Review by ShiRah185 -- Seven at Two Past Five by Tara Basi

[ShiRah185]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Seven at Two Past Five" by Tara Basi.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Seven at Two Past Five is an exploration of the psyche of Abi who is an old button maker. She is very contented with her mundane lifestyle which is devoid of human contact. Her daily routine begins at two past five and her code name is Seven. She spends each day in total bliss at her workshop but her nights in the horrific Terrors. Life as she knows it is disrupted when her nightmares forsake her and she stands accused of plotting to bring about the end of the world.

Throughout this novel I was absolutely spellbound by Tara Basi's imagination. All the characters of the book, with the exception of Abi, are extreme. Their actions and words are so ferociously animated that I often had to re-read a paragraph just to make sure that my mind was not playing tricks on me. By the third chapter I was fully persuaded that Abi resides in a world of profoundly demented individuals and she probably should really detonate a bomb and end it all. But, no. She remains stubbornly resolute in her faith that her search for justice will end with her being declared innocent.

As crazy and unfortunate as her plight is, I often found myself thinking that the real Justice System truly is just as asinine and brutal as this book describes. The several officers of the court are incompetent and thus, incapable of earning the respect of the accused or the audience. As a result, the protagonist sinks deeper and deeper into despair as her efforts to prove her innocence seem futile.

It is very easy to empathize with and relate to Abi as she soldiers on in a magnificently crafted but oh, so horrendous system. The imagery is splendidly vivid taking the reader on quite a beautiful yet scary journey.

This is just the book for students of psychology and even more so for avid numerologists. They will absolutely love this book. However, I would not recommend it to those who are not open-minded. Religious fanatics would find reading this story appalling for it assaults societal norms and tenets of faith. Neither should it be read by minors because at times the language is sexually suggestive. Author Basi also causes the reader to muse over the probability of parallel universes and reincarnation.

A few individuals may find the language of the characters disturbing. While not totally obscene, their speech does allude to profanity. Yet, it is accomplished so skillfully that the intention of the author and the purpose of the tale is well masked. It is impossible to not be affected by reading this book. On the contrary, I can not say that I had any difficulty putting it down. I had to put it down a number of times to give myself a psychological break. Amazingly, all Abi's misadventures happened in just over twenty-four hours. Doubtlessly, for one accustomed to solitude, order and serenity this would have been way too much and the author certainly succeeded in making me feel Abi's disorientation, fear and despair.

My favorite character is Abi. She is a giant of literary genius. She evoked so much confusion within me at times while at others her sarcasm caused an eruption of laughter. In addition, as much as I enjoyed her relationship with darling Zero, I completely devoured her visit with the Priest with great relish. Her whole life collapses with such wild absurdity. Yet, there is method to the madness for within same insanity Basi interjects many a piercing truth.

There are a number of errors in the novel. Nevertheless, they do not take away from the overall reading experience. As such, it is my pleasure to award Seven at Two Past Five a well deserved four out of four stars.

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Seven at Two Past Five
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[Erin Painter Baker]

Sadly, as someone who has dealt with the US justice system a few times, I can say that Abi's experience, while exaggerated, certainly felt more real than it should have.