Geminus

Geminus by Cory Swanson is a beautifully written novella that flows smoothly from beginning to end. The dialogue is rich and engaging, immediately capturing the attention of the reader and making it hard to put down. Although it is a very entertaining novel it also engages your mind in various ways. It truly makes you question what you believe about the past and future.

Each character is strong and dynamic and leave their own impression instead of blending into one another. Even characters that appear to not have a large role stick out after the novel is finished. The family that Cassie and Helen, our protagonists, force themselves upon become quick favorites. The supporting characters often make remarks that hint at a central message in the story. For example: “The folly of youth. Confident when you shouldn’t be, yet so skittish when you should really face something down,” is a quote stated by Thena in chapter three. It fits into the theme of never truly knowing what is going to happen; our destination is influenced by the steps we take. Even if we reach the same location, we have different experiences along the way.

In chapter thirteen Helen’s mother says, “silence can’t protect you from the truth” and this particular quote is extremely relevant in today’s world. Even as we try to hide ourselves from social media and the news, eventually information reaches us and makes our carefully crafted safe space crumble. It is also important to remember that all of our truths will find their way out into the open. We are not able to extinguish them or hide them and despite what we do we are human at our core with our unique faults and strengths.

The protagonists are representative of the past and future and as someone obsessed with theories about memory I loved them. Cassie forgets the past; her short-term memory doesn’t function correctly, but she is able to ‘remember the future’. It is as though she has seen it before, and she compares it to traveling down a highway; although there are many side roads they eventually lead to the same location. Quite a way to look at the future! It makes you question whether everything is really set in stone or if it is floating. What is the final destination? How many different experiences can we have before reaching it and how will these experiences influence the person that reaches that destination?

Cassie also works as a journalist. Although she knows about the future she tries to remain in the present. This in itself is a strong message to today’s society who seems to always be in a run to the next event or goal.

Helen, her twin sister, loves history and remembers everything, but is afraid of the future (especially if she doesn’t have her sister to tell her everything is going to be okay). The novella is told in 1st person through Helen’s eyes, but as Cassie’s twin she gives us a wonderful view of her perhaps psychic sister. Since the story is told with a focus on her, we are able to see some of the strange tendencies of Cassie. For example, preparing for a flood before it happens and packing a hospital bag before someone becomes ill.

Overall, this was a truly entertaining novel and Cory Swanson did a masterful job in creating characters that are believable and lovable. While reading the dialogue I could hear the characters discussing with each other. Each had their own voice and their own tendencies. It was thrilling to watch Helen grow from a weak individual that depended heavily on her sister to being someone that was able to stand on her own and experience life as it came to her, instead of knowing the events that were about to unfold.

Cory Swanson is currently working on the sequel to Geminus, this upcoming novel, which will hopefully be released in 2021, picks up a few years after the end of Geminus. Helen is researching her family history because her son, Paris, having the same capabilities as Cassie.

You can learn more about Cory Swanson’s past publications on his website, here.