Review: Powerful, Chilling, Thought Provoking
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 18, 2014
The Terminals is a powerful, often chilling and thought provoking, novel. It’s fantasy but it raises real ethical questions about euthanasia.Although they don’t lack humour, Stewart’s adult books are much darker and deeper than the ones he writes for young adults. One of the themes he often explores in his adult novels is different concepts of the afterlife. As he did in 24 Bones, in this book the author weaves a compelling story around a little known set of religious beliefs and, using his ability to create almost tangible characters and settings, draws the reader into an unusual and frightening afterlife.The story is fast paced, gripping and tense. It’s not an easy read and I found the scenes where the children are held captive harrowing but, at the same time, I couldn’t put the book down. There is a brief respite in several tender scenes where characters face turning points in their lives, often saying goodbye to their past or to each other. I was particularly touched by the monk Charlie’s farewell to the monastery where he had spent his adult life. The book keeps the reader on edge until the end because when you think it’s reached the climax there’s still more. Everything seems to be resolved then another problem rears its head and you are gripped again. When it’s all over there’s still a couple unanswered questions, whetting the reader’s interest for a sequel.One of Stewart’s fortes is his characters. They are complete: the reader sees, hears and smells them and empathises with their struggles. We know the psychic Attila by his coffee smell and the three elderly soldiers in the unit by their banter and never ending card game. The elderly soldiers are gutsy, funny and vulnerable. Readers admire their indomitable spirits and are moved by their frailty and vulnerability. The main character, Christine Kurzow isn’t your usual army officer. She’s tough, determined and suicidal. The reader roots for her as she fights to save a busload of kidnapped children and wonders until the end whether she will decide to live or die once her mission is completed. As Christine gets to know a couple other members of the unit, the psychic Attila and fellow female soldier Morph, we see the depth of their characters and are moved by the challenges they face. Stewart portrays all of this without verbose prose; often simple, well-chosen comments and actions by characters reveal all the reader needs to know.The story flows between the two primary settings: a contemporary veteran’s hospital’s secret locked ward in the palliative care unit and the fantasy world of the Borborite afterlife. Like his characters, Stewart’s settings are vivid and tangible. He is able to create believable contemporary and fantasy worlds with equal skill. The worlds are never comfortable and may make you squirm as you absorb the graphic detail but it’s impossible not to get lost in them.While cautioning that this book isn’t for readers who are disturbed by gritty stories, The Terminals is a novel I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a gripping, thought provoking story.