Free Book Friday!

Title: Clean
Author: Ken Sweet
Genre: Literature, Contemporary, life, relationships, inspirational
Price: $14.99
ISBN: 978-1411696013
Point of Sale: Amazon.com

I picked this book up from Lulu in 2006 and subsequently reviewed it on Amazon. I thought I would post the review here and also offer my copy as a giveaway. Details appear at the end of this review.

The Blurb: Benjamin Whyte is about to set out on a grand quest. When his world begins to collapse around him, Ben recalls a vision he had as a child - a vision of cool water that can wash away the grime and filth accumulated over the course of a lifetime, a vision of a glowing light that can heal and make whole - a vision of CLEAN. He also remembers the shadowy stranger who barred his path. Leaving his former life behind him, Ben embarks on a journey to find CLEAN. Following the recommendation of a mysterious new friend, he purchases a plane ticket to Britain, where he travels through a land of ancient spirituality in search of his goal. CLEAN is a chronicle of this adventure; an adventure full of peril, romance, enlightenment, and ultimately, a confrontation with the dark man himself.

We have some typical plot devices in this story: childhood illness, visions during said illness, a tried and true status quo life, complete with bad marriage and less than fulfilling job. Yes, most of us can probably relate to all of that. But here is where the story takes a bit of a turn and begins to wax philosophic: Ben sets off to find a better life for himself, a fresh start, and begins with a trip to England in order to clear his head. Shortly after arriving, he suffers in a serious accident and his fresh start turns into an Arthurian Quest of sorts, a crusade for peace and harmony … and the Dark Knight standing in his way is all too real.

I reviewed this for Amazon when it first came out.

In the words of Socrates: "A life unexamined is not worth living." These profound words hold true for Ken Sweet's first novel ‘Clean’

It takes a great amount of courage to put one's life under the microscope, and an even greater amount of strength to accept the fact that what, in essence, is wrong with our lives is based entirely on the choices we do and do not make -- or to quote Mr. Sweet -- the doors we do and do not open. Ben Whyte has had this epiphany and with the help of his friends, has decided to do something about it -- make a change for the better -- open the door he fears most of all and become Clean. We all need to step back -- open that dark door and take a good long look at ourselves, a look stripped clear of life's glittery illusions. Ben shows us that we all have within us the courage and strength to do that. Bravo!

My critical comments are few. The books is engaging, the pace keeps the reader interested in the plotline, the characters are everyday believable in a semi-autobiographical sort of way, the editing is excellent, and the writing is contemporary in language and style, very easy to read and digest. There is a lot of beautifully described scenery, heavy on the mysticism with a smattering of symbolism – just like I like it. It’s also quite inspiring. The formatting could use a bit of polish though, and the cover wasn’t as eye catching as it could be, I thought the story deserved something with more impact considering the theme.

8/10

Giveaway details!
I am giving my copy of this book away. Comment on this post by Midnight, Sunday August 31st. A name will be drawn randomly and will be announced after the holiday on Tuesday the 2nd of September. If your name is announced as the winner, please email: podpeep at gmail dot com with your snail mail address. Good Luck!