Raquel Says (Something Entirely Unexpected)

[Jeyran Main]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of “Raquel Says (Something Entirely Unexpected)” by Mois Benarroch]

Raquel Says is a novella in the contemporary style of writing. Bearing in mind that this book is a translated version of the original tale; I was skeptical towards how well the authenticity of the work would withstand the transformation.

Mois lives a parallel life to Raquel. Each chapter appears to be some kind of a reflection towards life, thoughts, and the connection between Mois and Raquel. Mois feels like wanting to die. He is sick of living and suffers from depression until he meets Raquel.

The story begins with him explaining how he was dealing with hardship in his life. He then continues to talk about how his life has shaped what it is now, in his forties. His wife has left him for another man, and he has finally found his soul mate to be Raquel. It is not certain how and why they met, but the author mentions that Raquel’s father had previously asked to marry Mois’s mother. Mois then retrieves Raquel’s email through his mother and begins communication with her. Raquel and Mois are both authors, their kids have the same names, and they come from the same city and town.

How odd is that? You live in a universe with so many people, and you happen to meet the one person that could have been or should have been your soul mate.

The love story between these two people is unique and more in-depth than the ones you read in romance novels. It all begins with emails and written letters to each other.

Mois and Raquel have to face a few reality checks. However, their love for each other is strong, and I found that part of the story to be very sweet. The content is almost philosophical with many questions and opinions. There are also religious references and indications throughout the book.

What I found difficult in the book was the lack of connectivity between the characters and the locations described alongside the setting of the work written. The story inside contains an intellectual endeavor of human love, interaction, sacrifice, and more but I did not enjoy the flow between the paragraphs and chapters. The literary standard was not in good standing, and I found it hard to comprehend any plot to this story.

Although the work was translated, I felt that it did not do justice when conveying the message within the content of the work. It lacked ease in understanding for the reader. It felt like the narrative was angry most of the times. The cover of the book was not appealing at all. There were also major editing issues that need to be fixed. Therefore, I rate this book 2 out of 4 because of all the reasons mentioned above.

This story is suitable if you are interested in reading a challenging book.