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3.29 AVERAGE
3.29 AVERAGE
jeannepathfinder's review
2.0
An interesting take on the end of the Mayan calendar and its effect on our civilization. It kept me going until the end, then it kind of fell apart for me.
nickn77's review
3.0
The end of the Mayan long count calendar is slated to end on December 21st, 2012. Many speculate that this will be the end of the world, most will view it as just another day. Dustin Thomason paints a somewhat believable 12-21 scenario in which a Doctor from the CDC and an expert in Mayan history are paired together in a battle against time to find the source of a deadly virus. The virus is theorized to have originated in an ancient Mayan tomb and the secrets are buried in a Mayan codex that few have the smarts to decode. Will they find the tomb and potentially a cure in time or will 12-21 truly mark the end of civilization as we know it? Dustin Thomason has delivered a well written solid medical-Mayan thriller. Recommended.
joysaysmeow's review against another edition
4.0
I went in expecting something completely half-baked, but it was surprisingly entertaining and seemed to have some decent research behind it. Definitely a fun read, especially in audio format.
kenderwolf's review
2.0
Okay, so this wound up being a hot mess in the end, which is too bad. I'm getting ahead of myself, though. This actually isn't a preferred genre of mine, but this was recommended to me because of the prion disease, which I am fascinated by. Coupling that with the Mayan end of the world seemed a little wacky to me, but I like apocalyptic stuff so I gave it a go.
In the beginning, it wasn't so bad. Characters were a little stock, but I'm used to that, especially in mystery/thriller type books. Thomason appears to have done his research regarding both prions and Mayan culture, so those parts were interesting to me. The writing was faster than I thought at first -- at one point I suddenly realized I was 1/3 of the way through the book. I stumbled a bit in the cardiac arrest scene early on as it wasn't medically accurate; I actually flipped to the author bio and was surprised to see he's an M.D. I enjoyed the Venice Beach scenes as I have been there many times and, again, really liked all the Mayan stuff. The story was a touch far-fetched (so many coincidences!) but it wasn't until the end, especially once they're in the jungle, when the medical professional in me began to weep. I won't get into spoilers, but it gets SO inaccurate and unrealistic, both plot-wise and medically, that I cringed. A lot. A lot a lot.
Can't recommend this one and, unfortunately, Thomason has only managed to make me hesitant to read anything else by him.
In the beginning, it wasn't so bad. Characters were a little stock, but I'm used to that, especially in mystery/thriller type books. Thomason appears to have done his research regarding both prions and Mayan culture, so those parts were interesting to me. The writing was faster than I thought at first -- at one point I suddenly realized I was 1/3 of the way through the book. I stumbled a bit in the cardiac arrest scene early on as it wasn't medically accurate; I actually flipped to the author bio and was surprised to see he's an M.D. I enjoyed the Venice Beach scenes as I have been there many times and, again, really liked all the Mayan stuff. The story was a touch far-fetched (so many coincidences!) but it wasn't until the end, especially once they're in the jungle, when the medical professional in me began to weep. I won't get into spoilers, but it gets SO inaccurate and unrealistic, both plot-wise and medically, that I cringed. A lot. A lot a lot.
Can't recommend this one and, unfortunately, Thomason has only managed to make me hesitant to read anything else by him.
laura_de_leon's review
4.0
When I saw the description, I thought cool-- two genres I enjoy-- medical thriller and crazy apocalyptic adventure.
Later I stopped to wonder if combining them was really bad idea. I started getting a bit worried. That worrying was needless. Those two aspects of the book both work very well together.
The medical thriller of the book probably worked the best for me. The science seemed plausible to me, as did the response, both from those in the know and society in general. In actuality, I know very little about prions, and I don't know whether the method of transmission in the book is at all plausible, but I was happy to suspend disbelief.
The multiple layers of ties to 12/21/12 and the next age of the Mayan people were intriguing. Within the world of the book, in the end, I'm not sure which aspects were human designed, which were deliberate acts of Mayan Fates, and which were pure coincidence. Perhaps it is better that way, with so many pieces put into play, all leading to an eventful conclusion.
I enjoyed the primary characters, particularly Chel Manu, a young woman who has become an expert in Mayan studies to fill in the gaps that her mother won't. She's got just enough internal conflict to be interesting. Gabriel Stanton is the world's formost expert on prion disease, and just happens to be in the right place at the right time. Character development isn't the strength of this book, but they are presented well enough to allow the plot to succeed.
And the plot does succeed as crazy as it is. The author mixed medical knowledge and Mayan research and made them work together in a frightening, thought provoking adventure.
Later I stopped to wonder if combining them was really bad idea. I started getting a bit worried. That worrying was needless. Those two aspects of the book both work very well together.
The medical thriller of the book probably worked the best for me. The science seemed plausible to me, as did the response, both from those in the know and society in general. In actuality, I know very little about prions, and I don't know whether the method of transmission in the book is at all plausible, but I was happy to suspend disbelief.
The multiple layers of ties to 12/21/12 and the next age of the Mayan people were intriguing. Within the world of the book, in the end, I'm not sure which aspects were human designed, which were deliberate acts of Mayan Fates, and which were pure coincidence. Perhaps it is better that way, with so many pieces put into play, all leading to an eventful conclusion.
I enjoyed the primary characters, particularly Chel Manu, a young woman who has become an expert in Mayan studies to fill in the gaps that her mother won't. She's got just enough internal conflict to be interesting. Gabriel Stanton is the world's formost expert on prion disease, and just happens to be in the right place at the right time. Character development isn't the strength of this book, but they are presented well enough to allow the plot to succeed.
And the plot does succeed as crazy as it is. The author mixed medical knowledge and Mayan research and made them work together in a frightening, thought provoking adventure.
dogmomirene's review against another edition
5.0
I flew through this audiobook. I can understand why Thomason is being compared to Michael Crichton. His storytelling style is incredibly engaging. As I was listening to the narrator weave the story of Dr. Stanton's prion research with Chel's Maya story, I was constantly amazed at the depth of knowledge that Thomason showed. This books feels like it could be non-fiction, which is the best and scariest part of reading it.
The sections where the story of the ancient Mayan Codex have been translated worked really well for me. Instead of having the modern characters explaining or summarizing the Codex, the reader is immersed in the ancient world. I liked the time travel feel of being in the Mayan village with the scribe done rogue.
The romantic sub-plot felt a bit contrived, but Thomason did not focus on it...thankfully. The characters are driven enough to unravel the mystery to keep me reading and wondering.
The sections where the story of the ancient Mayan Codex have been translated worked really well for me. Instead of having the modern characters explaining or summarizing the Codex, the reader is immersed in the ancient world. I liked the time travel feel of being in the Mayan village with the scribe done rogue.
The romantic sub-plot felt a bit contrived, but Thomason did not focus on it...thankfully. The characters are driven enough to unravel the mystery to keep me reading and wondering.
myyna's review against another edition
dark
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Complicated
4.5
pam2375's review
3.0
This was a little different from what I usually go after. It is the story of the Mayan Calendar prediction of the end of times on 12.21.2012. The story begins around the 11th of December, 2012 in Los Angeles, California and we end up in the jungles of Guatamala. I found myself while reading this story asking "Could this really happen?" "Does that REALLY make sense?" etc...
The book seemed to have been researched well, although, since I know absolutely nothing about the Mayan culture or their calendar, I have no idea. There is also a lot of medical stuff that seems to be accurate, but again, I did not go to medical school, so I'm not sure. It read well.
If you have any interest in or thought that the world could come to an end this year than you may want to read this book. This book did make me think about 12-21-2012 in a different way and the possibility...
Thanks to Net Galley and Random House, Inc for this advanced readers copy.
The book seemed to have been researched well, although, since I know absolutely nothing about the Mayan culture or their calendar, I have no idea. There is also a lot of medical stuff that seems to be accurate, but again, I did not go to medical school, so I'm not sure. It read well.
If you have any interest in or thought that the world could come to an end this year than you may want to read this book. This book did make me think about 12-21-2012 in a different way and the possibility...
Thanks to Net Galley and Random House, Inc for this advanced readers copy.