Review of Just Die

[marta baglioni]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Just Die" by E Alan Fleischauer.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Just Die is a paranormal novel by E. Alan Fleischauer. Waking up in the hospital after a stroke, Jake Silver finds out he not only didn’t lose his life but also acquired a new power. He can now point his finger at any living being, whisper "just die", and witness them comply. With the help of his fiancé Beth Anne and his friend Omar, Jake will have to decide how to use these new abilities. Will he choose the right path or be tempted by his inner darkness?

The reader will have to wait for around 130 pages before Jake actually makes a decision about his powers. Every previous chapter feels like a lengthy introduction, a bit too extensive for my liking. I did not find the story engaging enough in these first pages (I got a little bored, to be completely honest) even if some scenes were genuinely amusing thanks to Omar’s humour, which balances the darkest tones of the novel. After this point, though, the action begins, and the novel starts taking on the features of a detective story. It will become more engrossing, deeper, and many new surprising characters will come into play.

Curiously, Jake, the main protagonist, is the least interesting character. Not that he’s poorly written, but I would have appreciated it if the author explored Jake’s backstory in the very first chapters so that the reader could empathize more with him. On the other hand, I liked very much Beth Anne's character. However, since she's a veterinarian, I found her nonchalance when Jake used his powers on animals odd.

I liked the appearance of the book, from the choice of the different fonts to the type size. It looks very professional. Moreover, the editing is outstanding, as I only noticed one little punctuation mistake and a couple of minor inconsistencies in the whole book. I would also like to point out the surprisingly clean language. This feature excludes a few scenes, but they are necessary to the plot. From a book of this kind, between murderers, policemen, and drug dealers, I would have expected many more profanities and curse words.

To sum up, I identified some shortcomings in this novel. But even though, in my view, it’s not flawless, it still is a remarkable work, as evidenced by the number of prizes won by the author. The editing is excellent, and the plotline is thought-provoking thanks to its moral implications. If the introduction were more limited, I would have awarded a perfect score. However, since the beginning of the book did not captivate me, my rating is 4 out of 5 stars. I recommend Just Die to those readers who love mystery and crime novels. I’d like, lastly, to insert a trigger warning for people who might be sensitive to topics such as drug addiction and alcohol consumption.

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Just Die
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[BruceP]

Mystery and novels are the book's I don't enjoy reading. However, this one sounds like an interesting read. Thanks for the review.

[marta baglioni]

Mystery and novels are the book's I don't enjoy reading. However, this one sounds like an interesting read. Thanks for the review.

Thank you for stopping by!

[Hazel Mae Bagarinao]

It sounds like the book doesn't appeal to me. Mystery and crime novel are not my cup of tea so I'll pass on it. But I love your simple review!

[SunVixen]

"However, since she's a veterinarian, I found her nonchalance when Jake used his powers on animals odd."

What animals were they? If I were the protagonist, I would rather experiment with mosquitoes. No veterinarian would object!

[zainherb]

Thank you for the insightful review.
I've been wondering whether or not to read this book. If I were to read it, I'd probably start from the middle, read it till the end, and then start at the beginning up till the middle.

[zainherb]

"However, since she's a veterinarian, I found her nonchalance when Jake used his powers on animals odd."

What animals were they? If I were the protagonist, I would rather experiment with mosquitoes. No veterinarian would object!

Yes! Lol! Or ticks or fleas.

[Clare Jose]

I do occasionally read crime fiction but I'm confused about this one. The lengthy introduction puts me off but I'm interested to see how the author has presented the protagonist's moral dilemma.
I really enjoyed reading your review. Great work!