Review: Stick with it as it grows on you...
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 06 11, 2012
I struggled with Mattie Bigham for the first 20 or so pages. The author appeared to be trying to hard to make him funny or someone we would have sympathy for but I wasn't buying it. But to my surprise Mattie grew on me. As did the story.It is a strange story but the idea of a someone killing the bully that caused them so much grief years ago at school makes sense. Mattie's world has fallen apart. He's lost his wife, his job and his hope. Receiving Thomas Constant at his doorstep one morning is in an ironic way, a God-send, as far as Mattie is concerned. Death is a good option.But Mattie still has 7 hours to negotiate before the inevitable.And it's in the final 2 hours of Mattie's journey where this short story grabs you. Life can be mean to all of us. Pain and suffering are not discerning and there are many people that get a triple serving of them for no apparent reason.Even though this story involves death, it is filled with hope and carries the same essence that the first story in this series (Rearview) does - live every day like it's your last and grab a hold of the hope that can only come from the one who loves us like no other: our Creator.Good job Rene!Now to the third instalment.