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The Black Stone

Linda Cargill
Cheops Books (2008)
ISBN 9780979890406
Reviewed by Gina Holland for RebeccasReads (4/08)

I am really struggling with the events that take place in “The Black Stone.” I have an opinion, which is totally mine, that may or may not be the opinion of any other. “The Black Stone” was one of those novels that brought you back and forth in time, I guess in order to explain the story itself. We went all the way back to the Cleopatra days along with Julius Caesar. The author was trying to bring forth the point of origin of “The Black Stone,” however; the time it took to read about that part of the time in history, was too lengthy. I think that part of the story could have been written with less explanation, but still bring us to understand where the “The Black Stone” really came from. Everyone in the world has their own opinion on the happenings of 9/11. I am not sure that the author realized how much she brings back the memories of 9/11 in her story. Some people would probably welcome the story in the novel as a reminder of the events of that day, but myself, I did not like reliving those events. The author bringing Osama Bin Laden into the mix brought back some very haunting memories and had me wondering what Osama has been up to these days. It reminded me of how dangerous of a man he really is.

The storyline was a good one, but as I said the explanations were very lengthy. I was disappointed in the outcome of the character Madeline’s family. I think that a different ending would have been better. As you travel along with Madeline and her endeavors, it is a very good and a very interesting part of the novel. What becomes of Madeline is wonderful, very nice, I was pleased.

I believe that the author, Linda Cargill, had a vision of a novel that she wanted to write, which included in her mind, terrorist times and tribulations. Maybe she felt as though she needed to get her thoughts on paper. I would only recommend this book to adults, as children would only become frightened in reading about the reality of what can happen in this world. Some of you may enjoy this novel, may really get all the points and plots. You have to read it to find out. I, however, have a problem with looking into the minds of terrorists and Osama Bin Laden. I think the author’s efforts in “The Black Stone” are good and she should not take offense to any one person’s judgment. Maybe the novel was just not for me. In closing, I actually did enjoy a large part of the story. I wish the author good luck in future writings.

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