Assessment:

Plot/Idea: Time Passed tells the stories of three individuals who experienced unimaginable suffering while serving during the Vietnam War. Alternating between descriptions of their torment and perseverance while being held captive, and their lives in 2010, the novel movingly explores the lasting psychological, physical, and mental toll on survivors of war.

Prose: The author writes in clear, even, and candid prose, never shying from descriptions of violence and pain. Some moments of heavy-handed exposition diffuse some of the more subtle storytelling.

Originality: Time Passed takes a somewhat novel approach to the storytelling by focusing on three different individuals and their experiences during and in the aftermath of war. The integration of an uncanny event later in the novel adds an additional layer of substance and intrigue.

Character/Execution: While readers will feel deeply for Daniel Gardner, Phillip Russ, and Benjamin Simms, the chapters devoted to each man aren't always distinguishable. Their challenges with opening up emotionally to their families and partners, while potent, can become somewhat repetitive.

Date Submitted: July 29, 2023