Blogcritics Author: Alex Hutchinson

Book Review: Crystal Bay by Brandon Ford

Alex Hutchinson — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 22:54:43 EDT

An isolated writer is seduced by a bloodthirsty temptress.
All of us have a watched at least one movie at the theater and walked away wondering, "What was the point?" Weak characters, a meandering storyline and empty scenery never capture our interest. This often leads to an ending so predictable that you often walk out, angry that you wasted ten dollars. These are the fatal flaws that define a bad movie....

Book Review: Unholy Domain by Dan Ronco

Alex Hutchinson — Thu, 29 May 2008 17:48:32 EDT

A young man tries to escape his father's past only to find himself in the middle of a war over the ethics of technology.
Daring, innovative, and predictive of ethical quandaries yet to arrive, Unholy Domain is a novel to be reckoned with. Author Dan Ronco utilizes his vast understanding of engineering and technology to give us a vision of the future well within the realm of possibility. This could be one of those rare occasions when we as a people could learn the...

Book Review: Janeology by Karen Harrington

Alex Hutchinson — Fri, 16 May 2008 17:16:25 EDT

In Janeology a father is put on trial for allowing his wife to kill one of their children.
A good book will use a strong first chapter to capture your interest but a great book will knock you on your ass in the first two sentences. Janeology by Karen Harrington doesn’t let you escape the prologue without feeling the utmost sympathy for the main character. Tom has just lost one of his children to infanticide. The murderer was his...

Book Review: Unholy Grail by D.L. Wilson

Alex Hutchinson — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 15:51:06 EDT

Another duo of investigators take a shot at the bloodline of Jesus Christ in this work of fiction.
Successful books set the standard for entire genres. In religious fiction, the bar was raised when Dan Brown's novel The DaVinci Code broke sales records, eventually becoming one of the most talked about and most widely read books in modern publishing. Its popularity grew further with the release of a major motion picture of the same name starring...

Book Review: Hoi Polloi edited by Robert McNulty

Alex Hutchinson — Tue, 8 Apr 2008 18:26:14 EDT

The real value comes not from its bite-size musings but instead from its author profiles and interviews.
Hoi Polloi: A Literary Journal for the Rest of Us is the first book presented by non-profit publisher Dog Day Press. All proceeds from this collaborative anthology benefit the Sowing Seeds Organization of Marshfield, Massachusetts. The title Hoi Polloi in the original Greek literally means "The Many" and the writing in this collection...

A Sober Plea for Ending the War in Iraq

Alex Hutchinson — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 19:59:29 EDT

Iraq is providing some painful realities which are about to kick us in the conscience
The events of 9/11 had a traumatic effect on the American people. It was the type of shock that could drive a society blind with rage or in our case, send us on a non-stop drinking binge. We were hurt, angry and determined to get revenge. We were vulnerable and in that moment we could be easily led to do many a rash thing. There is so much damage...

Book Review: Confessions of a Corporate Slut by Jacqueline Gum

Alex Hutchinson — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 14:16:15 EDT

Brilliant story of a successful corporate woman who smashed glass ceilings at every turn, only to give it all up for the man she loved.
How difficult is it to traverse the corporate world? Author Jacqueline Gum knows first hand. In her debut novel, Confessions of a Corporate Slut, we experience the arduous journey of Roberta, a scrappy chick from a broken family who is forced to become self-sufficient at an early age. Prospects for a prosperous future seem grim until she lands a...

Presidential Primaries: The Problem With Open Scoring

Alex Hutchinson — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 21:34:51 EDT

According to the judges' score cards Hillary needs a knockout in order to win.
In the sport of boxing judges use a 10-point must system that allows them to record the winner and loser of each round after it is completed. Under normal circumstances these scores are kept secret until the final bell has rung and the winner is announced.Unfortunately due to repeated scandals throughout the years, the fans occasionally question...

Book Review: The Cage by Jason Brannon

Alex Hutchinson — Fri, 7 Mar 2008 01:55:17 EST

The Cage is a horror novel equipped with its own unique brand of freak show carnage.
Cryptozoology is the study of animals that are believed to have existed but have not been seen in any recordable manner. But what if these animals do exist? What would it take to find them, to catch them? What kind of a man would one have to be in order to devote his life to such an unusual and dangerous pursuit?In the novel The Cage by Jason...

The Rise of a Judicious Generation

Alex Hutchinson — Mon, 3 Mar 2008 02:05:32 EST

Has Barack Obama's candidacy provoked the rise to power of a new generation?
On many occasions former President Bill Clinton has given crowds a simple verbal test to affirm their ideological tendencies. If they believed that life in America got better because of the protests of the sixties then they are likely to be Democrats. If they believed that life got worse because of those struggles they were more likely to have...