Review of Seven at Two Past Five
Posted: 05 Feb 2023, 05:35
[Following is a volunteer review of "Seven at Two Past Five" by Tara Basi.]
Did you ever experience one of those days when just about everything goes wrong? And as the day proceeds, instead of getting better, things get only worse. Abi, an old button-maker, was having one of those days. She woke up refreshed since her nightly terrors had for once abandoned her. Everything seemed quite normal until she entered her workhouse, but from there, it was all downhill. Suddenly, she was accused of something called "Disturbance Potential" without further explanations and addressed to court for judgment. Abi was terrified, but at the same time, she felt misunderstood. She saw no justice in these accusations and decided to appeal to free herself. To her horror, the appeal process proved worse than any of the nightly terrors that had now abandoned her. However, it seemed too late to turn back. Abi had no choice but to proceed with her appeal process.
As the day grew older, things got even more complicated and bizarre. A horde of ill-spirited women with identical names tailed poor old Abi everywhere. They made her life miserable as she tottered through the labyrinthine justice system with her newly appointed admin, Zero. New accusations were raised against Abi at every turn, and one unfair event followed another. However, everything may not have been as it seemed. Who was the mysterious Liberté? She kept reappearing in various places, but what did she want? And why were many asking for Abi's real name? She could not make any sense of all this. Who was a friend, and who was a foe? Was she ever able to free herself from the unjust accusations and go back to her dull routines and beloved job? Or would her button-making days be over forever?
Seven at Two Past Five by Tara Basi was strange, twisted, and layered with sarcasm. I loved every bit of it. Its multidimensional plot kept me guessing and second-guessing throughout the reading experience. Still, something new came along every time I thought I'd figured it out. This book frequently left my mouth hanging open with a surprise. At times, this story felt insane, but only until it suddenly started making sense again. I appreciated the constant element of surprise and loved how the author challenged my sense of justice. In addition, I have to commend the author's impeccable skills with words. Basi was simply brilliant.
The author Tara Basi is a person who observes our society and its nuances sharply. I could see traces of these observations cleverly implemented into this fictional story. Without giving out too much, I'll only say that Basi's characters are the best demonstration of this. I especially enjoyed Zero, whose character development was enjoyable to follow. In addition, his alleged mother complex was amazingly entertaining. However, I felt the author fell into one tiny pothole with Abi. Tara Basi first described this very old and fragile button-maker as a simple creature who liked to stick to her routines and didn't know much of the world outside her bunk bed coffin and workhouse. I found this enchanting. However, to my vast disappointment, Abi grew out of her innocence rather quickly. Her hatching out of the shell of simplicity at a record speed greatly bothered me. I would have hoped for a more deliberate approach to handling her growth process.
Even though Abi's development did not fully meet my expectations, I utterly enjoyed this mind-stretching and astonishing story. This book was entertaining, exceptionally edited, and beautifully written. I did not find any grammatical errors or other serious flaws. Therefore, I am honored to rate it 5 out of 5 stars. Getting lost in a story is a special feeling. That is precisely what this book offered!
I recommend Seven at Two Past Five by Tara Basi to readers who love to observe our society or belief systems and enjoy a challenging and surprising read with dark humor. However, it is worth noting that earnest minds might not enjoy the story that much. Either way, a portion of witty humor might come in handy.
******
Seven at Two Past Five
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Did you ever experience one of those days when just about everything goes wrong? And as the day proceeds, instead of getting better, things get only worse. Abi, an old button-maker, was having one of those days. She woke up refreshed since her nightly terrors had for once abandoned her. Everything seemed quite normal until she entered her workhouse, but from there, it was all downhill. Suddenly, she was accused of something called "Disturbance Potential" without further explanations and addressed to court for judgment. Abi was terrified, but at the same time, she felt misunderstood. She saw no justice in these accusations and decided to appeal to free herself. To her horror, the appeal process proved worse than any of the nightly terrors that had now abandoned her. However, it seemed too late to turn back. Abi had no choice but to proceed with her appeal process.
As the day grew older, things got even more complicated and bizarre. A horde of ill-spirited women with identical names tailed poor old Abi everywhere. They made her life miserable as she tottered through the labyrinthine justice system with her newly appointed admin, Zero. New accusations were raised against Abi at every turn, and one unfair event followed another. However, everything may not have been as it seemed. Who was the mysterious Liberté? She kept reappearing in various places, but what did she want? And why were many asking for Abi's real name? She could not make any sense of all this. Who was a friend, and who was a foe? Was she ever able to free herself from the unjust accusations and go back to her dull routines and beloved job? Or would her button-making days be over forever?
Seven at Two Past Five by Tara Basi was strange, twisted, and layered with sarcasm. I loved every bit of it. Its multidimensional plot kept me guessing and second-guessing throughout the reading experience. Still, something new came along every time I thought I'd figured it out. This book frequently left my mouth hanging open with a surprise. At times, this story felt insane, but only until it suddenly started making sense again. I appreciated the constant element of surprise and loved how the author challenged my sense of justice. In addition, I have to commend the author's impeccable skills with words. Basi was simply brilliant.
The author Tara Basi is a person who observes our society and its nuances sharply. I could see traces of these observations cleverly implemented into this fictional story. Without giving out too much, I'll only say that Basi's characters are the best demonstration of this. I especially enjoyed Zero, whose character development was enjoyable to follow. In addition, his alleged mother complex was amazingly entertaining. However, I felt the author fell into one tiny pothole with Abi. Tara Basi first described this very old and fragile button-maker as a simple creature who liked to stick to her routines and didn't know much of the world outside her bunk bed coffin and workhouse. I found this enchanting. However, to my vast disappointment, Abi grew out of her innocence rather quickly. Her hatching out of the shell of simplicity at a record speed greatly bothered me. I would have hoped for a more deliberate approach to handling her growth process.
Even though Abi's development did not fully meet my expectations, I utterly enjoyed this mind-stretching and astonishing story. This book was entertaining, exceptionally edited, and beautifully written. I did not find any grammatical errors or other serious flaws. Therefore, I am honored to rate it 5 out of 5 stars. Getting lost in a story is a special feeling. That is precisely what this book offered!
I recommend Seven at Two Past Five by Tara Basi to readers who love to observe our society or belief systems and enjoy a challenging and surprising read with dark humor. However, it is worth noting that earnest minds might not enjoy the story that much. Either way, a portion of witty humor might come in handy.
******
Seven at Two Past Five
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
