"This book is a cracking good read. Matt DeGennaro has knitted a seamless and believable reality out of the skeins of the familiar and the extraordinary - and that makes for a book that anyone can gallop through today, and be pleased to pick up again on some miserable wintry evening in the future when all the doors are locked, and supper is in the oven, and they feel it would be pleasant to take a journey with known friends down a familiar highway to an anticipated and satisfactory conclusion.
Entertainment, though, is not all
that’s on offer here.
‘Crossroads – Inside Callisto’ is a very esoteric book, and it’s also an agreeably – and for want of a better term – ‘non-denominational’ book. Followers of almost any spiritual discipline or belief will find themselves on ‘home ground’ somewhere ‘Inside Callisto’ – but they may not find ‘home ground’ quite so firm under their feet when they have walked a little way with Angelo and Pop.
The truths that are clearly spoken in the smooth flow of the narrative – and those that creep out sneakily unspoken between the lines - are certainly often comfortingly familiar, but the difficult philosophical questions raised by this book have been bitterly disputed in the past, and remain disputed, unresolved, and problematic in the present.
The author has made it impossible not to confront the question as to whether we are free to make conscious choices or are predetermined to take this or that road at the ‘Crossroads’ - and has perhaps made it necessary to make a conscious decision to try to find a personally satisfactory answer to that question as well."
"Getting a handle on Matt DeGennaro's book CROSSROADS: INSIDE CALLISTO takes some work. We aren't sure if we know the main players right away and in some ways that sets the mood for this mystical experience of a story. Despite the fact that we are dealing with space travel and seeing the future and the past in the steam of a kettle and gaining wisdom form a wonderful old gypsy named Pop and discovering the authors concepts of freewill and superstitions and life after death etc, DeGennaro manages to weave a story that is different enough to be refreshing. It is an invitation to walk with the author and his family of characters through the mysteries of enlightenment, transformation and redemption.
A story as complex as this is best described by the author, so instead of reinventing the wheel, the story rambles something like this: `Angelo DeMarra is an Italian-American with a normal life: wife, son, car, day job, apart from one thing. When the "ill-fated" Angelo is hanged and nearly killed as a child, it set him on a course that would change his life forever. When Angelo meets "Pop" an aging gypsy fortune teller, and Pop tells him he only has two weeks to live, Angelo is catapulted into a series of events that will quantum-shift his evolution and shape the very destiny of mankind. With the help of Joyce (his wife), Philip (his son), Lisa (his former lover), and a band of renegade aliens... discover how Angelo deals with Pop, comes to terms with his "fate" and ultimately finds meaning and purpose in his life.'
There are some problems with this book. It is in need of an editor to clean up the typos and grammatical error that stop the eye. But the greatest problem is the need to somehow aid the reader to stay on track with the jumps in time and space that despite the fact the events are interesting, they are at times difficult to decipher.
To DeGennaro's credit is the dialogue, especially the bits of wisdom Pop shares: `Recognition is the necessary correction to free you form the karma related to your bad choice' and `you have to accept it's how you react that needs to be corrected so the human race could survive the coming shift.' The reader may have to read this little book slowly, but that allows for the wonderfully strange ideas to seep into the brainscape - and we all need that about now."
Grady Harp, author of War Songs and Amazon "Top 50" reviewer.
Review in Progress-----
‘Crossroads – Inside Callisto’ is a very esoteric book, and it’s also an agreeably – and for want of a better term – ‘non-denominational’ book. Followers of almost any spiritual discipline or belief will find themselves on ‘home ground’ somewhere ‘Inside Callisto’ – but they may not find ‘home ground’ quite so firm under their feet when they have walked a little way with Angelo and Pop.
The truths that are clearly spoken in the smooth flow of the narrative – and those that creep out sneakily unspoken between the lines - are certainly often comfortingly familiar, but the difficult philosophical questions raised by this book have been bitterly disputed in the past, and remain disputed, unresolved, and problematic in the present.
The author has made it impossible not to confront the question as to whether we are free to make conscious choices or are predetermined to take this or that road at the ‘Crossroads’ - and has perhaps made it necessary to make a conscious decision to try to find a personally satisfactory answer to that question as well."
Emily Peach, author of the books: The Tarot Workbook, Understanding and Using Tarot, Tarot Prediction and Things that Go Bump in the Night (available on Amazon).
"Getting a handle on Matt DeGennaro's book CROSSROADS: INSIDE CALLISTO takes some work. We aren't sure if we know the main players right away and in some ways that sets the mood for this mystical experience of a story. Despite the fact that we are dealing with space travel and seeing the future and the past in the steam of a kettle and gaining wisdom form a wonderful old gypsy named Pop and discovering the authors concepts of freewill and superstitions and life after death etc, DeGennaro manages to weave a story that is different enough to be refreshing. It is an invitation to walk with the author and his family of characters through the mysteries of enlightenment, transformation and redemption.
A story as complex as this is best described by the author, so instead of reinventing the wheel, the story rambles something like this: `Angelo DeMarra is an Italian-American with a normal life: wife, son, car, day job, apart from one thing. When the "ill-fated" Angelo is hanged and nearly killed as a child, it set him on a course that would change his life forever. When Angelo meets "Pop" an aging gypsy fortune teller, and Pop tells him he only has two weeks to live, Angelo is catapulted into a series of events that will quantum-shift his evolution and shape the very destiny of mankind. With the help of Joyce (his wife), Philip (his son), Lisa (his former lover), and a band of renegade aliens... discover how Angelo deals with Pop, comes to terms with his "fate" and ultimately finds meaning and purpose in his life.'
There are some problems with this book. It is in need of an editor to clean up the typos and grammatical error that stop the eye. But the greatest problem is the need to somehow aid the reader to stay on track with the jumps in time and space that despite the fact the events are interesting, they are at times difficult to decipher.
To DeGennaro's credit is the dialogue, especially the bits of wisdom Pop shares: `Recognition is the necessary correction to free you form the karma related to your bad choice' and `you have to accept it's how you react that needs to be corrected so the human race could survive the coming shift.' The reader may have to read this little book slowly, but that allows for the wonderfully strange ideas to seep into the brainscape - and we all need that about now."
Grady Harp, author of War Songs and Amazon "Top 50" reviewer.
"Crossroads: Inside Callisto by Matthew M
DeGennaro is a unique fiction novel incorporating a blend of mystical
new age philosophies and science fiction. DeGennaro has created his own
hybrid fiction genre- in which he incorporates his philosophical
views within the context of a science fiction-drama.There is an
eclectic mix of characters and events including time travel, aliens,
gypsies, as well as esoteric new age and religious philosophies.
The story centers around the main hero, Angelo, who is himself an eccentric middle aged man who miraculously and supernaturally escaped death twice as a child. Coincidently, he meets up with an odd gypsy named "Pop", who foretells his future death- which will occur in two weeks. Pop is a supernatural guide throughout Angelo's personal journey. He has supernatural powers that guide Angelo throughout the story- he is like a personal counselor and angel rolled into one character. Face to face with his impending death, Angelo experiences a series of unusual adventures as well as philosophical and mystical searching as to the purpose of life and concepts such as free will.
The chapters are short and filled with fast paced dialog. At first in the first chapters it is vague as to whether the story is told in the first person point of view from Angelo's stand point or the third person. Apparently, the point of view alternates between chapters. This might prove to be confusing for some readers although it gives it an omnipotent touch. There are also many scene and time changes throughout the book- nothing remains constant. For example in the opening scene its 1990 and the next chapter opens in the 1960s. This follows through with the theme of one's life flashing before his eyes before death. If the reader can keep up with the constant fast paced setting and time changes, and eclectic adventures, the author's philosophical beliefs are unraveled through the character, Angelo. The reader is drawn to find out what happens at the end of this suspense piece of fiction......................"
The story centers around the main hero, Angelo, who is himself an eccentric middle aged man who miraculously and supernaturally escaped death twice as a child. Coincidently, he meets up with an odd gypsy named "Pop", who foretells his future death- which will occur in two weeks. Pop is a supernatural guide throughout Angelo's personal journey. He has supernatural powers that guide Angelo throughout the story- he is like a personal counselor and angel rolled into one character. Face to face with his impending death, Angelo experiences a series of unusual adventures as well as philosophical and mystical searching as to the purpose of life and concepts such as free will.
The chapters are short and filled with fast paced dialog. At first in the first chapters it is vague as to whether the story is told in the first person point of view from Angelo's stand point or the third person. Apparently, the point of view alternates between chapters. This might prove to be confusing for some readers although it gives it an omnipotent touch. There are also many scene and time changes throughout the book- nothing remains constant. For example in the opening scene its 1990 and the next chapter opens in the 1960s. This follows through with the theme of one's life flashing before his eyes before death. If the reader can keep up with the constant fast paced setting and time changes, and eclectic adventures, the author's philosophical beliefs are unraveled through the character, Angelo. The reader is drawn to find out what happens at the end of this suspense piece of fiction......................"
