Review of Entanglement - Quantum and Otherwise

[Sylianne]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Entanglement - Quantum and Otherwise" by John K Danenbarger.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Lose yourself in the complicated maze of human lives that is sometimes sorrowful, sometimes devastating — this is what Entanglement: Quantum and Otherwise by John K. Danenbarger promises to the reader. This award-winning novel is written in neatly flowing, elegant prose, which makes it an engaging read. It's filled with emotionally charged scenes and characters caught up in the consequences of their past deeds. Nothing is lightweight, and nothing is innocent.

The phrase in the novel's title, entanglement, refers to a phenomenon in quantum physics where particles influence each other’s states even from great distances. It’s a symbol of the main characters' interconnected fates, and it’s also emphasized on a textual level by a narrative style that weaves together seven points of view. Toward the end, the story starts to feel so enigmatic that it prompts the reader, after the last words, to start the book all over again, trying to decipher the meaning behind all of the cleverly laid out details.

In the first scene, Geena, an engineer running a small consulting business, learns that her father, Kevin, has passed away. Kevin was a detective who joined the police after the mysterious death of his father and the suicide of his brother, and for some reason, kept a brick with him all the time. He met Beth, a teenage prostitute, after she managed to escape from a trap set by human traffickers in Bermuda. She would later become Kevin's wife and Geena's mother. Joe, Beth’s friend, works as a stripper until he finds his true love in Martin, a physicist, who thinks he’s made a revolutionary discovery in quantum physics. Meanwhile, Ellen, a bartender, hires Martin to help her finish her thesis on sea mammals. She also has recently reunited with her son Cricket, who was placed in foster care as a child. He has a grudge against his biological father, and he’s not afraid to act on it.

The lives of these central figures are twisted together like threads of rope, forming knots and loops, leaving marks on each other forever. The author underlines this theme with imagery of the sea and marine life. One character sails on stormy waters, another works as a fisherman, yet another spots a mysterious dead body washed ashore, and someone resembles a fish. They are always close to the depths, which are full of terrifying memories, like secrets and murders, always threatening to break the surface.

I enjoyed reading Entanglement: Quantum and Otherwise, with its very interesting narrative structure designed to play mind tricks on the reader. Although I found some aspects bothersome — such as one of the characters speaking in the first person, while all the other characters' stories are told in the third person, or that it took nearly half of the novel to introduce all of the main characters — I rate this book five stars out of five. It is worth mentioning that the novel contains explicit sexual language and violence, so it is best suited to an adult audience.

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Entanglement - Quantum and Otherwise
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[Gerry Steen]

Hi, Sylianne, this is a well-written review. The characters are interesting and the plots are complex. the rating of 5 out of 5 stars makes this book very interesting. I will add it to my bookshelves. Thank you.

[Amy Luman]

This is a great review. I’m not sure about Geena’s problems, but I can see the interconnectedness of the players. Thanks!

[Sylianne]

Hi, Sylianne, this is a well-written review. The characters are interesting and the plots are complex. the rating of 5 out of 5 stars makes this book very interesting. I will add it to my bookshelves. Thank you.

Hi, Gerry, thank you for stopping by. If you like complicated plots you'll definitely enjoy this one.

[Mari Thompson]

When I first started reading your review I thought of the movie The Butterfly Effect. They sound like they could be similar stories. One event affects the next and so on… Sounds like a good read. Thanks for the informative review.

[Sylianne]

This is a great review. I’m not sure about Geena’s problems, but I can see the interconnectedness of the players. Thanks!

Hi, Amy. Thanks for your comments.

[Sylianne]

When I first started reading your review I thought of the movie The Butterfly Effect. They sound like they could be similar stories. One event affects the next and so on… Sounds like a good read. Thanks for the informative review.

Thanks for your comment. I like that movie so much! The Butterfly Effect and this book certainly share the common feeling that everything will turn worse and worse as the story progresses.

[Nwansimdi Mercy Someze]

Entanglement" appears to be a thought-provoking and layered novel that invites readers to immerse themselves in the complexities of human existence.

[Priya Murugesan]

A very interesting plot and a beautiful review! I would love to read this book.