What do you think?
Rate this book
The Bench
Upon receiving a strange invitation in the mail, Evan Reader is suddenly faced with a choice: either continue living his drab existence or risk the hope of change.
The invitation details an intricate process involving the memory chip imbedded in his arm. A process which would allow him to speak with his wife, Meredith, who died in a tsunami four years ago. Evan’s desire to see the childhood sweetheart he married overwhelms his doubts and he agrees to it. Where previously the pain and dread had stopped him from moving on from his grief, he’s now forced to face memories and emotions that he’s avoided since her death. He also rediscovers those other emotions – love and connection – both of which he refused to believe he was worthy to experience.
But when the digital representation of his wife begins to reveal memories that he doesn’t have, he suspects there may be a glitch in the program. He must then decide to either stop the process and return to his lonesome life or embrace the parts that help explain the feelings of emptiness. He decides to continue and his initial hesitation is cast aside when he realizes that his loneliness can only be solved by talking through the pain with his wife, reliving some of the most difficult parts of his life.
While Meredith begins to fill in the gaps of what he believed was infallible truth, their conversation reveals that not only are his memories incomplete, but that he’s missing the most important parts.
The invitation details an intricate process involving the memory chip imbedded in his arm. A process which would allow him to speak with his wife, Meredith, who died in a tsunami four years ago. Evan’s desire to see the childhood sweetheart he married overwhelms his doubts and he agrees to it. Where previously the pain and dread had stopped him from moving on from his grief, he’s now forced to face memories and emotions that he’s avoided since her death. He also rediscovers those other emotions – love and connection – both of which he refused to believe he was worthy to experience.
But when the digital representation of his wife begins to reveal memories that he doesn’t have, he suspects there may be a glitch in the program. He must then decide to either stop the process and return to his lonesome life or embrace the parts that help explain the feelings of emptiness. He decides to continue and his initial hesitation is cast aside when he realizes that his loneliness can only be solved by talking through the pain with his wife, reliving some of the most difficult parts of his life.
While Meredith begins to fill in the gaps of what he believed was infallible truth, their conversation reveals that not only are his memories incomplete, but that he’s missing the most important parts.
388 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 25, 2021
5 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 17, 2024
This book is fantastic!!!! So many surprises throughout and told so well. If you lost a loved one and got the opportunity to talk to a “virtual” them, would you want to? And what would you say? 10/10 recommend this one!
February 17, 2022
Such an amazing debut novel from Ty Carlson! This sci-fi romance is enthralling from first page to the last. Not only is the premise unique and thought provoking, but the characters are well developed and worth rooting for, because they could be any of us. Their relationship is grounded and relatable, and so… real. Throw in the circumstances and life events they experience and the story becomes both overwhelmingly tragic and inspired. I laughed and cried with the characters, at some points panicked and held my breath with chills head to toe. The ending left me devastated and needing to know more. While it is not without faults, The Bench is well worth your time. I look forward to future stories!
April 7, 2023
This was a book club read and while Sci-Fi may not be my normal genre, I enjoyed it! I was initially intrigued by the setting and circumstances of the story, which are reminiscent of Biblical end-time prophesy, and then drawn into the story of Evan and Meredith. I did not see the twist coming and actually had to go back and reread a couple of times as the story blended and shifted in such a seamless way. The authors writing style is a bit wordy in parts, but worked to create these effects. I’m interested to see what books come out next in this series!
January 27, 2022
“Love isn’t a feeling. That’s called infatuation. Love is what happens after the infatuation fades, when it becomes the choice you make every morning. Will I stay committed to this person, or will I choose to do what I want based solely on what’s best for me? Choosing to work with that person—whether you want to or not—that decision is what we call ‘love.’”
A treat.
Reading The Bench is a little like falling in love. You set upon the path, objectively recognizing that although this story is new, you can’t quite shake the feeling of familiarity as you fall deeper and deeper into the heart of it. You give yourself over to it completely.
By the time you realize what’s happening, it’s gone, and you’re crying. And it isn’t until you look back that you see the signs were there all along, but that doesn’t ease the emptiness that sits with you. I guess it’s a bit like grieving in that regard, too. You’re left to pick up the pieces, and you wonder, Well, what do I do now?
Ty’s writing is emotional and atmospheric while not being flowery. He writes real people with real vices (and real demons), and his characters feel like people you actually know in real life.
Being from Arkansas, I loved coming across the local Easter eggs. I also thought the themes presented were so tragic and poignant for the times. There’s a strong sense of lost time and of places long forgotten that are felt heavily throughout the book.
The Bench casts a light on the whole matter of ethics and technology’s place in society. Whether a line exists, and if so, where? This is why I enjoy good science fiction—you get to explore the implications of technology by being plopped into a story about everyday people.
The dark twist at the end is perfect, and I appreciated how the split structure of the book made total sense in the context of what was really happening. Fun seeing all those breadcrumbs pay off.
A talented writer and storyteller. I’ll be picking up whatever’s next in this anthology!
Why am I?
A treat.
Reading The Bench is a little like falling in love. You set upon the path, objectively recognizing that although this story is new, you can’t quite shake the feeling of familiarity as you fall deeper and deeper into the heart of it. You give yourself over to it completely.
By the time you realize what’s happening, it’s gone, and you’re crying. And it isn’t until you look back that you see the signs were there all along, but that doesn’t ease the emptiness that sits with you. I guess it’s a bit like grieving in that regard, too. You’re left to pick up the pieces, and you wonder, Well, what do I do now?
Ty’s writing is emotional and atmospheric while not being flowery. He writes real people with real vices (and real demons), and his characters feel like people you actually know in real life.
Being from Arkansas, I loved coming across the local Easter eggs. I also thought the themes presented were so tragic and poignant for the times. There’s a strong sense of lost time and of places long forgotten that are felt heavily throughout the book.
The Bench casts a light on the whole matter of ethics and technology’s place in society. Whether a line exists, and if so, where? This is why I enjoy good science fiction—you get to explore the implications of technology by being plopped into a story about everyday people.
The dark twist at the end is perfect, and I appreciated how the split structure of the book made total sense in the context of what was really happening. Fun seeing all those breadcrumbs pay off.
A talented writer and storyteller. I’ll be picking up whatever’s next in this anthology!
Why am I?
December 1, 2021
Stop what you're doing and go order this book. Seriously. This is Black Mirror meets romance (but not the Nicholas Sparks kind) meets Inception -- in all the best ways. When I tell you I could not put it down, what I really mean is I would have read it from cover to cover if I didn't have to do things like eat and take care of my responsibilities. There is intention behind every character and depth to every line of dialogue. Towards the end of the book, when you finally start putting the pieces together, it's like everything falls into place before breaking your heart. I fell so in love this the story that I ended up in tears when the fate of the main character is revealed. So excited that this book is part of a bigger universe because I can't wait to read more.
February 2, 2022
“I’m trying to understand how there could be a gap in my memory.”
It is very interesting approach to the past, should you holding to it or forget.
Should you leave the past where is belong , in the past.
History will repeat and you learn from that.
The book will keep you interested because is definitely different. I was expecting more futuristic storyline.
Very interesting if next book will have some connection to the ending.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
It is very interesting approach to the past, should you holding to it or forget.
Should you leave the past where is belong , in the past.
History will repeat and you learn from that.
The book will keep you interested because is definitely different. I was expecting more futuristic storyline.
Very interesting if next book will have some connection to the ending.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 3, 2024
I’m not going to lie, at first I felt like the book read with too much rambling and narrative, but I believed in it so I kept going and then it was amazing. A main focus of the story is a couple that experiences a tsunami and I am 100% positive that the author has experienced one himself because the descriptions were so intense and realistic. The way the story worked together, even the “extra” narrative was clarified and it all came together like a puzzle. An amazing book that I will love to recommend.
December 5, 2024
I'm allowed to leave my own reviews of my own books, right? First book I published, and as such, there are things I'd now change about how it's written. But I have to say, I still absolutely love this story. It's twisty, turny, and all about love, grief, and the nature of relationships. Plus it has a dark and twisty sci-fi bend to it. All in all, I give it 4/5 stars, and I think you all should read it, too.
September 24, 2024
Vivid characters, scenery, and unforeseen events kept me turning pages and eating chapters. So many what ifs to ponder. Appreciated the full circle ending. But now sad. On to another!
February 8, 2022
I found myself unable to put it down. I laughed, cried, and jumped out of my seat. I even threw my arms in the air more than once.
Science fiction meets romance (but not gushy).
The story is told mostly through flashbacks, recalling parts of the main characters’ lives.
I can’t wait for more.
Science fiction meets romance (but not gushy).
The story is told mostly through flashbacks, recalling parts of the main characters’ lives.
I can’t wait for more.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews