Cessation by Michael DiBiasio-Ornelas

Michael DiBiasio-Ornelas dissects the perils of business, friendship, romance, failure, and America’s hollow dream in his thought-provoking novel, Cessation.

A gripping and emotional confession, this novel is also an artful vivisection of modern life, analyzing both the glitches in the matrix and the existential crises brought on by capitalism. The narrator, Aaron, is both in the machine and a self-aware critic of the system, trapped between the need for survival and the search for meaning. After his lowest point, with his business on the brink of collapse, he forms an inexplicable connection with Walker, a wanderer disconnected from the rat race, and in some ways, from reality itself.

DiBiasio-Ornelas has a keen eye for character development, and the dynamic between these two central figures is fascinating to witness. Both are lost souls with lessons to teach, and learn, allowing the prose to delve into often taboo issues – homelessness, emotional vulnerability between men, judgmental mindsets, and the deep-seated prejudices born into Americans.

On a technical level, some of the prose is a bit too overworked, with clever turns of phrase sometimes taking attention away from the raw symbolism and impact of a given scene or conversation. However, DiBiasio-Ornelas conveys a delicacy with rarely explored and challenging subjects, and a marvelous flair for language overall.

All told, Cessation is an intimate and eye-opening novel, a profound tale of hope, connection, and survival in a world that seems unwilling to change.