Original

Unusual.
We used to think of Gods as Supreme Beings.
In this book, Steve Label brings us behind this story curtain.
In his story, Gods are very human;
they have human feelings and human behaviours, and some special powers.
A different and unusual point of view about Gods and the Creation of the Universe.
Very enjoyable and creative. ( )

What if there was a nerdy engineering graduate who is known by his famous award-winning engineering father, except his father had left him and his mother years ago when he was young, and he was bullied by other students, especially one narcissistic bully who actually received a scar on his face by the nerdy student during an early school fight and is still seeking a vengeful chance to demean him, and this nerdy graduate, who was well liked by some of his teachers for his dedicated intelligence, but was dismissed by other teachers for not being willing to follow standard protocols, is able to get a job with the major local engineering company through a childhood friend and is put on a major engineering assignment, only to find he is working next to his old childhood bully, who sees this as an opportunity to sabotage our nerdy graduate’s reputation for good? One might think this story sounds familiar in both comic and dramatic form. However, what if these engineers were gods and the engineering projects were building universes with suns and life-bearing planets? Suddenly, the tale has a very original and magical shine to it with a shy, yet endearing hero who happens to see the life created as soulful beings and not as constructive elements that just prop up these universe creations. With a comic touch and a good control of the magical mythos of the god powers, the author has provided a wonderfully original story with well-formed characters, who happen to have an interesting human touch, despite being gods creating universes. ( )

Note: This review is based on the paperback provided by the author.

There were so many things I enjoyed. Oh where to begin!

Beautiful cover concept…great fusion of light and water. Colors really jump out against the muted teen in the backdrop.

At first, the amount of chapters seemed intimidating. Yet once I started reading, it felt like a breeze. Although lots of chapters, they are very short and easy to read.

The exceptional detail to Bernie’s overall composition really blew me away. I felt tremendous empathy from beginning to end. The darkness of Billy was done expertly as well. Billy`s sinister crafting made him that character I loved to hate.

In addition, I absolutely loved Suzie. She proved herself to be an incredible asset and one who is great to have in any corner. Her makeup reminds me of a few of my female friends who have stood by me through thick and thin. I was even a fan of a lot of the supplemental characters, particularly Sissy who had a language of her own.

In a world where certain story lines have just been repackaged, or even rewritten but using different names, The Universe Builder‘s concept was incredibly refreshing and unorthodox, terrific to see it unfolding because I could not predict what would happen next. The story maintained its pace, and conflict, narrative and dialogue were well balanced.

If flaws were present, they were barely noticeable or not significant enough to deter from the overall story.

I also enjoyed the snippets of humor, which cut into moments when the tension in the story was becoming thick.

At the interim, I did worry a little about the amount of side stories being introduced. Yet the author showed his versatility. He did wonderfully at blending the side stories into the main story of Bernie coming into his own. I was not left confused or debating what purpose one story served to the rest. Each segment had meaning and that can be very difficult to pull off, whether one is a beginning author or an experienced novelist.

The Universe Builders is a reading delight that sparks the brain and touches the heart. I highly recommend and was honored to read it. ( )

~~~~~~4.5 Stars~~~~~
A SUPER cute/creative take on: Gods, Creation, interdimensional living, what/Who it means to be a sentient "valid" card carrying creature of the Multiverse, Love in various shapes and sizes, karma and a sweetly innocent budding romance (which thankfully is not the main focal point of the book....just a blip really) all rolled into a quietly unassuming work of pure Joy to read at your leisure...which I recommend ( )

A SUPER cute/creative take on: Gods, Creation, interdimensional living, what/Who it means to be a sentient "valid" card carrying creature of the Multiverse, Love in various shapes and sizes, karma and a sweetly innocent budding romance (which thankfully is not the main focal point of the book....just a blip really) all rolled into a quietly unassuming work of pure Joy to read at your leisure...which I recommend ( )