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Reformed
Everyone tells you that there's a Heaven and a Hell when you die. What no one tells you is that Hell isn't full of flames and demons. For Mike Reese his Hell is reliving the death of his family over and over again. After being accused for their murders and sentenced to death, Mike must now live out his afterlife reliving that day as punishment. The only problem is, he wasn't the killer....
174 pages, Paperback
First published July 29, 2015
3 people are currently reading
1260 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
January 29, 2018
When Mike Reese is electrocuted for the murder of his wife and sons, Mike wakes up in hell. Unfortunately, Mike claims he is innocent of the crimes. Can Mike prove his innocence from hell? I enjoyed reading REFORMED, a quick and interesting read.
January 26, 2018
The concept behind the plot was interesting, but the book itself was such a hot mess I couldn't focus. The editor that was thanked in the end note didn't deserve any praise. Ashley, I don't know how bad your splatter painting was, or how large a task Rae faced, but she failed you.
Pages 46-47 - it should be marital issues, not martial issues. Page 77 - typically if something like death is personified, it's capitalized. Page 107 has missing quotation marks. And then on page 162 - quite possibly the worst mistake - the whole book was written in a first person perspective. Why, then, does it all of a sudden shift to third person with "Mike nodded"?!
Wut. Y tho.
These are only a few of the mistakes that had me stop to earmark a page. Editing is so critical because when you read something and there are egregious errors, no matter how well-intentioned or creative the content is, you can't help but feel like it's cheap. It's funny because the author gets all of the credit, but the editor has just as important of a role. So my advice to you is to really invest in a great editor next time, and to have as many people as possible read and re-read your book before you have it published.
This all being said, congratulations on your first book. I saw you wrote it with your cat in your lap. Mine was in my face as I tried to read it the majority of the time. I look forward to seeing how you grow with your next one. I found myself enjoying the bits with dialogue most, so maybe consider trying your hand at writing a play? And I'll check out your playlist. I've been lucky enough to see both Imagine Dragons and Bastille perform at Apple events.
Pages 46-47 - it should be marital issues, not martial issues. Page 77 - typically if something like death is personified, it's capitalized. Page 107 has missing quotation marks. And then on page 162 - quite possibly the worst mistake - the whole book was written in a first person perspective. Why, then, does it all of a sudden shift to third person with "Mike nodded"?!
Wut. Y tho.
These are only a few of the mistakes that had me stop to earmark a page. Editing is so critical because when you read something and there are egregious errors, no matter how well-intentioned or creative the content is, you can't help but feel like it's cheap. It's funny because the author gets all of the credit, but the editor has just as important of a role. So my advice to you is to really invest in a great editor next time, and to have as many people as possible read and re-read your book before you have it published.
This all being said, congratulations on your first book. I saw you wrote it with your cat in your lap. Mine was in my face as I tried to read it the majority of the time. I look forward to seeing how you grow with your next one. I found myself enjoying the bits with dialogue most, so maybe consider trying your hand at writing a play? And I'll check out your playlist. I've been lucky enough to see both Imagine Dragons and Bastille perform at Apple events.
August 22, 2018
The book 'Reformed' by Ashley Beery was an entertaining and well-written short novel. Descriptive language and smooth prose work to make this book enjoyable, along with a creative telling of Mike Reese's unjust incarceration and death. Excellent!
August 2, 2015
Reviewed for 2 girls who love books blog
Reformed is a standalone debut novel by Ashley Beery
I was sceptical as I started this book it was an author I have never heard anything about but I was asked to give it a try. I am so glad I did! For a debut novel i couldn’t have asked for anything more from a book and I would never have believed it was a first novel unless it was there in black and white. The writing style was flawless and I literally couldn’t put the book down.
The story line was amazing and I personally haven’t read anything like it. There were no repetitive parts and the story flowed fabulously from the very first word to the very last. The story itself had me gripped from the opening paragraph and I knew I was finishing the book in one sitting. The author has clearly done a great deal of research to get elements of this story right.
The characters in the book were ‘real’ you could relate to their circumstances and knew them like they were living next door. You felt there joy, frustration, anger and sadness like you were really there and living it with them.
I would rate this book an absolute 5 stars (more if I could) the author has done an amazing job for her debut and needs to be watched for future work. If you have even considered buying this book stop considering it and do it I promise you will not be disappointed.
Reformed is a standalone debut novel by Ashley Beery
I was sceptical as I started this book it was an author I have never heard anything about but I was asked to give it a try. I am so glad I did! For a debut novel i couldn’t have asked for anything more from a book and I would never have believed it was a first novel unless it was there in black and white. The writing style was flawless and I literally couldn’t put the book down.
The story line was amazing and I personally haven’t read anything like it. There were no repetitive parts and the story flowed fabulously from the very first word to the very last. The story itself had me gripped from the opening paragraph and I knew I was finishing the book in one sitting. The author has clearly done a great deal of research to get elements of this story right.
The characters in the book were ‘real’ you could relate to their circumstances and knew them like they were living next door. You felt there joy, frustration, anger and sadness like you were really there and living it with them.
I would rate this book an absolute 5 stars (more if I could) the author has done an amazing job for her debut and needs to be watched for future work. If you have even considered buying this book stop considering it and do it I promise you will not be disappointed.
August 5, 2015
I love a good mystery book and this one did not disappoint! Mike Reese is put through hell, literally. He didn't commit the crimes he is accused of, yet he still serves his sentence and is put to death. In the Afterlife, will he be able to prove himself innocent and find the real killer, or will he be doomed to serve eternity serving the sentence of fire and brimstone? You'll want to check this one out. Very well written, the story flows smoothly and has you wanting to know what is going to happen next. I recommend this one!
August 6, 2015
Loved it . Will. Be looking for more reads to come.
Well written can't believe this is your first book so good for first time looking forward to seeing more from you
Well written can't believe this is your first book so good for first time looking forward to seeing more from you
March 27, 2018
(full disclosure: I won this book in a giveaway- although it did not have a great impact on my reading experience and read it like any book)
When I finally was able to read this book I was nervous about starting it. Perhaps it was the material for classes that I had recently read that was making me apprehensive. Nevertheless, I was afraid that this concept, which is amazing in itself, would be oddly religious and take away from the story- that was not the case at all.
The novel is well-written and keeps the reader entranced throughout the entire book. The concept is particularly interesting and is executed in an unexpected and thrilling manner.
All this being said, there were some grammatical issues that need to be fixed. I was invested in the text and read right over them for the most part.
I am looking forward to reading more from Ashley Beery!
When I finally was able to read this book I was nervous about starting it. Perhaps it was the material for classes that I had recently read that was making me apprehensive. Nevertheless, I was afraid that this concept, which is amazing in itself, would be oddly religious and take away from the story- that was not the case at all.
The novel is well-written and keeps the reader entranced throughout the entire book. The concept is particularly interesting and is executed in an unexpected and thrilling manner.
All this being said, there were some grammatical issues that need to be fixed. I was invested in the text and read right over them for the most part.
I am looking forward to reading more from Ashley Beery!
May 17, 2017
Who knew Hell was so welcoming? The interaction between Mike and Ron (his mentor) is so normal seeming you forget where they are.
To be forced to relive the worst day of his life, (Okay, except the day they electrocuted him)made Mike know he was in Hell.
To be allowed to prove himself innocent of the murders of his family must have made him proud.
Interesting book, interesting premise, and weirdly interesting characters.
I will be watching for more books from Ashley Beery.
By the way, she sent me this book twice, the first one was lost somewhere, thank you Ms. Beery.
To be forced to relive the worst day of his life, (Okay, except the day they electrocuted him)made Mike know he was in Hell.
To be allowed to prove himself innocent of the murders of his family must have made him proud.
Interesting book, interesting premise, and weirdly interesting characters.
I will be watching for more books from Ashley Beery.
By the way, she sent me this book twice, the first one was lost somewhere, thank you Ms. Beery.
July 21, 2017
This book is a great short read. The concept is quite original. I enjoyed the way the author introduced and developed each character in the book. Although the story itself is sad, the protagonist, Mike, is a good person and his light shines through at the end. This is the author's first book. I would read another by her.
July 29, 2017
when a man is innocently charged with the murder of his wife and two sons the ones that know him turn their backs on him but his sister in law bails him out and gives him a place to stay she knows that he loved her sister and little boys and would never do anything to hurt them .....a page turning book and very well written kept my attention the whole book....
March 21, 2017
Just last year I had visited and toured the Ohio State Reformatory, so when I saw this book listed as a Goodreads.com giveaway, I excitedly entered and was thrilled to have been chosen as a winner.
What a fun read this was! Granted the story is not a "fun" or happy topic, but to ride along on the premise this author took the reader on at the expense of the main character was fantastic. I really liked the liberties taken to create a tale that had a little bit of everything thrown in. Murder, adultery, execution, compassion, retribution, love, loss and so on. Highly recommend reading "Reformed"! Thank you Ashley Beery, I definitely did enjoy!
What a fun read this was! Granted the story is not a "fun" or happy topic, but to ride along on the premise this author took the reader on at the expense of the main character was fantastic. I really liked the liberties taken to create a tale that had a little bit of everything thrown in. Murder, adultery, execution, compassion, retribution, love, loss and so on. Highly recommend reading "Reformed"! Thank you Ashley Beery, I definitely did enjoy!
July 1, 2017
Kind of a strange story. A man is convicted and sentenced to death for killing his family. He is executed and then sent to hell to relive that day as punishment even though he never killed them . He spends that day trying to prove he is innocent. Strange story, but very well written.
August 4, 2017
when a husband is wrongfully accused of killing his wife and 2 sons I liked the story plot but near the middle of the book it shifted and I didn't like the way it went but all in all it was a great book and I really enjoyed it..
February 4, 2018
Amazing story of a man sentenced to death for something he did not do and even in his after life, he seeks out the truth of who murdered his family. This is a book you can not put down. ITs short, intriguing and shocking at the end; an incredible read!
April 20, 2018
This book impressed me a lot. The story that inspired the writer is spooky (and a bit sad), and she knew how to use it very well for her own story. It was a reading that caught me from the beginning and made me suspect of every character involved in the tragedy.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
May 13, 2017
I really liked this book, I have not read one like it before. It is very original and its hard to do that with so many suspense/ thriller books out there.
May 14, 2017
3.5 stars
This was an interesting take on a murder and being in hell. I found a few grammar issues, but that doesn't really bother me. great story for Ashley Berry's first book.
This was an interesting take on a murder and being in hell. I found a few grammar issues, but that doesn't really bother me. great story for Ashley Berry's first book.
May 29, 2017
I really liked this book! It was well written and kept my attention. And the ending was so very rewarding. :)
January 24, 2018
This is an amazing and unusual book. An absolute page turner that will make you think.
March 19, 2021
I actually really enjoyed this book. The editing was way off though. Pity
March 19, 2017
This is a Goodreads win review. This is a good but starnge book. Mike Reese gets falsely accused of killing his family and he sentenced to die. But can he prove his inccoence?
March 21, 2017
Reformed is a great mystery with a twist of an ending. It was one of those books where you just wanted to keep reading the next chapter to see what is going to happen next. I look forward to reading more mysteries written by Ashley Beery in the future.
February 3, 2016
Free book for honest review. juliesbookreview.blogspot.com
I was very impressed by the creativity and imagination Ms. Beery put into this novel. She starts with a highly sympathetic protagonist, a well-respected family man named Mike Reese. One day, he commits the mortal sin of taking out a loan behind his wife Elizabeth's back--and comes home to find her and their sons murdered! While coping with his grief and wondering who would do such a horrific thing, he gets even worse news: he is being charged with their murders. His trial is obviously a sham, and he is convicted based on lies, dubious forensics, and conveniently missing evidence. Unfortunately, no one seems willing to stand up to Sherriff George, who seems hellbent (pun intended) on making sure he gets "punished" for a crime he didn't commit. Eventually he is convicted and sentenced to death.
Beery's portrayal of prison life almost makes it seem like a refuge compared to his home town, where he had become a pariah. Death-row inmates are free to move about the prison and have generous library privileges. This took me by surprise, so I contacted the author, who clarified that the murder took place in the early 80's (before 'prison reforms' essentially reduced prisoners to zoo animals). There is nothing in that prison that we hear about today--shanks, rioting, and there is no mention of Mike ever being forced to be anyone's 'kid.' On the contrary, Mike is mentored by an older, more experienced prisoner.
After his eventual execution, Mike is condemned to Hell where instead of fire and brimstone, he is condemned to relive the murder of his family over and over for eternity, with ten-minute breaks in between. With the help of Ron, his mentor in Hell, Mike uses the opportunity to look for that one piece of evidence that would exonerate him. Mike wondered why he would be punished in the afterlife for something he didn't do. I wondered the same thing. For the justice system to make such a grave miscarriage of justice is one thing, but God? I knew Reformed would have to have one hell of an ending (again, pun intended), and trust me, I was shocked to the core when it was revealed what actually went down and what the real intended purpose of Mike's punishment is.
Highly entertaining and original. I recommend this for audiences 17+ (because of violence, profanity, and adult situations). You may be thinking "Huh?" While reading this, but give it time: the ending is worth the wait! Check it out today!
Jessica Wren
I was very impressed by the creativity and imagination Ms. Beery put into this novel. She starts with a highly sympathetic protagonist, a well-respected family man named Mike Reese. One day, he commits the mortal sin of taking out a loan behind his wife Elizabeth's back--and comes home to find her and their sons murdered! While coping with his grief and wondering who would do such a horrific thing, he gets even worse news: he is being charged with their murders. His trial is obviously a sham, and he is convicted based on lies, dubious forensics, and conveniently missing evidence. Unfortunately, no one seems willing to stand up to Sherriff George, who seems hellbent (pun intended) on making sure he gets "punished" for a crime he didn't commit. Eventually he is convicted and sentenced to death.
Beery's portrayal of prison life almost makes it seem like a refuge compared to his home town, where he had become a pariah. Death-row inmates are free to move about the prison and have generous library privileges. This took me by surprise, so I contacted the author, who clarified that the murder took place in the early 80's (before 'prison reforms' essentially reduced prisoners to zoo animals). There is nothing in that prison that we hear about today--shanks, rioting, and there is no mention of Mike ever being forced to be anyone's 'kid.' On the contrary, Mike is mentored by an older, more experienced prisoner.
After his eventual execution, Mike is condemned to Hell where instead of fire and brimstone, he is condemned to relive the murder of his family over and over for eternity, with ten-minute breaks in between. With the help of Ron, his mentor in Hell, Mike uses the opportunity to look for that one piece of evidence that would exonerate him. Mike wondered why he would be punished in the afterlife for something he didn't do. I wondered the same thing. For the justice system to make such a grave miscarriage of justice is one thing, but God? I knew Reformed would have to have one hell of an ending (again, pun intended), and trust me, I was shocked to the core when it was revealed what actually went down and what the real intended purpose of Mike's punishment is.
Highly entertaining and original. I recommend this for audiences 17+ (because of violence, profanity, and adult situations). You may be thinking "Huh?" While reading this, but give it time: the ending is worth the wait! Check it out today!
Jessica Wren
August 13, 2015
Every now and then you have to take a chance on a book you might not normally read. That's what I did with Reformed by Ashley Beery and boy did it pay off!
Right off the bat this author gets major points for coming up with a very unique and well thought out plot. Most people have given thought to the concept of Heaven and Hell. But what if Hell is personalized for every person. For Mike Reese that is the reality. He has to relive the murder of his wife and two sons over and over again. The only problem is; he shouldn't be in Hell at all. Ron, his upbeat guide through hell is actually very likable. He gave a bit of balance to the story, making me smile a bit in the midst of the hard subject matter of the book. Mike Reese is a very interesting character though sometimes he can be a bit slow on the uptake. I think we can forgive him for that though. He does have a lot on his plate.
There is quite a bit going on in this story. With the turn of every page you learn something new that is going on. I have to say I was quite surprised at who the murderer was, though not as much as Mike. There is so much more I want to say about this book but I don't want to give away any spoilers. Even though I think the story could have used a little more detail and the characters speech patterns could use a little work, this is one of the best debut novels I have read. I can't wait to watch this authors career take off because I know it is going to! 4.5 STARS!
Right off the bat this author gets major points for coming up with a very unique and well thought out plot. Most people have given thought to the concept of Heaven and Hell. But what if Hell is personalized for every person. For Mike Reese that is the reality. He has to relive the murder of his wife and two sons over and over again. The only problem is; he shouldn't be in Hell at all. Ron, his upbeat guide through hell is actually very likable. He gave a bit of balance to the story, making me smile a bit in the midst of the hard subject matter of the book. Mike Reese is a very interesting character though sometimes he can be a bit slow on the uptake. I think we can forgive him for that though. He does have a lot on his plate.
There is quite a bit going on in this story. With the turn of every page you learn something new that is going on. I have to say I was quite surprised at who the murderer was, though not as much as Mike. There is so much more I want to say about this book but I don't want to give away any spoilers. Even though I think the story could have used a little more detail and the characters speech patterns could use a little work, this is one of the best debut novels I have read. I can't wait to watch this authors career take off because I know it is going to! 4.5 STARS!
September 11, 2015
First off let me just say that this type of book is totally out of the norm for me but I thought 'hey I need something different' so I turned the page. I am thankful that I did. This story has a different spin of the 'afterlife' and heaven and hell. The story is laid out well and keeps you interested. There were times that my heart went out to Mike and all he went through in the here and now and in the afterlife. Even though the book isn't graphic in the slayings it still tore at my heart, so if you can't handle 'death' this book isn't for you because the first couple chapters are the hardest to get through as they lay the way for Mike's sentencing in the afterlife. And I truly hope that I don't meet Ron if the afterlife truly is this way lol. Either you will continue to turn the pages or you will just put the book down and walk away, thus the four star review. Beery did a great job spinning her tale and I am glad I chose to pick her book up! It's a good read but be ready!!
February 27, 2024
I won this book in the giveaways. I could not put it down, I really enjoyed the way it was written.
Excellent first book for this author , a must read.
Excellent first book for this author , a must read.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews