Review by Burbakait -- Final Notice by Van Fleisher

[Burbakait]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Final Notice" by Van Fleisher.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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What would you do if you knew you had a week to live? This age-old question has been done before in numerous media forms, but Final Notice by Van Fleisher provides a refreshing and entertaining take on this question.

Set in the near future, in a politically charged atmosphere not unlike ours today, this political fiction thriller is extremely thought-provoking as much as it is entertaining. The book focuses on real political themes and issues our country faces today such as: elderly care, bigotry towards immigrants, and the highly emotional topic of gun control. Brilliant mathematician and doctor, Vijay Patel has created a new sports watch which not only records vital signs but can accurately predict when the user will die. This prediction, called the “final notice” can be set to go off within 10, 20, or 30 days based on the user’s preference. The book centers on a few main characters, an elderly couple Vince and Trudi Fuller, Vijay Patel, and FBI agent Zoe Brouet, interspaced with short snippets into the lives of those who receive their “final notice” and their actions and reactions up until their last few moments.

I personally really enjoyed this book and would rate it a 4/4. While there were clearly exaggerated political aspects of the book, the power of the NRA and the country’s political back and forth on gun control sets a very clear background close to home. This book may be political fiction, but the themes written are real issues we face in society today, which kept me eagerly reading, hungry for more.

The element I liked the most was the concept of predicting death set against a background of highly emotional and political gun-slinging Americans. By having the story set in a similar time-frame and including relevant political issues it not only kept me entertained but gave me moments of pause for critical thinking. It made me reflect on our society and politics today and how our country deals, or misdeals, with major issues like the ones this book focuses on. I really did not dislike any part of this book. It was fast-paced, well written, and kept me wanting more.

Anyone looking for entertaining political fiction would enjoy this book. Anyone wishing for critical thinking would also enjoy this book as it begs deep thinking and reflection on several of its political topics it covers. This book is highly politicized and sides more to the left in politics, so those who do not care for politics or are major NRA supporters might want to avoid reading. This book is not only political, but it also focuses on some sensitive areas with gun related incidents, including a school shooting and incidents of bigotry towards immigrants. Those who are sensitive towards these issues might be uncomfortable reading this book as well.

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Final Notice
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[Delaney35]

I really enjoyed this books as well. The idea of knowing when you are going to die is terrifying but makes for an interesting thought which was well potrayed in this book. Great review!