Review: Glazed City Eyes, Preston M. Smith

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review*
Glazed City Eyes Preston M. Smith cover
Jackson McCormack is entering his thirties and his life is not what he hoped it would be. Despite his newly acquired girlfriend Terra, his fledgling writing career and his life are in a state of constant flux. He works a dead-end job and self-medicates profusely, while utilizing every spare moment to devote to his passion for writing. Enter Julius, an elderly, sage-like, street-wandering black man. These two men strike up a unique relationship, as Jackson quickly discovers that Julius also has a penchant for words. While Jackson’s relationship with Terra and career hang by a thin thread, Julius leads him on a series of adventures that will prove to save Jackson’s life.

Preston M. Smith is a novelist and Fine Artist in Los Angeles, California. He has a Bachelors degree in Fine Arts from Gonzaga University. Preston's paintings have been shown with the likes of David Lynch and at President Obama's Inauguration.

I really liked the blurb. I love to read about people on the search for themselves and when there is this older mentor coming along and helping it can be very nice. That whole part was done nice here. I feel Julius really helped Jackson see things and realize that his life could be worse or better but he had to take action himself and could not let it depend on others. Still you will see only two stars on the bottom of this review and there are various reasons for this. The story is written from the most depressing point of view, Jackson's head. It is clear he is struggling with himself and cannot get a grip on his life or his thoughts. It rolls from one depressing situation to another and most of them are caused by himself. From the beginning of the book he is struggling with the life he wants and his needs and they cannot be combined it seems. Now I can handle some struggle but this was all a bit to depressive for me.
The characters all seemed to be influenced by this too. Most is told from Jackson's point of view so gets colored with his feelings which does not really flatter the other characters. Jackson himself was not a character I liked. He always tried to find a way out, making everybody except himself responsible for his problems. I understand that as a writer he felt a shame of putting his stuff out there but before he gave others a chance to read it he dismissed his own work. Same with his girl, he was acting as if he did not really deserved her but he needed her anyway to survive the mess he was in. This is not my kind of guy that is for sure.
Terra, the woman in the story, I understood. She wanted to stand by the guy she liked but in my opinion she gave him way to much space even though she gave me the idea she was a strong woman. What about love is making blind!
Julius stayed a bit of a mystery to me. I do feel his intentions were good but I did not really understand his actions or what he really did in the end. I understand the mystery surrounding him has a significance to the story and the development of Jackson but I would have liked to know more about him.

Glazed City Eyes
Author: Preston M. Smith
Publisher: Smith & Jacob McKinley
Pages: 207
Format: eBook
ISBN-13: 9781301173136
Smith & Jacob McKinley: eBook various
Glazed City Eyes

2 stars

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Melinda
AUTHOR
05 November, 2013 delete

Too much depression? Don't think this one is for me! It's strange how people blame everyone but themselves when their life is not what they intended it to be.

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