Review by Karenshinn1959 -- Final Notice by Van Fleisher

[Karenshinn1959]

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

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4 out of 4 stars

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In a time of increasing hatred and violence in our society, in his book Final Notice, Van Fleisher has penned an exciting novel about the possibilities we could face if we knew we only had a short time to live.

In this thriller, accomplished doctor Vijay Patel has developed a state-of-the-art fitness watch that can monitor the wearer’s vital signs, accurately predicting death in periods of 10, 20, and 30 days. Meanwhile, Vince and Trudi Fuller are living an ordinary, middle-class retirement. They enjoy the companionship of a few close, diverse friends, a lovely home and dog, and the normal challenges of aging.

With a small test group, Dr. Patel issues his new product to a group of 100 wearers who are closely monitored by their doctors, and by the company staff through their technology. As some wearers begin to receive their final notices, they are challenged with how they choose to deal with the knowledge of imminent death. Vince and Trudi Fuller face their own life challenges of dealing with aging, prejudice, social injustice, and personal safety as the results of the new technology become news.

The reader is creatively drawn through several possible outcomes as characters receive their final notices. Would the character use the opportunity to say final goodbyes, tie up loose ends, make final arrangements, or settle a score knowing they had a free out without consequences? With easy access to guns, revenge is a realistic option to some. And should that option cause us to restrict access to guns. The question of what should happen to gun owners as they age, possibly with diminishing mental and emotional faculties, becomes a stark reality. Thoughtful consideration of these questions is a natural reaction to the issues raised in Final Notice.

I found myself asking these questions as I read the novel. The author writes Final Notice from a perspective of supporting gun control. I am a strong advocate for second amendment rights, so did not know if I would be able to objectively read this book. I found however, that I was drawn in to the story questioning my own beliefs as each situation unfolded. I was impressed by the how the author was able to present realistic possibilities within his novel. While I did not change my position on gun control yet, I certainly was opened to the reasons our society needs to consider finding a compromise to the current trajectory of violence and destruction with firearms. This is what I liked the most about Final Notice.

The novel has a very unexpected ending. To me, the ending seemed out of the flow of the narrative. I disliked the ending the most. However unexpected the ending was, it did not detract from the impact I experienced from reading this book. I found it thought provoking, timely, and well written.

Overall, I would rate this book a 4 out of 4 stars. I found the book was very well edited. Readers who are politically progressive, favoring gun control, will enjoy Final Notice most. I do think this book is a worthy read for all political views. It provides reasonable people the opportunity to consider differing views on several current issues facing our society. In my opinion, we need more opportunities to listen with an open mind in order to move past the polarization and vitriol we live with today. Final Notice provides one such opportunity.

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Final Notice
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[kandscreeley]

This was definitely an interesting premise that was mostly well-executed. The aside by the narrator took me out of the flow a bit, but it's thought-provoking to be sure. I'm glad that you found it so enjoyable. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this one.