The premise of the book is that, like life, you make one decision that alters your destiny. After the first hour of reading, I had lived at least five lifetimes in five different ways. The decisions can be as simple as choosing where to move to, or as drastic as whether or not you should leave your verbally abusive husband.
I was a fan of the choose-your-own-adventure novels as a young reader. Perhaps that fondness is why I was drawn to this book. Before I go any further I would like to say that the logistics of the book (turn here for this choice, etc) are executed well. It must have been harrowing to put it all together and make sure that it all came out making sense. I commend the author and the publisher for that.
My problem with this book is that it all felt so cold. You aren't just the reader, you are the main character. You are in charge of your own destiny because you make all the choices. Despite the fact that I was in control, the story always seemed cold, unfeeling, and distant. There was no connection, no spark, between me and my character. The author seemed to be forcing the story on me. It reminded me of a more detailed, and adult, version of the old MASH game. "You marry David. You live in a shack. You have eighteen children, and you drive a garbage truck." The writing style felt very forceful. At times, especially when I was frustrated with where my choice had left me, I felt like the writer was pushing the story on me. There were times when I could almost feel the weight of my choice as I read.
As for the plot, or should I say plots, of this novel, I wasn't all that impressed. I'm glad that I am better at making choices in my real life than I am in McElhatton's literary world. It seemed like every choice I made left me addicted to meth or dying a tragic death. Rarely did I end up happy. The worst was when I ended up being murdered by an angry mob in a foreign country. Talk about a downer!
Again, the logistics of the book worked well, not once did I find that my choice didn’t line up with where I had left my story. A few times the stories would overlap, and when they did it was almost a disappointment. The stories tended to evolve quickly. In an hour or two of reading, you could easily live several lifetimes, making the other decision each time. The book is definitely an easy read. If you are a fan of short stories then this book may be a great read for you. You could spend months reading this book and never live the same life twice.
I’m giving this book 2 out of 5 stars. It just didn’t do it for me. I like the concept, but not the plot. I commend McElhatton for giving it a go, but I just did not like the story itself.
Have you read this book? Do you have an opinion on it? Share it with me!
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