Review: Strange but compelling
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 03 28, 2013
I'm not altogether certain why I purchased this book.  It is like nothing that I normally read.This is a tale that covers the relationship between three childhood friends, two males and one female, that are now adults.  I was unaware that the characters were black until the prejudices within the race were brought to light.  This startled me.My husband has told me that shades of color are a big issue in India and the Orient (like China, Korea, etc.).  I was also aware of the "passing for white" phenomenon.  But I was unprepared for the shades of cream, brown and black being so important to black people, most seeming to favor the lighter shades.Having grown up in Texas, I have had many friends and co-workers who were black.  But this shade issue was not one that they never shared with me.  To be honest, it's never been an issue with me.  The black person I am closest to is as black as one can be.  It may be the reason that this issue never arose.Beyond that surprise, the book was unusual.  It could be seriously improved by a good editor.  Some parts seem to be pasted "out of place".  There is a good deal of repetition, too.The subject matter involved souls inhabiting other people's bodies, being able to share dreams, and many other issues that I was not comfortable with.  It is also a distinctly Catholic book; being Protestant, some of those issues were a bit heavy for me.Most of the characters in the book were professionals in the health field.  The men who were not had impressive jobs, such as owning a brokerage firm.  It seemed a little unrealistic.  Where were the "normal" people?  There was the housekeeper but little beyond that.Although it was surprising and strange, I could not stop reading it despite the fact that the author had "telegraphed" the ending.  The machinations of the manipulative are not as devious as those in "A Dangeous Fortune" (by Ken Follett), but they were almost incredulous.Is it worth the read?  Only you can answer that.  The impressions of being blind (as the central character was) made it worth it to me.