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3.28 AVERAGE
3.28 AVERAGE
I found this to be an excellent book with believable characters and situations. But then, I'm a sucker for books dealing with epidemics, pandemics, and everything in between.
This book was thrilling enough, I had a good time with it, especially since when I got around to reading it it happened to the same date the book started, so really fun to pretend all these events were going down as the days ticked down to Dec 21, but I'd really only recommend it to hardcore apocalypse story fans.
What I did enjoy was Mayan myth actually coming into play with 2012, and Mr. Thomason has a great grasp on detail without dragging it out and world building. Perhaps this book played to his strengths, but it felt very well researched as well.
Now onto why this book didn't get that great of a rating from me.
For starters, there's a slight romance sub-plot between the two main characters that feels very tacked on and the odd jumps to side characters that just feel out of place and serve no purpose in the grand scheme of things.
and the elephant in this book, Chel. Yea, she's pretty much the worst part of this book.
2nd) This book is a thriller and every time we cut away from Stanton to see what she was doing, well the thrilling pace and action would grind to a stand still. Just something about her personality the slightly preachy undertones of her story, didn't help matters either. I literally had to take in her chapters sometimes a paragraph at a time I was so bored with it.
And lastly, the whole Mayan codex and deciphering it and finding the location could some how save the world thing from this 100% fatal disease was really really REALLY forced to be relevant. It was cool to have the whole Mayan history included for context to 2012, but no, this crusty ass codex isn't going to save anyone, an nor is the information contained within going to save anyone.
On another note about the Mayan Codex and how "important" it was to translate it was, they were under the delusion that the book was left in the exact location it was written. Idk but after thousands of years, I'm inclined to believe it might have been moved (as books tend to not be bolted to the location of authoring) or the writer might have hidden it else where since it was a death sentence to write it.
Finally the last 100 pages
This book was gifted through the first-reads program.
What I did enjoy was Mayan myth actually coming into play with 2012, and Mr. Thomason has a great grasp on detail without dragging it out and world building. Perhaps this book played to his strengths, but it felt very well researched as well.
Now onto why this book didn't get that great of a rating from me.
For starters, there's a slight romance sub-plot between the two main characters that feels very tacked on and the odd jumps to side characters that just feel out of place and serve no purpose in the grand scheme of things.
and the elephant in this book, Chel. Yea, she's pretty much the worst part of this book.
Spoiler
First, this girl TOUCHED the first guy who was sick, was in contact with the 2nd infected and rubbed her eyes. She should have been sick, and very sick if not dead near the end of the book. Well she does eventually get sick, but she got infected at the end of the book when a native latino attacks her. Yea that brief contact is what did her in, not the initial one when the proteins apparently don't break down ever.2nd) This book is a thriller and every time we cut away from Stanton to see what she was doing, well the thrilling pace and action would grind to a stand still. Just something about her personality the slightly preachy undertones of her story, didn't help matters either. I literally had to take in her chapters sometimes a paragraph at a time I was so bored with it.
And lastly, the whole Mayan codex and deciphering it and finding the location could some how save the world thing from this 100% fatal disease was really really REALLY forced to be relevant. It was cool to have the whole Mayan history included for context to 2012, but no, this crusty ass codex isn't going to save anyone, an nor is the information contained within going to save anyone.
On another note about the Mayan Codex and how "important" it was to translate it was, they were under the delusion that the book was left in the exact location it was written. Idk but after thousands of years, I'm inclined to believe it might have been moved (as books tend to not be bolted to the location of authoring) or the writer might have hidden it else where since it was a death sentence to write it.
Finally the last 100 pages
Spoiler
is this change of setting looking this "miracle" in the jungles. The whole thing felt very forced by the author (all about chel, and doesn't really make rational sense why the two characters would do this honestly), and because so much was happening at the end, there really was no detail anymore just a rushing from one little tid bit to the next, you begin to worry how this is all going to tie up, and not the good worry/surprise either. I was not a fan of the ending.This book was gifted through the first-reads program.
For years leading up to December 21, 2012, people were getting their end-of-the-world mojo on. It seemed like everywhere you looked someone was putting out a book taking advantage of the reading public's interest in the supposed doomsday predicted by the ancient Mayan calendar. I read a few myself just to see what was up. I missed 12.21 by Dustin Thomason (Aug. 2012). That's not too shocking given the fact that I'm not, generally speaking, all that into thrillers--particularly medical thrillers. In fact--without scanning through my books read list--I believe the last medical thriller I read was Coma by Robin Cook....in the 80s. But you know how I am with challenges...I can't resist them. So, when Shellyrae at Book'ed Out called for a medical thriller in her Eclectic Reader Challenge and the Goodreads Literary Exploration Challenge also called for a thriller, I couldn't say no.
And the premise for 12.21 grabbed me when I went hunting in the library website for a medical thriller that I thought might do ('cause I just don't have those hanging about the house...).
Lots of interesting historical tie-ins which Thomason uses to put a twist on the usual Mayan end-of-the-world thing (shifting of the poles, great earthquakes, and all those other climatic earth-related disasters). I really enjoyed learning about the Mayans through the ancient codes. The plot line itself is good--believable and a bit scary if prions really could turn that dangerous. It is a fast-moving, quick read that I enjoyed on a a lot of levels. However, like several others on Goodreads, I did find it a bit difficult to connect with the characters. I just never got invested in most of them as people and the one character that I found the most intriguing (and I can't tell you why without a spoiler) winds up dying. Ain't that always the way? Overall--a darn good read for something so far out of my comfort zone. (Three & 1/2 stars, actually)
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting Thanks.
And the premise for 12.21 grabbed me when I went hunting in the library website for a medical thriller that I thought might do ('cause I just don't have those hanging about the house...).
Lots of interesting historical tie-ins which Thomason uses to put a twist on the usual Mayan end-of-the-world thing (shifting of the poles, great earthquakes, and all those other climatic earth-related disasters). I really enjoyed learning about the Mayans through the ancient codes. The plot line itself is good--believable and a bit scary if prions really could turn that dangerous. It is a fast-moving, quick read that I enjoyed on a a lot of levels. However, like several others on Goodreads, I did find it a bit difficult to connect with the characters. I just never got invested in most of them as people and the one character that I found the most intriguing (and I can't tell you why without a spoiler) winds up dying. Ain't that always the way? Overall--a darn good read for something so far out of my comfort zone. (Three & 1/2 stars, actually)
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting Thanks.
I was absolutely amazed by the creativity of this novel. There are so many stories floating around about 12/21/2012 that it's easy to become immune to the speculation and beliefs and become tired of hearing about the same thing over and over again. But this story takes you on a different kind of journey. 12.21 has everything a good book should have: suspense, romance, action, science, belief, family, history, values, and so much more. I really enjoyed the mash-up of belief and science. I don't want to say faith because a lot of the 12/21 believers are not following it so closely because of faith but because of what they've heard from numerous sources, and not their own beliefs. Dustin Thomason has shed an entirely different light on a common belief. It was original and easy to follow for a majority of the story. I will admit I was a little lost during all the prion talk but I got enough of it to understand what was happening, if not the science behind it all. It was very well written and believable. The dialogue was great and the characters were great together. All the interactions between everyone really helped with the smooth flow of the story and made it all the more real. I was also extremely glad there was an epilogue. It helped close out the novel extremely well. And although it wasn't exactly a "happy" ending, it was a good ending. Not every story can end with everything being put to right. If this book had ended like that I would have been disappointed. I loved this book and I would for sure suggest reading it whether you're a believer, a skeptic, or a combination of the two.
I received this book for free through a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
I received this book for free through a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
ik vind het Maya-aspect erin heel leuk en vernieuwend, want ik heb eigenlijk nog nooit een boek gelezen waar dat op zo'n manier in is verwerkt. Ook al koste het me ruim een maand om te lezen (met een pauze van ruim drie weken, oeps) toch een goed boek met een superspannend einde!
Really good book! Had to get in at least one of my 2012 end of the world books in and this one is much better than the other one I am slogging through. This is part medical thriller and part archeology Indiana Jones type action. The author made it so that it could be a believable scenario. Really cool book!
I wish I could recommend this book but I simply can't. It felt rushed, was not well-plotted or -paced, and never really caught fire. Sadly, I'd recommend you pass.
Available as an audiobook from the library, I had no expectations and needed something to listen to at work. Wasn't the best audiobook I have listened to this year, but wasn't the worst. Decent way to pass the time at work. Story was decent and the science was interesting.