Shaiann Robinson

Book Review

The Postmortal starts off by explaining that a collection of material was found in rubble after the Great Correction took place. The material that was found were just pages written by lawyer, John Ferrell. The pages consisted of what life was like during 2029 to 2079. To get further into The Postmortal, the story focuses on a man by the name of John Ferrell who before it was legal went and got a cure that made his body freeze from aging. This cure did not stop him from dying, he just wouldn’t die of old age.
The cure was created by Graham Otto. Because the cure had not fully been tested and Otto found out it had been offered to the black market he immediately back the presidents ban on this cure. Well doing that made it more popular to have and many people found a way to get it done. John Ferrell was referred to this Dr. who goes by Dr. X. John went to meet him and receive the cure. Once he reached the apartment the Dr. explained exactly how the cure worked and what do expect when receiving it. After hearing it all John made the decision to get the cure and two weeks later he fully had the cure. John was reluctant to tell anyone but his roommate Katy always has a way to get stuff out of him. Him and Katy were roommates and great friends, so he shared with her that he got the cure for $7000. After he explained all that he knows about the cure, Katy decided that she wanted the cure. John took her to get the cure once arriving there he got distracted by a woman with blonde hair and told Katy he would meet her after. Katy was on her way up to the Dr. but the building blew up and she died. The building had been targeted by terrorist who opposed the cure. John then decided to tell his dad and sister that he received the cure and neither of them were too thrilled by it. As the story goes on John is told by his boss that he needed to re-specialize in divorce law because people were living a lot longer, so they came up with cycle marriages. In the midst of the book John was involved with a women name Sonia they dated for a while and she became pregnant. After finding out John wasn’t ready to marry her she left him and the two agreed to raise the child separate. After that John runs into Allison, a girl he went to school with, they were together for a little bit but unfortunately she was hit by a care and died instantly. It is also learned that the blonde women from earlier was spotted at other buildings that had been targeted. Which leads to John really wanting to find her. As the story goes on the president lifts the ban the cure and everybody was going out and getting it. Lifting the ban lead to major problems. Shortage of living space, food began to be more expensive and those that had the cure were not eligible for social security or health benefits. Other countries then started to conserve their resources. Russia had become more aggressive and China made everyone get their birthdays branded onto their arms. Later, Sonia we learned has remarried and gives birth to her and Johns son David. At first John was there to take care of him but decided he was ready to see the world so for many, many years he never had face to face contact with his son. John reconnected with his son again and found out David is a part of Church oh Man group and that he is well respected. Further in the book we find out that David, his mother, and stepfather later die after getting bombed in a church. We learn that Johns father took the cure but only a few months later he got cancer and died. Johns sister Polly, got the cure and has a bunch of kids and has been married numerous times and regrets the cure. Meanwhile there were shortages of water, gas, and food in many of the countries, Homelessness was increasing. Coming back John decided he didn’t want to be a lawyer, so a friend presented a job called an end specialist. This job meant people who had taken the cure and no longer wanted to live and could literally purchase their death. It wasn’t an ideal job but after a while John was okay and viewed as a way to help people. John was promoted to the same rank as Ernie, which allows him to end someone’s life. He then later could no longer do his job after he found out his special extended to elderly. After years had gone by john finally spotted the woman with the blonde hair again and found that she was the lookout for those targeted buildings because she was afraid for her life, her name was Solara Beck. John had fell for her and the two moved in together and then eventually moved and left town. John confessed his feelings for her and wanted to marry her cure or no cure and with her being pregnant. In the world, the world was going down. China was nuking its people just to stop overcrowding. Diseases arose, and Some new medical called the Skeleton Key which people went out and got even though it still needs work. As John and Solara were trying to get out they were about to be attacked by soldiers until a nuke went off. Some time goes by and john and Solara are taking cover and seek help from the Church of Man. Because John’s son David was well respected there, the pastor took John and Solara in. Unfortunately, on their way John was stabbed and Solara was shot. They both still managed to make it to the place they were supposed to go. Once making it inside a doctor came to assist with them but before that happened John had the reverend marry him and Solara. The doctor then took her away and helped her, while there was no hope for John because of his crimes against humanity. He didn’t care as long as Solara and her child would be okay. John laid there with one shot of SoFlo ready for himself and realized his immortality was over.
Human service related issues would have to be that there was homeless people, there was starvation from the lack of food, there was poverty, there was no longer benefits for people to obtain, there was no public safety. Throughout the book the Church of Men were helping people except when it came time to help John at the end. They didn’t help him because they felt he didn’t deserve the help. John was not affect much by the homelessness or any of that. In some not ideal way John helped people. He helped by even though it was essentially killing people, but It’s what they wanted and he helped them get that.
I think if I were to be introduce in the story, I think I would enter right after his son was born. Once John started deciding he wanted to see the world I would remind him that he had a child and that was more important. That missing out on your child grow up and knowing you is not worth it. Having the cure give him more time to live so why not enjoy your child and then go on to what it is you want. I would tell him to speak to professional help just to have an unbiased person. I think with all that has happened I think if he stayed with his family. I think his life would have been a lot different had it worked out that way. I don’t think he would have ended up being an end specialist. I think he would have had a different view on life had it spent it with his child.