vViIrRuUsS: I Never Forget, by Jazalyn
Review by Joe Haward February 2023
Independently published
4/5
The global pandemic has changed the world irrevocably, reminding us, in a variety of ways, of all that we have lost, and, paradoxically, all that we might gain. We had an inkling, before, through insatiable consumerism, that relationships were disposable; then the pandemic highlighted, in stark and painful ways, how ‘every person for themselves’ drives much of human behavior. Yet we also became more aware, seeing the world for what it is, rather than the illusions constructed through ignorance or fear. As such, change can be possible.
vViIrRuUsS: I Never Forget, by Jazalyn, reads like a journey of awareness, and possible change, in light of a virus that has swept across the world. In the introduction we are told,
“A virus invades the lives of all humanity and causes a madness pandemic from the reminder of the past, and the exposure of thoughts threatening to change everything, but then another virus attempts to erase the memories and recover the future, while a third virus scopes to save the new generations.”
A dystopian, apocalyptic, science fantasy, mystery of crime fiction, based on a virus, might feel far too myopic, and uncomfortable because of real world events, yet Jazalyn offers the reader something unique into the overcrowded space.
vViIrRuUsS: I Never Forget is told through the medium of poetry, each chapter a poem that unveils the story, and develops the plot.
Virus 0.1 is unleashed,
“Out of a matrix
Of holy woods
virus 0.1 popped out
And brought confusion
But revealed truths
For crimes
Unseen and undone”
From here Jazalyn proceeds to tell the story through an unnamed protagonist, each rhythm and beat within the poetry, light and dark in the apocalyptic world that we journey through.
It is clever. Using “abstraction and absurdness,” Jazalyn compels the reader to interpret the story through their own lens of experience and understanding, whilst also adding plot, mystery, and suspense through her own storytelling. Surrealism and magic realism lead the reader off into philosophical streams flowing with intellectual and emotional meaning. There are mysteries to be worked out, puzzles to solve, all within the singular question of what it means to be human.
Jazalyn uses poetry to make vViIrRuUsS: I Never Forget a compelling story, one that, whilst dystopian and science fantasy, speaks profoundly deep truths into our own experiences, and the very future of our earth. In the chapter entitled “Fever,” humanity is told that,
“This fever
Is threatening the world
And there is not a single savior;
Everyone must work
Towards cure’s direction”
In a real world where it has been ‘everyone for themselves,’ vViIrRuUsS: I Never Forget reminds us how that attitude is a certain type of hell that will never work for our mutual flourishing. In this way, Jazalyn is not simply a poet and a storyteller, but an advocate for awareness, challenging us towards a more hopeful future.
You can follow her on Twitter here or visit her website here.