Review by Simina Dinca -- Seven at Two Past Five

[Simina Dinca]

[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 by Tara Basi is a brilliant portrayal of a chaotic world in which only mayhem rules, of a humanity forgotten by God. Abi, an old button maker, wakes up one day without having had her specific nightmares, the Terrors, the night before. This is perceived as a pleasant situation until she arrives at her workshop, only to find that she had been accused of Disturbance Potential for her audacity. From this moment on, everything that she says or does submerges her deeper and deeper in a rotten judgement system that seeks only iniquity.

In a completely alienated world, Abi strives to find the truth about existence, about what is right and what is wrong. But in this challenge, she will face the extent to which mankind has fallen regarding morality and justice. Amidst judges with three talking heads, insane psychiatrists and violent priests, she will discover that the truth does not bring comfort, but more difficult choices to make.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because it is extremely creative and it has kept me in tension and excitement until the very last page. The book was professionally edited, I did not find any grammatical errors or misprints. Also, the phraseology used by Basi is so rich, that it was a pleasure for me to read this manuscript. The scenery descriptions are very intense and they succeed in making the reader feel as if he were right there, where the action takes place.

This is not an easy read and it is not for the faint-hearted. Upon deeper glimpse, this is a tragic story, a radiography of the modern times and human general manner of being, but the author managed to lightly brush this with a humorous approach, thus uplifting somehow the gloom of the situation. Some scenes are cruel and violent and can cause unpleasant feelings for someone who can empathize with the characters.

I believe that anyone with a taste for ambiguous adventure in a dystopian universe with a pious twist will enjoy this novel. It is the kind of lecture that determines you to permanently take guesses at what will follow and leaves many unanswered questions. I found it exceptional that the end of this book puts everything in a different light that one would ever expect and if I ever discover another book written by Tara Basi I will most certainly read it.

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Seven at Two Past Five
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[Erin Painter Baker]

I am in the middle of this book right now. It is definitely an absurdist take on the world.