The Reality of Death

Death is a major theme in this novel as a good deal of the action revolves around the app that Sergey is trying to design. As the characters consider Sergey’s app and also think about their own encounters with death, they try to find some way to deal with their losses. Most important in this theme are the stories of Regina, Sergey and Vica. Each of these characters works through his own grief through the course of the novel.

It is when Sergey receives a letter from his father after his father’s death that he begins considering an app that would allow communication with the dead. Because this letter from his father means so much to him, Sergey believes it would help others who are bereaved to receive messages from their dead loved ones. His belief is that people could use...