Grind

by Edward Vukovic

ZIVA'S LOVE OF COFFEE IS DOUBLE-EDGED. 

Throughout her life, she gives her talent to those desperate for a glimpse into destiny's promise. Predicting the future with chilling accuracy, she understands the cost and has sworn never to divine her own truth. 




Having fled the economic aftershocks of the Balkan war, she struggles adjusting to her new life and clings to the remnants of her past, until she meets Isaac. 




In the midst of a biting Melbourne winter, the paths of Ziva, Simon, Isaac, Michel, and Danielle cross in unexpected places, often over a cup of their favourite coffee. 




Each of them is looking for meaning, while navigating complex emotions about their past, present and future...




"A warm and charismatic story of characters joined in destiny that allows the reader to experience the moments with them...well written and thought-out." Damien, Indiebook reviewer

Genres: Fiction

268 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 30, 2022

About the author

Edward Vukovic is a Melbourne-based writer and novelist. He has work published across numerous publications including The Journal, The Adviser, The Roar and Shoot Farken. When he's not writing about his poor parenting skills or fantasy football you will most likely find him hurling instructions at the television, steadfast in his belief that the players of whatever sport he's watching at the time are actually listening to his ranting.

Edward is married to his wonderful and talented wife Vesna and is a proud, if sometimes bewildered, father to his amazing son Oliver.

Reviews

[J. Schlenker · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cover drew me in – so well designed. I’m not a coffee drinker, yet reading this book could almost make me become one. I was mesmerized by the poetic flow and rich descriptions in the book, so much so, that I almost lost track of the story. However, midway through, I was very much engrossed into the characters and found the book hard to put down. The reader is enriched by the subtle ritual of the coffee drinker, not much unlike a Japanese tea ceremony. The descriptions were so defined that at one point my mind drifted, thinking of the popcorn that we might have during a movie later that night. I read on only about three pages onward and found a popcorn scene. Was it intuitive? Did the smell of popcorn seep through to the surrounding pages? The author does a superb job. As a writer I was greatly inspired by his work. If this book would get in the right hands, I could see it as a bestseller.

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five strangers in a world full of strangers cross paths and each has somehow affected the others’ lives, all because of the magic of coffee. Grind by Edward Vukovic is a tale of mystery, rituals and the power of fate in the world.

Do you have a coffee ritual? If so, you are one of millions, but Ziva’s ritual including reading the grinds, a power passed down by her grandmother to be used for helping others discover their futures. What if she read her own future? Dare she try it? What will she discover? How will her reading touch others?

Told in multiple points of view, each person has truly been caught in Ziva’s web, no matter how subtly, each voice is unique to the character and the atmosphere created by Mr. Vukovic is rich and full-bodied. His scenes are vivid and bring added life to each page as he carefully details each with his words. Fascinating reading, which gently glides through each page, perfect for escaping into another world and other lives! Settle in, grab your favorite grind and become a part of this well-thought out world!

I received this copy from Edward Vukovic in exchange for my honest review.

Publication Date: February 2, 2016
Publisher: Edward Vukovic
Genre: Adult Fiction
Print Length: 396 pages
Available from: Amazon |  Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[K.J. Simmill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grind by Edward Vukovic is a fiction novel touching on aspects of romance, mystery, and occult. However the main focus of Grind is the effect people unknowingly have on other people's lives. It follows Ziva, Michel, Simon, Isaac, and Danielle. Five strangers whose paths cross and alter the course of another's future.

Ziva was raised to read coffee, her skills taught to her by her baba (Grandmother.) whose skills were sought far and wide by those wishing to learn of the future. Ziva understands all too well people do not always want to hear what they are foretold, yet she speaks the truth, whether they accept it is another matter. Ziva avoids reading for herself, but to know the future is tempting, and an urge she could no longer resist.

One of the most interesting things about Grind is the manner in which it was written. It takes the lives of five different characters and subtly combines them so they each have a profound and sometimes unknown effect of the lives of those mentioned. The book is written in parts, and whilst from multiple perspectives is all done in first person with a unique voice for each character. Each character has their own story, their own plot, it would be easy to view this book as a collection of shorter stories with two common themes, coffee and consequence. The descriptive voice of the author is well-developed, and the unfolding of events toward the dramatic conclusion is expertly executed. I can honestly say I've not read anything quite like it. It truly makes you sit back and reflect on how the things you do can effect people you may never even have met.

[Kurt Chambers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Positive points

This story is written in first person perspective with multiple POVs. First person perspective is very common these days, but not all authors can pull it off. Vukovic, on the other hand, has used this perspective to the max to create a deep POV for each of the characters. I enjoyed becoming each character as the story unfolded. I became emotionally connected to each one of them and am not ashamed to admit I shed a tear or two. Hats off to the author for that.

The story is not action packed, but this was not its intention. It is a story about real people having to deal with real-life situations and how they connect with each other in a community. It kept my interest throughout the story and I found it a really good read. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes this type of story.

Negative points

The most obvious negative point is this book needs to be proofread. I did find mistakes that could easily be corrected by a professional edit. This did not in any way take away the enjoyment of the story, but with a story this good, it seems a shame not to make it perfect.

What makes this book unique

I loved the way the characters were introduced in a clear and separate fashion and how they intertwined into each other's lives. This had me guessing what would happen next from one chapter to the next.

Overall impression
A great story with very real people. Believable and emotional.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great characters, a story that keeps you turning the pages and great insight into the small details of life and our interconnectedness.

Most of the coffee references went right over my head as a non-drinker but the rest of the story was good enough to make up for that ;)

[Lani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Considering the fact that I do not like the taste at all, this book has really got me hanging out for a hot cup of coffee.

The writing style is richly detailed. Edward Vukovic writes descriptively to the point where you can smell the brewing coffee on the stove and your tastebuds are tingling with anticipation. Each sentence is well thought out and packed with sensory detail. Vukovic has a way of weaving words together to create realistic descriptions that make you view the world around you in a different way.

The characters lives all intersect. We start off with Ziva, an immigrant struggling to settle into life in Australia. Then we meet Isaac – an alcoholic who owns a bar, Simon – a struggling real estate agent, Michel – a mysterious homeless man, and Danielle – a schoolgirl with an interesting theory about traffic signals. At first it is unclear how they are connected, but bit-by-bit the characters begin to cross paths and unknowingly alter the course of each other’s lives. I love the way the links between the characters become apparent in the final chapters of the book.

It’s hard to place a genre on this book. I simply labelled it adult fiction / contemporary because it really falls into a lot of different categories – there are elements of romance, mystery, and the occult – there are different ideas in Grind that will appeal to different people.

For me there were a couple of things holding Grind back from a higher rating. I found the pacing a little slow and didn’t really find myself fully captivated until I was about 3/4’s of my way through the book. After that point things really picked up, though, and it was an exciting read towards the end.

There were also quite a few mistakes with punctuation that could be fixed with another edit. It was mostly just simple things, such as missing speech bubbles at the end of dialogue – not a big issue but enough to interrupt the flow and cause me to re-read paragraphs to check if the character was still speaking or not.

The female characters fell a little flat for me, personally, but I thought the male characters were very well-rounded and fleshed out. Their backstories were interesting and I liked learning more about their characters and what made them tick.

Overall, though, I think Grind was a really interesting read and a great portrayal of life in modern Melbourne and the way we are all connected.

I have a suspicion that we will be seeing more great writing from Vukovic in the future and I look forward to seeing where he takes his writing career next.

Check out this review and more on my blog: https://elanacoles.com

[Nalini Warriar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grind as in coffee is an engrossing book. Ziva, of Macedonian heritage with ties to Bosnia and Serbo-Croatia and the horrors those names conjure, living in Australia with her brother Ivan and his wife, start off this wonderful creation from the mind of Edward Vokovic. Simon, the realtor, Isaac the bar-owner and secret poet, Michel the ‘homeless’ smoker who has a dark secret or two and Danielle, the school girl, complete the cast of principal characters.

I was immediately drawn into Ziva’s mysterious world of steaming cups of dark coffee and felt an urgent need of a caffeine fix. The lives of these people intertwine as the story weaves on into a strange tapestry of events culminating in a fitting end to a glorious start. Simon has a blow out in Isaac’s bar; Ivan almost buys a home from Simon; Michel is the shadowy cigarette smoker who befriends Danielle, not realizing he knows her from a previous life; Danielle is the girl at the lights. And they all, except Ziva, come together in a brief span during rush hour one day. I’m watching the events unfold through the eyes of a traffic camera.

The budding romance between Isaac and Ziva is written with a delicate touch without going into crass details, which would have detracted from the story. Vokovic made me feel for Simon and his bad day. Even my horror faced with Michel’s past turns to satisfied retribution.
I like the fact that Vokovic has no loose ends. All the threads in Grind are neatly tied and Vokovic never loses focus. He weaves the story using different POVs keeping it tight using the first person narrative, not letting the secondary ones go astray.

A fine novel! What a great compliment to Indie writers to have one of Vokovic’s calibre in their midst. And he can write fabulous poetry too!

[Jessie Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is it cliche to compare a book that features coffee with a coffee shop? I hope not...

This book is told from a variety of view points and as they are introduced, the characters swirl through the plot like the steam and scent of coffee in eddies of breezes, mingling and changing as they meet. Just as if you were to follow your nose walking through your favorite local coffee shop, the scent of some of the characters drew me in. I wanted to know more about the woman who reads the future in coffee cups and I drank those stories up looking for seconds. Others pushed me back, the real estate agent was not what I hoped for, nor what I was expecting. Yet others, like the homeless man, changed on closer inspection, the difference between the initial scent of a cup and the surprising flavor on the tongue.

These people living in an Australian city have nothing but coffee in common, until they all drift toward the ceiling, swirling, changing and intersecting. Once that happens, once all the characters intersect, some in big ways some smaller you are left with an overall ambiance that is better than any of them individually.

Would I recommend it? Yes and I don't even drink coffee.

(Also the book has undergone a rewrite and additional editing since the first reviews posted on Amazon, don't let them scare you off!)

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Ella (The Story Collector) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Told from the perspective of five different characters, this story explores the impact people can have on each other through chance meetings. Ziva, Isaac, Simon, Michel and Danielle are five strangers who's paths cross and have a significant impact on each other's lives. We follow the mini-story of each character, leading up to a shocking climax (which I won't spoil).

The main focus is on Ziva, an immigrant with a gift for predicting the future. Her story - and Danielle's - really is what kept me in the book. The others I found pretty boring, but they are integral to the story. Grind is beautifully written, descriptive, slow-paced and gentle. Although not very exciting, it made a nice change. The romance between Ziva and Isaac is light and believable, and I wanted to know what was going on with Danielle from the second we met her.

This story is not exciting or particularly relatable, but it is intriguing, moving and very well-written. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a change of pace, something a bit different. (Also, if you like coffee, that's a pretty big thing - hence the title and cover art.)

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Joy Corkery · Rating 3 out of 5]

First published here: https://joyfulantidotes.com/2016/08/2...

Every so often, I get the chance to read a book I wouldn’t necessarily have chosen if I was placed in the middle of a bookshop. Such occurrences help me to open my mind to new genres/story types and discover more about what I like and don’t like in a book. Grind by Edward Vukovic was one such book.

For the most part, Grind tells the story of Ziva, an Eastern European immigrant currently living in Australia with her brother and his wife. Ziva’s grandmother passed to her the gift of reading a person’s destiny through the remnants of their coffee cup, which Ziva uses to bring comfort to those who come to her.

The story begins with Ziva and then continues through the voice of several other characters. For at least three-quarters of the book, it is as if the reader is being presented with individual short stories about each character. Besides the role of coffee in their lives, there is nothing very apparent which connects them. However, what Vukovic has been doing is building up a slow momentum because, by the time the book comes to a close, the connection between each person is apparent: we learn that it is not a love of coffee which has connected each person, but destiny. And that was what this book was about for me, destiny and how our fate is what it is.

This book kept me interested, more because I wanted to discover the link between the characters rather than it being a very exciting story. I would say that Grind did not have any climax, nor were the characters relatable, even though they told sorrowful stories. However, this was a very cleverly written book. I mentioned already that it is not until the last quarter of the book that the connections between the characters become apparent but, in hindsight, there were some clues for the in-depth reader. Little things begin to ring a bell and there is a slow build until begins to piece together.

The best thing for me about this book was the writing style. The descriptive language was very beautiful; its poetic flow allowed me to build an accurate image of each event in my mind. The normal clichés were not used here and I could see that Vukovic put a lot of thought into the words he chooses.

Overall, I would say I enjoyed this book. It certainly opened up a new style of writing to me and an interesting way to build suspense and mystery. I will be keeping my eyes open for Edward Vukovic’s future work.

Disclaimer: I was sent this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Rosie Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grind is a contemporary piece of literature set in Melbourne, Australia and follows five different characters towards an end when it is revealed how they are all connected. Throughout the story coffee is a common thread linking them all. The book is primarily written in first person from multiple points of view.

Ziva is Eastern European, with a gift of sight, she reads the signs left by the dregs in strong Turkish cups of coffee. She has come to Australia, following her brother and his wife, but she struggles to make friends and fit in.

Isaac owns a bar, he mourns the loss of his wife who died several years ago, he owns a dog he names Dante and he writes poetry.

Simon is a struggling estate agent, when he's late for work one day a colleague takes the call about a property he's been trying to sell for ages and makes the deal. His day gets worse when he finds the others in the office have also stolen his supply of precious coffee and it tips him over the edge, sending him on a dangerous drinking spree.

Michel is a mysterious homeless man with a shocking past and one he tries to escape, fearing violence from the bosses he stole from, he hopes his new life will keep them away, instead his past deeds return in an innocent form to haunt him.

Danielle is a schoolgirl who brushes the lives of all the other characters as they meet her one by one at a traffic light crossing.

This book takes a bit of getting into, especially as there is no indication which character each new chapter is about. The first person narrative is not necessarily the fault, but perhaps helpful chapter headings with just the character's name would ease the reading experience. As it is, each new chapter takes a bit of time to work out who is talking and it interrupted the flow of the story for me.

The good thing is that there is plenty of rich writing to indulge in and the coffee theme is fun and well done. I particularly enjoyed Ziva's coffee cup readings. Harder for me was the teasing out of the characters, it took a long while to understand that there were several characters and that the story had changed to someone new, meaning I had to re-read sections. We got to know the characters from their background story build ups but not from any striking dialogue or minds-eye visualisation.

[Bookworm86 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grind is a novel which shows the effects one person can have on another without realising it. Written from the different characters perspectives you find yourself turning page after page to find out what happens next. Very good reading especially as it's the authors first book. Lots of coffee references for the coffee lovers out there!! Make yourself a cuppa, put your feet up and read Grind, you won't be disappointed xx

[Clota Santa · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engrossing read!

A wonderful read full of well-written characters. A play on words for the title and the book itself.

My favorite character would obviously be Ziva!

Highly recommended!

[gj indieBRAG · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are proud to announce that GRIND by Edward Vukovic is a B.R.A.G.Medallion Honoree. This tells a reader that this book is well worth their time and money!

[Taha Shehab · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr Vukovic is a wordsmith that relies not on elongated words or complicated sentences but instead on memorising flow and subtle poetry. I was slightly hesitant to get into this book as I much prefer sci fi, however upon nearing the end I found myself exceptionally saddened that the stories of all the characters I had begun to develop a connection with, was about to end. The author does such an exquisite job of painting characters and scenes that I often find myself recalling vivid imagery and wondering whether I was reminiscing a movie or film. I would strongly recommend this literary journey to any fans of good litreture.

[Stewy Broom · Rating 5 out of 5]

The way the lives of the main characters come together as the story unfolds drew me in further, the more I read which I found really well done in that regard as I find if a book doesn't get me after the first few chapters, I struggle to keep reading.
I felt that the story really takes off towards the middle of the book and I was totally engrossed in the "living in central Melbourne" vibe through the descriptive wording. In all honesty, I was a tad disappointed that the book actually ended when it did - I wanted more.
Perhaps a sequel Ed, developing Isaac & Ziva:).
All in all, thoroughly enjoyed the read. Well done.

[Stephanie Doran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grind explores the everyday lives of its characters and the intricate and unexpected ways their lives are connected. It has been beautifully written and the pace of the plot is generally very well done.

By delving into the history, lives and motives of its characters the author has created a gripping and intriguing tale of how we can find and develop connections with others out of even the smallest of shared interests (in this case, coffee!). Highly recommend this book. It is a really is an enjoyable and poignant novel.

[Antonella Gramola-Sands · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read. Great characters. A bit disjoint at times but this is probably due to the variety of stories than will come together at the end.

[Diplomacy76 · Rating 5 out of 5]

To be honest, I didn't really know what to expect when I grabbed this book on a recent Kindle sale. However, it exceeded all of them.

While the book focuses on a number of characters, each from their own perspective, it is really about Ziva, an immigrant from the former Yugoslavia. Ziva has the ability to foretell the future by reading coffee grinds - an ability passed on from her grandmother - and is forced to make a number of life-changing decisions because of what she has seen in the grinds. I don't want to give away too much as the fun in reading this book is seeing how it all plays out.

I really loved this book. The characters were complex and really well rounded. It was difficult to not like Ziva and later on, Isaac. I also loved the author's painstaking attention to detail when describing a scene. Each description was evocative and beautifully written - the scenes where the process of reading the coffee grinds made you feel like you were sitting right there, watching the whole thing.

All up, the book was well paced, moving between dialogue and action smoothly and the characters felt real - with the author providing little glimpses of their histories that help you understand who they are. If you have an interest in the occult, a little romance and coffee (as this is a major theme in the book), or just like a book that is well written and has interesting characters, it's hard to go passed Grind.

[Fiona Cooke Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title Grind is important - coffee plays a central role in the main characters lives. For Ziva, a young immigrant fleeing war torn Eastern Europe- it is a link to her past and the way to foretell the future.
For Simon, a failed property salesman - his love of good coffee is the only good thing in his life. Isaac's offer of coffee brings him and Ziva together.
But Grind also tells of the struggle of these characters - Ziva's daily toil and efforts to adjust to life in a new country and against poverty, Isaac lives with the death of his wife and tries to find meaning in his daily work. Danielle, a school girl struggles to cope with her mentally ill father and Michel, whose past links him to the young girl.
A complex and beautiful novel.

[Harry R · Rating 5 out of 5]

To be honest, I don’t read a lot of fiction, but I really enjoyed what was a memorable story. The writing style was very fluid and easy to read and I was completely immersed in the skilfully written narrative. But most of all, I was really taken in by the descriptive way of looking at the world.

My personal yardstick is thinking what someone from the US might get from the story, having never visited Melbourne. The writer truly laboured over painting the mental pictures, which I appreciated, as I think anyone, anywhere, could feel a “Melbourne experience” from any chapter of the book.

It was a real pleasure reading a very enjoyable book.”

[T. Phelps · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strange and inviting story

First off, there are plenty of typos and errors in this story but not enough to distract or detract from the story itself.

The main characters are well developed and the authors ability to describe a scene and setting are powerfully honed.

I won't say this is the type of story I usually read but it certainly had enough of a grip to hold my scattered attention for the duration.

If the author had another editor take a look at the story and if he tightened up some loose story lines, it could earn five stars.

[Patricia Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book on Goodreads Giveaway's.
Fascinating read about Ziva, Michel, Isaac, Simon and Danielle five strangers where coffee is their common denominator. This is a romantic mystery with dashes of occult thrown in, it shows what one person does can have an effect on other people they have never met.
Great cover art as well.
Highly recommend

[Sara E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This intriguing story takes the reader into the lives of several characters in the first person. Each character has a well developed individual voice and very different story. Yet each one of them crosses paths with another along the way, eventually leading to intensely emotional events.

I will give nothing away, but I love the connections in the story, especially the coffee!

[Peta · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmmm didn't love this one. In fact couldn't wait to be rid of it....

[Fermentum · Rating 2 out of 5]

I REALLY, REALLY wanted to like this book, but the only part I liked was the parts with Ziva and the coffee. When i got to each new chapter, It took me a little while to figure who the person was.

[Becki · Rating 4 out of 5]

GRIND is Edward Vukovic’s debut novel. It is a contemporary novel set in Australia. It follows the story of Ziva, who was born in the old Yugoslavia, and followed her brother and his wife to Australia fleeing the economic aftershocks of the Balkan war. Ziva does her best to fit into this strange new place, and to not upset her brother on whose good will she is reliant. Ziva clings to the customs her grandmother taught her, and the gift she inherited from her, despite her brother’s pointed disdain. Then she meets Isaac, and things change for both of them.

I’ll be honest, I had not heard of GRIND until I received an email from the author asking me if I would be interested in reading it. Once I saw and the cover and read the blurb I was instantly curious. GRIND did not disappoint me. I found it easy to slip into the world, and follow Ziva’s journey through the book. Ziva’s outlook on the world was an interesting one, and despite not being a coffee fan I enjoyed the way that the different sections of the novel are linked through this bitter beverage. The story flows well, and I think if you’re interested in expanding your horizons a little bit then this book is well worth a read.

Although GRIND is, without a doubt, Ziva’s story the book is narrated by and follows the story of five interconnected people. Ziva’s story is the driving force of the narrative, but we also get to know Simon, Isaac, Michel and Danielle, and see how all five of them are connected. I enjoyed seeing events covered from the different perspectives, with different lives and histories. Vukovic paints a really detailed picture of what life is like in this particular place and time. As well as showing how different people’s lives can interconnect and create a greater narrative.

My main complaint about this book, and it’s a trivial one, is that I would have liked there to be a bit more of it. I wanted the stories to continue on a bit after where the book currently ends, but having said that I do think Vukovic ended the book well as it feels complete. I just want to see what happens next in their lives. I found the story easy to follow, and as I mentioned earlier I thought that even with the different narrators the story flows well. There was one point where I got confused as to who the narrator was, but apart from that it was easy to keep track of whose story was whose.

If you’re looking for an intriguing contemporary read, or a book set in Australia then GRIND is well worth a read. It is, of course, more than both those things – it is a book about family, about loss, about new beginnings, and it’s also a book about the past and the future. But above all else, GRIND is a book that will suck you in.

Originally posted on The Flutterby Room as part of the blog tour. I got a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. You can find the original post