the death of his wife and two children. Yu lin's father ends up in jail and Yu lin is looking for revenge of the yellow dragon clan who were behind the killings of her mother and siblings. This story takes you on Yu lin's journey as she strives to right the wrong's of her father. She ultimately meets Jared Cullum and finds in him a man exactly opposite of her father, This is a great book and a great journey in to a special life.
April 5, 2014
This is an extremely powerful work that seizes the reader so viscerally it becomes impossible to put down and very quickly we find ourselves lost in a desperate world of gambling, existential crises, violence and ethical ambiguity. Joseph Ephraim's "Nourished By That Which Consumes" wrings out of the reader almost every emotion conceivable, leaving them exhausted yet also highly satisfied. I cannot recommend this one highly enough although a stiff drink might be in order as you read.
September 30, 2024
The first thing which striked me about this book was it’s length. It’s considerably shorter than the books I normally read. I’m still trying to work out if this was a good or bad thing and if it was intentional. Based in Singapore this book has quite a few gory bits in it. The writing is good, the prologue draws you in however I did get a little confused. It doesn’t take much though to confuse me! The character’s names were similar which I understand wasn’t avoidable. I think more time (words) could be spent explaining how Yu-Lin got to where she was. but that aside I enjoyed it and would well support if it was extended from a short story to a full length novel. I’m rating this as a good read.
April 30, 2014
Before I get too deep into this, I want to tell you that this book as good elements and bad elements. So, in an effort to give both sufficient equity, I'll address them separately.
The Bad:
After the introduction and first chapter of this book I was sure that I was in for a wild ride. There was a lot of description of the characters, and it laid out their motivations very clearly. What I was surprised to find was that the explanations never stopped. It seemed like each chapter assumed that you hadn't read the one before, newly describing both the characters and the events that had already happened. I was disappointed by the complete lack of faith the author had in the reader. Everything was explained, to excruciating detail, over and over again.
This alone wasn't a big problem, but added to the fact that many of the important events of the book were glossed over, I felt, as the book went on, that I was being propelled through the story. There was an entire chapter that only included about two or three lines of dialog, which wouldn't have been an issue if the rest of the chapter was just an information dump about characters that I thought I had been introduced to and a long list of events that play out for them. That chapter along could have been four or five chapters.
The quick pace was juxtaposed with several intricately written sex scenes, which made me feel like the author was rushing to get to them, and then taking his sweet time once he got there. Now I don't mind sex scenes, but I felt like, with such a short book, that what the first one said about the characters was sufficient to move the story forward. This focus meant that the limited remaining space in the book was spent jumping through time willy-nilly, and not clearly developing the lessons that the main characters learned at the end of the story.
Honestly, this book should have been two to three times the length that it was. With the extra length we would have been able to follow along on some of the events that were mentioned in passing and seen how those events changed the characters and their motivations. It would have given the ending, satisfying as it was, more weight.
The Good:
The most important thing to take away from this review is that the story is good. It's well plotted and the characters were well developed. The pace of the book was quick, although I think that had a lot more to do with the limitations of telling this particular story in the short amount of space it was given than anything else.
You truly understand where these characters come from, and because of that each subsequent action they take makes sense. The verisimilitude in the story holds true to then end because of this and is the glue that makes this story fun to read.
One of the most frustrating things for me is when a story ends poorly. If things aren't resolved or are done so unskillfully I tend to get angry. Nourished By That Which Consumes doesn't fall short in that category as it wraps up every loose end and does so with satisfaction.
Overall:
This book is good, but not as good as it could have been if it were longer and better edited. It's good like going to a fast food drive-thru and getting an uncharacteristically good meal, but it falls short of the delectable meal of a fine dining restaurant.
The Bad:
After the introduction and first chapter of this book I was sure that I was in for a wild ride. There was a lot of description of the characters, and it laid out their motivations very clearly. What I was surprised to find was that the explanations never stopped. It seemed like each chapter assumed that you hadn't read the one before, newly describing both the characters and the events that had already happened. I was disappointed by the complete lack of faith the author had in the reader. Everything was explained, to excruciating detail, over and over again.
This alone wasn't a big problem, but added to the fact that many of the important events of the book were glossed over, I felt, as the book went on, that I was being propelled through the story. There was an entire chapter that only included about two or three lines of dialog, which wouldn't have been an issue if the rest of the chapter was just an information dump about characters that I thought I had been introduced to and a long list of events that play out for them. That chapter along could have been four or five chapters.
The quick pace was juxtaposed with several intricately written sex scenes, which made me feel like the author was rushing to get to them, and then taking his sweet time once he got there. Now I don't mind sex scenes, but I felt like, with such a short book, that what the first one said about the characters was sufficient to move the story forward. This focus meant that the limited remaining space in the book was spent jumping through time willy-nilly, and not clearly developing the lessons that the main characters learned at the end of the story.
Honestly, this book should have been two to three times the length that it was. With the extra length we would have been able to follow along on some of the events that were mentioned in passing and seen how those events changed the characters and their motivations. It would have given the ending, satisfying as it was, more weight.
The Good:
The most important thing to take away from this review is that the story is good. It's well plotted and the characters were well developed. The pace of the book was quick, although I think that had a lot more to do with the limitations of telling this particular story in the short amount of space it was given than anything else.
You truly understand where these characters come from, and because of that each subsequent action they take makes sense. The verisimilitude in the story holds true to then end because of this and is the glue that makes this story fun to read.
One of the most frustrating things for me is when a story ends poorly. If things aren't resolved or are done so unskillfully I tend to get angry. Nourished By That Which Consumes doesn't fall short in that category as it wraps up every loose end and does so with satisfaction.
Overall:
This book is good, but not as good as it could have been if it were longer and better edited. It's good like going to a fast food drive-thru and getting an uncharacteristically good meal, but it falls short of the delectable meal of a fine dining restaurant.
July 19, 2014
At first glance I was honestly expecting a completely different story, but! Mr. Ephraim shows he can delight a reader through many different means. He cuts the clutter of many modern books, or past books within the genre that might have unnecessary side plots that distract from the big picture. He brought this story that will keep you tense from start to finish. Of course this isn’t a book for those looking for a peaceful read. Nourished is a gritty nonstop thrill ride full of twists, romance, and blunt action by its characters.
His usage of many different writing techniques is perhaps the single most outstanding part of this work. Sure one might not be ready at times for the quick change of pace, but definitely it becomes a joy to read, and leaves one thinking on how similar it can get to real life situations. For that I think it deserves all 5 of its stars and will certainly recommend it to anyone looking for a quick read to keep up good reading habits.
His usage of many different writing techniques is perhaps the single most outstanding part of this work. Sure one might not be ready at times for the quick change of pace, but definitely it becomes a joy to read, and leaves one thinking on how similar it can get to real life situations. For that I think it deserves all 5 of its stars and will certainly recommend it to anyone looking for a quick read to keep up good reading habits.
June 9, 2014
Ok where to start with this book! I must say I absolutely loved the writing style. It was fast paced and very exciting. I love that she infiltrated the terrible organization who killed her family, so she could seek her revenge! I was definitely thrown off a bit by the tid bit of sexual content but it added to Jared and Yu-Lin's mutual relationship/hate. The book was descriptive and you could picture every detail that was explained (even the parts I honestly didn't want to picture haha). Overall this was a great book and well worth the read!
July 5, 2014
What a bloody story of Singaporean revenge; loved it!
Bit confused as to whether this was a love story or a tale of Singapore triads. It has both. The two shouldn't mix, but somehow they do.
Good read for a bit of gory fun.
Bit confused as to whether this was a love story or a tale of Singapore triads. It has both. The two shouldn't mix, but somehow they do.
Good read for a bit of gory fun.
June 11, 2014
The prologue was a tad long and drawn out but push on and the book turns into quite a good read. Once you get into the first chapter, the book picks up pace and you can read it in two hours.
July 26, 2014
Interesting story about a young woman's quest for revenge in the Singapore underworld. All the elements of a criminal organization seemed to be there and it was a fairly quick read.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews