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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
I am so sorry guys but this review might be a little short and a little shite due to both physical and mental illness.
This book was incredibly easy to sink into. It was a fast paced, easy read and I did enjoy it. The only problem I had was that it had very similar themes to his previous novels and so was not a breath of fresh air.
“Religion, history, and philosophy are just fictions we’ve invented to explain our meaningless world.”
The novel followed the story of Jacob Underwood, a man who believes he is dead. Having Cotard's syndrome makes him the perfect assassin as he is such little feelings towards others and himself.
I had never heart of Cotard's syndrome until I read this book and I found it extremely interesting. I enjoyed how this novel went from the present to the past to explain Jacob's unusual personality. A problem with this, however, was that I would sometimes get confused of the time line.
Jacob was not a character that you could love. Not at all. He was cold-hearted and dead inside. I didn't, at any point, feel any sympathy or empathy for him. I liked that. I liked that there is a character that for once I was not emotionally invested in him. It made a nice change.
There was non-stop action throughout this book. Either with murders or conspiracy theories. This made it a fast read and had a real Bourne feeling to it.
the reason this book is only a three stars and not higher is because I felt that it was taking a lot of other book ideas and just incorporating it into one story (Bourne, James Bond, The Traveller, The Matirx etc.) And also the ending got a little too ridiculous for mne, I could not understand *SPOILERS AHEAD* why he would end up feeling something for this girl when normally he is completely deadpan. I don't understand why he didn't kill her, what made his entire character change so much? *END OF SPOILERS* That was my biggest problem with his novel.
In reality, the universe is neutral about our existence. Only dogs care.”
I would recommend this book to lovers of dystopia, action and conspiracy theories.
Three stars.
Happy reading!
Hannah xoxo
This book was incredibly easy to sink into. It was a fast paced, easy read and I did enjoy it. The only problem I had was that it had very similar themes to his previous novels and so was not a breath of fresh air.
“Religion, history, and philosophy are just fictions we’ve invented to explain our meaningless world.”
The novel followed the story of Jacob Underwood, a man who believes he is dead. Having Cotard's syndrome makes him the perfect assassin as he is such little feelings towards others and himself.
I had never heart of Cotard's syndrome until I read this book and I found it extremely interesting. I enjoyed how this novel went from the present to the past to explain Jacob's unusual personality. A problem with this, however, was that I would sometimes get confused of the time line.
Jacob was not a character that you could love. Not at all. He was cold-hearted and dead inside. I didn't, at any point, feel any sympathy or empathy for him. I liked that. I liked that there is a character that for once I was not emotionally invested in him. It made a nice change.
There was non-stop action throughout this book. Either with murders or conspiracy theories. This made it a fast read and had a real Bourne feeling to it.
the reason this book is only a three stars and not higher is because I felt that it was taking a lot of other book ideas and just incorporating it into one story (Bourne, James Bond, The Traveller, The Matirx etc.) And also the ending got a little too ridiculous for mne, I could not understand *SPOILERS AHEAD* why he would end up feeling something for this girl when normally he is completely deadpan. I don't understand why he didn't kill her, what made his entire character change so much? *END OF SPOILERS* That was my biggest problem with his novel.
In reality, the universe is neutral about our existence. Only dogs care.”
I would recommend this book to lovers of dystopia, action and conspiracy theories.
Three stars.
Happy reading!
Hannah xoxo
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
Jacob Underwood makes the perfect assassin as he's very good in his job, only capable of three emotions - boredom, curiosity and digust - and most importantly he's dead.
At least, that's what he himself believes. He suffers from Cotard's Syndrome, a very rare psychological disorder in which people believe they're dead. This makes a cool premise of a book doesn't it?
It starts really good, as I was immediately sucked into the story and even though I haven't really been into thrillers lately, I was enjoying myself quite a lot. There are hints of a Dystopian society near the surface, but not everything is spelled out so you'll have to guess certain things as well.
Unfortunately, after a certain the story became more standard and I was like 'been there, seen that', which was a shame because it started so good. Don't get me wrong, it was still an enjoyable read, and the mystery surrounding the author's identity adds up to the suspense in my humble opinion, but it was the Wow-factor I felt those first 100 or so pages. I will, however, be checking out some of the other books published under the same pen name.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Jacob Underwood makes the perfect assassin as he's very good in his job, only capable of three emotions - boredom, curiosity and digust - and most importantly he's dead.
At least, that's what he himself believes. He suffers from Cotard's Syndrome, a very rare psychological disorder in which people believe they're dead. This makes a cool premise of a book doesn't it?
It starts really good, as I was immediately sucked into the story and even though I haven't really been into thrillers lately, I was enjoying myself quite a lot. There are hints of a Dystopian society near the surface, but not everything is spelled out so you'll have to guess certain things as well.
Unfortunately, after a certain the story became more standard and I was like 'been there, seen that', which was a shame because it started so good. Don't get me wrong, it was still an enjoyable read, and the mystery surrounding the author's identity adds up to the suspense in my humble opinion, but it was the Wow-factor I felt those first 100 or so pages. I will, however, be checking out some of the other books published under the same pen name.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
adventurous
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The story moves along at a very fast pace so there is no time to get bored or for my mind to wander. Before I knew it I was half way through the book and a lot had happened. It's clear the author knows what he's talking about and isn't making stuff up about the artificial intelligences and encrypted files (or at least he knows enough to fool me) but it's explained in such a way that it doesn't interrupt the flow of the story or insult the reader's intelligence. I love the contradictory views of who Underwood is - what he believes about himself and what doctors believe about himself - and how despite that contradiction he is still able to successfully do his job.
A little hit man thriller set in a dystopian future that very creatively explores the question of what it means to be alive. Well written and paced, with a narrator unlike any you've read before.
If you're concerned about electronic security, and surveillance, this is the book for you. If you'd like to toss "cogito, ergo sum," around the dorm room this will give you something to play with. If you're at all curious about "Cotard's Syndrome," and who wouldn't be, this will be right up your alley. And if you'd like a quick-read, thriller-diller with a totally whacked out assassin as a protagonist, bad guys who give great bad, and altruists who are as flaky as they are moist, i.e. impossible and lovable, dig right in.
Our hero suffers a motorcycle accident that leaves him with the neurological damage of "Cotard's Syndrome," that is, he believes he's dead - he's a highly refined Autistic - and is recruited by a private bank to take care of their wet work. He has no affect, feels no emotion, and puts dogs on a much higher scale than humans. Perfect. This is Jacob Underwood.
Jacob's society is a futurist's vision of America at its worst: business in collusion with government to promote a world of robots and disenfranchise most of us - especially any of us who "cogito," and all of us who after the cogito come up with "no, I won't."
John Twelve Hawks handles the whole thing well, and throws in a few laughs as a bonus. And though I don't think the end will surprise you, Jacob Underwood's journey is well worth the read.
Our hero suffers a motorcycle accident that leaves him with the neurological damage of "Cotard's Syndrome," that is, he believes he's dead - he's a highly refined Autistic - and is recruited by a private bank to take care of their wet work. He has no affect, feels no emotion, and puts dogs on a much higher scale than humans. Perfect. This is Jacob Underwood.
Jacob's society is a futurist's vision of America at its worst: business in collusion with government to promote a world of robots and disenfranchise most of us - especially any of us who "cogito," and all of us who after the cogito come up with "no, I won't."
John Twelve Hawks handles the whole thing well, and throws in a few laughs as a bonus. And though I don't think the end will surprise you, Jacob Underwood's journey is well worth the read.
3.5 stars. Interesting, readable, but no real character development and went from having GREAT potential to just being a notch less than mediocre.