Final Notice: What would you do if you knew – for certain – that you had 10 days to live by Van Fleisher Review

Final Notice: What would you do if you knew – for certain – that you had 10 days to live is the first and only book written by Van Fleisher. Fleisher spent 21 years as the Director of International Marketing with the TWA and then 30+ years as an International Management consultant. His many years in these 2 very interesting careers have given him a lot of insight on different cultures and an open mind about current events. He used his life experiences to write Final Notice.

Final Notice focuses on the current state of our nation. It covers gun violence, technology, politics, immigration, and our treatment of seniors. Each event is described through the eyes of a group of people from different races, ages, and religions. Using current events, we see how each person is affected and how their reactions are shaped from personal experiences. From a senior couple to a tech genius, each person has a different view and grows from each event they experience.

I really enjoyed this book and the characters within it. Each character was written with their own personality and thoughts on what was happening around them. I thought Fleisher wrote each character brilliantly, giving them growth though out the book and helping me to grow along them. I became emotionally attached to each character, even hoping that things would work out for them in the end.He made his characters very three dimensional. They were created with heart and thought, causing me to become invested in what was happening to them. I read the book hoping to find out if things worked out for them or became worse. I wanted nothing but the best for the majority of the characters. I love books with such characters that I can root for or hate. It makes it just that much more enjoyable for me while I read.

Personally, I believe that Fleisher wrote this book with thought and heart. The use of real life events in the book helped to make it more realistic and more emotional. I've never seen other books use this technique and it was quite refreshing to see something new. Seeing how each character reacted differently to terror attacks and school shootings hit even harder. It was interesting to see what America is like though different eyes kept the story moving and my interest locked. Even reading about each event in the book shocked me, because I didn't expect it. It made the story line more entertaining and kept me reading.

I would give this book 3 out of 4 stars. There were a few mistakes though out the book, basically just odd spacing and incorrect fonts. These few mistakes are what caused the rating to drop a star. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Final Notice: What would you do if you knew – for certain- that you had 10 days to live more than I had originally expected. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys books about current events and thrillers.

Becoming the Dragon by Alex Sapegin Review

Becoming The Dragon is the first book in a series that follows a 16 year old boy on the adventure of a life time. Alex Sapegin is a sci-fi and fantasy author living in Khabarovsk, Russia with his wife and kids. While working as an electrical engineer, Sapegin spends his time writing and creating stories. Becoming The Dragon is his first epic fantasy novel. 

An interesting 16 year boy, Andy already has enough trouble after being struck by lightning. While running an errand for his father, Andy finds himself in a whole different world where nothing is the same. In a world where dragons and elves exist, Andy has to find his way home or except the challenges this strange, new world have in store for him. Nothing ever prepared him for what he is about to experience.

The book started out very promising as I began to read it. The setting up  of Andy's background story had me really interested in what I was about to read. As I got further into the story, though, I found it harder and harder to focus. Many things were far too detailed and the explanations felt longer than they should've been. There were many times where I felt things were explained well enough and I wanted to be back to the main story. Instead, there were more details I had to read.

What I did love was the characters. Not just Andy and his family, but all the other characters who filled Sapegin's world. Karegar the black dragon, and Jagirra had to be my favorites. Many of the background characters had such personality, I wish I could know more about them. I would even be willing to read a book all about them. There were a few too many characters to keep track of, though, even though they weren't around for long. Alex Sapegin is a very promising author who has a knack for creating complex and interesting characters. His fantasy world and the being that inhabit it drew me in to the story and kept me reading.

I gave this book 2 out of 4 stars for not having enough of the main story line and too many detailed explanations. Becoming the Dragon could have been a favorite book for me if I had felt that certain, unnecessary details weren't dragged out. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy and doesn't mind having to read a few extra pieces of story.