Book review – 7 by TR Govender

February is almost over and it’s time for another book review!

As you may remember, this year I’m buying, reading and reviewing one book per month, choosing among those suggested by my fellow authors on Instagram. In January I reviewed Helix Genesis by Chris Lofts, an amazing sci-fi thriller. If you want to see what I’m reading next, you can find the list here.

In the meantime, I will talk to you about my February choice: 7 by TR Govender.

You can buy the book here

7 is a collection of short stories, seven short stories as the title suggests, that covers the seven deadly sins: lust, envy, sloth, greed, pride, gluttony, and wrath.

I chose this short story collection for February because the month is shorter than the others, and it’s a very busy time for me, so I wanted a quick reading. As a matter of fact, 7 was a quicker reading than expected, because despite not being a huge fan of short stories, the book absorbed me.

The genre is thriller, with many psychological implications and often graphic violence.

I have to warn you, this is not for everyone and the disclaimer for adult content at the beginning is spot on. I admit some stories, Envy and Gluttony in particular, were difficult to get through, even if I used to be a huge thriller reader.

My favourite of the collection was Greed. There is a creepy feeling running through it that foreshadows something bad without pointing directly at it. Greed looks like a “normal” story on the surface, but you perceive there’s something very wrong going on. Only you can’t put your finger on it, not yet. And this pushes you to read forward and forward.

The author did an admirable job. He chose his common thread carefully and made the most of it. He touched the essence of each deadly sin and showed the worst consequences of surrendering to it, leaving no space for compassion or improvement or a positive arc.

One thing you shouldn’t look for in this short story collection is hope. There’s none. As much as they try to resist, each main character in each story will bottom out. And then some.

On the whole, I gave 7 four stars out of five because sometimes violence is a bit too much for my taste. However, I strongly recommend this short story collection to thriller lovers who are not afraid of finding out abut the worst wretchedness of human nature.

About the Author

TR Govender was born and raised in a small town in South Africa.

He is a humble yet accomplished artist and graphic designer with a roaring mind and was deeply rooted in all things creative before aspiring to the literary arts. His style of writing varies in that no two books are the same.

He loves telling stories and loves all things thriller and fantasy. He has since found his home in fiction. He has written 3 novels with one coming out this year end and more to look out for in the upcoming years.

You can find him on Instagram @tr_govender or learn about his other works here. You can buy 7 on Amazon Kindle.



Leave a Reply

Content not available.
Please allow cookies by clicking Accept on the banner

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

By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.

Close