Review of Final Notice
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ajwootton
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Review of Final Notice
[Following is an OnlineBookClub.org ARA Review of the book, Final Notice.]
Final Notice by Van Fleisher is a story about the invention of an advanced fitness watch that can so precisely monitor the wearer’s health it can actually predict the time of death. The story is set during the pre-release testing phase of the device. Vitaltech’s leadership team seeks volunteers to test the device, focusing on healthy seniors as their target. They theorize that this demographic group will have more medical issues and less sophisticated technological capabilities than the average person. They believe that the combination of these two attributes offers an ideal testing opportunity for the watch's features.
During the alpha test phase the watch is programmed to give one week’s notice of the wearer's pending death. The story focuses on several individual situations in which the wearer receives Final Notice, and the subsequent actions each chooses to take in the last days of life. A major theme around gun violence develops and moves to the forefront. Meanwhile a theme around society's poor treatment and lack of respect for senior citizens plays in the background. The main character Vince, a senior citizen himself, struggles with this injustice and finds himself focusing more intently on stories in the news about how the NRA is marketing guns to senior citizens
Van describes his work as a “fresh, fast-paced, political thriller, page-turner” set against a backdrop of “guns-gone-wild America”. After reading it I would suggest that a more accurate representation of the book would be “A portrait of guns-gone-wild in America”. The story begins with a focus on the watch, but eventually the device is almost forgotten as one after another scene involving firearms take center stage. The introduction of a FBI agent teased me into believing that the story was finally going to become suspenseful, but sadly this didn't happen. The plot played out in an ordinary and eventually quite predictable manner.
Van also promises an emotional connection. Brief glimpses into Vince and Trudi’s past give you a flavor of their inner selves, but despite the sensational situations they are cast in, they come off as one-dimensional. Finally at the end, we see a different side of Trudi, but the hypocrisy of the scene incited more disbelief in me than emotion. The book contained numerous action scenes, but the manner in which they were delivered did not draw me into them or make me at any point feel as if I were part of them.
I admire Van’s endeavor to influence social change through his writing. One might assume after reading the book that his message is directed at the right wing and those who support the NRA. I doubt however that this story, despite its many tragedies, will sway staunch supporters of the NRA. Instead of providing a balanced view through the creation of complex characters and situations that represent both sides of the issue, he relies on clichés that seem to have been lifted straight from a CNN report.
I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. I love the imaginative premise of the watch and the thought provoking questions it incites. The author’s writing style is sound. The book however does not deliver on its promise of being an emotional thriller. Although Van does not promise this, I have to say that choosing not to capitalize on the seemingly endless and intriguing scenarios that could play out when someone learns that they have a week to live is a missed opportunity. If he decides to write a sequel that addresses these points I will gladly give it a read.
Final Notice by Van Fleisher is a story about the invention of an advanced fitness watch that can so precisely monitor the wearer’s health it can actually predict the time of death. The story is set during the pre-release testing phase of the device. Vitaltech’s leadership team seeks volunteers to test the device, focusing on healthy seniors as their target. They theorize that this demographic group will have more medical issues and less sophisticated technological capabilities than the average person. They believe that the combination of these two attributes offers an ideal testing opportunity for the watch's features.
During the alpha test phase the watch is programmed to give one week’s notice of the wearer's pending death. The story focuses on several individual situations in which the wearer receives Final Notice, and the subsequent actions each chooses to take in the last days of life. A major theme around gun violence develops and moves to the forefront. Meanwhile a theme around society's poor treatment and lack of respect for senior citizens plays in the background. The main character Vince, a senior citizen himself, struggles with this injustice and finds himself focusing more intently on stories in the news about how the NRA is marketing guns to senior citizens
Van describes his work as a “fresh, fast-paced, political thriller, page-turner” set against a backdrop of “guns-gone-wild America”. After reading it I would suggest that a more accurate representation of the book would be “A portrait of guns-gone-wild in America”. The story begins with a focus on the watch, but eventually the device is almost forgotten as one after another scene involving firearms take center stage. The introduction of a FBI agent teased me into believing that the story was finally going to become suspenseful, but sadly this didn't happen. The plot played out in an ordinary and eventually quite predictable manner.
Van also promises an emotional connection. Brief glimpses into Vince and Trudi’s past give you a flavor of their inner selves, but despite the sensational situations they are cast in, they come off as one-dimensional. Finally at the end, we see a different side of Trudi, but the hypocrisy of the scene incited more disbelief in me than emotion. The book contained numerous action scenes, but the manner in which they were delivered did not draw me into them or make me at any point feel as if I were part of them.
I admire Van’s endeavor to influence social change through his writing. One might assume after reading the book that his message is directed at the right wing and those who support the NRA. I doubt however that this story, despite its many tragedies, will sway staunch supporters of the NRA. Instead of providing a balanced view through the creation of complex characters and situations that represent both sides of the issue, he relies on clichés that seem to have been lifted straight from a CNN report.
I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. I love the imaginative premise of the watch and the thought provoking questions it incites. The author’s writing style is sound. The book however does not deliver on its promise of being an emotional thriller. Although Van does not promise this, I have to say that choosing not to capitalize on the seemingly endless and intriguing scenarios that could play out when someone learns that they have a week to live is a missed opportunity. If he decides to write a sequel that addresses these points I will gladly give it a read.
