Review by ayoomisope -- Final Notice by Van Fleisher

[ayoomisope]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Final Notice" by Van Fleisher.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Van Fleisher hooks the reader with a very striking question in the prologue, "What would you do if you knew for certain that you had one week to live?" This leaves one pondering over a myriad of possible things people would do if they essentially have only a couple of days to live. Final Notice, a thirty-one-chapter book, is a fictional novel that focuses on stories reflecting the intriguing perception of seniors and how they are treated by younger citizens in the United States. It depicts the insatiable appetite for gun possession, politics, technological advancements, and the role of the media as well as the FBI in all these.

The book opens with Vince Fuller, his wife, Trudi, and their little Corgi – Miles. They are retired, and live a low profile, routine life. Vince starts nursing the thought of purchasing a gun after he is molested by a younger citizen at a store. Incident reports on the media, of seniors involved in shootings resulting in several deaths, also heighten his curiosity on knowing more about guns. He is perplexed that some persons, much older than he, actually know more about guns and even the art of employing them. Subsequent killings ensue; thereby, getting the FBI involved. Although a motive is yet to be established, the objects common to some of these killings are an iPhone and a sports watch.

VitalTech and the National Rifle Association (NRA) have tremendous roles to play in these killings. The NRA encourages seniors to possess guns. Meanwhile, Vijay, a technological guru from VitalTech, invents a watch that accurately reads and interprets a person's vital signs. It is faster and better than any laboratory investigation currently in use. He and his team carry out its alpha and beta testing on seniors between the ages of 65 and 90. The watch has a special and catchy feature – the Final Notice, which tells how much time is left before death. Within this period, most seniors who receive their final notice decide to take revenge on those who have wronged them. Eventually, Vince and Trudi are involved, and the drama escalates rapidly.

Although this is a fictional story, it is quite insightful. The book highlights many questions on relevant social issues. The debate on gun laws and possession is beautifully explored. In addition, the issue of religious discrimination is broached. It is unfortunate to note how many lives are affected adversely by the aforementioned issues.

I appreciate the character development of most of the characters in the book. Trudi and Vince remain my favorites out of all. Furthermore, the author emphasizes the need for healthcare professionals to be more precise and thorough in diagnosis. Morever, the need for appropriate government oversight on gun possession and technological advancements is implied. The book is professionally edited. There are only a few grammatical errors present. Notwithstanding, I believe the novel retains too many characters.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves fictional C/T/M/H novels.

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Final Notice
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Like ayoomisope's review? Post a comment saying so!

[gali]

A political thriller revolving around gun possession and technological advancements sounds intense. Sounds like the plot covers a lot of themes and characters. The concept of a device that can predict death is original. Too bad about the few grammatical errors. Not for me, but I am glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for the review!

[Ruba Abu Ali]

This is definitely the kind of thriller I am looking for. Well-developed characters, captivating events and dark humor as the cherry on the cake. Thanks for the nice review.

[khandzz09]

I like thrilling and crime stories. Seniors deserve respect because they play an integral role in the society. They can be helpful in applying lessons of life because of their experiences. Young people still on their way to life, but seniors are on their way back already. I like this book. Thanks for this review.

[Laura Ungureanu]

This is one of my favorite books from here. I like to discover it a bit more every time.

[cpru68]

A combination of finding out when one’s life is going to end, and the push for seniors to own and use guns can only lead to trouble. It sounds like the author did a good job spinning this tale to reflect the attitudes of our society today with those who are for gun control and those who are not. I’m not sure this one is for me. I’m burnt out on the issue in real life and tired of all the fighting. Good job on this though as it gives good insight into the book.

[Sirajuddin A]

Final Notice by Van Fleisher is a fictional novel and it depicts the
stories about the perception of senior citizens and their treatment by younger citizens in the US. It also depicts the gun culture and politics.

Van Fleisher in this novel has raised questions on social issues and the gun culture issue has been discussed beautifully.

[Katso1]

I love this book. It gives you the knowledge of how Nobody wants to be intimitated and put down and how they will do everything to put the bad guys out of their line. I will Say while some people are fighting for safety, others are fighting for revenge with every little opportunity they have. Great review.

[MsTri]

I too read this and enjoyed it mightily. I especially liked following along with Vince and Trudi while they went through the pros and cons of gun ownership, among other things. And the ending? Superb!

[Britty01]

The C/M/T/H genre does not appeal to me usually and this was no exception. From the thoughtful and detailed review I can see there is the possibility of quite a bit of violence. There is also a strong political bias. We all know that there is an end of life for each one of us, so I think it is better that we all strive to live each day, with appreciation for what we have, and try to make the world a better place for those around us just by being kind.

[Dusamae]

Thank you for your review. Wow, I don't think I would want a watch that told how much time I had left. That is just creepy. I have put off reading this book because the subject of guns and gun control is about all you hear about on the news and everywhere else.

[stacie k]

Van Fleisher has done a great job of taking current issues and weaving them into a narrative that provokes thought on personal, societal, and even religious questions.

[asere_maryanne]

It sure sounds like an interesting read, I also enjoy reading books where characters are well developed. I will try this one out.

[Pious Hawkins]

I like thriller books, especiially those with the characters and dark humor. Van Fleisher did with this one. Finding out whenone is going to die is intruging and seniors who want to own guns are like somewhat hostile. And why do you want to deal with people who wronged you if you know you are going to die.

[Marissa Michael]

A book that is relatable with today's shootings and gun possesion. This indicated that owning fire arms would not reducing crime rate but it complicates and create more complexities to the existent crimes.