This week I'm reviewing Wave Goodbye to Charlie by Eric Arvin. I’ve been trying all weekend to figure out how to describe this book. It is not gay romance and not quite horror. It is dark and violent with an evilness that lasts long past the point of physical existence, but what seems to define this book is the love that Charlie has for his family that he has chosen to surround himself with.
Charlie is a young prostitute, living in an abandoned haunted carnival. The carnival is surrounded by spine-chilling woods that house a depraved bully in the form of Bull and his dog. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but the reader is introduced to Bull early in the story and we fast learn what true evil really means.
Nessa is a witch that also lives in the woods. She is an interesting character. She knows stuff she shouldn’t be able to know, and can speak to both the living and dead. Nessa is the one who helps explain some of the strange happenings to Charlie and the others as the book progresses. She has her own agenda and is looking for vengeance for a past wrong. She becomes vital when it comes to dealing with the unseen evil that Charlie faces later in the book.
Leroy and Jim act as surrogate fathers for Charlie. They live in a house that was once owned by the caretaker of the carnival where Charlie lives. Leroy tries to feed Charlie every chance he gets, and Jim wants Charlie to live with them so they can offer him some protection. Charlie will not stay with them though. He knows there is something off and potentially dangerous about that house.
Leroy and Jim act as surrogate fathers for Charlie. They live in a house that was once owned by the caretaker of the carnival where Charlie lives. Leroy tries to feed Charlie every chance he gets, and Jim wants Charlie to live with them so they can offer him some protection. Charlie will not stay with them though. He knows there is something off and potentially dangerous about that house.
Eric Arvin makes magic seem normal and real. He pulls the reader into the story with his vivid imagery of locations and characters. His writing transports you with all the sights, sounds, smells, anger, fear and happiness that his characters are experiencing. This is a violent story with characters in high risk lifestyles that live on the outskirts of society. I smiled, jumped in fright, and cried while reading Wave Goodbye To Charlie. This book makes the reader think about people we might never consider, and their impact on the world or at least their part of it. Wave Goodbye to Charlie is ultimately a story of friendship and family, and how far one person will go to protect their family from the darkness stalking their loved ones. |
Just when you think the story has ended and evil has been defeated, Eric Arvin throws another sucker punch. Poor Charlie has one bad thing after another happen to him. But what makes this story unique and inspiring is how Charlie deals with every punch he gets. Most of us would look at Charlie’s life and see someone who should be helped, and who can’t offer much to society. But Charlie focuses on helping his friends to make sure they are safe and protected.
Read this book. You will not be disappointed. If you like it, then I would suggest also reading Woke Up In A Strange Place, Mingled Destinies of Crocodiles and Men, and Azrael and the Light Bringer. If you don’t like it, read it again.