“For me, this book was good, but not great. I really liked the approach the author took to show reincarnation at work throughout the story, but at the same time, that device of flipping through time and pausing to view a certain period left me feeling like I didn't know any of the characters "deep down".
They became indentifiable more through their physical traits (weak ankle, headache, sore jaw etc) that came about during different periods in their lives than by who they were inside. Each view into the different incarnations was so short, it was difficult to get more than a brief glimpse of a life and then it was on to the next one.
The cyclical nature of reincarnation also left much of the middle of the book predictable and almost boring. Each time the redhead would enter the scene to come between the hero and heroine, I was thinking "Oh no, here we go again," and it made the story less enjoyable for me. Where were the surprises?
Towards the end, when the antagonists (thankfully) started to become enlightened themselves, the book picked back up again. For a while I feared they would never learn and that the book would lack truth. Fortunately that didn't happen. And eventually the book came to a satisfactory ending.
However, one part of the book really bothered me, and that was the snippet from 1937. ***SPOILER ALERT*** [Do not read further if you don't want to know specifics about what happens in the book] Let me first say that I am the type of reader who can suspend disbelief quite easily. I'm not hard to please and have a very open mind. I enjoy the fantasical, but if a story is meant to portray "real life" then it needs to be an honest portrayal or my trust in the story is broken.
The plot elements of the 1937 Paris scene ruined that trust. The events played out more like a Mel Brooks movie than real life. First, recruiting civilians to handle the hand off of such vital documents and large amounts of cash was a stretch, but I was willing to go along with it. But then, even more ridiculous was that the German traitor supposedly gives the heroine the secret rocket plans and then waits for her to come back with the money. As if! No way would some guy risking his life for the Allies hand over the plans to a woman they got off the street, never mind do it without being paid and TRUST her (some stranger) to return later with money. That's the stuff of cartoons, not real espionage. That sequence of events nearly ruined the whole book for me. (I'd forgiven the author earlier for referring to the sleeping prophet/psychic Edgar Cayce as Edward Cayce. Copyediting should've caught that.)
So, bottom line is it's a well written book, interestingly executed, but more depth into the characters (and more realisms in the time periods) would have made it resonate with me more. 3 stars.”
Catherine C wrote this review Thursday, October 30 2008.
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