Wednesday's Child- by Alan Zendell

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This is a very well written, exciting, and thought provoking book. Zendell chose well in writing in the first person, so giving the reader a feeling of personal connection. Zendell has mastered this device with aplomb, whilst holding together a complex scenario, and rounding out other vital characters. We are drawn into the suddenly confused thoughts of Dylan Brice, and nudged gently along by Zendell until we start seeing, and seeing is believing, that it just might be possible to live days out of order.
There is some comfort in the book in the idea that we can be saved from ourselves by higher forces. This cosy thought may well start to unravel, but, I will say no more through fear of planting spoilers.
The plot is very strong, and is probably tied together without any flaws! One would have to spend hours de-constructing the complex of sequences to be sure. Even if one did such an exercise would be pointless, because the soul of the book is in its ideas and not in the mathematical build of a whodunit. The philosophical conduit is well thought out, and cleverly executed. However, as with any book it isn't just the execution of detail that makes for a satisfying read, it is the beauty of design. Once the reader has taken-on-board the premise, one that the character struggles with as much as we might, excitement builds to a satisfactory and adventurous climax.
At an early stage in the book I felt the complexity of detail was overdone, that there was an unnecessary amount of paint on the canvas. This feeling didn't persist for long as I began to realise that a lack of detail would have greatly reduced our ability to connect with Dylan.
At the end I found myself wondering if in a particular past a potentially apocalyptic event, such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, has once resulted in the end of civilisation. Well, it didn't, did it? This is truly first class speculative fiction, a book I deeply regret I didn't think to write.



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