Review by Jacque33 -- Raquel Says (Something Entirely Un...

[Jacque33]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Raquel Says (Something Entirely Unexpected)" by Mois benarroch.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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The idea that two different people can lead parallel lives is interesting. The idea that these two people are soulmates is an entirely new concept to me. Picking up Raquel Says (Something Entirely Unexpected) by Mois Benarroch fascinated me. I was expecting a love story where two people passed each other on the streets or a sort of serendipitous romance. This book however, is more literary fiction than women’s fiction.

There was little in the way of structure to the book. Each chapter started with a short explanation as to what the chapter was about, but fell short on that promise. It took me a while to get into the rhythm of the author’s style, but once I did, it became easier to read. Sometimes it felt as if the author was writing to the readers, other times to himself, and yet others to his parallel life.

The last quarter or so of the book, the point of view abruptly changed to the woman who was his parallel. I found this section flowed much easier and the pacing picked up, but it took me a page or two to realize this point of view change.

It was hard to tell if this story is fact or fiction. This is the author’s strongest point, I believe. It led me to wonder if he really knew this woman, if they believe they are soul mates or not, and what do they do about it.

I have to admit that I love the idea that this book was written in a different language and translated into English. There were a lot of places named that were difficult to pronounce, and even some I didn’t know what country they were in. The author did a fine job of steering the reader around these towns.

The prose of the book was beautiful. Abstract ideas about parallel words and the idea that time is not linear was repeated, and the author made it somewhat plausible. Many of the sentences read like poetry.

I give this book 2 out of 4 stars because of reading difficulty. I think that those who are familiar with parts of Spain and Israel will have an easier time. Those who are interested in abstract thoughts of the universe, love, and parallel lives will enjoy it. At the end, there was a note that this was only one of seven novels in this series with no mention of which is the first.

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Raquel Says (Something Entirely Unexpected)
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