Reviewed by: Nicole Skandalaris, writing student at Taylor University

Introduction

Title:  Two & A Half Minutes

Author: Don Miller

Publisher: Self Published by Don Miller

Publication Date: July 2015

Format: Paperback

Length: 226 Pages

OVERVIEW

It happens in an instant. Intoxicated and unhappy, Eve Kessler feels the weight of everything going wrong in her life as she drives home alone. Just as she makes the decision to end it all, she changes her mind and jerks her steering wheel away from danger, inadvertently causing her truck to roll.

Eve’s experiences (post-accident) have the potential to change her outlook forever. For two and half minutes in the emergency room her heart stops. What she experiences in that time is the backbone of this novel. The book is plot driven, meaning that the storyline is energetic, fast-paced, and intriguing. However, the author has spent so much creative effort on maintaining narrative momentum, he has failed to make the characters three-dimensional. They are not people, ultimately, whom the readers bond with or worry intently about. They each needed more backstory and personal motivation for their actions and beliefs. Often this is a weakness with self-published books that lack the guidance of seasoned book editors found at traditional publishing houses.

Stylistically, the book uses a great many flashbacks, which makes some scenes staccato and jerky rather than fluid and seamless. The dialogue often is stilted, although it never fails to move quickly, more like a movie script than a novel, which isn’t all bad.

ASSESSMENT

Rating (1 to 5)

3 out of 5 stars

Suggested Audience

Adults

Christian Impact

The book causes readers to think about the afterlife, as well as how daily lives can be either fruitful or wasted depending on an individual’s goals, outlook, and levels of confidence.

Nicole Skandalaris is a writing student at Taylor University. She is from Highland, Michigan.

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