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Relife
Awakening in a hospital room following a near-fatal accident that robbed him of all memories of his past, Tom Maxwell realizes that something inside him is coming to life, and his flesh and blood are no longer human...
- GenresHorror
283 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 1, 1991
18 people want to read
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
July 21, 2024
A rather odd book by Barton, more of a mystery thriller than horror. Our protagonist awakes in a strange hospital room, with no memories of his life. When he can finally speak with a doctor, he tells Tom he had a car wreck and banged his head; must have got a touch of amnesia. His wife picks him up the next day, but still Tom has no memory of her or his life. Farting around his house, he discovers some clues about himself in his study (he is/was a lawyer); he learns more from his wife in dribs and drabs.
Basically, Tom had been in a loveless marriage, somehow estranged from his only son, and the more he finds out about himself, it seems he was pretty much an asshole. While this discovery process underway, Barton shifts narratives to Tom's son Scott. Scott lives in a shitty apartment building in Hollywood, making a living by dealing, or at least enough of a living to keep him riding the horse. We quickly learn his still loves his mother, but really, really hates Tom.
After consulting a 'shrink', one who he saw a few months back, Tom learns even more about what an asshole his was/is. He also learns that he does not have a head injury, but oddly enough, his blood is not really blood, but some sort of synthetic blood. WTF? Learning from old case files and discussing things with his wife, he calls up a private investigator he helped once keep out of jail (favored owed) and asks him to help discover his life and what indeed happened...
Overall, a decent read, albeit one with some pacing issues. Barton does drop some surprises on the reader that were fun at the end, but you still knew where this was going. 3 forgetful stars.
Basically, Tom had been in a loveless marriage, somehow estranged from his only son, and the more he finds out about himself, it seems he was pretty much an asshole. While this discovery process underway, Barton shifts narratives to Tom's son Scott. Scott lives in a shitty apartment building in Hollywood, making a living by dealing, or at least enough of a living to keep him riding the horse. We quickly learn his still loves his mother, but really, really hates Tom.
After consulting a 'shrink', one who he saw a few months back, Tom learns even more about what an asshole his was/is. He also learns that he does not have a head injury, but oddly enough, his blood is not really blood, but some sort of synthetic blood. WTF? Learning from old case files and discussing things with his wife, he calls up a private investigator he helped once keep out of jail (favored owed) and asks him to help discover his life and what indeed happened...
Overall, a decent read, albeit one with some pacing issues. Barton does drop some surprises on the reader that were fun at the end, but you still knew where this was going. 3 forgetful stars.
Displaying 1 of 1 review