Heather’s Bookshelf: I, Michelangelo
Author: Tom Maremaa
Released: 08/09/24
Genre: Historical/Crime Fiction
“Be that as it may, I figured: innocence lost, experience gained the hard way. Life does that to you, to everybody, old or young, makes no difference in my book.”
“I, Michelangelo” follows two timelines. The first follows a young Michelangelo in the sixteenth century. The second follows a namesake artist and member of a criminal family in the twenty-first century.
Michelangelo of the sixteenth century juggles the creation of masterpieces including the statue of David and the frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel with family judgment, financial struggles and political pressures. ,
Michelangelo, an artist, former teacher, and father from the twenty-first century finds himself in the middle of a fight between two criminal families. Struggling to connect with his 16-year-old son, Gio, especially after the loss of his wife, he can’t seem to find an aspect of his life that’s working. Assigned a mission by the name of Idaho, he’s unsure of the target’s true identity, location or purpose. Will he be able to find the culprit or will IDAHO find him first?
Trigger Warning: violence, adult language, murder, sexual situations
Overall, I was a little torn on this one. The story is told through multiple POVs including Michelangelo, his son Gio, his housekeeper Maria, and other members of the crime family. While the different POVs provide insight into Michelangelo’s background and motivations, I’m not sure they added enough for the amount of time pulled from the main character’s actions. While there’s dialogue throughout, it’s not written as such - without quotes and interspersed in paragraphs full of events and surroundings. It makes it a bit challenging to read at times especially with a lack of pause. I looked forward to Michelangelo’s POV over all the rest. I really felt for his predicament after his wife’s death which is revealed to be even more devastating throughout the tale. It really pushed the story forward. On the other hand, Gio’s POV was rather distracting- as was his sort-of-relationship. Neither seemed to add much to the story. There’s a surprise ending - really two surprises. The story wraps up with the surprises, though it doesn’t feel fully resolved.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
An interesting concept including a genius artist interspersed with a modern timeline. Multiple POVs don’t quite hit and the ending seems a bit unresolved.
Want to learn more about the author?
Check out my interview with Tom Maremaa
Interested in checking out the book for yourself?
Find it for purchase here
Interested in submitting your book for review? Visit my review page for guidelines and submission requirements.
