Book review - The Protectors by Ray Hodgson

Ray Hodgson has written The Protectors as if he is Jack Walker writing his memoirs. Jack's parents are registered blind, and Jack was born partially sighted. When he is six, he is enrolled at a school for the blind. Jack is 8 when he and his dad are crossing the road with his dad's elderly dog, who is long past retirement age. The dog makes a fatal error, and he and Jack's dad die when a driver can't stop. Jack witnesses the whole thing and has trouble with nightmares and OCD from then on.

Jack's life changes forever; when age 20, he falls over and hits his head; overnight, he goes blind. At this time, he meditates hard and realizes that he can see shapes as a red glow and move things through telekinesis. Having faced much bullying throughout his life, Jack decides his mission is to help vulnerable children by putting his new powers to good use. He gathers other blind and partially sighted friends, and they become The Protectors. What happens when Jack becomes a single parent to his partially sighted son Jacob? What happens when Jack joins friends at a local strip club and asks one of the strippers if she does a Braille version? Furthermore, why does Jack get covered in blood and brains when eating with a friend? Read The Protectors by Ray Hodgson to find out.

I liked that this book made me think. I take for granted that if I meet someone, I will see them. Jack doesn't have this ability; he recognizes people by the way they smell and the sound of them walking. I also appreciated the scene when Jack is helping a person with mental health problems and depression, and the psychiatrist says that he tries not to treat people with medicine. Instead, he tries to find them a purpose in life, giving them a reason to get up in the morning. It may be having a pet or a hobby. This resonated with me as I know many people who suffered from depression during COVID when they were put on furlough; they no longer had a purpose in life. I also enjoyed Jack choosing his guide dog and the training they go through to make the dog fit to guide but also to protect.

There were many things I disliked about this book. The details of Jack's life growing up partially sighted and then his life once he is blind were interesting, but once the protection group is set up, there are lots of incidents that could have been exciting, but they were bland. The incidents started and finished with no exciting meaty middle to draw me into the book. There are also many errors. Jennifer's brother Walter is married to Sally, but Hodgson calls her Sarah in one conversation. Jack is signed to a school for the blind, but he is bullied at school by children who are not blind. In chapter twelve, Jennifer's aunt comes to visit part way through. Hodgson refers to her as Jennifer's mother, but her mother died when her brother Walter was born! Chapter sixteen mentions that Jack's son's nanny is under surveillance, but this is never mentioned again, and Jack is happy for her to continue looking after his son! These are just a few of the errors I found.

I recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn more about life for blind and partially sighted people. As a memoir, it is interesting, but I would not recommend that people looking for an exciting adventure read this book as it does not live up to this description. There are sexual references and some swearing, so I would suggest an adult audience reads it.

I give The Protectors 2 out of 5. This is Ray Hodgson's first novel, and I greatly admire the first half of the book, which gives an in-depth account of the life of blind and partially sighted people. This must have needed a great deal of research, and if Hodgson had described his book as a memoir about a blind person, I would have given a higher score. However, Ray Hodgson describes The Protectors as an urban paranormal adventure. I found very little adventure! Hodgson seems to think that having everyone wielding guns is enough to be exciting, but there needs to be a great story too. There are also many things that could be improved in the book, some of which I have mentioned. 

I want to thank Ray Hodgson for a copy of The Protectors in exchange for my honest and impartial review. You can see more of my here http://onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-tara-d-morgan.html