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Wings and Windows
In one small town, a miracle entwines the fates of three strangers.
After a series of early traumas, Kyle, a glazier, has grown used to a solitary existence. That changes the night a mysterious guest appears in his home. Their tentative friendship could offer him a path to healing—or rip open wounds he’s tried hard to forget.
As Emilia approaches her fortieth birthday, she’s never felt so lost. Stuck in a loveless marriage, her guilty pleasure is watching her neighbour work in his glazier’s workshop. As he gently cuts and sets panes of glass, Emilia wishes there was a way to mend the broken pieces of a human heart.
Close by, 17-year-old Mia has learned that being different isn’t easy. In fact, it’s torturous. Bullied relentlessly, she forms a radical plan to find freedom—along with someone who will help her escape. But danger is circling, and a devastating betrayal awaits.
Secrets and destinies collide as three lonely souls search for belonging and discover that even in life’s darkest moments, magic is possible.
After a series of early traumas, Kyle, a glazier, has grown used to a solitary existence. That changes the night a mysterious guest appears in his home. Their tentative friendship could offer him a path to healing—or rip open wounds he’s tried hard to forget.
As Emilia approaches her fortieth birthday, she’s never felt so lost. Stuck in a loveless marriage, her guilty pleasure is watching her neighbour work in his glazier’s workshop. As he gently cuts and sets panes of glass, Emilia wishes there was a way to mend the broken pieces of a human heart.
Close by, 17-year-old Mia has learned that being different isn’t easy. In fact, it’s torturous. Bullied relentlessly, she forms a radical plan to find freedom—along with someone who will help her escape. But danger is circling, and a devastating betrayal awaits.
Secrets and destinies collide as three lonely souls search for belonging and discover that even in life’s darkest moments, magic is possible.
223 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 8, 2022
71 people are currently reading
5194 people want to read
About the author
Keishi Ando
4 books45 followersThe author, Keishi Ando, was born at the edge of Tokyo, Japan.
For a while, he lived incoherently.
In 2022, as a novelist, he publishes "Wings and Windows".
Website: https://KeishiAndo.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KeishiAndo
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KeishiAndo
For a while, he lived incoherently.
In 2022, as a novelist, he publishes "Wings and Windows".
Website: https://KeishiAndo.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KeishiAndo
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KeishiAndo
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
March 10, 2022
***I received a free e-copy via Goodreads Giveaways in exchange for a honest review.***
This is a DNF for me. I made it a little past 50 pages and then decided that my time is too precious to waste on a book that feels like a chore.
From the first page, I had my doubts about the book as the descriptions used: "suppleness and the delicacy of her shoulder or shoulder blades", "sophisticated contours of her bottom or calves", just almost gagged me. In that instant, I was 99% sure the author was a man.
The general idea behind the book sounded interesting but I couldn't seem to get invested as it was
very dialogue heavy, which should have made for an extremely quick read, but rather had the opposite effect. I own 1000+ books that are begging to be read and I felt that I couldn't move on to a single one of them until I finished this, especially since I won a copy in exchange for a honest review. At this rate, it will be days before I trudge through this and then I would most likely, in my annoyance at myself for pushing through a book I was simply not enjoying, I would write a harsh review, pointing out every single thing that I hated about the book. So, I don't wanna go down that road, therefore this is where "Wings and Windows" and I part ways.
On a side note, the scene of the woman randomly breaking her own window made me laugh.
This is a DNF for me. I made it a little past 50 pages and then decided that my time is too precious to waste on a book that feels like a chore.
From the first page, I had my doubts about the book as the descriptions used: "suppleness and the delicacy of her shoulder or shoulder blades", "sophisticated contours of her bottom or calves", just almost gagged me. In that instant, I was 99% sure the author was a man.
The general idea behind the book sounded interesting but I couldn't seem to get invested as it was
very dialogue heavy, which should have made for an extremely quick read, but rather had the opposite effect. I own 1000+ books that are begging to be read and I felt that I couldn't move on to a single one of them until I finished this, especially since I won a copy in exchange for a honest review. At this rate, it will be days before I trudge through this and then I would most likely, in my annoyance at myself for pushing through a book I was simply not enjoying, I would write a harsh review, pointing out every single thing that I hated about the book. So, I don't wanna go down that road, therefore this is where "Wings and Windows" and I part ways.
On a side note, the scene of the woman randomly breaking her own window made me laugh.
April 16, 2022
I keep promising myself not to buy any more self-published novels and yet I get sucked in by good covers and interesting jacket blurbs. I wish I hadn't wasted my money on this junk.
I got through 11 pages. Yep, that's it. My first clue that something was off was the large print that self-pubs use to make their books longer. My second clue was the lack of editing. I know beyond any doubt that self-pubs are aware that editing is an issue and still it doesn't improve. Example: "And also, there was nothing unusual thing on the low table right next to her" (page 2).
The writing is about what you'd expect from a middle-school English class essay. It's clumsy, juvenile, repetitive, and again, the editing is non-existent. Some of it simply makes no sense, such as "her dark blond hair was long and tousled, as if time stood still". So.... time standing still messes up your hair? WTF does that mean? And it's "blonde", not "blond" for a female. And "her pale pink lips were like ripe cranberry". Ever seen a pale pink, ripe cranberry? Neither have I.
Kyle comes home from work and takes off his shirt because, the author says, Kyle likes to be shirtless. Then he puts on a shirt. So what was the point of talking about how he likes to be shirtless? And as the initial scene plays out between the two characters, the author cannot seem to remember whether Kyle is standing up or kneeling.
Apparently the author was trying to establish that the main characters, Kyle and the angel/woman, got off on the wrong foot. Kyle finds her lying on his floor, naked, and continuously brushes her hair off her face (at least half a dozen times). After the woman's FIRST sentence, he was "getting slightly irritated". Why? Because she woke up and didn't continue to lie there unconscious for him to fondle? And even though Kyle has already been described as being irritated, on the very next page it says that "Kyle suddenly felt irritated".
There is so much wrong with this book. Terrible writing. Terrible editing. Don't waste your time and money. Tossing this one in the trash.
I got through 11 pages. Yep, that's it. My first clue that something was off was the large print that self-pubs use to make their books longer. My second clue was the lack of editing. I know beyond any doubt that self-pubs are aware that editing is an issue and still it doesn't improve. Example: "And also, there was nothing unusual thing on the low table right next to her" (page 2).
The writing is about what you'd expect from a middle-school English class essay. It's clumsy, juvenile, repetitive, and again, the editing is non-existent. Some of it simply makes no sense, such as "her dark blond hair was long and tousled, as if time stood still". So.... time standing still messes up your hair? WTF does that mean? And it's "blonde", not "blond" for a female. And "her pale pink lips were like ripe cranberry". Ever seen a pale pink, ripe cranberry? Neither have I.
Kyle comes home from work and takes off his shirt because, the author says, Kyle likes to be shirtless. Then he puts on a shirt. So what was the point of talking about how he likes to be shirtless? And as the initial scene plays out between the two characters, the author cannot seem to remember whether Kyle is standing up or kneeling.
Apparently the author was trying to establish that the main characters, Kyle and the angel/woman, got off on the wrong foot. Kyle finds her lying on his floor, naked, and continuously brushes her hair off her face (at least half a dozen times). After the woman's FIRST sentence, he was "getting slightly irritated". Why? Because she woke up and didn't continue to lie there unconscious for him to fondle? And even though Kyle has already been described as being irritated, on the very next page it says that "Kyle suddenly felt irritated".
There is so much wrong with this book. Terrible writing. Terrible editing. Don't waste your time and money. Tossing this one in the trash.
June 5, 2022
Goodreads giveaway. All I can say is thanks and glad I didn’t have to pay for this. Strange premise and not one character was likable.
April 23, 2022
I received this book from Goodreads and was excited to win a free book. However, I just read 3 pages and could not continue! This book needs to be edited. I was a third grade teacher and the lack of grammar and correct sentence structure drove me crazy! I’m done.
May 4, 2022
I was really excited to read this because it sounded interesting, but I couldn't get past the first 15 pages. And let me tell you, that's unusual. I hate leaving books unfinished. Even the bad ones.
This book is confusing from the first page. The author likes to use very strange words or phrases that are not commonly used. Like, no one says welkin to describe heaven - especially in casual conversation.
And I have no idea why this bothered me so much, but how in the world did he know she was an angel? If I came home from work and found a naked body lying on the floor of my living room, my first assumption would not be. "Oh look. An angel..." And I certainly would not go touch her. Haven't you ever read a crime novel? Don't touch the body, now you've left DNA at the scene. You're like the girl in a horror movie who goes down into the basement alone to check out the strange sound. There is no way this ends well. Anyway, the characters even broach the subject of how he knew she was angelic, but instead of getting any kind of explanation, they just talked in circles about how he didn't know if she was really an angel and she didn't know if she was either but he called her an angel first and that didn't feel not right, so like...maybe? But he keeps calling her "angel" and she blows up at him about how he shouldn't call her an angel if they don't know she's an angel because that's like calling her a dog or cat when she isn't. But! But! Then like 2 paragraphs later she decides once and for all, that her name is going to be angel. Uh....ok psycho.
I think the main thing I've learned from this experience is that I shouldn't read books I've won in a Goodreads Giveaway at 3 am when I can't sleep. It makes me a little more stabby about issues in the book than normal.
This book is confusing from the first page. The author likes to use very strange words or phrases that are not commonly used. Like, no one says welkin to describe heaven - especially in casual conversation.
And I have no idea why this bothered me so much, but how in the world did he know she was an angel? If I came home from work and found a naked body lying on the floor of my living room, my first assumption would not be. "Oh look. An angel..." And I certainly would not go touch her. Haven't you ever read a crime novel? Don't touch the body, now you've left DNA at the scene. You're like the girl in a horror movie who goes down into the basement alone to check out the strange sound. There is no way this ends well. Anyway, the characters even broach the subject of how he knew she was angelic, but instead of getting any kind of explanation, they just talked in circles about how he didn't know if she was really an angel and she didn't know if she was either but he called her an angel first and that didn't feel not right, so like...maybe? But he keeps calling her "angel" and she blows up at him about how he shouldn't call her an angel if they don't know she's an angel because that's like calling her a dog or cat when she isn't. But! But! Then like 2 paragraphs later she decides once and for all, that her name is going to be angel. Uh....ok psycho.
I think the main thing I've learned from this experience is that I shouldn't read books I've won in a Goodreads Giveaway at 3 am when I can't sleep. It makes me a little more stabby about issues in the book than normal.
May 26, 2022
I often seek out books about people who come together to form a family even though they are not blood relatives or related by marriage either. One of my favorite short stories is “After the Fair” by D.H. Lawrence. It is about just that subject—the making of a family because people are in need of one another. Wings and Windows by Keishi Ando caught my attention because of that promise: “Destinies collide as three lonely souls search for belonging.”
The story involves Kyle, a glazier, Emilia, caught in an unhappy and abusive marriage, and Mia, a lonely teenager. Add to this mix Angel, who is, well, an angel, but one who has lost her wings. Currently, she simply has an impression of wings on her back—as if they had been tattooed onto the skin rather than once being actual wings.
How these people and Angel come together lies in the backgrounds of each person. Are they brought together to heal one another and create that sense of family that each has been missing? Clearly, danger lurks, particularly for Emilia and Mia. Mia, too young to sense all the dangers she exposes herself to, will be in the most peril. Although Emilia’s abusive husband James also poses difficulties, perhaps for all of them if he discovers Emilia is with these friends.
This story line has potential. Wings and Windows needs an effective editor to advise Ando. Handing one’s writing over to another person is difficult. It is also a useful way to learn how to improve that writing.
I was intrigued by this line from Keishi Ando’s website: “For a while, he lived incoherently.”
The story involves Kyle, a glazier, Emilia, caught in an unhappy and abusive marriage, and Mia, a lonely teenager. Add to this mix Angel, who is, well, an angel, but one who has lost her wings. Currently, she simply has an impression of wings on her back—as if they had been tattooed onto the skin rather than once being actual wings.
How these people and Angel come together lies in the backgrounds of each person. Are they brought together to heal one another and create that sense of family that each has been missing? Clearly, danger lurks, particularly for Emilia and Mia. Mia, too young to sense all the dangers she exposes herself to, will be in the most peril. Although Emilia’s abusive husband James also poses difficulties, perhaps for all of them if he discovers Emilia is with these friends.
This story line has potential. Wings and Windows needs an effective editor to advise Ando. Handing one’s writing over to another person is difficult. It is also a useful way to learn how to improve that writing.
I was intrigued by this line from Keishi Ando’s website: “For a while, he lived incoherently.”
June 7, 2022
I hate to admit that this book wasn't my cup of tea. It starts with Kyle finding a naked sleeping angel with ripped-off wings in his living room after work. To add to his stress Mia his teenage neighbor pops in drunk, her widowed dad is partying with his friends .
I'm sure the author wrote this book to message young people to make smarter choices.
I'm sure the author wrote this book to message young people to make smarter choices.
April 25, 2022
Reading this was like running through quick sand. I do note that the author is from another country, however there was no consistent or cohesive storyline, there were characters that adding nothing to whatever this was and their “storyline” had no conclusion, and the writing left a lot to be desired in all facets. I wouldn’t recommend reading unless it’s completely overhauled.
March 31, 2022
‘Wings and Windows’ by Keishi Ando is an endearing story that brings three lost souls together. Kyle, a glazier, has grown used to a solitary existence after a number of traumas in his earlier years. At his workshop he is often visited by Mia, a 17-year-old who has recently lost her mother and is being bullied at school and is desperate for escape. Kyle’s workshop is overlooked by Emilia’s house. Emilia is isolated, with a manipulative partner in an unhappy marriage.
The three characters are joined together by the mysterious and magical Angel, who seems sent to bring all three characters closer to happiness, but will they be able to do what’s needed in order to be free? We gradually learn more and more about each of the characters, the reasons for Kyle’s solitude, the risks Mia is willing to take to escape, the restrictions placed on Emilia by her partner to keep her isolated. There’s ups and downs throughout the storyline. I enjoyed the euphoric “girls trip” shared by Angel, Emilia and Mia as they find kinship in each other. With some slight supernatural elements, ‘Wings and Windows’ is a lovely, bittersweet story and my takeaway from it is it’s never too late to try to change your life.
The three characters are joined together by the mysterious and magical Angel, who seems sent to bring all three characters closer to happiness, but will they be able to do what’s needed in order to be free? We gradually learn more and more about each of the characters, the reasons for Kyle’s solitude, the risks Mia is willing to take to escape, the restrictions placed on Emilia by her partner to keep her isolated. There’s ups and downs throughout the storyline. I enjoyed the euphoric “girls trip” shared by Angel, Emilia and Mia as they find kinship in each other. With some slight supernatural elements, ‘Wings and Windows’ is a lovely, bittersweet story and my takeaway from it is it’s never too late to try to change your life.
May 19, 2022
I received this book as a Goodreads Giveaway. From the beginning this book did not draw me in, but I forced myself to complete it. Believability was difficult. Writing style and sentence structure were choppy and did not flow well. The characters’ story lines did come together at the end resolving the multitude of life issues the author tried to address.
May 4, 2022
This is one of the worst books I have ever read - in fact, I couldn't even finish the book and that is not something I EVER do. It was confusing, went back and forth through a mindless storyline and talked about the character's dreams (which made no sense) in length. The story is about a woman in a loveless, mentally abusive marriage and a Window Replacement gentleman who fall in love through a strange woman who appears inadvertently on the floor of his apartment with bruises on her back which look like "wings". He decides to call her "Angel" and her memories of which are the girl "Emilia" (the one of the loveless marriage). There is no point to most of the storyline and it goes off in tangents. I won this book on a Goodreads "Giveaway", so I'm certainly glad I didn't have to pay for it. I don't even know how this book was published. It was absolutely terrible. Don't waste your time!
January 19, 2023
I received a digital copy of this book as a Goodreads Giveaway.
I just could not finish this book -- DNF at 50%. The premise has potential, but the manuscript is desperately in need of a developmental editor. The characters were one-dimensional, the storyline was chaotic and hard to follow, and there were simply more POV shifts than felt necessary.
At times, it felt like it was written too hyperbolically, but somehow managed to simultaneously be simplistic. I needed more grounding in real life (if that is what the book was meant to be), or a stronger world development to place the events in context. I just cannot believe that someone could shrug off the appearance of a seemingly dead body in an apartment, then casually integrate that person into their home.
As much as it pains me, I absolutely cannot recommend this book to any audience.
I just could not finish this book -- DNF at 50%. The premise has potential, but the manuscript is desperately in need of a developmental editor. The characters were one-dimensional, the storyline was chaotic and hard to follow, and there were simply more POV shifts than felt necessary.
At times, it felt like it was written too hyperbolically, but somehow managed to simultaneously be simplistic. I needed more grounding in real life (if that is what the book was meant to be), or a stronger world development to place the events in context. I just cannot believe that someone could shrug off the appearance of a seemingly dead body in an apartment, then casually integrate that person into their home.
As much as it pains me, I absolutely cannot recommend this book to any audience.
April 26, 2022
This book was ok but I didn't find it a particularly gripping story. I thought premise was good. I just couldn't really get into. I didn't understand how the meeting between Kyle and Angel went the way it did. He comes home from work late one night, has a drink and changes his clothes. He then notices a naked woman lying unconscious on his floor. He thinks she is dead but he just thinks she is beautiful. He doesn't know where she came from or how she got there. He should be freaking out and calling the police. Suddenly she wakes up and thinks Kyle is trying to kiss her because he is so close to her face. She doesn't realize she is naked. As I said before the idea is good. It could just some editing.
May 9, 2022
I won this book on a kindle Goodreads giveaway and I was excited to read it. I started it and was able to get through 19% before I decided I can’t finish it. I feel awful because I love reading different authors and I hate not finishing books I’ve started. It’s just too disconnected and the dialogue is confusing. It seems like the author does not speak English as a first language. Maybe the book was written in a different language and poorly translated or was written in broken English. It doesn’t flow and a lot of things just don’t make sense. It does feel like something an inexperienced person would write without editing. The concept seemed interesting but I just can’t muddle through.
May 6, 2022
I received this as a goodsreads giveaway - so here is my review.
First of all I think English may be the authors second language - or there is some sort of disconnect that may make things more difficult to read. The book started off odd - like how can you see a dead person and not panic but think it’s a good idea to touch them after you’ve taken off your shirt.
It just wasn’t for me. I did finish the book but let me say that this is not one I will pass on. I’m not sure where angels meet supernatural but I didn’t enjoy this
First of all I think English may be the authors second language - or there is some sort of disconnect that may make things more difficult to read. The book started off odd - like how can you see a dead person and not panic but think it’s a good idea to touch them after you’ve taken off your shirt.
It just wasn’t for me. I did finish the book but let me say that this is not one I will pass on. I’m not sure where angels meet supernatural but I didn’t enjoy this
May 15, 2023
I really dislike leaving having to leave negative reviews, however I won this on Goodreads which means I feel obligated to throw some words into this little box. I wasn't a fan. I did actually finish the book (it was difficult) and just when I didn't think I could be anymore confused or annoyed with the characters (all of them) and the plot (was there one?), I was.
Maybe it was all just lost in translation. It was weird and not in a good way. Sentence structures and choice of words were awkward.
In a nutshell....save yourself some time and skip this one.
Maybe it was all just lost in translation. It was weird and not in a good way. Sentence structures and choice of words were awkward.
In a nutshell....save yourself some time and skip this one.
May 14, 2022
I won this book from Goodreads for an honest review. I read this story as if it were one step before final editing. Therefore the grammatical errors didn’t annoy me.
This story is a mixture of relationships including friendships. It has an ethereal thread woven throughout. The story centers around characters that are feeling at a loss and lonely. These characters influence and help each other see they aren’t alone.
This story is a mixture of relationships including friendships. It has an ethereal thread woven throughout. The story centers around characters that are feeling at a loss and lonely. These characters influence and help each other see they aren’t alone.
June 4, 2022
i was given this book by Goodreads for an honest review -
A unique storyline that will captivate you - -
Three lonely souls search to belong-
Mia is 17 and is being bullied - she wants to escape but can she do it and escape danger?
Emilia is 40 and in an unhappy marriage- She window peeks at the neighbor cutting glass, and wishes for escape from her marriage.
Kyle is a solitary man until a mysterious guest visits.
A unique storyline that will captivate you - -
Three lonely souls search to belong-
Mia is 17 and is being bullied - she wants to escape but can she do it and escape danger?
Emilia is 40 and in an unhappy marriage- She window peeks at the neighbor cutting glass, and wishes for escape from her marriage.
Kyle is a solitary man until a mysterious guest visits.
June 5, 2022
I won a free copy of this book through Goodreads. I only enter the contests for books that sound great and this one had an interesting plot. However, I had a hard time getting interested in the story line or liking/caring about any of the characters. The story just plodded along and I stopped reading after a couple of chapters. Very rare for me not to finish a book but nothing about this one was holding my interest.
July 4, 2022
Wow. I can usually persevere to finish a book even if I do not like it. Not this one. I found myself skim reading pages to push through, but I had to quit torturing myself. I received this through a goodreads giveaway so I wanted to give it a fair chance. After putting is aside for awhile, I decided to check what the reviews were like before giving up. I found that I am not alone in my opinion - don't waste your valuable reading time on this book.
May 21, 2022
I won this book as a free giveaway from Goodreads. Unlike many others, I read the book all the way through. It is an unusual book. The characters were interesting but somehow, it just felt disconnected to me. There were times that I enjoyed the book and other times that reading it wasn't an easy flow.
May 31, 2022
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway, like many other reviewers. I’ve been trying to get through it for several days now and I just can’t make much sense of it. The characters have no depth and don’t seem fully developed. Grammatically the writing just wanders with repetitions and run on sentences. I can’t finish this book.
June 3, 2022
I wanted to love this book. I’m a writer as well and saw so much potential in this story. Too many adjectives and passive voice plus grammatical errors left me wanting to stop reading. Keishi is talented and shouldn’t take my opinion as something negative but rather as constructive and find an editor to get this story tighter.
June 4, 2022
Sad lives intertwined with the supernatural
I won this book as part of a Goodreads give away.
It’s many parts sad lives mixed with some supernatural. The prose did not flow and was clunky, making the story hard to read. If you can get past the first few chapters and writing, the middle was okay but the ending a disappointment.
I won this book as part of a Goodreads give away.
It’s many parts sad lives mixed with some supernatural. The prose did not flow and was clunky, making the story hard to read. If you can get past the first few chapters and writing, the middle was okay but the ending a disappointment.
June 9, 2022
Thank you to goodreads for the free ecopy of this book.
Unfortunately I agree with many other reviewers. This book was not well written. At first I thought it was a book of unrelated short stories until characters returned and continued their stories. I found myself skimming through pages of too much dialog and unimportant description.
Unfortunately I agree with many other reviewers. This book was not well written. At first I thought it was a book of unrelated short stories until characters returned and continued their stories. I found myself skimming through pages of too much dialog and unimportant description.
September 30, 2022
This was a strike out for me - I did not finish it. I rarely give bad reviews on a book, but this went absolutely nowhere for me and did so quickly. Grammer, punctuation and present/past tense usage drove me crazy. I received this advanced reading copy from Goodreads and apologize that I could not bring myself to finish it. Perhaps it was just not my cup of tea.
April 24, 2022
I won this book through Goodreads. It's a DNF for me. For one thing it moves too slow for me. I'm surprised I got through the 1st chapter after reading about "her naked body on the floor". A male definitely wrote this book. I loved the idea of the book so was really disappointed how it was written.
May 9, 2022
This book tells the story of a handful of lives that crash together in unexpected ways, partially in thanks to a curious character named Angel who appears and disappears in the most mysterious of ways. It also includes some references to Japanese folklore.
May 16, 2022
Don’t waste your time. The characters are one dimensional; the story is very flat; the dream sequences are unreadable. The writing was both juvenile and ridiculously flowery and sexual. I’m glad I didn’t pay for this book. Awful
May 24, 2022
I rarely review books but I received a free e-copy so I am tasked with doing an honest review.
I didn't like the simple writing style.
The story was slow and the characters did not interest me.
But thank you for the e-copy.
I didn't like the simple writing style.
The story was slow and the characters did not interest me.
But thank you for the e-copy.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews