3 out of 4 stars
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Final Notice by Van Fleisher is a book that addresses political topics through a futuristic storyline. Are you okay with gun use? What are your thoughts of the elderly being encouraged to buy guns by offering a senior citizen discount? What if you knew you only had so long to live? Would you use your gun to even the score because you would not face punishment? The author created a story that addresses these issues and makes the reader really start to think about the answers.
There are a variety of characters in this book. The story switches perspective based on who is being focused on. At first, all the switching made it hard to truly connect with the characters and get into the story. As the storyline moved along; however, it was easier to keep up with and to understand why the author chose to switch between the different perspectives.
Vince and Trudi go through the steps of obtaining a gun after becoming interested from all the information in the media and events in their lives take place. We learn that they want to be able to protect themselves after all the news about guns. Vince is also set up with a VT2 watch, a high tech watch which will let him know if he will die in 10, 20, or 30 days. Will he get a final notice? If he does, will he use the gun he and his wife bought to seek revenge? The author does a great job at keeping the reader in suspense as to what will happen with these two main characters.
There is also Dr. Vijay Patel. He is a likable character who wants to help people have time to prepare their final arrangements. As the creator of the VT2, he has some concerns about the final notice aspect, but meetings with his team remind him of why the function was so important to him in the first place. The watch, as well as the final notice option, has many advances that would help people and that is what the doctor had set up to do. Could he be held accountable for what people do when they receive their final notice?
There are numerous other characters we follow who receive a VT2 device. Some decide to act out to seek revenge while others use the device for why it was made and get their life in order for their impending passing. It brings the question of would you want to know if you were going to die by a watch telling you, and if so, what would you do with that information? It is a hot topic for a great debate. The book keeps us in suspense as to what those in the story will do.
Those who might not like this book are people who are against guns and violence. Those who don't enjoy the bouncing back and forth between characters may struggle with finding focus to be able to connect with the story.
Those who would like this book would be those who like futuristic books. It also has twists, turns, and suspense. Another likable aspect of this book is Vince and Trudi and the friendships they create. They reach out and support those of different ethnic backgrounds. This was a refreshing aspect of the book. Readers who like to see people coming together will enjoy this part of the story.
I rated this book 3 out of 4 stars. The storyline is believable, but the story itself felt more like an obsession with guns and seeking revenge. The author addressed common issues of today's world: gun safety, gun violence, racism and hate, as well as medical advancements. I believe the author had a unique way of representing these issues. There also was multiple viewpoints for gun usage so it wasn't one side, but a common theme through the book was everyone needed a gun. It also felt like there was a lot of pressure for senior citizens to obtain guns. There was discrimination of this age group by stating those over the age of 65 were more likely to have mental issues. However, the book was based on pushing guns into the hands of this age bracket. It contradicted itself. I found one error in the book. Overall, the book was a good read and brought about a lot of deeper thinking on important topics.
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Final Notice
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