Friday, October 24, 2008

THE LOST EPISODES OF BEATIE SCARELI by Ginnetta Correli

THE LOST EPISODES OF BEATIE SCARELI

By: GINNETTA CORRELI

DATE OF RELEASE: JUNE 2008

ARC YES

The Lost Episodes of Beatie Scareli is a novella that reveals a tale of surviving childhood abuse as told by the 12 year old narrator, Beatie Scareli. The crisp and minimalist writing reads like a screenplay.

Being that I am a retired clinical social worker, I immediately fell into this book. It is a quick read.

The protagonist, Beatie, shares her experiences of life with her abusive father and schizophrenic mother. Told from the point of view of a child, the story avoids falling into a melodrama. The characters are plausible, as well as, their behavior and circumstances. Poignant moments occur when the child shares her vulnerability in imagined conversations with a toy bunny.

The Lost Episodes of Beatie Scareli is described as an “…experimental novel written as a hybrid of a bizarre television script.” The reader is expected to keep in mind that there is a middle-aged woman viewing Beatty’s story on the television; inferring that the television “program” may be a recall of the middle-aged woman’s own memories. The concept for this book does come off to be much grander than what actually occurs in the text.

Although this concept would translate well in film, there really is no need for the whole concept in novella form.

I believe that authors often do not know what the overall concept for their book may be. What an author has in mind and what actually is communicated is dependent on the reader.

This story offers a painfully accurate description of life with an untreated schizophrenic within a family that is not capable of handling such a crisis. Author, Ginnetta Correli also succeeds in portraying the pathways that pedophiles use to “groom” their victims.

Self-published books offer a wealth of work that should never be overlooked by the discerning reader.

I find the whole business of offering up self-published work comparable to how music is produced in the music industry. Demos are created prior to obtaining recording contracts. Musicians post their work online, develop a fan base… all before getting a major contract.

I believe the same can be said for the publishing industry. Any author who takes so much initiative to get their work out to the public is certainly worth a look-see. Passion and a belief that what one has to say is important make for good reading.

So, this work is experimental, it is the first published work for this author, and it does look unabashedly at painful topics.
Do I recommend this book?

YES.


RATING 4 out of 5 stars



The Lost Episodes of Beatie Scareli available at You Are What You Read Book Store

Self-published author,
Ginnetta Correli, resides in Las Vegas and her work can be found in print or online at: Diet Soap, Sein und Werden, and Insolent Rudder.




Learn more about author, Ginetta Correli, and her work by visiting the links below:



The Novel Nobody was Meant to Read
About a Family Nobody was meant to Watch