REVIEW: After the fall, before the fall, during the fall

After the fall, before the fall, during the fall
July 26, 2012

The title is cumbersome, and rather detached from the interestingly sparse narrative. The author knows a lot more words than the characters do, or should, however, and the balance between the actuality of their existence and the telling of the tale is not achieved.

The text reads fairly quickly, but the plot device makes it diffuse.  The three intertwining plots make each other less clear, and ultimately loosen the narrative.  Readers might expect more of a twist, such as the time travel causing the Tsunami, but the ending is quite ambiguous.  Were the Tesslies even real? 

This book doesn’t feel like it’s the right length.  If it were shorter, it could have been tighter.  On the other hand, it could have been longer, to develop characters more, especially the unseen Tesslies.

Kress is a respected and prolific author, but this is not her best work.