The Five Times I Met Myself

August 24, 2015
From the outside, Brock Matthews appears to be a paragon of hard work and virtue: devout Christian, doting husband, attentive father, part owner of a fifty-million-dollar Seattle-based coffee company. But with his marriage slowly cracking under the surface, and his business becoming a draining tussle with his capitalist younger brother, Brock realizes something has been missing from his serene life. After a series of guilt-inducing dreams about his late father, Brock borrows a book on lucid dreaming and begins to learn how to control his dreams—going back in time to talk to his wife, father, and a younger version of himself. As he gets better at affecting his dreams, the dreams begin to affect his real life. Although the people Brock meets in his sleep appear to be dream versions of their younger selves, they also have the power to take his advice and turn the course of their future. Plot tensions are sometimes too convenient, and Brock’s unimpeachable fidelity and overall naivety rings false at times—especially set against his hard-nosed brother and ruthless business adversaries. Despite the often clunky plotting, Rubart infuses raw passion into his characters’ struggles with faith, loss, regret, and missed opportunities. A fine plunge into the psychological depths of married middle-age life.

September 1, 2015
A man meets his younger self in his dreams and tries to change the past in this novel from Rubart (Spirit Bridge, 2014, etc.). Brock Matthews feels like his life is falling apart. After devoting himself to his family coffee business, Black Fedora, he's dismayed when his brother tells him the company is in trouble. Brock has managed to neglect his wife and son while focusing on the company, and the distance between them is growing wider and wider. When he begins having cryptic dreams about his late father, his friend Morgan suggests he try lucid dreaming, a technique that allows him to control his dreams. As he sleeps, Brock meets up with his younger self and imparts advice about love, work, and family. He discovers that the conversations he has are actually changing his present-day life-and not necessarily for the better. Even when he tries to improve his relationship with his wife or gain business knowledge, the results get worse and worse. The book feels slow-paced at times, and the structure of Brock's dreams gets a bit repetitive. However, the clear message about loving others, relying on God, and focusing on your family leads up to an emotional conclusion. A spiritual and family-centered book that will appeal to readers of inspirational fiction.

COPYRIGHT(2015) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.