A shoutout to NetGalley for a free ARC of this book.

(“NETGALLEY!”)

Reading and reviewing it has been long pending from my end; made longer by the fact that I tried super-duper hard, but just couldn’t go through with reading the entire thing. It’s now one of the entries on my scarcely populated Did-Not-Finish list.

But… reviewed it must be, even if most of what I say is based on the 30% I did end up reading. So, here goes!

Genre: Something between fantasy, science fiction, thriller, and mystery

Length: 428 pages

Blurb:
Will is a thirty-something old man with brown eyes and brown hair, who never ages and is visible in multiple photographs next to almost every famous person across the world and across all time. He’s being chased by some Vatican emissary (don’t know why) and generally goes around being kind and gentle, while also being a super famous (but unidentifiable) author and painter. Jillian, of some tabloid-fame, discovers the fact that he’s been around forever, and then something happens over the span of 48 hours right after New Year’s Eve that brings everyone in the story (mainly the people that Will has somehow been in touch with) together for a traumatic experience they never forget. Oh, and something evil lurks in the shadows (apparently).

Overall Rating: 1.5 out of 10

Plot: Promise of a plot gets 8 out of 10; Plot that actually unraveled gets 2 out of 10

Characterization: 6 out of 10

Primary Element: Too ‘all over the place’ to identify a primary element other than ‘drones on’

Writing Style: 1 out of 10

Part of a Series?
No.

Highlighted Takeaway:
Will – a bit over the top maybe, but likable to some extent.

What I Liked:
Nothing to write home (or on this blog) about.

What I Didn’t Like:
An immense amount of buildup from Page 1, but absolutely no movement, at least until 30% in (or even 40% in, as seen from the quick page-flipping I did).

Who Should Read:
I don’t know… maybe people who can cook, work, clean, raise a child, answer calls, walk the dog, and undertake some personal grooming at the same time, because that’s how good at multi-tasking you need to be to follow the sheer number of storylines and characters.

Who Should Avoid:
Anyone who doesn’t want to spend the first ten minutes of every reading session going, “Who’s this person again and have they come before?”

Read It For:
Ummm… checking to see if you’re still as sharp as you’ve always been?

Ignore the religious aspects of this story and you will find a highly imaginative plot blended in with history along the way.
My only problem with this was it felt just a bit too long.

I honestly could tell by the writing of the first 2 chapters that it wouldn't be a good fit for our box and had to put it down. I may read it again in the future!

Thanks to Kenneth Johnson, 47North, and Netgalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Before I started this book I checked the reviews of others and was stunned by what I saw. Now that I have read the book I can address those reviewers: you weren’t smart enough for this book! Johnson wrote a deep, meaningful story full of cultural and intellectual references. It was the perfect length to tell this tortured soul’s story. I watched his life unfold through the citizens’ eyes, the people he aided during their last hopes. He was chased by the Church for being a miracle, but damned for eternity.

This was a both a heartbreaking and heartwarming tale. Johnson wove together what it means to love, to shame, and to save. Kudos for a job well done.

A decent read that I suggest for fans of the genre.

Sorry, I didn't like this book, it was too long, too wordy, a bit confusing, and I didn't like the religious slant it took (I thought this was a sci-fi book).

I don' t like posting negative reviews so I won't be posting one for this book.