3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
4 1/2 Stars . . . Chasing Life and Love, May 2, 2009
This review is from: Last Mango in Texas: A Novel (Paperback)
With a name like Kyle Mango, life can either fail to live up to the hype or refuse to let you settle into the mundane. Kyle gets off to a rough start during his freshman year of college, but finds himself the unexpected benefactor of an attractive female's attention--and her mummy dancing skills. Thoughts of love soon come to a crossroads as desolate and dry as any West Texas has to offer.
Once again, Ray Blackston leads us on a whimsical, globe-trotting journey, as told through the eyes of a single male trying to get a grasp on relationships, careers, and spirituality. Given little by way of fatherly example, Kyle learns some lessons--good and bad--from his well-meaning uncle, and later inherits profitable oil wells. The very sort of business that Gretchen (yes, mummy-dancing Gretchen) despises because of their environmental hazards. While Kyle soaks up the "black gold" of his Texas oil fields, Gretchen is fuming over the birds harmed by a massive Alaskan oil spill. To win the heart of the woman he loves, Kyle must make decisions about his career, family, and relationship with God, while overcoming Gretchen's concerns.
Blackston seems incapable of writing a bad book. I still have that first-love memory of reading his debut "Flabbergasted", but his other books all have characters and scenarios worth discovering. Each is unique in exploring new settings or vocations, yet each pulses with a heart for life, love, God, missions, and the humility to stumble toward some understanding of each. If you haven't been "Flabbergasted" or "Delirious" yet, it's time to start here with "Last Mango" then work your way back through Blackston's lighthearted but always thought-provoking stories.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good for A Chuckle, March 4, 2009
This review is from: Last Mango in Texas: A Novel (Paperback)
Written in first person narrative, this humorous Christian chick lit couples an oil man with an environmentalist. That's creativity! The Texas man, Kyle, and the tree-hugging Gretchen are strong characters who pull apart toward their own special interests while being drawn together romantically. Will they ever get together? If so, how?
I looked forward to reading this novel. I've read two other books--Flabbergasted and A Delirious Summer by Ray Blackston, and he always has me chuckling as I read. This book is no different. Imagine an escape from a fraternity during a frat party. How could it happen with the brothers watching? What background music will be playing? Ah, you'll have to read the book to see the answers those questions.
This is a fun read, with a serious theme: "What does God want from me?" Try it, you'll like it. Included is a Reading Group Guide.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An entertaining yet inspiring read, June 8, 2009
This review is from: Last Mango in Texas: A Novel (Paperback)
This is a really enjoyable and fun book to read. Yet again, I feel like Blackstone writes about characters we all can relate to and most importantly, be entertained by. Few authors can find a balance between insightful and humorous, yet Blackstone does just that again in the "Last Mango in Texas."
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