This Sci-Fi novel is a very, very, in-depth character study based on a surrealistic (at least until recent AI developments) relationship by cell phone between a bereaved husband and the avatar of his deceased wife.
This book is very cleverly planned and written, with a dense, close-knit plotline where everything fits together beautifully. All the elements of grieving, wooing, cheating, and a slew of other psychological factors are neatly wrapped up in a very weird set of relationships and events.
But you can have too much of a good thing. There’s an old theatre saying that you can’t portray boredom by boring your audience. It also seems you shouldn’t portray depression by depressing your readers. We need a few more flashes of hope. As it is, we feel trapped inside the main character’s head as he spirals down the long, slow slope to depression and perhaps insanity. This unity of tone is unrelenting.
The reader’s reaction approaches claustrophobia. Every tiny thought or action is described in such detail that sometimes you want to scream, “Just get on with it!” Which the author does, at his own pace.
In the end, though, our sympathies are still with the main character. This is an accomplishment, considering what he just put us through.
A gem of a story in need of a bit more sparkle. Four stars
