Review by veniq mars -- Raquel Says (Something Entirely ...

[veniq mars]

[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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Title: Raquel says (something entirely unexpected)
Author: Mois Benarroch
Genre: Fiction

In this book, Mois does not just give you what you want but the possibility to create. He plays around with the reader's mind before writing the real story, he does not just go to the main story from page one. The narrator starts with the struggles he goes through to find words and how his hope is all lost and much more. Its good for a reader to start reading a book with such a high level of suspense. Mois writes this book in an extra ordinary way, its not something that most writers do in this profession.

The book explains parallel lives. The presence of someone else living your life. You start reading the book with lots of questions that only it can answer, you wonder about the chance that there is someone else living your life and what it really means by parallel lives. The narrator combines the story with the process he uses to write it, the difficulty to come up with characters and breath life in them. This makes you appreciate his efforts. He further compares his work with that of other writers within the novel. The novel is perfection with regards to fiction, the characters' complicated lives leave you thinking. Despite the complications, the writer finds a way to address issues that actually affect us in our struggle to survive, to live, to impress.

The narrator's whole life changes with a change of his name, this affects who he is with possession of a different name each time. Each of the three names he has owned is associated with a different character. He keeps going back and forth between the years the personalities existed and his relation to Raquel in each of them. This makes your reading an experience filled with adventure. You are informed about a lot of things altogether. This got me to relate the personalities with my past and present life. We change as well, per season, year, experiences and according to the types of friends we make each time. Its such a real life thing and somehow you get to understand and relate to the narrator' s life.somehow.

The writer informs the reader at the beginning of each chapter what is explained in it. This gives you a chance to know the answers and knowledge you seek in each chapter and that is why reading a new chapter was my favourite. It makes it easier for the reader to understand the story and follow its flow. I also like how the writer includes some translated quotations in their original language. Its educative and you get to learn of one or two things in a new language. If you are into linguistics, you will definitely understand this appreciation.

The book raises the issues of Jews and Hebrews discrimination according to the narrator's experience when in either cultures. They do not seem to be in agreement concerning a lot of things which is sad. This was to me reflection of the state between current nations, you are apparently not allowed to say some words in some cultures and nations if you are not part of them, just like the narrator. You are viewed differently as well. This is what the narrator faces as he moves from Jerusalem to Israel. His personality and behaviour is forced to change to a completely different person. Coming across a book that touches on real life situations is something constructive.

You are taken around the streets of Jerusalem and Israel. However, the names of the streets are complicated, I can barely remember their exact spelling. Names of different characters being a translation are mostly in spanish. It was difficult to recall them I had to flip the pages to confirm. This will be an easy thing for those into Hebrew and Jew cultures. Its absolutely the ideal book for them. There is a lot to learn about the two cultures.
I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars. Remembering the names of people and places and other words whose origin is in hebrew and jew was tedious. Otherwise, it could sure attain more stars.

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Raquel Says (Something Entirely Unexpected)
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Like veniq mars's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Juz Ongtangco]

I recently read this book! I love the ideas he brought up, but I feel like at time he jumps from one topic to another spontaneously that I find myself confused.

[veniq mars]

That is a problem I faced as well
So I have to agree with you.
However, the book has many other positive effects on you as a reader
and this made me feel that it has not failed as such, the reason behind my rating.