Cornelia Avila

by Rob Hicks

This is the story of a young man, a young man, much like any young man, lost in a world far too big and with too few answers for comfort. From the sunny, listless days of Texas to the Old World romanticism of Europe to the dark, hard nights in an empty house on the edge of nowhere, this is the story of our 'hero' and his search for any lasting impression, for love, for purpose, for hope. At times funny, at times bleak, at times meaningful and at times meaningless, this is a story of life's most illusive and pressing question: Why?

299 pages, Paperback

First published April 12, 2015

About the author

Rob Hicks is a writer currently in-between destinations. His debut novel, Cornelia Avila, was published in 2015 under his personal imprint, Belle Tier Press.

Aside from novels, he also deals with the poem and the short story, occasionally letting all three pin him down and tickle him until he submits. When he's not writing, he's writing, or he's pretending to write. He keeps an intermittent blog of random thoughts at belletierpress.com, and donates most of his proceeds from writing to charity.

Reviews

[Jenna ❤ ❀ ❤ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! The passion and rawness were invigorating, and kept me wanting more!
Cornelia Avila reads like a memoir; it is told in the first person, about a young man full of questions, about life, about himself, about the world. He is struggling to find himself and to escape his demons, through food, through alcohol, through travel, through girls, through any means possible Through finding the courage to ask the big questions, the real questions, the only ones that matter. Why are we here? What does life mean? Am I good enough? Do I have a purpose? Ultimately, he must accept that life is meaningless, that it will end and each of us will be no more and eventually forgotten. That it is up to us to create meaning in our lives. Our hero at turns fights his depression, despair and self-loathing, and runs from it. The story takes place over the course of his years in college, a time when most people are still struggling to find themselves, who they are, what they want, what will make them happy.
This might sound like a bleak novel, but it is anything but. There is always a feeling of hope, no matter how despondent our hero is feeling and how dismal his thoughts. Cornelia Avila is both philosophical and entertaining, both desperate and exhilarating. It is definitely a stimulating read, one that flows, one that draws you in and makes you stay. I love the way the author writes, how you feel from the start that you really know our hero-- you feel him, his joy and his despair. I love the raw honesty the honesty of really looking into one's soul and confronting the fears and confusion that is part of being human.

****** I received a copy of this book through Goodreads in exchange for my honest review. *****

[D. Thrush · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t agree with the high praise for this book. It’s very well written, prose-like and beautiful at times. But the story drags. The protagonist drinks and purges, drinks and is depressed, and drinks some more. He briefly finds religion, travels, avoids his friends, drinks with his friends, imagines himself a great writer, and looks for meaning. I sympathize with the character who questions his life while in college, but we’re dragged down with incessant rambling thoughts for 300 pages. I like books that are insightful and go within, but this book didn’t have depth and doesn’t reach many conclusions. The title is only vaguely explained. I did enjoy the writer’s skill with words, but the story itself wasn’t all that interesting.

[Bonnye Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as a Goodreads Giveaway from Belle Tier Press. Thank you so much for sharing this novel with me.

Cornelia Avila is an interesting look at a young man going through college and kicking and fighting against coming of age. There are a couple of places I was uncomfortable reading - I'm an old lady, after all - but for the most part this was a hoot.