Rated of 5
by Vicky R. (Cumming, GA) Interesting and thought provoking
In the beginning, I felt this story was somewhat disjointed, but the author managed to smooth things out as he went along. Reincarnation, not a new subject, was presented with an interesting twist and the ties to scripture and modern day religion fell into the "things that make you say hmmmm" category. I enjoyed this story, especially once the author caught his rhythm. I think you'll enjoy this book, as well....keep it...you may want to read it again....in your next life.
Rated of 5
by Patricia D. (Woodland Hills, CA) Can Love Continue Forever?
Can you search forever, even into the next life, and ever find your true life story and your true love? Moving through the parallel stories of Sean and Michael who are living during different time periods yet looking for similar historical truths of their family is at first intriguing to the reader. But then the moving back and forth in time and learning how reincarnation can help your searches and trying to find the love of your life, loses the reader in more of a make-believe story. Some of the history of the bloody revolutions in Ireland make the story move along. But "coming back" into another body to continue the fight, the family search, the perfect love, destroys the continuity of the book. I liked the female characters for their strength and assuredness for the direction that they took. The women are always lecturing the males that "death don't matter so much. What matters if the next life." Second chances are what's important. A lot of this philosophy didn't make sense to this reader and made the story less believable. Because of the way the next life is stressed through reincarnation, religious beliefs become unbelievable themselves and these ideas might offend some readers. There is a paranormal flavor to the story which adds to the suspense and how this novel is concluded. Will love be found or lost in your next life? Kevin Fox has given the reader much to think about.
Rated of 5
by Barbara K. (Brooklyn, NY) Love Never Dies
This book was well written with rich, quirky characters. Interspersed with humor & vivid descriptions of Ireland in the 1970's & late 1990's, I quickly got drawn into the story. Unfortunately, about half way through the book, the plot became somewhat confusing & I began to lose some interest. However, I did develop a deepened appreciation of Ireland, the land, its people, culture, beliefs & history. In the end, this turned out to be a profound love story which offers hope that our soul mates are always waiting to be found.
Rated of 5
by Colleen L. (Casco, ME) Until The Next Time...
Kevin Fox's "Until the Next Time" was a very enjoyable read. It moves along at a fast pace and keeps you interested throughout the entire book. I enjoyed the introduction of reincarnation into the story. It seemed especially apropos given the setting in Ireland. The aspect that I particularly enjoyed the most was the way the author made me think about parables in the Bible and its' hidden meanings. This is a book with many layers and I'm sure if I read it again, I would find new items to mull over and analyze. My only small complaint was that I occasionally got lost between the characters and needed to backtrack. It might have helped to have changed the names just a bit more to make them more distinctive and easier to follow. I didn't necessarily like any of the characters either. Overall, however, I would recommend reading the book. The setting of Ireland was beautiful. The history of Ireland during the "Troubles" was very interesting and the reincarnation theme made this a very solid book to read.
Rated of 5
by Sharon V. (Chicago, IL) Until the Next Time
This fresh and original perspective on reincarnation follows 21-year Sean Corrigan to Ireland on a journey to learn more about his Uncle Michael while searching for his soul mate. While told in a clever voice that paints a colorful and rich portrait of Irish history, culture and ideals, the dual storyline felt redundant and the characters difficult to differentiate. The intense prologue about one man's obsession sets the reader’s expectations high. Unfortunately, the plot becomes bogged down in too many moral lessons and loses sight of its goal somewhere around Page 100.
Rated of 5
by Lesley F. (San Diego, CA) Irish Storytelling
Reading Until the Next Time by Kevin Fox is much like watching a Martin McDonagh play: you laugh so hard, tears well in your eyes - and there is such violence, you cringe. I laughed at all the Irish phrases I've grown up with, but even more so, the family arguments that all sounded so familiar - four generations away from the auld sod and I am still accused of answering every question with question :). Here is a love story caught up in the Troubles - and before and beyond them. Here is discussion of religion and its effects on humans that should cause excitement like the religious discussions in Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code - not that they are at all similar but that they make you pause and re-think! I could NOT put this book down. One caveat: Irish Gaelic phrases are not pronounced in English at all the way they are spelled. Where foreign phrases are used liberally, foreign phrases need to be spelled out phonetically in parentheses right there in the text (as opposed to a glossary). I do not understand why NO authors DO this for their readers. "Hearing" it the way it should sound would be a great enhancement to this story, most particularly. Slainte!
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