How to explain in words what we (me and my wife) have just read? It's simple incredible, from start to end.
Where to start? What to say? We are simply at loss of words and I cannot believe you ended the novel at that point.
I honestly was hoping you would show, you know, the END? But thinking about it, I think the ending fits perfectly the novel, although we both were like: "WHAT? IT'S OVER? NOOOOO it can't end like this!" XD. On one hand, I'm curious to know what would have happened at the END, but on the other hand, I simply wouldn't want to see the characters (who i loved them so much, ALL OF THEM WERE SO PRECIOUS AND SO REAL) at that point. I would like to remember them as I've see them in the memories recorded.
Honestly, I have so many favorite parts:
The part when we see Michael saying he got a job as a firefigther, and then years later, the same scene but with him already adult and with a kid. That scene was just beautifully made. We love Zeke is so cute as a kid and seeing him later so grown up is just, so precious!!!
The scene at the hospital were Ashley breaks down because they (she and Jamie) have grown up together, so it makes sense that it scared her more, specially bc she said that Jamie already had a bad condition. And how the one recording (we think it's a little robot with artificial intelligence) thinks about the scenes its watching, and the contrast between what we are seeing and what it's thinking.
About the little robot: Who send it? The aliens who put the WORLD SPINE? Or a group of humans, who may or not may have put the WORLD SPINE, who wanted to record the lasting years before the end? Or maybe the aliens who simply wanted to record what humanity did on their lasting years? It honestly makes you think on that kind of perspective: If everything is going to end any time soon, is it worth doing or worrying about anything? Our answer is yes. Definitely yes, with that kind of thinking, then that's just basically not living at all. That wouldn't be a life. Nothing changes. Nothing moves on. You don't worry about anything. But you also don't enjoy anything. And that's not living a life.
The scene of Michael saying that he heard about the rumors of the WORLD SPINE and the end of the world since he was a kid but he didn't worry bc it wouldn't happen when he was still there, but then he has a son and suddenly everything changes and that scene was SO TRUE, IT'S SO TRUE, SO DAMN powerful.
Erinys, at the first scene: that scene is just incredible, it gives you a powerful impact from the beginning! And that impact follows the rest of the story, maybe that's why it's simply incredible from start to end. And I'm glad we get to see her at the end. We were actually surprised that she actually dropped out college. the things the AI says to her really made an impact on her! And I agree with her at some point, if she hadn't been so disruptive then they wouldn't have paid attention in the first place!! And honestly? When I see her saying that they still have ten years to go by, honestly? it made me have hope. hope that maybe, just maybe, the end wouldn't happen that sooner. It'll happen, yes, but maybe not that sooner?
The music is perfect and together with the writing, it created an ambient that fits completely with the story. What I'm trying to say is that the game made us feel as if we were right there, we were immersed in the story. Really, thank you! Thank you SO MUCH for this story!!! Really thank you!!!
