Review of The Decision
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Caitlin Braley
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Review of The Decision
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Decision" by Michael D. Komeshak.]
In the sci–fi novel The Decision by Michael Komeshak, the author describes a world in which aliens give a group of humans the power to make decisions that will change the course of humanity. After a first contact scenario, an average man must determine the world's fate. Together with twelve other individuals, Jason must make a series of choices that will impact the world. This novel leaves readers contemplating moral dilemmas and makes for an interesting philosophical debate. Overall, I believe it was a solid 3 out of 5 stars. This story presented a thought-provoking moral dilemma; however, stylistic choices, irrelevant information, and a slow start held this novel back for me.
The author slowly builds suspense as aliens descend upon the Earth, almost too slowly. The timeline was a little confusing, and I would have loved more information about the main character, Jason. Readers get enough information to understand some of Jason's fundamental qualities, yet not enough to understand his motivations in these more dramatic choices made during the novel. The author's plethora of characters only provides readers with a vague sense of who each character is. That said, there are characters with strong personalities and deeply rooted belief systems that many readers will find offensive, with a frequent use of profanity and derogatory terminology.
In some ways, I can respect the author's style choices. The fact that Jason is so average allows readers to have a more introspective relationship with the novel and leaves readers wondering what they would do in that situation. In a way, the vague characters add to the mystery surrounding the story's moral dilemma.
With an interesting blend of philosophy, religion, and aliens, this novel sometimes felt more like a philosophical novel than a sci-fi novel. Stylistically, the author uses a lot of dialogue and inner thoughts to convey aspects of the story to readers. I would have loved to see more imagery integrated into the novel to immerse myself in the characters' dilemmas. In a sci-fi novel, feeling like you are standing next to the main character as they make life and death decisions is an integral part of the genre. Without that feeling, the novel was a little lacking for me.
Some moments in this novel do not contribute to the overall story, such as when random characters are introduced, given an aura of mystery, and then disappear completely. Other characters have seemingly significant interactions, but forget them as quickly as they happen. These loose ends just ended up feeling like the author was trying too hard to add mystery to a novel with plenty, making some parts feel overwhelming.
Ultimately, I thought this was a decent read. Though the scenario was interesting, the setting and character development may not have always been the author's priority. As a word of warning, I think the ending will be a little contentious for many readers, but I can understand the author's choices here.
******
The Decision
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
In the sci–fi novel The Decision by Michael Komeshak, the author describes a world in which aliens give a group of humans the power to make decisions that will change the course of humanity. After a first contact scenario, an average man must determine the world's fate. Together with twelve other individuals, Jason must make a series of choices that will impact the world. This novel leaves readers contemplating moral dilemmas and makes for an interesting philosophical debate. Overall, I believe it was a solid 3 out of 5 stars. This story presented a thought-provoking moral dilemma; however, stylistic choices, irrelevant information, and a slow start held this novel back for me.
The author slowly builds suspense as aliens descend upon the Earth, almost too slowly. The timeline was a little confusing, and I would have loved more information about the main character, Jason. Readers get enough information to understand some of Jason's fundamental qualities, yet not enough to understand his motivations in these more dramatic choices made during the novel. The author's plethora of characters only provides readers with a vague sense of who each character is. That said, there are characters with strong personalities and deeply rooted belief systems that many readers will find offensive, with a frequent use of profanity and derogatory terminology.
In some ways, I can respect the author's style choices. The fact that Jason is so average allows readers to have a more introspective relationship with the novel and leaves readers wondering what they would do in that situation. In a way, the vague characters add to the mystery surrounding the story's moral dilemma.
With an interesting blend of philosophy, religion, and aliens, this novel sometimes felt more like a philosophical novel than a sci-fi novel. Stylistically, the author uses a lot of dialogue and inner thoughts to convey aspects of the story to readers. I would have loved to see more imagery integrated into the novel to immerse myself in the characters' dilemmas. In a sci-fi novel, feeling like you are standing next to the main character as they make life and death decisions is an integral part of the genre. Without that feeling, the novel was a little lacking for me.
Some moments in this novel do not contribute to the overall story, such as when random characters are introduced, given an aura of mystery, and then disappear completely. Other characters have seemingly significant interactions, but forget them as quickly as they happen. These loose ends just ended up feeling like the author was trying too hard to add mystery to a novel with plenty, making some parts feel overwhelming.
Ultimately, I thought this was a decent read. Though the scenario was interesting, the setting and character development may not have always been the author's priority. As a word of warning, I think the ending will be a little contentious for many readers, but I can understand the author's choices here.
******
The Decision
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Deceptive Calm by Patricia Skipper
