Brief Summary: Keith and Lindsey meet through a VHS tape. Or rather, Keith stumbles upon Lindsey’s home tapes she made in 1989 to find that she can talk with her through the tape! Too bad Keith is in 2019.
Review
Setting
The story of Keith and Lindsey takes place in two separate times: 1989 and 2019. It shows as Keith has struggles with his work and his loneliness when it’s his chapters. For Lindsey, it shows her struggling to find out what she wants to do and managing her relationship with her mother. There wasn’t too much focused on where they were physically. Reading about VHS tapes and those used for camcorders back in the 80’s and early 90’s did give me a bit of nostalgia. Since there were specific years used, I do wish there was more in the text that set those times distinct from one another.
Characters
I think many people can relate to the loneliness that Keith feels and the trying to find their way that Lindsey goes through. However, I related more to Lindsey and trying to find her own path and trying to avoid a life that doesn’t look all that appealing (like being an accountant. No shame to accountants out there!). Admittedly, Keith is a character I had trouble with connecting. As said, his loneliness is understandable and relatable but he seems to become obsessive with Lindsey very quickly. They talk through the VHS tapes, if I remember correctly, roughly 3 times before he’s suddenly not willing to go into work and hopping on planes.
Plot
The plot is a fairly straight forward. Keith gets a VHS and finds himself able to converse with the girl who is filming. She can’t see him but he can see her. They care for one another and, I would say, fall in love through this means of communication. Keith, then, tries to find her. For the most part, this is actually a steady paced plot. It felt a little slow in the first two chapters but I can see why the author decided to go in that direction. Really, the parts I felt rushed were the actual conversations between Keith and Lindsey plus their developing feelings for one another. It felt very insta-love to me. I do wish there were more scenes that show how they came to understand one another and connect.
Overall
I liked the premise. I do enjoy that we don’t get an explanation of how Keith and Lindsey talk through the VHS (there’s no reason why they’re able to, they just are able to). I do wish there was more meat to Keith and Lindsey’s interactions.
Michael K Hill Bio
Beginning as a sketch comedy writer for American television, Michael K. Hill progressed to become an internationally published writer of fiction and non-fiction. His short story anthology, Anansi and Beyond, published in 2017, and his debut novel, A Different Time, is available now. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, kids, and 7 rescued animals.
Website:
Amazon Link:
May you get lost in a book,
Chrissy