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

[Kelsey Hatch]

[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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“I do not want to be too hopeful, but the alternative is not to hope at all, and so I will try.”

Such are the thoughts of the old button maker Abi, also known as Seven. She has a stringent but comforting daily routine: wake up in bunk-bed-coffin number Seven after a night of gut-wrenching nightmares called the Terrors, leave at exactly Two past Five for the Odd door, then spend all day crafting buttons in her cramped but beloved workhouse until she goes to sleep at precisely Nine past Nine. She lives a solitary life and has never encountered another person, but she prefers it this way. Then one morning, Abi wakes up refreshed and realizes the Terrors had not haunted her the previous night. She has no idea the repercussions that this relief will cost her.

Seven at Two Past Five by Tara Basi is unlike any book I’ve ever read. It follows the story of Abi throughout the massive struggles that span mostly over one day, after she is free from the Terrors. She enters her workhouse to find a black envelope where her blue envelope with the day’s button orders should be. The card in the envelope condemns Abi to her first Judgment: Disturbance Potential. Believing she did nothing wrong and determined to find justice, she tries to appeal. This sets off a chain of events that catapults Abi into a world of newness and adventure, all in a quest for things to go back to normal.

Along the way, Abi meets a unique cast of characters. My favorite was Zero, Abi’s Appeals Process Administrator. He is childlike and confusing to Abi, but also immensely comforting. Other characters include Grunge, Priest, Liberté, and the Marys. Each character is unique, well-developed, and easy to identify. The storyline is complex and carries a pleasing mix of satire, absurdity, and allegory. Everything that happens is significant.

Basi’s writing and narration are eloquent and formal, as is the way Abi speaks. Other characters, however, speak much more casually - more like you or I would speak in daily conversation. Zero, for example, uses slang and a dialect similar to a teenager’s. The speech of the other characters is frustrating to Abi; since she has never encountered another person before, she has trouble understanding what other characters are trying to say. This - and the bizarre nature of the whole book - made me laugh out loud at several points. I found this book extremely enjoyable and immersive.

It is with great pleasure that I rate Seven at Two Past Five 4 out of 4 stars. The story was engaging, the characters round and interesting, and the ending superb. There was nothing I disliked about this book, and I only noticed a handful of grammatical errors that were not distracting. There is some profanity, but when used, it fits the personality of the character speaking. I would recommend this book to readers who love absurd, bizarre, Kafkaesque novels that transport them to a different, but parallel, reality. I will definitely be reading Seven at Two Past Five again.

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Seven at Two Past Five
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[kdstrack]

Thanks for your insights on this book. I read it and enjoyed Abi's adventure. This is a unique story that expands the imagination with a new world and interesting characters. I enjoyed your review. Thanks!

[ReyvrexQuestor Reyes]

I could not help but think that this novel is sort of a satire of something. I could not yet fathom how Abi came to be this way. Or in what sort of place she is, why the isolation. Is she in a correctional facility or something? An asylum perhaps? Or she was being held by a vampire sect, what with the "coffin beds" and all that. What Abi regarded as the "The Terrors" must be some sort of seizure due to some illness, and I have not gone past other metaphors in the novel. This could be the trouble when reading only the sample pages. I hope to read this someday in its entirety, if not review it to give credence to my efforts. Thanks for the interesting review.

[Ria710]

Thanks for your wonderful review, the story sounds unique and very interesting. I will be checking it out.

[MsH2k]

I have been intrigued by this title for a while and wondered what this book was about. Thanks to your review, I no longer have to wonder! I hope this is the first of many more “new days” for Abi. Great review!

[Kelsey Hatch]

Thanks for your insights on this book. I read it and enjoyed Abi's adventure. This is a unique story that expands the imagination with a new world and interesting characters. I enjoyed your review. Thanks!

Very unique! I''m glad you enjoyed the book as well. Thank you for stopping by.

[Kelsey Hatch]

I have been intrigued by this title for a while and wondered what this book was about. Thanks to your review, I no longer have to wonder! I hope this is the first of many more “new days” for Abi. Great review!

Glad the review could answer some of your questions! It is truly a wonderful read. Thank you for commenting.

[Kelsey Hatch]

I could not help but think that this novel is sort of a satire of something. I could not yet fathom how Abi came to be this way. Or in what sort of place she is, why the isolation. Is she in a correctional facility or something? An asylum perhaps? Or she was being held by a vampire sect, what with the "coffin beds" and all that. What Abi regarded as the "The Terrors" must be some sort of seizure due to some illness, and I have not gone past other metaphors in the novel. This could be the trouble when reading only the sample pages. I hope to read this someday in its entirety, if not review it to give credence to my efforts. Thanks for the interesting review.

You have some excellent and deep insights; thank you sharing your thoughts! I agree that there are many elements that could be satirical, allegorical, or symbolic. Basi skillfully layers the story. I hope you do read this book someday; enjoy!

[Kelsey Hatch]

Thanks for your wonderful review, the story sounds unique and very interesting. I will be checking it out.

I truly hope you enjoy it. Thank you for stopping by.