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A Review: Paralells by James Kinsley

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Parallels is an interesting and enjoyable read. It kept me guessing about what was actually going on the whole time. A sense of  something more I am missing always keeps me engaged, and I wasn’t expecting the twist until it came, or the final twist in the last sentence.

As a software engineer who is awkward around people, I could immediately relate to Jeff, and this drew me right in. Conversely I couldn’t really understand Jezz volunteering to go to war and sticking it out. I think these two extremes made it a much better story, for me, than it would have been otherwise.

However, I could have done without the constant smoking by the characters, I don’t really see what this brings. James needs to work on his sex scenes, especially the language used. I would have liked to know more about why the platinum blonde was trying to get through to Jeff - maybe I missed it. There were still a handful of unanswered questions, reasons and background by the end; I would have liked to see these explained.

At a couple of hundred pages, this is an easy read and I would recommend it. I’m already looking forward to James’ next book - no pressure James - and hopefully it will have more depth and breadth and less smoking!

ISBN-13: 978-1917090070

Comments

  1. James Kinsley10 June 2025 at 07:55

    Thanks, Paul!
    The ending has proved contentious, so I'm glad it worked for you, to a degree.
    I get it about the smoking. I tried to keep it mainly on the Jezz side, to show up a distinction between the two (as with the coarse language). I also hear what you're saying about the sex (can't see myself trying that again).
    I've no plans at the moment for a sequel, though I do have some ideas as to where it might go, which would clear up some of the questions...
    But again, thank you , and for being honest. I like to hear what doesn't work for people, so I can improve!

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