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Barbara K. (Brooklyn, NY)
(02/12/12)
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.
Colleen L. (Casco, ME)
(02/11/12)
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.
Sharon V. (Chicago, IL)
(02/09/12)
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.
Lesley F. (San Diego, CA)
(02/09/12)
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!
Carol T. (Ankeny, Iowa)
(02/08/12)
Time Travel with a twist
Nice time travel and interesting premise, but the device of using the same names in different generations (Sean Michael, Michael Sean) makes the reader work harder than necessary early on. The more the reader has to work, the more likely he or she will put the book down without finishing it.
Marion H. (Los Angeles, CA)
(02/08/12)
You are Yourself and More as Well
If you are willing to invest in reading 200 pages before significant plot development begins, learning little about most of the characters in these first 200 pages, and/or are open to the intriguing possibilities of karma and reincarnation, then you will be nearly unable to put this book down until you have read the last 200 pages. While the novel was an exciting ride, I was very moved by the themes - I am still reflecting on the power of belief in karma and multiple lifetimes. The narrative flowed smoothly and the dialog was realistic, making the reading of the first 200 pages at least manageable. Although, ironically, I cannot say that I liked any of the characters, their stories of love and loss resonated with me and I find myself wanting to share the novel with my friends.
Dianne S. (Green Valley, AZ)
(02/06/12)
Until The Next Time
I thought Until The Next Time was a good read. The book a lot of characters in several time periods that but the way that it was written it was fairly easy to follow once ou got the jist of it. I did get a little confused near the end, but the author brought it all together nicely.
I also thought the author did a good job of presenting the political & relgious struggle that Ireland has been going through for years.
Readers of history, fantasy & romance would really enjoy this book.
Karen R. (Locust Grove, VA)
(02/02/12)
Just ok for me
I looked forward to read this book which for the most part takes place in Ireland, a place I recently visited for the first time. I enjoyed the bits that give us a perspective of Ireland's heritage. But I thought the story was confusing and uneven. Maybe I just don't do well with chapters that intertwine past/present and time travel. It was hard for me to keep the characters straight, to remember who was who. I didn't find myself caring about any of the characters. This book was compared to the writing style of The Time Traveler's Wife. That book also was confusing for me, I couldn't get thru it initially. But after seeing the movie, I went back to the book and really enjoyed it. Perhaps that is what I need in this case!