Reclamation by Karin Bishop

Reclamation by Karen Bishop is a well-written and often entertaining novel about horrible child abuse and religious extremism. It is set in the context of gender transformation, ingredients guaranteed to hold the reader’s interest.

On the plus side, we have a well-conceived story with roots in the world of today, where truth is often stranger than fiction. However, throw in a love story, a forensic legal and detective tale, a high-couture fashion element and one begins to think that the author has tried to do too much. Oh, let me not forget to mention that there are also some teenage hijinks and the involvement of a family of altruistic European benefactors.

The author has produced a wonderful opening and an exciting conclusion. The problem is the long and drawn out mid-section of the book that left this reader wondering if it would ever end. Though Reclamation started out on the right track and held my interest in spite of the vast potpourri of ingredients it contained, it definitely could benefited by being shorter, less wordy and more to the point.

Reviewed by Samuel