Review by bel006 -- Yesterday by Samyann

[bel006]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Yesterday" by Samyann.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Yesterday: A Novel of Reincarnation by Samyann is a fictional novel that takes place in present day Chicago, Illinois. The story opens with Amanda Parker still reeling and trying to cope with the recent loss of her loved one. That is, until she meets the dashing and rugged policeman, Mark Callahan. Their worlds literally collide one fateful day and we are thrown into a whirlwind romance with a little bit of past life regression therapy that brings us back to the Civil War era.

Although this novel is fast-paced, the characters really come to life through the chemistry they develop for one another. We discover why Amanda has decided to close herself off to others and we come to admire the devotion that Mark has for this woman. It is also an informational read for those who are unfamiliar with past life regression -- a technique used by therapists to help their clients remember past life events. Amanda's past life gives us glimpses into the lives of Bonnie and Jack who lived during the Civil War era. Because of the moments we see in the Civil War era, the book was an enjoyable read since I sometimes felt as though I was reading two books in one.

What I appreciate best about this novel is that there are other eccentric characters sprinkled throughout the book to help keep the story flowing. For example, we have Mary, Amanda's therapist godmother who spouts absurd yet funny lines and we also have Daniel; he appears very briefly in the novel but is such a charming character that he leaves a lasting impression.

I believe I would have enjoyed this book a lot more had there been more momentum building up to the climax of the story line. The novel starts off really strong but towards the end, we only see snippets of scenes that are crucial to ending the story. Some chapters seemed disconnected to me because of this. Additionally, Samyann also uses a lot of advanced vocabulary that had me googling a few words here and there. I was actually so distracted from the vocabulary in the beginning that I realized I was missing an important scene, the train accident, and I had to go back and reread the paragraphs. The use of advanced vocabulary was a little distracting in the beginning but as the novel progressed, less advanced terms were thrown in and I was more absorbed in the characters and the plot.

I rate Yesterday: A Novel of Reincarnation 3 out of 4 stars. I noticed a few typos as well as grammar errors in the beginning of the novel but they appeared less and then not at all as the story progressed. I enjoyed this novel most of the time but there were moments when I felt that the story jumped around from scene to scene. I do not think readers who do not believe in reincarnation should read this novel since there were moments that seemed too coincidental to be realistic.

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Yesterday
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[kdstrack]

Thanks for your review. I enjoyed your synopsis of the story and especially your comment about the eccentric characters. The idea of reading two books in one was also intriguing. Thanks.