Little Toy Car


Young Adult - General
379 Pages
Reviewed on 01/04/2023
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Gabe Oliver is an author, musician/singer songwriter and lover of the arts.

Born in New Jersey, but grew up in Colorado. He has traveled and lived in many different countries all over the world. Many of his personal experiences in life shape and influence the content of his writing both in his books and in the lyrics of his music. Take some time to discover the works of Gabe Oliver.

Thank you for all of your support!

    Book Review

Reviewed by Vincent Dublado for Readers' Favorite

Little Toy Car is a powerful drama based on the life experiences of author Gabe Oliver. If truth is stranger than fiction, then this autobiographical tale will certainly make you think about the dark side of humanity and the spark of hope on the horizon. The author’s formative years were heartbreaking, starting from when his family had given up on him and his siblings and he spent his days chasing wild chickens for food. He eventually ended up in a Catholic orphanage being run by tyrannical nuns. Religion played a significant role in his life, but he was trying to find a way out. One of the most compelling parts of this work is when his mother finally tells him the truth about his father.

Little Toy Car has praiseworthy elements in chronicling how family, abuse, faith, and evil often intertwine in the lives of those who are not fortunate enough to have an idyllic childhood. Gabe Oliver’s narrative has strong sensory power and you can almost touch the characters involved. It’s dark but thought-provoking stuff - the story of a man impacted by different forms of abuse. Oliver manages to keep his eye on the ball and the pacing is taut. Every scene has something to add, weighted with thematic relevance. It is a stark illustration of one man’s existence as he journeys through life. It can be vicious and cruel, but then reality is not always pleasant. I found Oliver’s skill in digging inside his experiences intensely rewarding and you will too. It’s a must-read.

Gabe Oliver

I'm Gabe Oliver, the author of "Little Toy Car". I put my life, heart and soul into writing this debut novel. I truly hope you enjoy it. For better or for worse, 1 star to 5 stars, I am looking forward to reading each and every one of your reviews. I appreciate you taking your time to read my story.

Joanna

I am currently on a roadtrip in Colorado with Ben, Gabe Oliver, and Jerry. We are going up the Trail Ridge Road and as we are enjoying the beauty, we are getting to know each other. Ben has a condition called anosmia where he can't smell or taste, so he never really fully tasted any of the delicious flavors Ben & Jerry's scoops up at their shop. He relies on mouthfeel when mixing up his diet and applies this same principle at the shop and has to be really creative when combining flavors. Jerry's dream was to be in medical school, but after getting denied twice, he went for an ice cream career. And Gabe? Well, Gabe told me he long ago wrote a book but only recently published it. The book is about a guy named Gene. Gene was brought up by a person who was supposed to protect him but failed and instead protected the one who one day showed up in their lives while neglecting her own flesh and blood. Gene was taught about God's love and biblical everything, but was he shown what he was taught? No! While Ben and Jerry showed me that life on the outside can be sweet, Gene showed me that life on the inside may not be sweet at all.. that on the outside "many just tell a fabricated story about themselves to feel better about their lives." While the things one sees on the roadtrip of life are sweet, the things one hears are...bittersweet! I enjoyed the ride and so will you: I found this to be a fast and an easy read with hard to swallow life pills, yet it is through those hard to swallow life pills that we grow and come to find that our life can change when we make a move to change it. I cannot wait to hold book #2 in my hands and to hear how all the hard to swallow pills of Gene's life got him to the current bliss he is in.