Title: The Last Step – The Trite World of Paul Undres – A Final Expose
Author: Al Lucas
Publisher: lulu.com
ISBN: 978-0359116829
Pages: 142
Genre: Literature & Fiction/Humor
Reviewed by: Tony Espinoza
Pacific Book Review
Fear is a powerful emotion that should never be taken lightly in this life. It is a constant battle we as a society have, to fight our fears and not give into them. Fear often tries to dictate how we live our lives and how we go about them. Fear of the unknown is especially prevalent in our society, and has led to many harmful moments in history as a result. As H.P. Lovecraft once said, “The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.”
In author Al Lucas’s The Last Step – The Trite World of Paul Undres – A Final Expose, the author takes readers on the final journey of Paul Undres, antihero of the author’s Steps Series. The final chapter sees Paul facing everything from his lack of interest in the jobs he is finding for himself, the journey to find and marry a woman of wealth, his sudden interest in learning computer coding, and his final mark on the world before he goes. It is a story of facing his own failed attempts at becoming something in life through the wrong acts, and finding his ultimate fate in the universe.
This Is a memorable final chapter in this series. The author really does a fantastic job of underlying the damaging effects of addiction on the mind and how it impacts personality through humor and wit in Paul’s actions. The themes explored in this narrative range from addiction and mental health to consequences to our actions and so much more. The heart of this narrative really hones in on Paul’s shortcomings not just in this narrative but in the series as a whole being related to a failure to put in the work wholeheartedly, whether it be in his recovery process or even finding the right work or even his romantic life.
This is the perfect read for those who enjoy character-driven, multi-book series that focus on emotional storytelling hidden underneath funny and witty dialogue and humor overall. As a fan of character-driven narratives, this book and the series overall really did a fantastic job of showcasing the antihero trope overall, giving readers a protagonist who they didn’t necessarily root for entirely, but instead felt the pitfalls of his decisions and the sadness of his life masked by humor.
A mesmerizing, iconic, and tantalizing finale of an incredibly powerful, character-driven narrative, author Al Lucas’s The Last Step – The Trite World of Paul Undres – A Final Expose is a must-read novel and the perfect end to this thought-provoking character series. The novel not only wraps up Paul’s story, but balances the author’s own musings and writings of his own life and the nature of reality as a whole, using Paul as a projection of any addict’s worst moments and constant fears. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy of this entire series today!
