Review by Nicole_Boyd -- Final Notice by Van Fleisher
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Nicole_Boyd
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Review by Nicole_Boyd -- Final Notice by Van Fleisher
[Following is a volunteer review of "Final Notice" by Van Fleisher.]
4 out of 4 stars
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In this suspense-packed science-fiction, we follow the story of Vince and Trudi Fuller, retirees who are trying to get back into step with technology. Final Notice by Van Fleischer opens with Vince having an incident with a young person who knocks him down in the parking lot of a mall and shouts at him to get out of his way. Vince is upset by this disrespect and feels hurt by the disregard he suffered and that he is less able to defend himself. He was not hurt physically by the incident but keenly feels that young people are increasingly intolerant of their elders. "Irrelevance is painful." This sets him and his wife on a journey that they never thought they would go on.
We also follow the story of Dr. Vijay Patel, a man who has invented a sports watch/health monitor that is so sophisticated that it can predict the date of death by 10, 20, or 30 days. The watch monitors the blood and other vital signs in real time, allowing the watch to be incredibly accurate in predicting the imminent death of the wearer. As the alpha test progresses for the new product, an alarming amount of people act out in violent crimes after receiving their Final Notice.
Vince and Trudi, along with their adorable dog named Miles, run into more troubles and decide to buy a gun for their protection with a discount offered to seniors by the NRA. Their strength is tested as they deal with the violence brought on by an increased amount of guns in the hands of civilians and terrorists who prey on the weak and innocent.
Final Notice is a fast-paced read and the subject is so intriguing. I found myself thinking about what I would do if I knew I only had a few more days to live. It's a very sobering thought. The author lays out many other themes that are very important to think about: including racial prejudice and hate crimes, political parties and how out of hand they have gotten in the last few years, gun control, and how elderly people are treated in our country.
I was appalled by the scenes where Vince and other elderly people were disrespected. I was brought up to treat all people, no matter their age or race, with kindness and respect. It makes me sick to know there are people who disregard them so entirely. I fear our country has fallen so far culturally, where the elderly are treated with derision instead of teaching our children to regard them with respect and learning from them as they have wisdom from years of experience.
I thought the author did a very good job of keeping the story moving forward in a compelling way. I didn't want to set the book down! The idea of having a device that could predict your death was also very interesting. It's weird to think that in the next few years we could very well have technology of this kind. I don't think I would want to own a device that would tell me I only had a few days to live. The finality of it would be very hard to bear. That is why I think some people in the story lashed out in such violence, knowing that they could get away with crimes without having to face the consequences.
There were a few things I did not care for in the book. In some places, it felt like the author was ranting about gun control and repeating things that had already been stated. I am not of the same mind entirely with the author with his thoughts on gun control. However, the book did make me think and review my beliefs on the different issues that plague our country.
Overall I enjoyed the book and recommend it to people who enjoy sci-fi and suspense. There is also an element of romance, so there is something for everyone in this story. I found a few minor grammatical errors, but they did not take away from the flow of the story. I, therefore, award this book a 4 out of 4 stars.
******
Final Notice
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4 out of 4 stars
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In this suspense-packed science-fiction, we follow the story of Vince and Trudi Fuller, retirees who are trying to get back into step with technology. Final Notice by Van Fleischer opens with Vince having an incident with a young person who knocks him down in the parking lot of a mall and shouts at him to get out of his way. Vince is upset by this disrespect and feels hurt by the disregard he suffered and that he is less able to defend himself. He was not hurt physically by the incident but keenly feels that young people are increasingly intolerant of their elders. "Irrelevance is painful." This sets him and his wife on a journey that they never thought they would go on.
We also follow the story of Dr. Vijay Patel, a man who has invented a sports watch/health monitor that is so sophisticated that it can predict the date of death by 10, 20, or 30 days. The watch monitors the blood and other vital signs in real time, allowing the watch to be incredibly accurate in predicting the imminent death of the wearer. As the alpha test progresses for the new product, an alarming amount of people act out in violent crimes after receiving their Final Notice.
Vince and Trudi, along with their adorable dog named Miles, run into more troubles and decide to buy a gun for their protection with a discount offered to seniors by the NRA. Their strength is tested as they deal with the violence brought on by an increased amount of guns in the hands of civilians and terrorists who prey on the weak and innocent.
Final Notice is a fast-paced read and the subject is so intriguing. I found myself thinking about what I would do if I knew I only had a few more days to live. It's a very sobering thought. The author lays out many other themes that are very important to think about: including racial prejudice and hate crimes, political parties and how out of hand they have gotten in the last few years, gun control, and how elderly people are treated in our country.
I was appalled by the scenes where Vince and other elderly people were disrespected. I was brought up to treat all people, no matter their age or race, with kindness and respect. It makes me sick to know there are people who disregard them so entirely. I fear our country has fallen so far culturally, where the elderly are treated with derision instead of teaching our children to regard them with respect and learning from them as they have wisdom from years of experience.
I thought the author did a very good job of keeping the story moving forward in a compelling way. I didn't want to set the book down! The idea of having a device that could predict your death was also very interesting. It's weird to think that in the next few years we could very well have technology of this kind. I don't think I would want to own a device that would tell me I only had a few days to live. The finality of it would be very hard to bear. That is why I think some people in the story lashed out in such violence, knowing that they could get away with crimes without having to face the consequences.
There were a few things I did not care for in the book. In some places, it felt like the author was ranting about gun control and repeating things that had already been stated. I am not of the same mind entirely with the author with his thoughts on gun control. However, the book did make me think and review my beliefs on the different issues that plague our country.
Overall I enjoyed the book and recommend it to people who enjoy sci-fi and suspense. There is also an element of romance, so there is something for everyone in this story. I found a few minor grammatical errors, but they did not take away from the flow of the story. I, therefore, award this book a 4 out of 4 stars.
******
Final Notice
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Like Nicole_Boyd's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: House of Eire by June Gillam
