Review by Ayegba Blessing -- Yesterday by Samyann
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Ayegba Blessing
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- Latest Review: Yesterday by Samyann
Review by Ayegba Blessing -- Yesterday by Samyann
[Following is a volunteer review of "Yesterday" by Samyann.]
4 out of 4 stars
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In her book Yesterday, Samyann touches on the delicate concept of the afterlife as she concurrently unfolds two separate plots of the past and present life of Amanda Parker. At first the events described in both phases of Amanda’s life come across as disjointed and haphazard but then Samyann skillfully plaits both twists into a mystical but enchanting tale of the far-reaching ripples of reincarnation.
Amanda meets Officer Mark Patrick Callahan under grim circumstances. She just happens to be at the scene of a gruesome accident in which Mark would have been fatally crushed save for her timely adrenaline-induced decision to drag a man twice her size out of the path of a falling train. This encounter unveils a cryptic triangular connection between Mark, Amanda and an antique grandfather clock. The closer to each other Amanda and Mark got, the more strongly convinced they both became of their shared history. Certain that their meeting is not by chance, they both decide to undergo a Post Life Therapy which reveals a time in history when they had been in love, only then as the characters of Bonnie May Belle Lexington and Daniel Collins. The plot weaves through the fascinating history of the Civil War of 1861, the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and the ancient grandfather clock displayed in an antique shop in the present day Chicago; a symbolic relic of the chaotic conflagration.
The most obvious compelling feature of the book comes to light way before its plot is even remotely understood by the reader. This feature is the author’s refreshing mastery in the use of literary personification in describing elements and figures while telling her story. Every page is generously laced with Samyann’s metaphorical expressions which make the reader’s mind navigate through the story as though every line were alive.
Yesterday also has an underlying theme of romance. Most readers already know how most romantic plots play out and Samyann’s book would have been just another love story except she throws into the mix the engrossing subject of reincarnation and well researched nuggets of recorded history. I would say that it is not author’s use of such fascinating themes as much as her notable prowess in weaving those seemingly unrelated fragments into one endearing piece that makes this love story stand out. Quite frankly, it is amazing that literary pieces of inferno, war, angel bells, clock chimes and enthralled cats could be so aptly placed together to create such imposing collage of a novel.
The book also features interesting characters each with their significance in the life of Bonnie May Belle Lexington who becomes Amanda Parker in the afterlife. These characters make the primary theme of reincarnation impossible to miss throughout the plot. There is the Negro couple, Ben and Magdalene, who loved and cared for Bonnie and her cousin Jack after their parents passed away. It is ironic that this couple would fiercely protect two white children during a Civil War which was unmerciful to people of color. I believe the life of Magdalene who loved Bonnie like a mother is relived by Mary, Amanda’s godmother. Mary comes across as a witty woman with an eccentric sense of humor which makes her character appealing to the reader. Also there is the character of Officer Callahan who ignites in Amanda the same kind of love Bonnie felt for Daniel Collins in the past. The author skillfully lays out such a delicate theme in a remarkably subtle fashion such that the reader quickly recognizes whose character is being relived in the present life. Even Amanda’s cat Electra is not left out of the reincarnation wheel for it seems to have the same syndrome of being transfixed by the steady swing of the pendulum of the antique clock as Bonnie’s cat had been in the past.
However I disliked the instances where Samyann’s narration of events in the past began to stray a bit far from the central theme with a plethora of details to take in all at once but she quickly draws the reader right back to familiar ground in the succeeding narrative. Aside that, I found no errors as I read this novel and so I rate it a 4 out of 4 stars for being professionally edited on top of all its captivating content. I would recommend this book to lovers of romantic tales who are looking for a love story embroidered with a mystical twist. However this book may be less appealing to readers who find the subject of reincarnation a little touchy.
******
Yesterday
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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4 out of 4 stars
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In her book Yesterday, Samyann touches on the delicate concept of the afterlife as she concurrently unfolds two separate plots of the past and present life of Amanda Parker. At first the events described in both phases of Amanda’s life come across as disjointed and haphazard but then Samyann skillfully plaits both twists into a mystical but enchanting tale of the far-reaching ripples of reincarnation.
Amanda meets Officer Mark Patrick Callahan under grim circumstances. She just happens to be at the scene of a gruesome accident in which Mark would have been fatally crushed save for her timely adrenaline-induced decision to drag a man twice her size out of the path of a falling train. This encounter unveils a cryptic triangular connection between Mark, Amanda and an antique grandfather clock. The closer to each other Amanda and Mark got, the more strongly convinced they both became of their shared history. Certain that their meeting is not by chance, they both decide to undergo a Post Life Therapy which reveals a time in history when they had been in love, only then as the characters of Bonnie May Belle Lexington and Daniel Collins. The plot weaves through the fascinating history of the Civil War of 1861, the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and the ancient grandfather clock displayed in an antique shop in the present day Chicago; a symbolic relic of the chaotic conflagration.
The most obvious compelling feature of the book comes to light way before its plot is even remotely understood by the reader. This feature is the author’s refreshing mastery in the use of literary personification in describing elements and figures while telling her story. Every page is generously laced with Samyann’s metaphorical expressions which make the reader’s mind navigate through the story as though every line were alive.
Yesterday also has an underlying theme of romance. Most readers already know how most romantic plots play out and Samyann’s book would have been just another love story except she throws into the mix the engrossing subject of reincarnation and well researched nuggets of recorded history. I would say that it is not author’s use of such fascinating themes as much as her notable prowess in weaving those seemingly unrelated fragments into one endearing piece that makes this love story stand out. Quite frankly, it is amazing that literary pieces of inferno, war, angel bells, clock chimes and enthralled cats could be so aptly placed together to create such imposing collage of a novel.
The book also features interesting characters each with their significance in the life of Bonnie May Belle Lexington who becomes Amanda Parker in the afterlife. These characters make the primary theme of reincarnation impossible to miss throughout the plot. There is the Negro couple, Ben and Magdalene, who loved and cared for Bonnie and her cousin Jack after their parents passed away. It is ironic that this couple would fiercely protect two white children during a Civil War which was unmerciful to people of color. I believe the life of Magdalene who loved Bonnie like a mother is relived by Mary, Amanda’s godmother. Mary comes across as a witty woman with an eccentric sense of humor which makes her character appealing to the reader. Also there is the character of Officer Callahan who ignites in Amanda the same kind of love Bonnie felt for Daniel Collins in the past. The author skillfully lays out such a delicate theme in a remarkably subtle fashion such that the reader quickly recognizes whose character is being relived in the present life. Even Amanda’s cat Electra is not left out of the reincarnation wheel for it seems to have the same syndrome of being transfixed by the steady swing of the pendulum of the antique clock as Bonnie’s cat had been in the past.
However I disliked the instances where Samyann’s narration of events in the past began to stray a bit far from the central theme with a plethora of details to take in all at once but she quickly draws the reader right back to familiar ground in the succeeding narrative. Aside that, I found no errors as I read this novel and so I rate it a 4 out of 4 stars for being professionally edited on top of all its captivating content. I would recommend this book to lovers of romantic tales who are looking for a love story embroidered with a mystical twist. However this book may be less appealing to readers who find the subject of reincarnation a little touchy.
******
Yesterday
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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Latest Review: Yesterday by Samyann
