Review: A beautiful tale of living with death
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 10 8, 2013
I'll admit when I first started reading this book, I didn't think I'd like it. I was anticipating a thoughtful, but grim tale about death. I had expected it to be rife with melodrama and tear-jerking scenes. As it goes, I was wholly unprepared for this story and at first felt blindsided by some of the fantastical elements and slow, plodding beginning.It did take some time, but I eventually warmed up to the story, finding myself becoming decidedly fond of the main characters as they became familiar to me. This book takes a very intimate look into the lives of a grieving mother Theresa who has lost her only son, Peter, in a car accident--and most interestingly Peter's journey in the afterlife. The story shifts back and forth between the POV of Theresa and Peter. We mostly follow them through the doldrums of their daily lives as they learn to live with death and the new life they must create for themselves either here in this world or the next. The author paints his story with subtle strokes and soft colors, carefully selecting his words to guide us through his story. There are times when I feel the story moves too slowly for its own good when the story introduces and explores some of the supporting cast. But ultimately, the tale does cast a spellbinding effect where the reader is lost in the pages of the story as it unfolds to its bittersweet ending.Editing issues exist in this book (incorrect use of punctuation with dialogue, improper shifting of narrative tenses, etc.). But the average reader probably won't notice them and I don't personally consider any of the mistakes deal breakers, especially considering the quality of the writing and strength of the author's voice. In fact, some of the passages in this book are as haunting as they are beautiful. I had to slow down a few times to reflect on the philosophy, metaphors, and imagery in the story. There were several touching scenes that moved me such as when Theresa and her husband Gino had a tearful go at each other during their trip to NYC.Overall, Life, Everlasting by C.D. Loza is a beautiful story that does a wonderful job of dealing with death. But it does so in a very positive and uplifting manner. I'm actually glad this book wasn't what I expected. It turned out to be something better.Disclaimer: This book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.