If you had to choose one word to describe the author’s writing style, what would it be?
Simple, maybe too simple because at first it bothered me. Maybe someone has a better word but I do think it improved as the book went on
Extraordinary! I don’t know how he made that omniscient narrator such a soothing, emotive and powerful voice. All I know I was mesmerized by the telling.
I would say this novel was FANTASTIC. It is the best book I’ve ready this year and I will be looking for any books this author writes. Thank you for choosing me to have the privilege of receiving this phenomenal book!
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I’d say thought-provoking. Oftentimes when reading, I asked myself what I would’ve done in those situations.
I agree Marquita. It was thought-provoking. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.
His writing is in simple everyday language. Easy to follow and well within what one would expect if conversing with either character. His chapters were short and to the point. As other readers, I often questioned what I would have done in that situation, very thought provoking indeed.
mind-opening - It made me think about actions I probably would never have sympathized with before.
I think the writing style is a little on the simple side, but I liked that aspect of it. It makes it easy enough for a younger audience, those whose English might not be their first language, and those with limited literacy skills. I think the book’s message about being true to oneself is a great one for these audiences (and others!).
“Simple” works with this story. Smoot didn’t linger on either character for too long before returning to the other. He wove their threads together which resulted in a satisfying plot.
Choosing a one word description of Bill Smoot’s writing style is indeed a challenge, but after much thought, I would select “lucid”
His writing style leaned towards narrative and was wonderful! i loved how he titled each chapter. I thought he was very descriptive
… and when I say his writing is simple, I mean his style is accessible - the vocabulary isn’t challenging, and the short chapters also make it an easy read. Underneath all that is a multilayered plot that really makes you think - so that part isn’t simple at all. Just wanted to clarify what I meant.
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Straightforward. I absolutely love this author’s writing style. There were so many thought-provoking issues raised and in a style that was easy to relate to, even if the reader did not agree.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and his style of writing. It was easy to follow both stories, and the short chapters kept me turning the pages.
I have tried to select just one word, but I land on two: restrained and unpretentious. I appreciated the author’s style and that he laid out the story without landing too long on the emotions - it would have been very easy to do that and would have potentially felt manipulative.
Before I saw this question posed here, I was wondering how to describe this author’s style of writing. This is not something I normally ponder while reading a book. I think John_B1’s selection of the word “lucid” to describe Mr. Smoot’s writing style in this book is spot on. I looked up the definition of “lucid”. This is what I found: “When a writing style is described as lucid, it means the text is exceptionally clear, easy to understand, and logically organized. A lucid writer can take complex, abstract, or dense ideas and present them so plainly that the reader grasps the meaning immediately without having to re-read sentence”. So, one work to describe Mr. Smoot’s writing style for his book San Quention Exodus is indeed “lucid”. So, thank you to John_B1. I would like to add that I think this is one of the best books I read this year, and I agree with Candace_F in that I will be looking for any book by Bill Smoot.