Logic of Demons: The Quest For Nadine's Soul

Author: H. A. Goodman

Summary: (back cover) What would you do if the love of your life was murdered by a deranged killer? Would you become a vigilante and seek retribution? And would this revenge affect those you care for in the afterlife? LOGIC OF DEMONS The Quest For Nadine's Soul takes you on a journey inside the psyches of men and women forced to deal with the supernatural consequences of their decisions. Through the lives of a demon, two Angels and a mysterious teenage girl, a plethora of politically and socially relevant issues ranging from the roots of genocide and sex trafficking to child conscription and religious fundamentalism are addressed in this fantasy thriller. Life as well as the afterlife converge to explain certain peculiarities of the human condition. Whether you are a God-fearing individual or an atheist, LOGIC OF DEMONS The Quest For Nadine's Soul addresses moral and theological issues of interest for people of all backgrounds.

Review: Because this is a self-published novel, it is going to be a little different in how I evaluate it. At first, I had a really hard time getting into it just because I had already formed opinions based on the fact that it was self-published...which was a mistake. After a break from it, I picked it up again months later and began reading eventually living the story with the characters.

The story picked up in pace and more things happened that drove the story forward. It was still very difficult for me to connect to the characters even in the very end, because they just seemed so secondary to the overall feel and story of the book.

This isn't really a YA novel. It has a teenage girl in it, but she is hardly in the story even though she is a crucial instrument in the resolution of the book. This was a super ambitious book. All of those themes introduced by the summary really did come into play within the plot, but I also felt overwhelmed at times. It was as if I could tell where the author was concentrating on writing fictional entertainment and then where the writing and style changed to informational and curt.

Overall, it was an interesting read opening my eyes to some different perspectives and things I was unaware of. I guess this is more criticism than usual, but I think that the book would have flowed better and have been stronger in its purpose if it was more focused on either being a book on human behavior or actually a character's story.

Rating: I am reluctant to give a numeric value since I use that system almost exclusively for fiction books that are directed to Young Adults. I will say that it was difficult to finish, but interesting while I was reading. If i rated it for story, plot and characters, it would be a 2. But for its overall construction, organization, and depth of themes and questions it asked and the impression it left me, then the score would be higher.