A rather realistic portrayal of what could happen if a person knew exactly how long they have left to live.

The only thing people fear more than public speaking is death according to many social surveys taken in America over the last few years. Much of that fear stems from the unknown or unexpected quality of death. But if you knew exactly how much time you had left, give or take a few hours, what would you do with it? That is the central question being posed within Final Notice by Van Fleisher, and the author does not shy away from presenting the many possible answers to it.

More medical accessory than smartwatch, a tech company releases a fitness wearable capable of accurately detecting a person’s demise up to 30 days before it will happen. This “final notice” is a notification to the wearer that they should start getting their affairs in order and say their goodbyes. What the engineers of this watch do not anticipate is that part of those affairs for many people might include injuring or even killing those around them to finally right some perceived wrongs. With imminent death, fear of prosecution or jail time is a moot point.

Set primarily in America, the novel is incredibly relevant to current social and political climates. Although the material is presented with a healthy amount of authorial bias, it encompasses such topics as gun control, treatment of the elderly, technological advancements, and populism. The situations that the characters experience within the novel feel true to life, as do the many of their actions.

I was excited and fascinated by the premise of the novel, but I feel that the execution could have been better. As stated above, there was quite a bit of bias in the writing. The author centered his novel around some very controversial topics but presents them as black and white, right and wrong. The few times I find the novel veering toward the unrealistic, it is because of this polarization. The main characters themselves are polarized. They are either very young, attractive, and fit adults or very old, retired, and trying to stay as fit as possible.

The bias mentioned above as well as quite a few errors (understatement) are why this still very enjoyable read isn’t in the ‘loved it’ category. I recommend this novel to anyone interested in political fiction or near-future science fiction. I do not recommend this novel to any reader that cannot tolerate a heavy liberal slant on current hotbed topics.

Final Notice by Van Fleisher is available to buy on Amazon or you can visit the author’s website to find out more about this and their other works.

Verdict:

READABLE