The Reunion

I read The Reunion by M.D. Neu last of the 4 stories I had and I’m glad I did because I’m still thinking about it. It’s beautifully written, I fell in love with the characters and the format in which the story is told is guaranteed to leave a chill in your heart and your mind running in circles.

I thought I knew where the author was going with the story and time after time, they proved me wrong. And that ending….

Yes, this is a must read. Grab it up now. And let me know what you think!

If, like me, you DETEST books (and movies!) that leave parts of the story so ambiguous that you can't be 100% certain exactly what happened -- you know the type... like a "pick your own adventure". "Was it her, or was it him?" "Did A actually happen or was it really B?" -- trust me when I say that you need to get over yourself and read this book anyway!

There are few things that drive me more crazy (short drive, to be fair...) than not having absolute clarity in the stories I read. Sometimes I don't want to use my imagination, I want all the work & effort done for me.

So imagine my surprise when I find myself in that exact predicament with "The Reunion" but I unexpectedly still enjoyed the story. I guess you could say it was unsatisfying in an utterly & absolutely satisfying way, if that makes any sense?

That said, if I were to meet this author in person I would absolutely grab him by the shoulders and demandingly beg him: "You're the writer. PLEASE TELL ME WHAT REALLY HAPPENED?!?!!!?!?!"

Not because I couldn't come up with some possibilities myself, but because I really want to know how the *author* imagines the story's events played out. I'm not giving away a spoiler here, I think, by mentioning that events transpire and you, the reader, are left to figure out exactly what the heck happened, but you don't really realize it until you get to the very last page.

I absolutely adore the main character, Teddy. I know at least a few people who might actually BE Teddy! Character descriptions, including physical traits, are so well done that it was easy to visualize the character, what they looked like ("Hi Greg!" Damn that cop is fine! Ok, well, at least in my imagination he is!), how their voices probably sound, the way they walk, facial movements as they react to things, etc. That's a rarity (for me) since most stories just kind of gloss over those details.

The relationship dynamics and interplay between the entire cast of characters and segments of society are generally believable and realistic but at times certain scenes were so over-the-top it made me think of 80's night time soap operas like "Knot's Landing" or "Dynasty". But that was a *good* thing! It made the story more enjoyable and fun to read.

I wouldn't classify this as a horror (as some other reviewers) because I really didn't find anything horrifying in it (sorry; descriptions of gore & wounds don't affect me that way). I would say it's more a mystery / suspense / thriller -- one that leaves you glued to the book and almost missing your public transit stop because, "just.... one more... page".

Read this book. You won't regret it!

Larger than life characters, a mysterious meteor, and strange events. A well-written story leading to a spooky climax. Well worth the read!