Summary
Death was a good place to hide. Ninety-nine percent of the reported dead stayed dead, but occasionally someone played possum. At the Norval Department of Marketing Necrology, Raphael’s job was to root out people who have faked their own deaths in an attempt to disappear. But that’s not the only challenge in his life. Amongst many others, he suffers from dromophobia, the fear of crossing streets.
Jason Klaes, his new assignment, is an allegedly dead physicist whose accounts have been active even after being declared dead. It seems that he has created afterlives for the deceased based on their social media content, and Raphael’s phobia is getting in the way of this investigation. In order to solve the mystery, he must overcome his greatest fear.
Review
End Man is a science fiction and techno-thriller novel by Alex Austin. Though there were familiar sci-fi terms I’ve heard of before, this story is completely new to me! I love that the concept of this story is driven by today’s internet era. The theme, though fiction, is very timely, considering that in this digital era, the majority of us have been swallowed up by social media. It has practically become the main source of people’s footprint where everyone’s activities can be acquired through social media and other online platforms.
Another thing that I love about this book is its strong opening. I had to use it as part of my summary because I instantly got hooked to the first paragraph and I’m sure other readers will. On top of this, the rest of the narrative had a smooth flow that will make even the non-scifi enthusiasts keep reading this book! I also love the main lead’s struggles and inner motivation. It gives me a sense of triumph to read his character development.
Overall, I’m giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. This book has very fascinating characters in a well-depicted setting and an extremely imaginative storyline. I highly recommend this book to all sci-fi enthusiasts.
SheySaints 