Review by Ember_09 -- Portals by Jon Zimmer

[Ember_09]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Portals" by Jon Zimmer.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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Jon Zimmer’s Portals is a sci-fi novel in which the main character, Joe, explores and experiences different facets of life in every portal he decides to enter. Every decision he makes creates a ripple that may or may not significantly affect other people surrounding him. During his life on Earth and in another dimension, Joe learns something new about the existence and purpose of oneself, humanity, a deity, and the unknown.

One aspect that stood out to me the most is the novel’s directness and conciseness. Despite the grammatical and spelling errors, it’s able to convey several themes relevant to modern crises and possible solutions. Some chapters could have been delivered differently, but their concepts are substantial enough to be read.

The number of errors significantly influenced my reading experience. There were times when I had to go back and forth to verify my understanding of certain sentences and words because they were written incorrectly. One major observation I’ve had in this novel is the way it seemed as if the last chapters are rushed. It seemed to me that the author may not have the time to proofread some of each chapter’s paragraph. I believe the remaining chapters could have been written in a more fluid structure in order for its concluding chapters to end in a deliberate, meaningful manner.

Given my assessments, I’d give the novel 2 out of 4 stars because I believe that, although its message pertains to the current issues of today, the entire novel could have been conveyed in a much more engaging way, with fewer distractions caused by technical errors. The novel holds great potential in educating any reader if it is given the chance to be polished with critical attention and patience.

I highly recommend this to young adults whose opinions are greatly influenced by today’s multitude of information broadcasted by social media. It’s also a good novel for those who are still thinking about how they can serve their community and society as a whole. This novel has its own paradoxes, but that is what makes it interesting enough to read.

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Portals
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