Anomalous Node

A Novelette

Fiction - Short Story/Novela
44 Pages
Reviewed on 12/31/2023
Buy on Amazon

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    Book Review

Reviewed by Miguel Angel Hernandez Jr. for Readers' Favorite

Anomalous Node is a unique story about a man named Thomas who isolates himself after the death of his wife, Sarah, five years earlier. Author Phillip Johnson tells the entire story from Thomas's point of view as he is trying to continue on, despite all the misfortune that comes his way. After Thomas gets an old computer screen, he encounters the unexplained. All his neighbors have skeletons in their closets, and for one odd reason or another, they feel the need to share their issues with Thomas. Through flashbacks and strange occurrences, we see Thomas's rise and fall. As a loner, he does not take care of himself, and it shows. Thomas is going through life, day by day, in sorrow.

Anomalous Node is a poignant tale about a man who has terrible luck. Phillip Johnson did an excellent job of developing Thomas's character, as well as Sarah's. It helps that Anomalous Node is short since the pace is leisurely. Thomas, his relationship with his wife, family, and neighbors, and his old computer monitor are the main themes of this story. The author uses foreshadowing well and highlights Thomas's flaws. I liked the unexpected twist at the end and the way the author didn't divulge everything right away heightened my reading experience. There isn't much action, apart from Thomas's flashbacks; however, I kept thinking about Anomalous Node long after I finished reading it. I enjoyed how the author gave backstories for the minor characters, too.