Review of Man Mission

[Serena Ember]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Man Mission" by Eytan Uliel.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Man Mission was a story of four best friends who started an annual tradition of traveling outside the country. At first, it was just a whim out of curiosity to try exotic foods from other countries during their college days. But over time, it evolved into a much-needed getaway to clear up the accumulating tension during the year while dealing with life’s various demands. Every travel marks a milestone in their personal and career life – from making a big career move to getting married and going through fatherhood. These milestones involve both ups and downs. Along the way, their experiences from the road became vital to the most important decisions they had ever made.

What I liked about Man Mission was that it was a simple story with a straightforward purpose. There was no other complex theme but the exploration of man’s psychological struggles. It focuses on man’s internal conflict. It depicts the main character’s psychological struggle as he makes decisions based on what he thinks is socially correct as a man. In addition, the narrative of their travels also appeared to be real life. How the author, Eytan Uliel, introduces a country’s culture and people shows that it is from his own experience. The exhilarating and humorous adventure adds entertainment while reading the book.

What I disliked about the story was the lack of character names. It seems that the author did not even bother naming even some of the closest family members of the characters. I believe these characters deserve to have their names even though this is just for a fictional story; other characters have names limited only to first name basis.

I give the book a rating of 4 out of 5 stars. It was a smooth reading. The narrative of the main character’s point of view could merge you into his travel experience. There were neither boring parts nor climactic parts. However, the author wrote it interestingly enough to allow me to finish it as it fed my mind with curiosity on how each character will overcome their dilemma.

I recommend Man Mission by Ethan Uliel to people going through their adulthood. The story mainly highlights life stages and the changes in needs that may come along with it. I also recommend it to people who generally don’t prefer a suspenseful genre in their reading. Though it satisfies me psychologically and entertainment-wise, the character’s lengthy self-reflecting narrative might be boring for others.

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Man Mission
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