Review of Entanglement - Quantum and Otherwise

[Asja Šabani]

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

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4 out of 4 stars

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Entanglement – Quantum and Otherwise by John K. Danenbarger is a thriller novel with elements of magical realism, that tells the story of several characters whose lives are entangled and intertwined in the most extraordinary way.

The story begins in 2044 CE and takes us sixty years back in time. We learn about young Beth who used to be a prostitute in the 80s and was saved by Joe Tink, a male stripper from Provincetown, Massachusetts. Joe arranged for Beth to go to Bermuda and start a new life, but that trip proved to be far more dangerous than either of them could anticipate. Upon her return to the United States, Beth met her husband Kevin with whom she had two children – their biological daughter, Genna, and an adopted son, Davis. Several years later, under the most extraordinary circumstances, Beth and Joe reunited and could continue their friendship. Joe’s lover, Martin, and Davis’s biological mother, Ellen, also play important roles in this engrossing family saga. Entanglement – Quantum and Otherwise is a story of crime, dark family secrets, addiction, violence, and abuse but also of enduring love, friendship, and redemption.

The novel is divided into five parts, each part relating the events from a different period. Additionally, each part is divided into chapters titled after the main characters, which signals from whose perspective this chapter is narrated.

My favorite aspect of the novel was the character development. Each character was unique and multifaceted. The depth and psychological complexity with which they were created made them believable and relatable. The author provided a backstory for each of the main characters, which enabled us to gain insight into their roots, their past traumas, and the motivation behind their actions. Some of the characters were deeply flawed, even immoral, but instead of demonizing them, the author tried to explain their motivation and the workings of their minds. Additionally, the novel was beautifully written from a stylistic point of view and the author demonstrated a true mastery of the English language.

There is not anything that I especially disliked about this novel. However, I must admit that, at times, it was a challenge to follow the narrative with so many different perspectives and timelines and to piece them all together into a coherent whole.

The narrative contains occasional profanity and there are some vague descriptions of sexual scenes. Violence and substance abuse are also present. Therefore, I do not find this book suitable for younger readers nor for the readers who might find these topics triggering. In my opinion, Entanglement – Quantum and Otherwise is most suitable for readers who enjoy deep psychological analysis and exploring the darker sides of human nature.

I am very happy to rate this book 4 out of 4 stars.

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Entanglement - Quantum and Otherwise
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[Amra Brkic]

Thank you for the great review. This sounds like a super interesting thriller novel. I like that the author explores the darker sides of the human nature.

[Semira Tabakovic]

Thank you for the insightful review. I always loved novels which have elements of magical realism, so i think this book might interest me.