Book Review - The Reincarnationist

The Reincarnationist by M.J. Rose, is a suspense novel with an intriguing premise. Josh Ryder is a photojournalist on assignment in Rome when he sustains an injury with startling side effects: the unbidden ability to remember distant past lives. Unable to shake these lifelike treks down generations past, Josh enlists the help of a foundation compiling scientific data on past life experiences. Through this foundation, Josh finds himself at an archeological dig in Rome, face to face with his most prevalent incarnation.

The plot and premise of this novel are extremely compelling. Throughout the read, I found myself putting together pieces of the puzzle and thoroughly engrossed in the historical meanderings of our setting. However, and this is a personal preference, the writing style itself left me a bit outside of the story. There were large portions that wound in prose and were overly descriptive without giving me a good sense of the characters. Had I not been reading this for review, I might well have put it down without finishing.

The plot was very intricate, so much of the descriptive passages were necessary in order for the reader to understand the motion. It’s my preference, though, that suspense pulls you further into the character rather than the scenery. If you are both a fan of literary fiction with very vivid setting and thought provoking suspense, this would be right up your alley. As I said, my faults with the book aren’t the result of the writer doing anything wrong; her voice is exceptionally good – just not to my taste in suspense.