3 out of 4 stars
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There are many books that have so movingly portrayed a message that it has spurred populations to demand social change. Sometimes that result was the author’s intention, and at other times, it was an inadvertent effect born of the author’s vivid portrayal of a societal oversight. I'm sure everyone can recall at least a couple of these from high school English Literature courses. In his novel Final Notice, author Van Fleisher takes advantage of this capacity of literature and attempts to build a novel that will motivate his readers to clamor for change and seek new solutions before the situation becomes too dire.
The plot begins with 70 year-old Vince Fuller and his wife Trudy learning about a new NRA-sponsored discount on firearms for senior citizens. Meanwhile, entrepreneur Vijay Patel’s company VitalTech Industries is developing a product that notifies wearers when they are near the time of their deaths. When a rash of gun violence becomes noticeable, the burning question is whether one of both of these developments is partially responsible. The story follows both the Fullers and VitalTech independently as the increasing violence challenges their perspectives.
The problem with this author’s approach to presenting a catalyst for change through Final Notice is that he tries to address a myriad of issues. Fundamentally, this book is about a technological device that can predict a person’s death and notifies them when they near that time. However, in the course of developing this basic plotline, the book makes a point to address the proliferation of firearms, treatment of the elderly, prejudice against immigrants, and the ineffectiveness of the divided political climate. Additionally, this list doesn’t even touch the plot devices that bring the characters together and form the basis of the conflicts that drive the book. Elements of angst, intrigue, and politics eventually come to the fore as the plot escalates. In summary, there’s a lot going on.
While this kind of complex plot makes for a very exciting book with many characters in whom the reader can feel invested, eventually, too much plot and conflict hurts the novel. Story elements go underdeveloped, making the eventual denouement feel rushed or forced. Characters start to feel one dimensional, and the political elements become something closer to parody than satire. Grammatically, the book is well-written, but the depth and roundness of plot and characters could use some improvement.
In my opinion, Van Fleisher’s book Final Notice merits a 3 out of 4 star rating. On the positive side, it is virtually free of grammar and spelling errors, and it is an exciting and fast-paced novel. My criticism, though, is what is expressed above: too many political purposes that are too obvious, a convoluted plot with too many distractions, and underdeveloped characters. There are so many ideas in this book that the best ones are buried and stifled under the unnecessary others. Readers who will enjoy this book the most will be persons who gravitate toward political thrillers and who also have no objection to left-leaning political ideology.
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Final Notice
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