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Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite
Aaron made his money by hacking chunks of business away from larger sources and he multiplied its effects by using a good marketing combination to keep going. Aaron had a soft spot for a young man, Walker, which he attributed mainly to sharing a room and private moments with him. Aaron's business did do well earlier on, and before he knew it, he had a thriving business and settled into a routine life quickly. Then things took a bad turn. Aaron's business was just limping along and he just had enough to make ends meet. It was around this time Aaron met Walker and the story picks from there. Cessation by Michael DiBiasio-Ornelas captures how their hearts spoke to each other, and their human connection started growing. The aspects of life, fate, and tragedy, and how Walker gives Aaron a new perspective on life form the crux of the story.
Cessation by Michael DiBiasio-Ornelas is an engaging and compelling story that sheds light on the trappings of a successful business, a work relationship, the depths of a young man's pain, sadness, and signs of true illness, and Aaron's own approach to living. The characters in the story are well portrayed and they complement the main character Aaron beautifully. The relationship between April and Aaron has been handled well; it does not dominate the story yet at the same time runs subtly through the second half of the story. The portrayal of Walker's character is excellent; he stays memorable in readers' minds with his tragic details, his complicated relationship with Aaron, the sensitivity of his soul, his rebellious approach toward all power structures, and his desperate will to survive. The story flows smoothly and the author's writing skills are proof in dealing with the profundities of a young man's struggles to keep his business going and how he tackles his mentally ill employee along with the other employees who work for him. Michael DiBiasio-Ornelas has a good grip on the plot and Cessation progresses smoothly without sounding forced.
