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Andrew J. Rush is a successful author.  He writes “vanilla” books that can be appreciated by the masses.  Jack of Spades does not write “vanilla”, he shocks and offends.  No one would know that these two are one in the same.  How far will Jack of Spades go to protect Andrew J. Rush?  Can Andrew J. Rush stop Jack of Spades?

Jack of Spades starts with a bang.  I was immediately pulled into the book.  But what really set this book apart is the delivery.  Jack of Spades is a “one-man show”.  There is only one character in the book, sure Andrew J. Rush interacts with others, but they are simply the window dressing to what is going on in his mind.  What a novel idea.  It sounds so simple, yet it strikes me as so complex.  Joyce Carol Oates only has to focus on Andrew J. Rush, she builds his character to the point where we know him, his habits and his faults.  But the challenge is keeping the reader engaged when there is only one character.  There are no subsidiary characters to bring comic relief or a second point of view.  It is only Andrew J. Rush.

This style fit perfectly with Andrew J. Rush’s character.  The story is all about him.  Even the vocabulary was well thought out, even premeditated to build the character.  I was truly impressed with the full, complete story that was created by Joyce Carol Oates.

If you enjoy a mind twisting story with a fantastic character, I would highly recommend Jack of Spades.

4.5 Stars

Jack of Spades 

​By Joyce Carol Oates