Review by SilviaP21 -- Raquel Says (Something Entirely U...

[SilviaP21]

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

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3 out of 4 stars

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This is the second book written by Mois Benarroch that I decided to read and I am glad I did. It is part of the seven novels that form just one complex story that offers answers to the readers’ questions but creates new ones at the same time.

The book starts with the narrator’s need of love, with his feelings of loneliness and despair. But soon he finds an inner feminine voice that makes him want to live again. Her name is Raquel and even though she is an idea, a creation the narrator needed, she sometimes acts like a real person, with her own desires and ambitions. He starts having conversations with her and she becomes the only one that understands him and supports his writing. In fact she is just his feminine side which puts his thoughts into words and makes him overcome his doubts and insecurities.

Just like The Expelled, the book is filled with cultural details, with words translated in Spanish, Hebrew and French and with his feeling of being different and wanting to integrate. In fact he has three sides of his character: Moisito, Mois and Moshe. Moisito is the little boy that wants to become a man, wanting the others to call him Mois. This finally happens when he is 12 but only lasted until his parents sent him to Israel. As an immigrant he tries to adapt to the new country and becomes Moshe. The three of them actually have a conversation in the novel where the reader can see how different these personalities are, while each of them criticizes the other for not becoming what he hoped.

What I liked most about this book is that is very complex, it kept me focused and I honestly couldn’t leave it from my hand. The story jumps from the cultural differences to the romantic story with Raquel to his need for words. Again it seems to be a very sincere book, an open window to the author’s mind. Another pleasant surprise was the last 30 pages which are written from a different point of view. It was definitely an abrupt change that only made me love this novel even more. Also, considering the title Raquel Says (Something Entirely Unexpected), I somehow waited for a twist which was very difficult to come, as she was just a side of the narrator’s personality. The setting changes once again and the action from the last pages takes place is the city called Mynonbeing which was a perfect symbol and way to end the novel.

I think the minus of the book was that there were so many details that sometimes made me lose focus and feel that the action just stopped for endless thoughts that were difficult to keep track with.

After the bittersweet feeling I had when I finished the novel, I decided to rate it with 3 out of 4 stars. It is very easy to read and makes the reader question his understanding of everything he thought he knew.

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Raquel Says (Something Entirely Unexpected)
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[Jaime Lync]

Great review. I read this and others in the series and concluded that there are different Raquels- the one in his mind and the actual person. I am surprised that you did not mention any editorial and grammatical errors- my copy was riddled with them.

[SilviaP21]

Thank you. I saw Raquel just as a part of his imagination. Even near the end she says that "maybe what I am saying is what he is thinking"(p92). But I guess leaving room for interpretation was what the author hoped to happen.
And regarding the errors, they really didn't mind me because it was another evidence that the novel was not edited and honest.
Thank you again for your response. Now I am curious what other readers thought about this book )