Review by Booksmart-56 -- Duplicity by Fin C Gray

[Wayne Njoroge]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Duplicity" by Fin C Gray.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Some past experiences shackle and weigh us down. Their influence still trickling down into adulthood, resulting in a never-ending cycle that distorts and breaks families, which is what Duplicity by Fin C. Gray portrays. The book focuses on McIntyre's family; it takes readers on a journey that sees Tom McIntyre's children: Daniel and Jenny, grow up, each eventually having different life paths drawn by past experiences within their own lives and their family. Daniel is as typical as any other child. However, he experiences a disturbing encounter that scars him for life.

As he reaches his late teen years, his nature changes gradually. He sets off on a path leading to alcohol and drug abuse. He forges a new course that sees him question his sexuality and his father. He befriends Waqar. He steadily gets close to him and eventually develops feelings for him. Upon discovering his father's hidden sexual tendencies, he feels more drawn to Waqar and becomes distant from his family. Waqar becomes an influential part of his life. He introduces Islam to Daniel, who becomes radicalized by a terrorist organization that seeks to recruit and train initiates with the sole purpose of eradicating Western countries.

One definition of the book's title refers to the state of being double. The novel unravels Daniel's character, thereby shedding light on how little his family knew his true nature. The book highlights psychological and social consequences following frequent alcohol and drug abuse, portraying its effects on the family and an individual. Especially of fundamental interest is how greatly Daniel's relationship with his father took a worse turn.

The book's narration was enjoyable. It jumps from past to current timelines, which filled gaps in the story's plot. However, there was one chapter in the book which applied the use of future tense. I understand the context that justified the use of future tense. However, I found the narration in this chapter off. Another issue was the lack of scene breaks, which I found to be annoying. I noted the use of double spacing to mark the transition of scenes. But in my opinion, it was confusing since I had to reorient myself every time there was a switch.

Duplicity is a dark philosophical thriller that also bears elements of drama. Relations amongst McIntyre's family are crucial channels that bring out the novel's dramatic aspects. The dark elements portrayed in the book involve the sexual solicitation of a child and the brutality exhibited in the book by Islamic terrorists. The book offers some knowledge in regards to the culture of Islam. It also illustrates gay sexual acts, but the book is in no way an LGBTQ+ novel. The book bears explicit content and vulgar language. Moreover, the book also focuses on suicide.

The ending of the book was satisfying. It left me with feelings of soberness: contemplating on life and purpose. I noted a few grammatical errors within the novel. But there weren't major ones; thus, I believe Fin professionally edited the book. Therefore, I would give Duplicity a rating of 3 out of 4.

I truly enjoyed this novel. It was quite sobering despite being a work of fiction. The book was great. But I detest the fact that there were no scene breaks within chapters. It significantly disrupted the narration's flow. On top of that, the use of future tense in one of the chapters was odd. I kept on wishing it would stop. The two issues mentioned above gave me grounds to offer the book a rating lower than four. I recommend this novel to those who love philosophical thrillers. I do not recommend this book to people who are prone to suicidal tendencies. I also don't recommend this novel to those who cannot bear gory murder scenes, vulgar language or explicit scenes.

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Duplicity
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[markodim721]

I like the fact that one very delicate story is told with a pleasant narration.