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REVIEWS

“Diane Eklund-Abolins's new book, Room Nineteen, is one that raises many questions and poses a few theories about time, eternity, and that feeling of 'deja vu' we sometimes get when meeting a stranger that seems more like a soulmate. How many times have you met someone, and even though you haven't met them before that you are aware of, they seem perfectly familiar to you, and within a few minutes they are almost like an old friend. Such is only one of the themes Mrs. Abolins explores in this deeply philosophical, but ultimately readable book.

Tilda, one of three main characters, suddenly finds herself standing in a line at a reception hall with many other people. She has no recollection of how she got there, what she is supposed to be doing there, and doesn't remember even what previously happened in her life. All she knows is that she must follow orders that make no sense, and continually walk through a maze of never–ending corridors to rooms where she experiences different things. Why? She doesn't know. No one knows. When she meets Oswald, a mathematician, who tells her that he is trying to figure the way out, he gives her hope that she is not eternally doomed to walk windowless halls and become a sheep to the rigidly structured rules.

The first thing I noticed about the book is that Mrs. Abolins calls the chapters 'fragments'. That is very fitting. The reader is kept off-balance and in the dark about the characters' situation as the characters themselves. As they go to different rooms (none in sequential order), there is no predicting what they will find. They change ages. They see people long dead. Is it scenes from their past? Their future? Or is it just all some strange other dimension?

Pieces of the puzzle are slowly revealed, and it is clear the main characters have a connection in their lives. Are they alive, dead? Are they in purgatory? What is the nature of time? In the end, there are no definitive answers to that question. We don't really find out why they are where they are, how they got there, who put them there. But isn't that the same with our own lives? Are we free, or are we being guided by some cosmic force with plans of its own, a God or some other being? Eklund–Abolins has obviously put a lot of thought into those very difficult questions, and let's be honest, unanswerable ones (at least not on this side of life). But she does take these themes and crafts them into an interesting, character driven novel that will make you think.

Room Nineteen reminded me of a cross between No Exit by Jean–Paul Sartre and the new age phenomenon The Secret. Whether or not one's beliefs coincide with the author's, the final result is that you will have a lot of fun trying to find out what exactly the characters are going through and looking at your own philosophy about eternity, time, your past, your present, and future.” Heath Jacks, USA

“...Nu har jag äntligen läst din book Room Nineteen. Och kunde nästan inte lägga den ifrån mig! Boken är så bra! Försökte redan från början att lista ut hur du tänkte när du skrev den. Tankarna snurrad än hit, än dit. Nya teorier formades i bakgrunden. Hela tiden hängde frågan 'Hur kommer detta att sluta? Hur kommer Diane att knyta ihop alla trådar? Kan jag hitta svaret innan boken är slutläst?' När jag slutligen la ifrån mig boken kändes förklaringen så - självklar! Jo, men visst! Allt blev solklart!

Boken är helt fantastisk. Man kliver in i en ny värld, ett nytt tänkade. Ett nytt varande! Det är otroligt mycket att knyta samman och på så många nivåer. Det är nivåer som jag inte tänker på i vardagslag... den medvetna vardagen, kanske jag ska säga. Ändå så känner man likhet med personen i det olika situationerna som utspelas i boken. Ibland rent fysiskt, ibland i det inre. Jag kände mig som om att jag hela tiden gick bredvid. Men samtidigt också 'tittade på'... lite dröm likt. Man blir ledd på vägen. Och man gör som man blir ombedd...

Du har verkligen gjort ett bra jobb med att utveckla och bygga på händelserna och tankar, bit för bit, som slutligen kändes så självklara och enkla. Du ledsagar en väl! Det var bara det att man själv inte har analyserat ens varande på detta sätt tidigare. Tempot i boken var konstant. (Ibland kan böcker vara lite svajande i mitten, eller finalen lite abrupt eller svag.) Som jag sa tidigare, jag kunde nästan inte lägga ifrån mig boken. Boken var också lagom lång. Från 'Fragment One' till sidan 291 fans mitt intresse fångad.

Mina gratulationer till en välskriven, bra bok!” Elisabeth

“... I liked the book. It took me a while to get into it because I wasn't sure what was happening at first. It was interesting to look at time in such a way and I've begun to think more about what the past and the future really mean. It's not like books I usually read but I'm glad I read it and I've handed it onto my best friend. I think we'll have lots to talk about after she's read it.” Shannon

“... I found your book mesmerizing and suspenseful... couldn't wait to find out what would happen next. It certainly was a psychological thriller and your characters crafted beautifully. I liked the way you intertwined their histories with their present and with each other, and the surprises that led the reader into the next 'fragment'. Your powers of description made the whole story come to life – you are truly gifted at that.

It gave me a bit to think about and affirmed conclusions for me about acceptance and going with the flow. The parallel universe is an absolute mystery to me.

A real page turner...” Jane

“A profound and deeply moving statement, in surreal storybook form, for all those who live in the demanding conformity and ideology of society.

It is a book for everyone: a reminder for those of us who have gone through Tilda's wall... and an inspiration for those who haven't.

In this brilliantly crafted and imaginative work, Diane Eklund–Abolins tells the story of a number of individuals imprisoned in society's maze; and how some of them, by their own volition, escape.

I would rate this book to become a classic in literature: as a positive against Aldous Huxley' Brave New World.” Keith Lincoln Cook.

“I found the book most interesting and exciting, especially as it questions what time actually is. The book is not locked into any particular time or space, and what happens could be now, in the past, in the future or even in a parallel universe. Perhaps this is how things really are: we live simultaneously in different times and dimensions. This book gives us a glimpse of what quantum mechanics is all about.” Andris

“... (I loved) your imagination, your use of exquisite imagery and your ability to create suspense as you 'paint with words'. My stomach still churns when I read Fragment Two and I have had to replace my camomile tea... ” Ruth Coutts

“I read the book Room Nineteen after the recent loss of my husband. I was unable to put it down as I felt I could identify with many of the emotions expressed. It seems that places, people and events throughout our lives keep flashing back and, in doing so, mould us into the person we become. I felt I got a lot out of reading the book: the ability to move on with more confidence in knowing that I am in charge of my destiny from here on in, and it is really up to me to make my life 'the best one possible'.” Judith Mackay

“... You've certainly left me thinking, which is a good thing. A book that doesn't require any mental activity on the part of the reader isn't worth reading... ” Elanor

“Room Nineteen by Diane Eklund–Abolins is an unusual exploration of time and consciousness, set inside a fluid labyrinth of rooms and corridors.

The main characters Oswald, Tilda and Milton are all Australian. Trapped in the surreal labyrinth and trying to make sense of it, they remember defining moments in their lives and it is these vignettes that I particularly enjoyed in the book. Tilda's childhood was full of mystery and violence, but she is a survivor. Milton, on the other hand, is undisciplined and his anger issues have seen him frequently incarcerated in prison. Oswald (a mathematician) lost his wife in tragic circumstances.

I imagine each reader will take something different from this story. Some may focus on the concepts of past, present, future and the relationship of each to the other. Others (like myself) may prefer the 'real' experiences of these characters outside the rooms and corridors. I recommend Room Nineteen as an engaging and easy to read novel.” Susan Hollingworth, author of A Life Fractured