Review of The Angel of Death Origins

[Carol McCoy Phelps]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Angel of Death Origins" by Laurent Cousineau.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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My favorite lines from The Angel of Death Origins by Laurent Cousineau give me a starting place for this review. Quoting from the final scene of “The Matrix”, Laurent Casino says, “I didn’t come here to tell you how this is going to end. I came here to tell you how this is going to begin.”

Sometimes Laurent Casino believes he lives in a computer simulation. He says that his life compares to movies such as “The Matrix” or “The Truman Show.” He makes frequent references to science fiction movies and computer games as he struggles to make sense of his existence.

Laurent Casino presents his autobiography in a series of convincing and touching vignettes. While navigating a lifetime of stressors, including OCD, complex PTSD, and his father’s physical illness, Laurent also endures ruthless and relentless emotional and physical violence at school. His bullies include not only students but also teachers. In spite of everything, he does well academically. The author uses the protagonist’s story as a vehicle to mirror some of his own struggles with bullying and other issues.

I like that the novel includes three short plays that the protagonist wrote about social issues which he deems important. The book also includes links to a website and a YouTube video that the author weaves into the narrative quite cleverly. I visited both while reading. I am very glad that I did. The plays and the links helped hone my insight into the motivations of the protagonist to bring awareness to bullying and climate change. This is how the author of the book gets his message across about these issues. Make sure you read this important book. Its message is too urgent to ignore.

There is nothing about this book that I dislike. However, I feel it is important to mention the following disclaimers. The book contains descriptions of physical violence, strong profanity, references to sexuality, and left-wing political opinions. The book is suited for mature, open-minded readers.

For outstanding writing and good editing, I enthusiastically give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

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The Angel of Death Origins
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