Review by evraealtana -- Seven at Two Past Five

[evraealtana]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Seven at Two Past Five" by Tara Basi.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Seven at Two Past Five (Tara Basi): 4 out of 4

Seven at Two Past Five is a dystopian novel about an elderly female buttonmaker named Abi who inhabits a solitary, strictly-regimented world marked by strange, almost nonsensical events. In the early chapters of the book, she receives censure for an unknown, uncommitted crime, and spends the remainder of the book seeking justice. In her quest for absolution, she also comes to seek a deeper understanding of her formerly superficial, trivial universe, and to unravel the secrets that underlie events that don’t make sense, even to her.

The writing style is reminiscent of Margaret Atwood, with its blunt, factual portrayal of circumstances that are normal and expected to the characters and yet strange and otherworldly to the reader. Of course you must sleep in a coffin-like box, stacked nine high with others (presumably, although they are never met) – why wouldn’t you? You can’t possibly meet another human without your cone-headed, crinoline-hooped, glove-handed, black velvet gown – such a thing is inconceivable! The prose is mature and pointed, giving a sense that the reader is simply expected to keep up and that the text will not stop to wait. Some of the words that looked like errors were in fact gaps in my own vocabulary. “Brane”? “Jollity”? All correct.

The storyline at times evokes vibes from Alice in Wonderland, and reminded me strongly of the Tunnels series (Roderick Gordon), albeit written for an adult audience. Although the protagonist professes to be immensely happy with her lot in life, one gets the sense that all is not right with the world, and that some sort of trickery is at play, giving the exposition a dark overtone that is carried throughout the work.

The book is a surreal mix of the weird and the wonderful, transitioning from the disturbing to the sublime and back again. Intermixed with the bizarre and incomprehensible (a toddler who grows to manhood within twelve hours and is almost drowning in buttons) with the excruciatingly mundane (the act of taking a ticket when you are the only person waiting and then having to maneuver awkwardly through miles of rope maze to reach the head of the non-existent line). Once begun it is difficult to put down, although sometimes the reader wonders whether he might have missed a few details. He hasn’t; the finer explanations are simply left to the reader as an exercise in imagination. Fully 90% of the story takes place within a 24-hour period, which pulls the reader along rapidly, even through the apparent nonsense. The protagonist herself sums it up best: “Imaginary or not, it was an exhilarating odyssey.”

My one critique would be that the ending, within the last ten pages, felt like a different story entirely from the previous 180. The mood, tone, and themes all changed sharply, and brought in elements that had not in any way been foreshadowed. However, although the ending seemed somewhat disjointed from the rest, it did put a cap on the whole story that felt somehow complete and satisfying.

I would rate this book as a 4 out of 4 for its oddly compelling storyline and fantastical but believable characters. It would most appeal to an adult or mature young adult reader who enjoys strange fiction, especially of a dystopian nature, and is comfortable temporarily living in a zone of continual suspended disbelief.

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Seven at Two Past Five
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Like evraealtana's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Prisallen]

This sounds like a very strange and unusual book to read. I'm not sure it is for me. Thanks for the review!

[Delaney35]

This seems like an unusual book. I might like it a lot. Great review!

[evraealtana]

This sounds like a very strange and unusual book to read. I'm not sure it is for me. Thanks for the review!

You're welcome; it's definitely not everyone's cup of tea. Thanks for stopping by!

[evraealtana]

This seems like an unusual book. I might like it a lot. Great review!

Thank you! This book is a ton of fun, for the right audience - I would encourage you to check it out if you're interested. Thanks for stopping by!