"Goodbye For Now" by Laurie Frankel
Sam Elling works in the IT department of an internet dating company, but can't find a date for himself. So he creates an algorithm that will find a persons soul mate and it works when he meets the love of his life Meredith. It also gets him fired since it works so well and the company begins to lose customers.
Out of work, Sam spends his day doing not much of anything. But when Meredith's grandmother Livvie dies suddenly, he puts that time to use creating a computer program that allows Meredith to continue communicating with her grandmother. Using her computer history, Sam creates a computer simulation of Livvie that responds as though she were still alive.
Meredith loves it but others aren't so sure. Still, Sam and Meredith begin to consider just how this program can help others deal with their grief. With the assistance of Meredith's cousin Dashiell, they form a company called RePose. The company takes off with a steady stream of people wanting to come into say goodbye their loved ones. But unfortunately, there are also the people who can't let go.
As they deal with the success and difficulties of their company, Sam and Meredith's love for each other grows deeper and they find that they cannot live without each other. But what if one them has to?
Goodbye for Now, by Laurie Frankel, is a story of love and loss, a romance with an intriguing and original premise. It is a very emotional read that will have readers thinking deeply about life and death and how we mourn the loss of our loved ones.
Unfortunately, I just didn't click with this book. From the moment I read the premise I couldn't wait to read it. This is such a creative idea, new and fresh. But I just couldn't connect with the characters well enough to get past the fact that it was all a little too long for me. I felt that too much of the first part of the book was setting up the story. I found myself putting down the book for periods of time and coming back to read, only to put it down again. However, it did pick up for me in the final third of the book. I was able to make a final push to the end, but was still left feeling that it just wasn't enough. For me personally, if the book focused more on the company and the people using it, rather than all the set-up and background stuff, it would have worked.
There are a lot of people who read this book and felt much different than I did. Since enjoyment of books often comes down to personal taste, it would be a good idea to read their reviews before making a decision on this book from my review. Here are a few of the reviews:
I received a copy of this book courtesy of Random House of Canada. The opinions expressed above are purely my own.
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