M.A. McRae

I am the author of the book, and maybe I should not rate my own book as 5 stars. But that is the average of its reviews on other sites, and I do happen to agree. It is a 5-star book, the first I have had accepted by a publisher.
On a writing site, Authonomy, it reached the prized 'Editor's Desk' and was subsequently reviewed by a Harper Collins editor. This is a portion of that review: ‘Not a Man’ is an ambitious and insightful novel; it tells the story of Shuki, a young boy from the slums of Elbarada, a fictional area of Arabia, who is castrated against his will at the age of 10. Shuki’s journey is one of great trial but also incredible strength, courage, and determination, and as a hero, he is fantastic, evoking not only sympathy, but aspiration and reverence. I loved the fact that the operation which is supposed to prevent him from reaching manhood is the very thing that makes him strong and mature. The novel is written in a pared down manner; the narrative reminded me of the prose styling of Paulo Coelho: unaffected and matter-of-fact."
I would add a caution: this novel is not for children. It contains references to male/male sex and an account of an illegal operation.… (mehr)