The Reading Bud

Book Blog by Heena Rathore-Pardeshi

Book Review: Our Frail Disordered Lives by Mary M. Schmidt

Author: Mary M. Schmidt
Release Date: 1st June 2018
Genre: Horror-Comedy, Supernatural
Series:
Edition: e-book
Pages: 188
Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
Blurb:
Larry Kavanaugh is an ordinary kind of guy. He’s got a nagging wife and two kids, both annoyingly gifted. No matter what he does, there is no end to what his family needs. What’s a regular, everyday guy to do? Well, he cuts a few corners, obviously—one very big corner in particular. He sells his soul to the Devil. Maybe it’s not the actual Devil, but Larry is ready to make a deal with one of the Devil’s minions. He meets some demon whose name he can’t remember. Funny, it was right on the tip of his tongue, a name of something you step on. Roach the Demon has sort of good intentions. He just wants a re-write of Dante’s Inferno with himself as the star. Roach goes after Larry as a rogue operation. He needs to make a point to his boss, Satan, so he uses the body of a human to follow Larry around and stir up trouble. He offers Larry an airtight guarantee that nothing could possibly go wrong. After all, Larry doesn’t feel like he has much to lose—or does he? Even Roach might be in over his head this time.

Review

★★★

Our Frail Disordered Lives by Mary M. Schmidt is a unique story about a guy who sells his soul to the devil a demon in order to make his life better and what follows is a litany of situations one could do better to stay away from.

A very unique story with lots of drama and twists and turns to keep the readers entertained throughout the book. Overall speaking, I liked the idea of the book, the main concept that is, but felt that it needed more polishing in terms of the execution of that concept. The writing was okay but the characterization, for this kind of story, felt weak, and that was my biggest issue. The pacing was good and the plot progression okay, but I really felt that if I would have been able to connect with the main character, Larry, a bit more then the story would have meant even more to me.

Still, it proved to be a pretty quick and easy read. So if you’re looking for a fresh quick read then this might be for you if you’re okay with reading stories with not very relatable characters and care about the story more than characterization.

this review is also posted on Goodreads and Amazon

I love reading your comments, so please go ahead…

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

I’m Heena

Welcome to The Reading Bud, my cosy corner of the internet dedicated to all things books and authors. Here, I invite you to join me on a journey of discovering under-represented books, independent and small press authors, and all things book with a touch of love and loud purrs. Let’s get Reading!

August 2018
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  

Reading is like breathing to me.

Recent Posts

  • Book Review: GameTrap: Silicon Dreams, Criminal Schemes by David Yarnton

    Book Details: Author: David YarntonRelease Date: 8 December, 2025Series: Genre: Techno-Thriller, Financial Thriller, Boardroom/Corporate ThrillerFormat: E-book Pages: 472 pagesPublisher: 8TE, 8 Tech Express LimitedBlurb:When Isabella Lindström is drawn into the glittering world of VANTIX™ the tech startup promising to…

  • Book Spotlight: GameTrap by David Yarnton

    Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring author David Yarnton for his latest release, GameTrap: Silicon Dreams, Criminal Schemes. Book: GameTrap: Silicon Dreams, Criminal SchemesAuthor: David YarntonPublication Date: December 8, 2025Publisher: 8TE, 8 Tech Express…

  • Book Review: Stealing Stealth: A Gabrielle Hyde Thriller by Brian L. Reece

    Book Details: Author: by Brian L. Reece Release Date: 13 January, 2026Series: A Gabrielle Hyde ThrillerGenre: Cold War Techno-ThrillerFormat: E-book Pages: 472 pagesPublisher: Waffle Ink PressBlurb:The only way to protect the ultimate secret is to steal it.1977. Deep inside…

  • Book Review: The Cleansing by Victoria Alvear 

    Book Details: Author: by Victoria AlvearRelease Date: 20 January, 2026Series: Genre: Historical FictionFormat: E-book Pages: 314 pagesPublisher: –Blurb:Based on a true story, this is not the enlightened Rome of myth. This is a city choking on fear, where blood…

  • Author Spotlight: Brian L. Reece

    Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring author Brian L. Reece for his latest release, Stealing Stealth: A Gabrielle Hyde Thriller. About The Author Brian L. Reece Brian L. Reece spent 26 years in Air…