Never a Mere Mortal


Fiction - Literary
146 Pages
Reviewed on 02/17/2022
Buy on Amazon

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Astrid Iustulin for Readers' Favorite

Have you ever wondered about the lives of strangers you meet by chance during your day? What are their problems, their hopes, their fears? I have always been curious because each of them has something interesting to tell. In Devon Dial's book, Never a Mere Mortal, each chapter tells the story of a character and ends with an encounter that begins another story. Never a Mere Mortal is a book that will lead readers to discover many different lives and values. It is a chance to tackle a wide variety of topics by exploring our daily reality.

Never a Mere Mortal is a book that struck me by the depth of the stories Dial tells. Although many of them are about everyday life and problems that each of us can have, Dial's sensitivity makes them special. I liked how the lives of the various characters interweave, even if only for a moment, and that these encounters reveal new events and new characters. If you think that the stories of Never a Mere Mortal start with facts that we usually ignore in our lives, you can understand why I am fascinated by this book. Never has a book emphasized this particular aspect as clearly as Never a Mere Mortal. Here all the characters have the relevance they deserve. I believe this is the real magic of Never a Mere Mortal. I recommend it to readers who are fascinated by the complexity of everyday life and appreciate the experiences of every single person.

Natalie Soine

Never a Mere Mortal by Devon Dial is a collection of beautiful tales and complex subjects from our own discrimination to acceptance of ourselves and others. We all have a purpose and while that purpose may not make itself known until our twilight years, it is up to us to discover that for which we were born. We try to preserve the happy days of our childhood while the world around us changes constantly. Many fascinating, intricate people pass through our lives and yet those people remain misunderstood by us and by others. Most of us strive for the perfect life which at times seems unreachable. Life is an asymptote. “A line in math where the values continue to approach that number but never actually quite get there”. That is the beauty of life.

Devon Dial takes us on a journey through the lives of people who cross each other’s paths. A fascinating variety of characters that all contribute to the story, each has its own strengths and challenges. Without realizing it, they learn from each other and from others around them. Never a Mere Mortal reminds us that every one of us has the ability to love unconditionally and treat others with dignity and respect, no matter what the circumstances are or who the person is. One important lesson is to appreciate what we have and to find the beauty in everything around us before it disappears. “‘That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet, life’s just hurtling by at the speed of technology”. This delightful novel is a must-read for everyone, highly recommended, and an absolute pleasure to read.