Reflections on Reunion: Coda’s Complex Characters and Themes

Midday, Monday, June 9, 2025, Miami, Florida

Greetings from South Florida, folks!

I don’t have much news today. It was laundry day for me, and even though I was a decent multitasker as recently as 10 years ago, I have trouble finding a suitable balance between household chores and writing. Maybe I wouldn’t worry so much about washing clothes or linens if I were still living at my former home in the Fontainebleau area, with my washer and dryer. As a tenant in someone else’s house, no matter how friendly the homeowner is, I am less self-assured, and even though I properly use the stuff I’m allowed to use here, I still worry about something going wrong on my watch. Thus, I get distracted when I sit down and try to write something.

Since I don’t want to end this Monday without posting something on A Certain Point of View, Too, let me share some salient points from P.J. Gudka’s review of Reunion: Coda.

Writing

Firstly, the writing was excellent. I felt drawn in from the moment I began reading and I think it helped that I was already familiar with the characters. I appreciate that his writing is incredibly intelligent and well done without crossing the line into being pretentious, which happens more often than I like.

Characters

I really enjoy the way Alex creates characters because they very much feel like real people. They’re not too perfect or too shallow. They have flaws, they have redeeming qualities and they have a very real feel to them which makes it so much easier for the reader to relate and empathise with the characters.

From book one, I’ve very much enjoyed Jim Garraty’s character. And I’m not just saying that because I’m obsessed with history and he’s a history character. I also really enjoyed Mark’s character, he’s a fantastic side character. And learning more about Marty and her interactions with Jim was something I very much enjoyed too. Maddie was also a great addition and I found myself drawn to her from the minute she came into the picture.

Plot

I won’t go into the details of the plot because with books like this one giving away too much can ruin the experience for readers. But I will say there are some beautiful moments, some heavy moments, some thoughtful moments and most importantly the plot deals with the complex nature of relationships that humans have with one another. We crave love, social interactions and connections yet when we achieve them things are often more complicated then we realise. We also spend so much time overthinking our past and present that we sometimes overlook what is right in front of us. And we forget that there is so much (everything if you’re a Stoic like me) we do not and will never control.

Other

I want to mention the images in the book, too. They were really cool and made it a lot more fun to read. I can generally picture everything I read in my head but having images helped me “see” the characters and things around them as the author did while writing the book.

Finally, I thought the themes that Alex Diaz-Granados chose to explore were very meaningful. Lost love, loss in general, being stuck in the past/memories of the past are things we can all relate to. Whether we want to admit it or not most of us have experienced these. And I believe this made the book much easier to read, I felt myself empathising with the characters and knowing the pain they felt even if my experiences aren’t the same.

Overall

Overall, I very much enjoyed Reunion: Coda by Alex Diaz-Granados. I had pretty high hopes for this book and he delivered. If you enjoy a poignant, thoughtful and well written book- this one is for you. I highly recommend it. And if you haven’t read the first book in the series please do as it will help you understand the plot of this one much better.

Hey, Pooja? Thank you so much for your thoughtful and heartwarming review—it means the world to hear how deeply Reunion: Coda resonated with you. To all readers out there, if you’re intrigued by these themes and characters, I encourage you to pick up a copy of the novel. Let it sweep you into its poignant exploration of human connection and loss. Here’s to a more productive Tuesday for all of us, filled with meaningful moments and perhaps a little time set aside for reading.