Customer Reviews

The First Excellence: Fa-ling's Map

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The First Excellence was a really great read by a writer who has quickly become one of my favorite Indie authors. The story certainly fits the bill for a mystery and a thriller, but it is much more than that. Donna Carrick has once again done her homework for the background of this book. I had no knowledge whatsoever of the process that parents go through to adopt a child from China. I had only a passing knowledge of the Falun Gong as a religious sect that is persecuted in China. And, although going to China is on my bucket list, aside from the Great Wall I had little idea of what I would want to see once there. Mrs. Carrick has done an excellent job of telling a story of a group of couples that travel to China to complete adoptions and run into all kinds of intrigue once there. There is everything from murder, to kidnap for ransom, to embezzlement to double crossing, and on and on. The group visits many cultural sites in China and Mrs. Carrick describes each in lovely detail. There is also a very interesting and sad family saga around the main character Fa-Li. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Wow, I have to say this book is wonderful. There is so much detail it's as if I am right there every step with the characters. I fell in love with Fa-ling and was so entrenched in her journeys that I couldn't put the book down. The Author Donna Carrick not only did her research, very well, she made me feel every heart breaking turn that Fa-Ling was experiencing. Even trying to write this review I find myself wanting to go into detail the highs and lows of each experience Fa-Ling found herself in. Any book that can keep me glued to its pages, and act as if the story is playing out as a movie in my head, deserves high praise and to be read by all. I don't wish to ruin the story for you but I do recommend you read 'The First Experience'. The imagery, the adventure and the emotion that was poured into writing this book is definitely evident through out the pages. You do not want to miss this story.

I literally spent 51% (Kindle keeps track of your location) trying to keep track of characters & their involvement in the story. The biggest reason for that is because most of the names are Asian... And there are A LOT of characters.

Once I had my characters straight, I couldn't put it down. Even though the end was perfectly satisfying, I couldn't help being sad there wasn't more. What became of Li Fa-ling? Did she just go back to Canada? What happened to the Kaders? The babies? Daphne? With so many characters I would've loved a "One Year Later" follow-up. It was excellent nonetheless!

What a well crafted adventure Donna Carrick creates for the reader. She creates an exciting ride that is full of intrigue, mystery and thrills. The details, oh the details. So many layers, such depth. The characters are unique and identifiable. I really wanted Fa-Ling and Yong-qi to be together. Cheng is also a favourite as is Shopei.

I encourage anyone who is looking to read an intelligent and thrilling novel to pick up The First Excellence. It will be hard to put down.

The First Excellence is a great story. I could hardly put it down. It is apparent that a lot of research went into writing the book. Not only is the story itself compelling, but there are fascinating references to the idiosyncracies of travel in China and the process of adopting Chinese orphans. The story burrows into some of the dark secrets of living in Communist China--not everyone gets out alive. The ending is a surprise!

Read it! You'll be glad you did!

This story is a fabulous, rush-to-read-it book. The author takes us to China, where Fa-Ling searches for *her* excellence. Danger waits, as does the chance for Fa-Ling to move ahead. Nice details; we love a good character, we worry about the bad ones. Donna Carrick takes readers on a dazzling ride into a country many of us have never seen. Congrats to the author! Do not be deceived by the low price; it's a best-seller. Kudos to Ms. Carrick!

An interesting thriller with lots of insight into Chinese culture that leaves you wishing there were more pages to read.

What a pleasure to read a well-written and entertaining book, and by and Indie Author. Just goes to show the pundits are wrong and mainstream publishers had better sit up and take notice. The Indies are here to stay, with devices like the Kindle making their works even more accessible. Read my review on my blog: [ ... ]

The First Excellence, by Donna Carrick, was an interesting read. It was outside my genre, or so I thought. It was a real slick mystery taking place in China. Fa-Ling was adopted with her little sister by a family in Canada. Fa-Ling, never felt she deserved the love of her parents and makes a trip to China with a group of adoptive parents. She wants to see how they bond and she wants to face her past. A hard childhood and sexual abuse at the orphanage makes her feel less than whole. While in China she gets involved in a murder plot, a kidnapping and falls hard for a Chinese cop. Along the way she finds peace and her first excellence. I highly recommend this book as a good mystery and finding one's self novel. Brava Donna Carrick.

Donna Carrick has crafted a wonderfully entertaining and moving novel. The story is rich with intrigue, all the characters are well developed and quite complex, and the pacing is excellent.

This story took me on a journey both deep into a young woman's heart and outward where the exotic setting, the history, and the culture of China felt real, as did the vivid imagery.

The First Excellence doesn't shy away from tough topics or the emotions they evoke; in fact, it exposes them, but does so realistically and without sensationalism. This is a great read that offers an insiders look into the beauty and shocking darkness of a culture while telling a great (and surprising) story.