Drawer #7—Jeff Wade
Drawer #7 is a uniquely dramatic story that is part sci-fi psychological thriller, part governmental conspiracy novel, and part rough-and-tumble action flick. It’s even laced with a hearty share of heartwarming family drama (but I would in no way recommend it as a good read for your young kids!). We follow Freddie, Zoe, Julie, and others in a wild and rather bizarre journey through fear, aggression, trickery, base cruelty, trauma, and deceit. At the same time, we experience joy, human connection, healing of the soul, and unconditional love. It most definitely creates a fascinating mix.
I am impressed with author Jeff Wade’s style in the numerous fight scenes. He knows what he’s talking about when he is detailing the actions taken by combatants and the resulting injuries. Descriptions of eye-widening bone breaks and fingers bent the wrong way entirely (just as a sample of the many gruesome incidences) made me quite ill—precisely as intended. I checked out his author bio and saw his life is steeped in martial arts and other styles of combat training. Wade uses this extensive knowledge of the body in combat situations to excellent effect in Drawer #7.
On the flip side, there are some sections of the book that might be TOO well described. Heavy focus on the logistical side of certain scenes ends up distracting from the drama rather than promoting an understanding of the gravity of the situation. I felt these moments would work great as an action screenplay, with detailed accounts perfectly suited for actors to help create believable scenes, but more distracting as descriptive action in a novel. Nothing wrong with accurate, substantial detail, but some literary-focused tweaking could assist here.
Wade’s use of small bits of amusing prose adds ironic amusement to otherwise dire situations. His word choice is unique and sometimes breathtaking in its intricacy. I had to look up the definitions of several words and smiled when I saw how perfectly they described the situation at hand. I also like Wade’s unconventional use of italics within the dialog, another one of those moments I wanted to see this novel as a screenplay adaptation.
His skill with imagery is excellent. “A beat-up convertible sat rusting several rows over, a mechanical metaphor for the woman walking beside him.” Gorgeous.
Unfortunately, there are also moments when I felt a bit confused about a turn of phrase or pop-culture reference used. Without further clarification of what it meant, it served more as a distraction than an insight into a character or situation. I was left to puzzle out what was intended, to some extent, creating hiccups in otherwise smooth-reading scenes.
Ideally, I would like to see this book split up into at least two novels. The storyline with Bruce and Amy is worth its own book, but within the context of Drawer #7, there’s a bit too much detail on them. Bruce, in his own right, has an impressively created character arc, but to the point that it detracts from the main storyline. Setting up his character is essential, but too much time is spent focusing on him smack in the middle of the novel.
I would be remiss not to address one final egregious detail: chartreuse is definitely NOT pink.
While it is clear that this is a self-published first full-length novel without the benefit of editing and proofreading, there’s no doubt that Jeff Wade is an excellent author. He has the makings of a master storyteller. I sincerely hope he writes more novels.
Click to find Jeff Wade’s Drawer #7 on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback editions.
Until next time,
Jenna
Jenna Justice is a fiction editor and proofreader for independent authors. She specializes in middle-grade and young adult fiction, with an emphasis on fantasy, sci-fi, and magical realism.
Visit Jenna’s website at Justice Serves Proofreading, and say hi on Twitter at @justice_proofs.