2 out of 4 stars
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Philosophy dealt with issues concerning the chaining of life numerous times before. Is existence comparable to a thread, in which even the briefest of events takes its part in composing a bigger picture on a tapestry? Does our presence – as individual human beings – has a previously defined meaning? Is love less of a coincidence than it is an inevitable encounter of souls? Do previous lives have any influence on the present? Samyann’s soothing novel Yesterday, brings these matters to the spotlight once again, driving the reader to take a second look around its own life, in the search for hints of previous lives in their relationships.
Amanda is a young Chicago native who struggles to keep her life together after the premature loss of her fiancé, deepening issues she’s had from a very young age, as she had to deal with the passing of several of her family members. Although refusing to seek any professional help – besides the informal one provided by her godmother Mary -, Amanda seems to be finally managing to get some control back when her life suffers an unexpected spin: she succeeds to save Mark, a handsome police officer, from a terrible accident, an event which will alter both of their existences as much as the way the characters perceive life.
The book is nicely chained and filled with well-composed descriptions and elements, such as Amanda’s charming cat, Oprah. Those interested in History will be specially drawn to this book. The historical research is rich and it is successful in moving the story forward. In fact, it might be fair to say that the characters presented on this section of the narrative hold thicker and more interesting personalities and backgrounds than even the main ones. Although the author is careful to provide enough information on the protagonists, things seem to happen rather abruptly. As a consequence of the lack of time to bond with both Amanda and Mark, the romantic side of the narrative runs the risk of sounding artificial and arbitrary, rather than two people who were bound to fall in love. It’s possible to perceive the main characters as slightly two-dimensional.
Yesterday has special care for detail, both edition and plot wise. It will take the reader on a historical trip around Chicago, which mirrors the author’s personal interest on the subject. Moreover, she appears to have taken a decent amount of time on researching about past lives and methods of getting in touch with it. Those two strategies are highlights on Samyann’s narrative and are good ways to understand the story as believable.
As a reviewer, I’d give it 2 out of 4 stars. It has clear appeal to a certain public and it might be well received by both readers who identify with spiritualistic narratives and those who crave for historical research in what they read. The writing itself is sharp and very straight to the point, without missing out on a note of poetics. The issue I have concerning the main characters’ rather flat personalities is what stops me from giving it 3 stars.
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Yesterday
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