Review of Not Dead Yet

[Sarah Manley]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Not Dead Yet" by Mark Fletcher.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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'Do you see us?' From the first story, Mark Fletcher captures your heart with his fictional stories of residents living in an aged care facility. He has a wonderful way of making you care deeply about his characters in such a short span of time, often within a short story. Not Dead Yet! Stories From the Last Stop explores life in an aged care facility and the residents who still have rich, full lives and are not just ‘waiting to die’. It is a collection of stand-alone stories, but the same characters are present across many of the stories, giving you a greater chance to get to know them. However, this isn’t necessary, as Mark manages to rapidly create full characters that are easy to develop vested interests in. It is easy to forget they are fictional stories. There are stories of love, politics, loneliness and more, told mostly from the perspective of the residents, but occasionally from the staff too. The stories are beautifully written, but bittersweet, and it is easy to feel empathy for the residents that life has forgotten. As a healthcare worker, these stories resonated deeply with me, as I have seen how society can treat our elderly population. These stories were a wonderful reminder that these residents are people too, and not just money for the facility or a box to tick. This a lovely collection of beautifully written stories that tugged at my heartstrings and will stay with me for a long time. I believe anyone who reads these stories will take a second to consider how we treat our elderly population and look at aged care facilities in a new light. Due to Mark’s ability to create wonderful, deep characters that you care deeply about, I give Not Dead Yet! a score of 5 out of 5. I only wish it was longer or shared a bit more follow-up on the lives of some of the recurring characters. I look forward to reading it again and sharing with my colleagues.

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Not Dead Yet
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