The premise of the book immediately caught my eye-What would
you do with the last 12 hours of your life? A great attention grabber. Somewhat
misleading however, since none of the characters actually know that some of
them only have 12 hours to live.
In saying that it was still a very creative and well written
book, and with 12 points of view, very cleverly handled to ensure continuity
and believable characters.
The plot revolves around a group of characters-many whose
lives intertwine, albeit briefly. The story begins in Goldman's Diner where a
massacre has taken place. Rewind 12 hours and we are introduced to the plethora
of characters that make up the integral skein of fate. Each individual story is
so well written that contrary to what you would think, it is easy to keep up
with each character's story and how they
blend into each other. From a cop and his wife experiencing marriage difficulties,
to a senior citizen with the onset of memory loss, a fry cook trying to lead a
straight life but being sucked back into shady deals to save family, a waitress
struggling to keep her head above water and deal with a small child and abusive
husband, to the very real issue of how far bullying and domestic abuse will
push a person. I won't delve into all of
the characters as some need to have no preconceived notions about them before
meeting them. What really brings the stories home, is the belief that the life
experiences are real-these really could be members of your family, neighbours
or good friends. The 12 hours prior to the massacre allow you to feel part of
the characters' joys and woes. To catch a glimpse of a life we wish we could
help. To maybe see in them part of
ourselves. The culmination of the story answers the questions raised in the
beginning-who? what? why?
The story really does make you think about the lives
happening around us that we sometimes never see as we are so engrossed in our own
bubbles. I did however not award the
final star due to some faulty editing (words missing from sentences), a
continuity issue I had with (spoiler alert) Tim's face looking as though he had been in an
accident after his dad had beaten him, to him getting to the diner and Alicia
just saying she was wondering how he got out of the house and no one noticing
his contusions and bruises. I was also a little sceptical about Abe's change of
heart after all of his pain staking plans but that is just my feeling. Aside from a few personal niggles, I would definitely
recommend this book as a comfortable afternoon read.
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