Toni's Review of Remembrance by Eveli Acosta ***4 Stars***

Remembrance is the tale of a woman who has forgotten who she is, where she is and how she lost the love of her life. She wonders where she took the path that led her away from her dreams. She is living a life she doesn't remember or understand. She struggles to unravel her current life and let go of the one she left behind. She's continually re-living her past. The problem Viv faces is that she can't help but look back even though she has what every girl wants, a loving and devoted husband. But is that really enough or does she need the one from her dreams, the one she left in the past? 

******************

First off, let me say I’m floored.  This novel was filled with rich details that pull you in.  I honestly have not read such a deep book in a long time.  I felt like a moth to a flame.  I couldn’t stop myself, totally mesmerized by the story.  This not an easy read.  You need to totally absorb yourself into this book, into the confused and brilliant mind of character.  You have to be connected to the story to stay ahead of the maze of Viv’s mind and thoughts.

Viv is a woman whose mind doesn’t quite seem to be her own.  She is a woman who always seems to be battling her past, always just apart from reality and desperate to bury the pain.  Yet there are parts of her past she can’t let go, like her love for Jaziel.  She will bury the pain of her childhood, her adolescence and even her marriage, but she can’t forget the boy/man that never was.  He is like a haunting ghost that haunts her days, nights, dreams and day dreams.  He is a pull that she can’t break and it is shattering her. 

In the present time, or what I can perceive as the present time Viv is a broken woman.  I am not quite sure if it is from her past or from health issues.  That mystery was never revealed to me and I can’t see that happening for a while in the series.  Remembrance is the first story of her exceptional, life altering journey.

Once you read the first word, you become Viv.  You are living her confused existence and feel her utter exhaustion from the chaos.  Her grasp on reality is fleeting.  You never really know if she is lucid or in her dream world.  That is the brilliance of this book.  You get so involved in the story; you can’t tell what is real or not.  You feel her pain and torment; her happiness and elation.  One moment you have closure, but the next you wake up sweaty and bewildered wondering what just happened.

While I enjoyed this book, it was a bit confusing.  I am looking forward to the next installment, but do wish that I had the completed series.  I’m actually drained from reading it and after reading the “End Notes” I’m frustrated that I will have to wait.  I have no idea when the next installment is, leading to more frustration on my part.  I invested so much of myself into Viv.  I feel incomplete not knowing what is happening to her.  I want her to find happiness or at least some form of sanity, because right now I feel like I’m abandoning her to more torment because I have no idea what is going on with her.  Ms. Acosta should be commended for drawing such diverse feelings and attachments out of me.  While I was not emotional while reading this book, I connected with Viv, heart and soul.

Not everyone will love this book, like I said the confusion of Viv’s mind may be too much for some people.  It is a deep read and not for the light of heart.  Be prepared to become Viv and trust me, her life is anything but closed and resolved. 

The next installment promises to be just as enchanting and captivating.  This reader is looking forward to it.  Congrats to Ms. Acosta for a job very well done!

Thanks for reading! - Toni