3 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Final Notice by Van Fleisher explores what happens when a way to escape judgment meets the current moral state of American society. The book delves into the hot topic of rampant gun violence while also exploring the current treatment of the elderly in everyday life.
When the VT2, a new health/sports watch is designed by Vijay Patel, he creates a device that not only monitors a person’s vitals but also can predict with scary accuracy a death as far as thirty days out. The feature was crafted to give people time to have earlier health interventions, or failing that to get their affairs in order and contact loved ones. However, even the best of intentions can go awry as a few of those with guns on hand instead decide that they aren't going to be the only ones leaving this life. The book follows the up and coming company that designed the watch, the investigators trying to solve seemingly unrelated murders, and the small town life of Vince and Trudi as they try to navigate friendships, love, and death in a society far different than the one they grew up in.
The book gives a dynamic view of the situation by shifting between multiple viewpoints. Each character is explored through varying shades of gray as they find themselves facing a complex political and social landscape. From school shootings to street attacks, to immigration worries, to health emergencies, this book manages to bring them all together in such a way reminiscent of real life. The evolving story-line took many turns as it explored how these topics became even more intense when death came knocking, and with the growing technology serving as a push to the plot, the book kept a consistent pace.
As thought-provoking as the story-line was, the presentation was lacking. The story itself was two dimensional and lacked in depth and detail when it came to the narrative portions. There was plenty of detail when describing the technology used and the personal history to each character, however that same level of detail was not present when getting into the events involved with the current plot of the story. While this presentation may appeal to those who are more invested in the hypothetical situation being conveyed, it does become off-putting to those hoping for a more traditional read.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the thought-provoking aspects of this book, even though its methodology was not quite to my taste. Final Notice would likely appeal to those who enjoy realistic science fiction, however, I can easily see it offending anyone who feels strongly about their weapons. If the story had been conveyed in a more traditional manner with more immersive details, it would have been a four star rating. However, taking all this into consideration, I give this book three out of four stars.
******
Final Notice
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Like ChaosofaMadHatter's review? Post a comment saying so!
