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A review by deearr
No Time To Say Goodbye by Bill Adler Jr.
2.0
Disclosure: I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley.
The provocative cover and the tantalizing description enticed me to read this book. Unfortunately, most of the positive aspects ended as soon as I began reading. Here’s why, without spoilers:
Plot: Basically, a decent idea. Dennis begins to travel into the future, can’t stop it from happening, and has no idea why he is being propelled forward through time. Author Bill Adler, Jr. might have been able to do something with this concept, but never developed it past the premise. Consequently, when the story reaches the climax, the explanations conflict with each other or don’t make sense, and the tale falls flat on its face.
Characters: The main character, Dennis, is barely developed, and the minor supporting players who flip in and out of the story are paper-thin. I kept reading because I wanted to find out why everything was happening, but didn’t care it was happening to Dennis.
Dialogue: Conversations between characters are forced, and at times, unreal. After being separated from his wife for decades, Dennis explodes and shouts at the ceiling “Why are you doing this to us?” He then drops an f-bomb, complains about being tortured, and shoots a fist at the ceiling while shouting “You have no right!” His wife’s response? “It’s okay, sweetheart. Long ago, I accepted our fate. Don’t be angry about it.”
Consider also the speech styles of people who lived 300 years ago. While we could understand them (for the most part), we would probably think they talked “funny.” The future residents of the story’s Earth, except for a stray word here and there, don’t talk much differently than you and me.
Bottom Line: Imagination breathes life into sci-fi stories, and when it is absent, the tale struggles. This story struggles on many levels and I find that, in its present form, I cannot recommend it to other readers. Two stars.
The provocative cover and the tantalizing description enticed me to read this book. Unfortunately, most of the positive aspects ended as soon as I began reading. Here’s why, without spoilers:
Plot: Basically, a decent idea. Dennis begins to travel into the future, can’t stop it from happening, and has no idea why he is being propelled forward through time. Author Bill Adler, Jr. might have been able to do something with this concept, but never developed it past the premise. Consequently, when the story reaches the climax, the explanations conflict with each other or don’t make sense, and the tale falls flat on its face.
Characters: The main character, Dennis, is barely developed, and the minor supporting players who flip in and out of the story are paper-thin. I kept reading because I wanted to find out why everything was happening, but didn’t care it was happening to Dennis.
Dialogue: Conversations between characters are forced, and at times, unreal. After being separated from his wife for decades, Dennis explodes and shouts at the ceiling “Why are you doing this to us?” He then drops an f-bomb, complains about being tortured, and shoots a fist at the ceiling while shouting “You have no right!” His wife’s response? “It’s okay, sweetheart. Long ago, I accepted our fate. Don’t be angry about it.”
Consider also the speech styles of people who lived 300 years ago. While we could understand them (for the most part), we would probably think they talked “funny.” The future residents of the story’s Earth, except for a stray word here and there, don’t talk much differently than you and me.
Bottom Line: Imagination breathes life into sci-fi stories, and when it is absent, the tale struggles. This story struggles on many levels and I find that, in its present form, I cannot recommend it to other readers. Two stars.