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beastmccoy's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
luigirovatti's review
4.0
Romanzo dai toni serrati, anche se devo dire un po' dettato tutto dalle coincidenze, dal caso, no? Di rilievo il feeling tra un pilota area 51 e una donna ricca e potente, un feeling classico. Viene descritto Groom Lake, un po' dell'Area 51 e viene data una buona descrizione di come si pilota un UFO. Però non ci sono veri abdotti da Grigi nel libro, solo attori in costumi. Fa pensare cosa ci sia dietro le quinte. Comunque, è in parte compensato da un UFO diverso dagli altri, "sperimentale", come detto dal romanzo, con dei simboli strani ai bordi. Tutto si sviluppa comunque secondo una caccia al tesoro dettata dal caso.
jimig's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
bigs2021's review
4.0
Way better than I had anticipated
This book was a delightful surprise. I was very curious about it, but was worried that the writing would be amateurish and that the story would be simplistic. It blew past all expectations, and was an excellent read--even for those who are not interested in this phenomenon.
The characters were interesting, the pacing was quick, and there was interesting action and developments. My only complaint was that it was a touch long, and some of the back-and-forth between characters became a little bit tedious towards the end. Other than that I learned a lot and really enjoyed it. I am fascinated to see what comes up next in the series, particularly the nonfiction!
This book was a delightful surprise. I was very curious about it, but was worried that the writing would be amateurish and that the story would be simplistic. It blew past all expectations, and was an excellent read--even for those who are not interested in this phenomenon.
The characters were interesting, the pacing was quick, and there was interesting action and developments. My only complaint was that it was a touch long, and some of the back-and-forth between characters became a little bit tedious towards the end. Other than that I learned a lot and really enjoyed it. I am fascinated to see what comes up next in the series, particularly the nonfiction!
cl1ch3's review
5.0
Excellent thriller. Masterfully written so each story connects, driving you to read on and find out about the worlds oldest and best kept sekret...
deejeezees's review
1.0
Grammar and spelling besides, this book has no motivation for plot and storytelling. The only protagonist is essentially a filler role, unfortunately the same can be said for all the compelling parts of this novel.
A terrible example of "show, don't tell." I understand the point is supposed to be shrouded in mystery, but a piece as big as this can't survive on the allure of mystery alone, especially when the reveals are poorly timed, predictable, or otherwise pointless.
The characters are flat.
The story is dull.
The conspiracies are "fun."
A terrible example of "show, don't tell." I understand the point is supposed to be shrouded in mystery, but a piece as big as this can't survive on the allure of mystery alone, especially when the reveals are poorly timed, predictable, or otherwise pointless.
The characters are flat.
The story is dull.
The conspiracies are "fun."
apattonbooks's review
4.0
I had this sitting on my Kindle for months and blew it off inspite of being a UFO geek. Turns out it is a super solid thriller that is very well written. The story itself is a somewhat common take on nazi, Roswell conspiracy theory that has done before but with some unique flourishes that make it "believable". I'll read the other 4-5 books they plan on making on this series.
heatherreadsbooks's review
4.0
When you hear that Tom Delonge has released a 700+ page epic surrounding Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon, and it's only part one in a series, and the latest in a potential multi-media empire, you'd be forgiven for feeling a little anxious.
Talking to EW, Tom said, "This is not just a book. This is not just Tom talking about UFOs again, laughing about it with his fans. This is Tom representing 10 people that are of the highest rank and office within the Department of Defense establishment and they are asking me to communicate something that they see as the utmost national security issue that has ever existed."
Blurring the lines of fiction and non-fiction, Delonge and co-writer AJ Hartley have ended up writing one of the quickest 700 page reads you'll get through. There's the pilot who faces an inexplicable system override and finds himself in a shift of career; a woman who travels the world for good causes off her father's money, who comes home to his apparent suicide and is swept up in a world of big numbers; then there's the writer for Debunktion, a website for taking down the world's wildest conspiracy theories.
And then there's Jerzy. A book of his detailing his life from 1939 Europe, World War II and the Nazis - a book people would kill for. Bit by bit, the stories start to unravel in past and present, with a few added perspectives in the sixties thrown in at just the right time for good measure.
It's a four-pronged thriller, and by the time you say "One more chapter..." and get to the end, you see which story picks up next and then make the same promise. The research shows. At one point I chose a random name just to see where the name had come from and found myself delving into his Wiki page, reading about his work in aeronautics in World War II before moving to the USA. I'd hasten a guess I could pick several names at random and find their lives woven into his story equally as well.
Writing-wise, though, Tom doesn't do subtlety. Comments like Feels like a metaphor after an obvious parallel of setting to mood is the kind of thing that comes up time and time again. He doesn't so much plant clues as put them under a spotlight with LED flashing arrows pointing to them with IMPORTANT. IMPORTANT.
The women could use some work too, ("Jennifer sighed. She could play nice like women were supposed to, or she could speak her mind."), but these little indiscretions are actually tiny when you consider that despite the scale of it, you'll whizz through it, captivated by four different stories that gradually work their way together.
Sekret Machines can be slow, but never boring. It keeps you reading. It tackles it seriously, and with fun (Men In Black references are always a good thing). So many stories weave together, blending fact and fiction, and falls more in line with government cover-ups, as security issues, than the tin foil hat crew, and in doing so, you're swept up for the ride. Some may view the world a little more suspiciously after this; I'm not one of them, but I'm still mightily impressed by how this story has woven itself through history to the present day.
tl;dr Question the potential of the world around you, and that not around you, through four stories that will keep the pages turning.
Talking to EW, Tom said, "This is not just a book. This is not just Tom talking about UFOs again, laughing about it with his fans. This is Tom representing 10 people that are of the highest rank and office within the Department of Defense establishment and they are asking me to communicate something that they see as the utmost national security issue that has ever existed."
Blurring the lines of fiction and non-fiction, Delonge and co-writer AJ Hartley have ended up writing one of the quickest 700 page reads you'll get through. There's the pilot who faces an inexplicable system override and finds himself in a shift of career; a woman who travels the world for good causes off her father's money, who comes home to his apparent suicide and is swept up in a world of big numbers; then there's the writer for Debunktion, a website for taking down the world's wildest conspiracy theories.
And then there's Jerzy. A book of his detailing his life from 1939 Europe, World War II and the Nazis - a book people would kill for. Bit by bit, the stories start to unravel in past and present, with a few added perspectives in the sixties thrown in at just the right time for good measure.
It's a four-pronged thriller, and by the time you say "One more chapter..." and get to the end, you see which story picks up next and then make the same promise. The research shows. At one point I chose a random name just to see where the name had come from and found myself delving into his Wiki page, reading about his work in aeronautics in World War II before moving to the USA. I'd hasten a guess I could pick several names at random and find their lives woven into his story equally as well.
Writing-wise, though, Tom doesn't do subtlety. Comments like Feels like a metaphor after an obvious parallel of setting to mood is the kind of thing that comes up time and time again. He doesn't so much plant clues as put them under a spotlight with LED flashing arrows pointing to them with IMPORTANT. IMPORTANT.
The women could use some work too, ("Jennifer sighed. She could play nice like women were supposed to, or she could speak her mind."), but these little indiscretions are actually tiny when you consider that despite the scale of it, you'll whizz through it, captivated by four different stories that gradually work their way together.
Sekret Machines can be slow, but never boring. It keeps you reading. It tackles it seriously, and with fun (Men In Black references are always a good thing). So many stories weave together, blending fact and fiction, and falls more in line with government cover-ups, as security issues, than the tin foil hat crew, and in doing so, you're swept up for the ride. Some may view the world a little more suspiciously after this; I'm not one of them, but I'm still mightily impressed by how this story has woven itself through history to the present day.
tl;dr Question the potential of the world around you, and that not around you, through four stories that will keep the pages turning.
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