This story is meant to be a love story, which is rather beautiful even if it is a bit on the dark side.

The book looks at the relationships, soulmates, and heaven, and other weighty ideas; however, I would have liked such deep ideas to have been explored more thoroughly and with more precision and added scenes and drama. Wrapping such ideas inside a love relationship is a good idea, though, and I also enjoyed the ending of the last scene that had the psychotherapist (a.k.a Michael) in it.

In fact, of all the characters in the story, I felt closer to Michael, which makes me question, “Shouldn’t this feeling be for the two lovers who are on the forefront as the main characters?” Of the two lovers, the husband Daniel's character is given more importance, which is fine, but I would have liked the wife Gracie to be a stronger woman as a character.

The story begins with a couple with Gracie dying of cancer and Daniel trying to solve the puzzle of her last words. Saying more about the plot would be giving it away.

On the other hand, I have to note that the idea of regressing back through your life to discover the origin of one’s relationship is all right, but the constant repetition of a certain scene threw me off as it reminded me of the movie, Groundhog Day, which I had found annoying even though it had some meaning.

I also thought that the language used or maybe the storytelling needed to be less flippant. It is fine to use simple language and colloquialisms, but they should not be as often and frivolously used if they undermine serious concepts. This is my point of view, however, and all writers are free to write in the ways that suit them.

Then, as the last word, I applaud any writer who is brave enough to tackle large and risky concepts.

the way this writer used his craft.

is Shervin Jamali.

I neither recommend nor not recommend this book. In my opinion, not all elements of the craft have been employed satisfactorily, but judging from the five-star reviews both in Amazon and in Goodreads, people find it meaningful, maybe because the plot has to do with undying love and Heaven. So read it at your own risk.
It is a short book though, a novella, so it won't take too much time.

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Created Sep 21, 2018 at 1:33pm • Submit your own review...