The Simulated Life Elapsed Experience Process aka The Death Trip — “comfort care for the dying” or something more nefarious? And is there a connection to the newest designer drug? After the death of his beloved grandmother, Chuck decides to investigate. He soon finds himself torn between two women — the activist who suspects a dark agenda and the beautiful MD who helped create the process
This little 65 page novella is the first of two novellas by this Author. Readers of a sensitive nature need to be aware that this short story deals with the topic of assisted suicide and contains profanity and some sex.
This novella is a very well researched and altogether thought-provoking commentary on end of life issues, euthanasia, and the uncertainties inherent in research on the brain and death. It touches on issues that many readers, may or may not have had personal experience of particularly in this day and age where people are able to be kept alive long after they should’ve been let go, by medical research and already in situ practices.
The characters are developed extremely well, with the male lead adding heavily to the overall success of this little read. If the energies the Author had put into developing the characters been directed elsewhere, not only would they have become two-dimensional and uninteresting it would have affected the plot as a whole. The characters different points of view and thoughts on the topic covered are well researched and make this short story seem as if it is a full length book.
There were two things that bothered me though about this novella; one was the relationships formed between the male lead and the two diametrically opposite females, but then again who can fully explains the laws of attraction and there is the old saying ‘there are two types of women, those you take home to Mum, and those you don’t’, which put to rest any damage these relationships may have done to my enjoyment of this read. Another niggle were the proofreading errors, which normally really spoil a read for me; in this case that was not to be. Yes, there were typos, but they were so easily discerned and non-intrusive that it did nothing to detract from the overall enjoyment of the short.
The book finishes with a lot of loose ends, rather like life actually and, although I was initially surprised by the very abrupt ending, I decided that not only did it work well but suited the book, and what there is of the book has stayed with me for a long time after I finished reading.
I would recommend this to book to anyone who would like a good quick read that will make them think. However, because of its subject matter I would probably aim for the YA reader upwards.
Cate's Book Nut Hut 