Book Review: Asunder

Asunder

Steve Stranghoener

398 pages

$14.05

Available at All on the Same Page Bookstore, Amazon, Barnes and Noble

“Asunder: The Tale of the Renaissance Killer brings to mind what might happen if you folded The Silence of the Lambs into The Shack. It's a bizarre amalgam that is repugnant while uplifting; repulsive while instilling hope. What would you do if you died and woke up in a seeming paradise only to be confronted by pure evil the likes of Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin or Jeffrey Dahmer? Could this possibly be heaven or just the cruelest hoax of a vengeful God? That's exactly what happens to Twain Newman following a lifelong struggle against his own worst instincts after suffering the terrible tragedy of having his wife and son fall victim to the demented, demonic Renaissance Killer in the most gruesome fashion imaginable.”

Asunder begins a bit slowly, lots of thoughts and descriptions, but then it really picks up – you meet the killer, briefly, then again as the crimes escalate. When Twain’s family is killed, the grief and pathos of his situation become very, very real. And then the twist, as he reunites with the maniacal psychopath – in heaven, no less.

Very well written, Asunder gives the reader much perspective and promotes thoughtful analysis of the afterlife. Who would not wish to receive answers, unknown and unknowable while living on earth?