Straight Reading from the Library: Yours Truly, 2095 by Brian Paone

This review is in conjunction with a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Brian Paone will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

READ THE BLURB

Jeff Blue-the victim of a time-travel conspiracy-wakes up trapped in the year 2095. The only familiar face is J0; a robotic copy of the wife he left behind in 1981. But can she be trusted?

J0 could be the only key to unlock Jeff's journey home, but it will require her to do something against her programming-something human.

During Jeff's perilous journey through the future, he will have to discover the truth about J0's origins, and solve the mystery behind how he wound up in 2095, in order to uncover the reality of his own destiny.

Armed with a one-way ticket to the moon, Jeff must race against the clock to seize what might be his last chance to return home to his time. A time without hover cars, Justice Computers, or TeleSkins-a time over one hundred years ago.

READ THE REVIEW

Part Science Fiction, part romance and apparently a whole lot of ELO tribute, this book was an interesting glance into what the future might look like.

First off, I'm not a huge ELO fan. Really, all I know about them is from Xanadu (don't judge me), so I probably missed a lot of things said fans would rave about. That said, really, the story holds its own.

I have to admit I was exceptionally surprised at how calmly Jeff took his initial foray into the future. He doesn't panic or freak out or even act strangely. Aside from going out in his pajamas and then sniffing the (apparently plastic) grass, mostly he just acts normal. I'd have been a whole lot more freaked than he was.

I did enjoy watching his relationship with J0 develop. And the mystery is apparent from nearly the first, especially with his encounter with Bruce at the view-paper stand. That's what kept me reading...how did he get there with no memory of it? Who was behind everything? Why were they creating his life in 2095 exactly like his life in 1981 (minus his daughter who J0 said never existed)? Would he ever get home? How?

The "dreams" he had with his wife, Julie, confused me terribly. Also, I wasn't a huge fan of his overuse of dialogue. While it wasn't quite "As you know, Bob." sometimes it came close and I missed being shown things instead.

Still, I think the mystery behind his bounce to the future and his desperate need to go home to the '80s was intriguing and the author did a good job keeping me moving forward. I do wish I was more versed in the music, though, because I think I missed what made this a "must read" for some folks.

3.5 stars and a nod to the author's skill

READ AN EXCERPT

J0 stepped aside and finally let me approach the table.

“Oh, no. Not Susan. Oh, God.”

Her face was turned away from the door. She was completely finished from her waist to her head, but there was nothing below her hips. It was as if someone had started building her and just stopped. There were loose wires and metal sticking out of her pelvis, giving the impression that she had been ripped in half and not in the process of being constructed.

My eyes kept returning to the dangling red and blue wires. I thought that they looked like severed veins.

“What is this place?” I screamed.

“Looks like the Man-Delay project was thriving well beyond my knowledge,” J0 said.

“It’s sick, and it’s evil. Who was trying to duplicate her?”

“Probably Junior.”

“Why isn’t she finished? All of the other Man-Delays are just hanging on the walls like marionettes. My poor little Bluebird is unfinished with only half a body. Cruel mother—”

“It’s not really her,” J0 said, grabbing my shoulder for comfort.

I collapsed into J1’s synthetic body.

“But it is. Look at her. She’s perfect from the top of her head to her waist. That’s my little girl!” I yelled, sobbing.

“No, it’s not. That is a copy. Like I am a copy of Julie. It isn’t your little girl. Your little girl is safe in heaven. This is just a pile of wires and metal. She’ll never know what it feels like to cry at the lions at the zoo or to cry when it’s time to take a nap, because she’s not your Bluebird.”

MEET THE AUTHOR

Brian Paone was born and raised in the Salem, Massachusetts area. An award winning author, his love of writing began through the medium of short stories at the young age of twelve. After almost 20 years of consistently writing short stories for only his friends and family to read, Brian’s first full-length novel, a personal memoir about his friendship with a rock-star drug addict entitled, “Dreams Are Unfinished Thoughts,” was published in 2007. Brian’s second novel, “Welcome to Parkview,” was published in 2010 and is a macabre journey through a cerebral-horror landscape. Brian’s latest novel, “Yours Truly, 2095,” was published in 2015 and follows a man who wakes up one morning, trapped in the future, to discover he’s been the victim of a time-travel conspiracy. Brian is married and has 3 children. Brian’s wife is an Officer in the US Navy. He is also a self-proclaimed roller coaster junkie, and his favorite color is burnt-orange.

WEBSITE: www.BrianPaone.com
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/BrianPaonesNovels

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