Book Review: 7 by Casey L. Bond, Jo Michaels, Tia Silverthorne Bach, Kelly Risser, & N. L. Greene

Seven marks upon a wall.
Tom may rise, but he may fall.
Through five lives, no one dares mention,
of the sin for which he seeks redemption.
Fates will meet, and you will see,
what will thus become of he.

I don’t normally include book descriptions with my reviews, but I had to include this one because it’s absolutely brilliant. Five lives? Redemption? Fates? Can this book sound any more intriguing? But let’s be honest, sometimes a description hooks you and ends up being the best thing about the book. I promise you, that is not the case with this one.

7 is unlike any story I’ve ever read. In my opinion, it spans several different genres including historical fiction, contemporary fiction, romantic tragedy, drama, fantasy, and mystery. As the description reveals, the story focuses on one man’s multiple lives. (Yep, we’re talking reincarnation.) The first five parts cover five different lives, the first occurring in 64 AD and the last occurring in 1995. Each part is a unique story that could be removed from the novel and stand on it’s own.

At first, I didn’t know if I would be able to get into part one because books about Roman times are not usually my thing, but Bond (author of part one) hooked me with her style and storytelling ability. Here’s the note I made at the end of part one: “No! There has to be more!” When I swiped to turn the page, Tom’s next life as a knight during the late 1500’s was waiting to suck me in. Then he was a soldier, then a boxer, and finally a gangster living in a ghetto. I didn’t expect to enjoy each individual story to the same degree, but they were all SO good, and I hated to see each one end.

As I worked my way through each of Tom’s lives, my brain was flooded with questions. What are the similarities and differences from life to life? What would all of his experiences ultimately lead to? Was he making better choices from life to life? Why did he have to keep coming back? What was he supposed to fix? Would he need redemption for multiple things or for one big thing that would become clear at the very end?

When I got closer to the end and found out who Tom really is and what his ultimate sin was, I had to stop and ponder the the meaning behind this book. The creativity that went into weaving everything together just baffles me. I look forward to reading more from all five of these authors.

GOODREADS

AMAZON

Many thanks to the authors for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.