“Art does not need suffering, just a medium.” – Hoam Rowe
Written by a current Marquette student who self-published this year under the nom de plume Hoam Rowe, “Life Begins” is a 183-page collage of seemingly unrelated people and events that all tie together in one novel.

The dialogue, poignant and glib, well suits the often bizarre and fantastical circumstances of the characters throughout the book. It is not until the book’s conclusion that the reader receives an explanation for the strange series of events. A technology-driven adventure, “Life Beings” intertwines past and present events but is mostly set in the “near future.”

Ulysses, the high-school-aged son of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, is everything one would expect a spoiled “rich kid” of the stars to be and is exceptionally smart. At an advanced high school, he meets his closest confidant and friend, Thomas. The odd connection between the two boys highlights their differences as well as their similarities. In addition, the story involves a child prodigy named Hannah who is the delight and sometimes dismay of her professionally evangelical parents. The reader sees her understanding and education grow beyond her parents and others until she takes an unexpected path to self-discovery which leads her to the other characters. Not lacking in fascinating characters, the book introduces us to Mr. Noh, who is inexplicably rich and eccentric with no immediate relation to those people whose lives he incorporates himself into, including all the main characters. Among the most unique people whose life he interferes with is LeRoy Jones, a hit man with an eerie past and stranger future.

The author takes great artistic license with huge leaps in logic and plot line symmetry. The large, obvious holes in the story grow smaller as the book unfolds, but they do not disappear completely. “Life Begins” still maintains a level of equilibrium at the end in a very Matrix-esque way, making it an enjoyable yet surreal read. This is a great book for college students who need a break from textbooks, even if only for a few minutes. “Life Begins” is easy enough to follow and great for on-again off-again reading. You won’t find it in book stores yet. Go to shadyhousepub.com for an online copy.

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