3 out of 4 stars
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Knowing that the book, The Mystery of Flight 2222 by Thomas Naviaser was an adventure novel about survival at sea following a plane crash, I found myself thoroughly unimpressed when an obvious foreshadow on page 12.8 was stated by the main character, Frank, as he bid farewell to his wife upon heading to the airport. "It's not as if I'll be on a raft for 52 days, mi amor." For this reason I became skeptical and then when, a few pages later the exact same people in Frank's game of "Seven" were the only survivors of the plane crash, along with himself and his seat partner, Helen, I was wondering why I was bothering to continue reading this 'corny' book. However, because I am a fan of survivor stories and had found myself interesting in the development of the adventure, I continued.
By the time the book was reaching its conclusion at chapter 37, I worried that the whole thing was someone's dream, (or nightmare), and would end with a condescending reality check of some kind. If that were the case, I would be very sorry for allowing my emotional investment into the story line and having spent the time reading to the end. I have very little tolerance for having to follow a character into their dreams, which is something Naviaser did with his main character, but because I accepted that the dreams were critical to development of the book rather than the story only, I hung in there.
Having read the last words of chapter 37, I was unsettled and not happy to be left hanging with the characters in their story-line loop. However, the epilogue offered a twisted satisfaction that amuses me as I continue to think about the various episodes of survival and how the author achieved, with me, exactly the emotional ride, and literary guessing he had intended. All my skepticism was for naught because the book turned out to be exciting, entertaining, and satisfying.
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I didn't give it a four because there were several typographical errors. There were line spacing irregularities throughout the pages, some font size problems, and a a few missing words or letters. "Bar Mitzvah" is misspelled on page 334.6, for example. There was more swearing than I care for in books I read. And the plot was, as admitted in the "Afterward," familiar in keeping with Rod Serling's Twighlight Zone. I didn't care for the "Afterward" chapter spelling out for me the symbolism of the different survival details and punishments. It weakened my delight of pure adventure and self discovery.
I didn't give it a two rating because the story is interesting and easy to follow. Development of the characters is just the right amount. It was interesting to get details of the way people wish to be portrayed, the way others see them, and then the way they are when they think nobody else notices. Some of the author's descriptive phrases were very delightful such as, "screaming without outward sounds," and "he then pulled his travel-weary bag, applying pressure to the inside of the handle to compensate for the one wobbly wheel on the outside." I also enjoyed the author's flight facts and his usage of Spanish. There were several parts to story details that I could relate to as a reader so I recommend this book for young adults and adults who like survival adventures.
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The Mystery Of Flight 2222
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