The Reincarnationist

by M.J. Rose
The Reincarnationist  
published September 1st 2007 by Mira
binding Hardcover
isbn 0778324206   (isbn13: 9780778324201)
pages 336
description M. J. Rose offers a spellbinding, psychologically riveting epic thriller of secrets, history, and murder that will challenge the way we think about wh...more
date added
04-20-07



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Scott
Scott rated it: 1 of 5 stars1 of 5 stars1 of 5 stars1 of 5 stars1 of 5 stars
04/22/08

Read in April, 2008
recommends it for: no one
i would give this book less than one star if it would let me. It started out with such promise, but ended up making me promise to never read another of this author's books. The plot begins, albeit in an disjointed way, in two timelines, with the main character experiencing past-life regressions after a jarring accident. What follows is an attempt to cash in on the style of writers, the like of Dan Brown and Steve Berry. Unfortunately, this offer has neither the gripping plot, nor the follow-...more
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Sheila
Sheila rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
08/27/07

Read in August, 2007
After a near death experience, Josh Ryder begins having flashes where he seems to be remembering being a pagan priest in ancient Rome, trying to save the woman he loves and the sacred treasures that they both revere from the onslaught of Christianity. Seeking answers brings Josh to the Phoenix Foundation, a group that helps children who experience past life memories. The Phoenix Foundation doesn't work with adults, but Josh takes a job with them in exchange for the opportunity to learn more abou...more
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Tracy
Tracy rated it: 2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars
03/14/08

bookshelves: fluff
Read in March, 2008
This book had so much potential. It could have been written to provide more tension, more mystery, more meat. Reincarnated persons crossing and re-crossing each others' paths could be so much more interesting and rewarding.

While it kept my interest enough for me to finish it, I'm disappointed (that I finished it). I literally didn't realize that the book was over until I turned the page and found the Author's Note. What?

Yes, it had a very UN-satisfying ending.

I will admi...more
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Trashionista
Trashionista rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
01/08/08

bookshelves: reviewed
Read in January, 2008
The Reincarnationist is about the tenth book by M. J. Rose and is a thriller set in the present and the past thanks to numerous past life flash backs.

After nearly dying in a terrorist bomb, Josh Ryder is haunted by memories of a past life in Rome. The medical profession cannot explain or solve his new memories and flashbacks and so he turns to the Phoenix Foundation who specialise in past life regression.

A trail of present-day murders seem to link up to his past life memories of being a paga...more
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Lisa
Lisa rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
09/14/07

Read in September, 2007
recommends it for: fans of historical thrillers
A thriller along the same lines as the likes of Angels & Demons (except better written), this is definitely worth your time.

Following an accident in Rome, photographer Josh Ryder begins to experience what he considers to be hallucinations of two separate lives in previous eras. After psychologists and doctors fail to diagnose his problem, he begins work with the Phoenix Foundation - a foundation specializing in aiding children with exactly these types of episodes, considering them to be...more
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Chellie
Chellie rated it: 2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars
04/25/08

bookshelves: mystery
Read in April, 2008
This was a book club book so most of my opinions are now influenced by the group, but that's ok. It's a very easy 400 pg read, i'll give her that. But the author has problems keeping the multiple story lines equal. The hopping around from timeline to timeline feels more disjointed for disjointedness sake than necessary for the plot. Some characters seeming importance is never revealed. The ending, while a decent twist, feels abrupt and somewhat of a left down. We all left feeling "tha...more
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Emily
Emily rated it: 2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars
10/13/07

bookshelves: booksofthepast
recommends it for: people who can appreciate a book for the bones of the story
It's Rome, it's religion and art oriented- how could I ignore this book in all its hardback glory? Okay, in view of the little time I have, I probably should have ignored it, because there wasn't much glory to it. The writing was mediocre, the characters weren't compelling, and the research could have been much more thorough. The "bad guy" was rather obvious, despite rather lurching plot shifts. The dialogue in particular was terrible.

Despite all this, I continued the book becaus...more
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Evelyn
Evelyn rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
11/29/07

bookshelves: highly-recommended
Read in January, 2007
recommends it for: stefanie
After a near-fatal accident, photojournalist Josh Ryder is haunted by dreams of past lives. While trying to find some stolen gemstones believed to be powerful pagan memory stones for the Phoenix Foundation, Josh realizes that his past lives are trying to send him a message to save his own present-day life and that of the future world.

Wow! Very original! This fast-paced, thought-provoking, intricate page-turner will stay with the reader long after the last page has been read. The ending is ...more
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Melissa
Melissa rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
12/31/07

Read in December, 2007
recommends it for: adults who like Da Vinci Code, Historian, adventures
A fast paced read along the lines of the Da Vinci Code. After a blast almost kills him, Josh Ryder begins to have visions of a pre-Christian Rome with he himself a priest named Julius. Trying to understand this past life he sets out to find the memory stones, stones that are supposed to tell you of your past lives in order to help you learn from them. Traveling to Rome to an archealogical dig his flashbacks get stronger and stronger as do the threats to his life and those surrounding him. Se...more
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Malcolm
Malcolm rated it: 2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars
05/12/08

Read in May, 2008
This novel has a compelling story, but the writing is choppy, there are too many extraneous characters and the ending is very disappointing. After a life-threatening event in the opening pages, the protagonist begins experiencing "lurches" back to a previous life. That life is tangled with a present-day mystery in which lives are in danger. Unfortunately, the author chooses to end the story right in the middle of the climatic moment leaving the characters and the readers standing their...more
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Julia
Julia rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
03/06/08

Read in March, 2008
recommended to Julia by: Julie
Josh Ryder, a photojournalist, is injured in a bombing attack in Rome. After the incident, he begins to have flashbacks into another life, hundreds of years ago, belonging to a priest named Julius. Josh winds up back in Italy and while visiting an archealogical dig, becomes involved in a modern day murder investigation. The dig has unearthed what could be the container of some Memory Stones, which somehow hold real proof of reincarnation. Josh's lurches into the past help solve the modern da...more
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Don
Don rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
02/07/08

Read in February, 2008
A pretty good read until the end. A young man is tormented by visions of what seems to be a previous life. When he's drawn to an dig in Rome that turns out to be a tomb of a Vestal virgin, there is more to the story. It's a good thriller, blending the present time frame with multiple lives in the past in a way that allows us to feel what the character must be feeling, as it's sometimes quite slippery and confusing. The ending, though, is disappointing, as it just kind of ends without any good re...more
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Margie
Margie rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
11/17/07

Read in November, 2007
I thoroughly enjoyed this self-labeled "Novel of Suspense". The premise is interesting and the writing skilled. The author twines together a variety of overlapping characters and stories, and yet manages to create a smoothly woven whole that kept me guessing to the very end. Not every question will be answered, not every fate discovered; but that's the reality of life, isn't it? At least we are given enough to find resolution. But I sure would like to know what happens after...
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Cara
Cara rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
05/28/08

Read in May, 2008
I was so intrigued from the book jacket -- the only reason why I gave the book 3 stars was because I am a happy ending girl, and this just didn't do it for me at all. But good twists, great language -- a little too much on the details sometimes, but overall, really well written, and I got about 75% involved with the characters (though sometimes I lost interest, and sometimes stuff they did just didn't make sense to me).
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Kit
Kit rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
02/11/08

is anyone else annoyed with gabriella's whininess? the story revolved a lot around the mystery behind sabina and the memory stones, but did it really get fully explained ultimately? not really. but i guess i did enjoy it more than i make it seem; too bad i was expecting so much more from so many 5-star ratings on amazon. and am i the only one who knew who the villain was upon reading the airport checkout scene?
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Julie
Julie rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
09/25/07

Read in September, 2007
This was a fast read and an interesting premise – the main character has flashbacks to past lives, and he and some shadowy other figures are seeking the Memory Stones, ancient relics that supposedly will prove that reincarnation exists. However, there are a number of subsidiary characters and subplots that make the action unnecessarily confusing, rather than functioning as actual red herrings.
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Jelenie
Jelenie rated it: 2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars
02/24/08

bookshelves: feb08, thriller
Read in February, 2008
I really struggled to finish this book which is weird because it definitely did have an interesting premise. I guess the writing just made it dull and uninteresting. Is it my fault that I really did not care at all what happened to Julius and Sabina? That I find Josh and Rachel and Gabriella just really boring and bland? Blah! M.J. Rose, please stick to erotic/romances, I really liked them!
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Mirvanriel
Mirvanriel rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
09/21/07

bookshelves: fantasy, thriller
I’m really not much of a mystery/thriller reader. I tried them out in highschool and just couldn’t seem to get into it; usually too formulaic, especially with the twist endings. Still, though, interesting concept, interesting execution, even if it was predictable and somewhat shallower than it had to be. I was looking for easy entertainment, and it fit the bill.
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Josh
Josh rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
02/27/08

Read in October, 2007
This book offers a refreshing topic, reincarnation. Most of the books that have been popular lately are based on Christianity, which I'm guilty for reading most of, and it was great to absorb something so different and thought provoking. I was impressed with the topic although, even though this book was 400+ pages, I felt she could have expanded a bit, but good book.
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Glenna
Glenna rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
05/15/08

Has a copy to sell/swap — Read in April, 2008
I couldn't decide if I wanted the book to stay in the past or be in the present - I loved this book! It's the kind of book where I want to go back and buy everything else the author has ever written - like "Okay, how did I miss everything else by her?"

By the way - I don't like to give up too much of the plot in my reviews - can you tell - just read it!
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book data (includes all editions)

avg rating (all editions): 3.31 (121 ratings)
avg rating (this edition): 3.31 (121 ratings)
number of reviews: 60






other editions

The Reincarnationist (MIRA) (MIRA)