Review of The Freedom Building

[Melissa VanCleave Plant]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Freedom Building" by Martin Kendall.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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The Freedom Building by Martin Kendall is a well-written psychological thriller about a 48-year-old architect, John Gowan, with a strange bout of amnesia surrounding the design of his own building.

After the Zenith building is bombed and destroyed, John dreams of being the designer of the new building. As he realizes he will definitely be its architect, he crashes his car and awakens in hospital three and a half years later. He remembers nothing that has transpired and discovers he has, in fact, designed the new building. Every time he tries to focus on the building or its designs, he becomes dizzy, and the world around him seems ominous. He cannot trigger his memory because of his inability to focus. John also decides not to tell anyone about his amnesia and thus suffers alone. Did John really design the building? Was he attacked, or did he just fall?

What I liked the most about this book was the fast pace. It seemed to stall a bit in the middle, but otherwise, it moved quickly through the action. John’s decisions and actions are continually a source of surprise. His experiences while confronting the darkness, a continual source of intrigue. John’s partner makes a good antagonist, and the reader wonders if he is responsible for John’s predicament.

What I liked the least about this book was the repetitiveness. At one point, John does an interview, then he watches a video replay of it, and finally, he thinks back on it at a later time. In each instance, the interview is rewritten almost word for word in its entirety. This detracted from the forward momentum of the story. It would have been much more reader-friendly to state that he was reflecting and leave it at that.

I would rate The Freedom Building 4 out of 4 stars. It was well edited, with only a few minor typos. It was an enjoyable, fast-paced read. The book addresses many issues that are relevant to people today without overdoing it. It had a unique plot and was unpredictable.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a thriller with a psychological twist to it. There were a few instances of swearing but nothing too offensive. I believe a more mature audience is a better fit, just because most young adult readers would not attach as well to the world events and truly understand the nature of the memory loss.

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The Freedom Building
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