Official Review: The Reincarnation of Douglas Kavanaugh

[TLGabelman]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Reincarnation of Douglas Kavanaugh" by Tony Haynes.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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This science fiction novel is designed to make the reader think about whether our lives are predestined or if there is such a thing as freewill. Doug, the narrator, begins the story with his family's exile from The Free World by General Verdict. He has been overthrown as the President; the punishment given is to live out the rest of their lives in captivity with no contact with the outside world. Found wallowing in self-pity, Doug retells his life story thus far to his Warden, Leo. The story flip flops every few chapters between Doug's present day circumstances in captivity and his past rise to power beginning at the age of 18. Through loss Doug realizes his life dream, to cure cancer. He experiences spiritual awakenings, ghost encounters, out of body experiences and the apocalypse. Luckily and despite these events he cures cancer and rises to the office of President. This story, however, is so much more than a life journey. This story is a philosophical and spiritual journey as well. The text will have you thinking of your own past lives and incarnations and what it really means to be alive.

Upon first glance, the story is simple enough but through the retelling of his life, or this manifestation of his soul, you discover there are many different levels other than what’s written on the surface. Doug’s children Veritas (6), Valor (5) and Venus (3) in Latin are defined roughly as Truth, Courage and Love. It is no small coincidence that it is in this order that Doug searches for these in this lifetime. His wife, whose name is not revealed until almost the very end, is an additional complex element that adds such fantastic flavor to this story. With each character revealed I found myself rereading passages with new understanding and enjoying the story even more with each turn of the page.

As a reader, I enjoyed both the story that was told and the metaphors it represented. It's not often a story makes me take a step back and look at the big picture of life, philosophically speaking. The characters were well written and the events kept me on the edge of my seat. The theme of 'choice and consequence' plays a big role throughout the story proving that the control we think we have in our lives is but an illusion. The circular narration, knowing the ending before the beginning, was intriguing. As a reader, although I thought I knew what was going to happen, in the end Haynes still managed to surprise me.

Many of the character interactions in the story center on Doug and his quest to cure cancer. Unfortunately for me this dialogue read more like required textbook reading for a Microbiology course. The descriptions of the techniques used and the science behind it left me with a glazed over look, not understanding much. There are other discussions which occur in Doug's 'out of body' experience which also left me shaking my head and rereading passages multiple times to figure out what I just read. While I enjoyed all the characters, several were introduced when Doug was retelling his past whom he distinguished as important, only for them never to be brought back into the story and leaving no real impression on me.

I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. The story was inventive, intriguing and unlike anything I have ever read before. I recommend this novel to anyone interested in both a great story and a spiritual message. "It will set you free."

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[TammyO]

This sounds like a very captivating read. I enjoy books that leave me thinking on a philosophical level. I especially love your quote, "It will set you free." Now I am really curious. I am really happy that you enjoyed the book as much as you did. Also, you did a nice job of explaining the overall theme as well. Great Review!

[TLGabelman]

Thanks @TammyO! I really enjoyed this book and I hope many people will take the time to read it. The quote is directly from the book and it comes to have so many meanings in the story.

[PashaRu]

Nice review! You ably handled both the pros and cons of the book. Sounds like there might be some depth to the story that is sorely lacking in much of today's "literature." Thanks for a good review.

[gali]

Thank you for the lovely review. I am glad you enjoyed it.

[tonyhaynes]

Thank you for your insightfulness. I appreciate you taking the time to read this book and thoroughly examine it.

[Skillian]

Thanks for the review!

[Kappy]

Good review. I like knowing something about a book's author; the unusual and interesting plot led me to do a little research regarding Mr. Haynes. He is an accomplished songwriter and also has noteworthy achievements in various other areas in the entertainment industry.

[TLGabelman]

Yes. Haynes' information drew me to pick this book as much as the storyline.