A review by orangerful
Being by Kevin Brooks

5.0

If you want to read a book that grabs you from page one, then check out 'Being' by Kevin Brooks.

Robert goes in to the hospital for a routine endoscopy but somehow wakes up during the surgery to hear the confused mutterings of the doctors in the room. Something is very wrong.

I don't to give too much away other than that there is a sci-fi element to this tale. But like all good science fiction, the story centers around characters and emotions and conflicts that those of us living in the "normal" world deal with every day. Kevin Brooks' descriptions of Robert's inner most thoughts and his observations on the outside world are detailed but not overdone.

The title itself has so many different meanings in the context of this book: Being - what is he?
Being - who is he?
Being - what does it mean to exist? To be human? To be a person?

While it does leave some unanswered questions on the last page, I can't think of any other way to end it that would satisfy the majority of readers. If anything, it will have you seeking out other readers of the book so you can discuss your theories about what really happened.

Originally posted on orangerful.vox.com