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sangsara's review against another edition
3.0
Good fun, and it's fitting there's a Lee Child quote on the cover, because this is the same kind of pulpy action guilty pleasure as a Jack Reacher novel, just a little smarter. Would make a good film.
ingo_lembcke's review against another edition
4.0
Amazon-Prime-Lending (one book per month, this is for September 2014), so did not buy it. Read other books which interested me more, in between so I did not finish it in September and had to struggle to finish it on the last day (Halloween, October 31st).
While the book is straight forward, it reminds me of a [a:John Brunner|23113|John Brunner|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1336955014p2/23113.jpg] Novel like [b:Stand On Zanzibar|325502|Stand On Zanzibar|John Brunner|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-4845f44723bc5d3a9ac322f99b110b1d.png|2184253] or [b:The Shockwave Rider|41070|The Shockwave Rider|John Brunner|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1386921650s/41070.jpg|868164] or a film by Paul Verhoeven like Robocop or Totall Recall. Like these books&films there are short fake news and short ads for fake books. But unlike Brunner, there is only one story, and with only few twists, the main one I guessed early on - what would happen to the hero and John Smith, so I do not count that as a spoiler, I will not go into details.
Around the time after 60% (train-platform / meeting Shannon) the search for John Smith began and the book started to drag for me, I had trouble to get over that point, guessing how it might play out, not in detail - that was nicely done and very well written, saved this book getting 3.5 rounded to 3 stars. In some places it gets 4.5 stars, but as a whole and for being predictable (nearly from the beginning) 4 stars it is.
Recommended to fans of a believable alternative future, where in the past 9/11 has not happened, instead, part of population was gifted.
I will certainly read at some point the next book in the series (probably all, but the third is not published yet).
While the book is straight forward, it reminds me of a [a:John Brunner|23113|John Brunner|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1336955014p2/23113.jpg] Novel like [b:Stand On Zanzibar|325502|Stand On Zanzibar|John Brunner|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-4845f44723bc5d3a9ac322f99b110b1d.png|2184253] or [b:The Shockwave Rider|41070|The Shockwave Rider|John Brunner|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1386921650s/41070.jpg|868164] or a film by Paul Verhoeven like Robocop or Totall Recall. Like these books&films there are short fake news and short ads for fake books. But unlike Brunner, there is only one story, and with only few twists, the main one I guessed early on - what would happen to the hero and John Smith, so I do not count that as a spoiler, I will not go into details.
Around the time after 60% (train-platform / meeting Shannon) the search for John Smith began and the book started to drag for me, I had trouble to get over that point, guessing how it might play out, not in detail - that was nicely done and very well written, saved this book getting 3.5 rounded to 3 stars. In some places it gets 4.5 stars, but as a whole and for being predictable (nearly from the beginning) 4 stars it is.
Recommended to fans of a believable alternative future, where in the past 9/11 has not happened, instead, part of population was gifted.
I will certainly read at some point the next book in the series (probably all, but the third is not published yet).
bookph1le's review against another edition
5.0
This book was awesome, with a delicate, delicious awesomesauce, and served with a side of awesome. In other words, I loved it. A LOT. More complete review to come.
ham_jansen's review against another edition
5.0
I picked up this book on a whim from an ad on my kindle. The thriller turned out to be a page turner with hints of current events and Atlas Shrugged. Glad that I picked it up, and i am interested to see where he will go in book 2.
devonforest's review against another edition
5.0
I was recommended this book by a friend and it sounded interesting so I figured I'd check it out. It was a great concept of people developing "super powers" but in a "realistic" way. I'd like to think that it might be possible in the future (albeit distant future) to develop gifts that are just enhancements of our senses. I also thought there was a lot of hidden (or maybe not so hidden) commentary about today's society. Basically it was a great mix of sci-fi, action, spies, betrayal, love, and everything else.
sophiem262's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
nathanielgregg's review against another edition
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
kberry513's review against another edition
5.0
I'm really liking this so far. The author is fantastic and I really like the incorporation of how the world would be different today if brilliants started being born in 1980. It's at once exciting and terrifying. I've just gotten to the point that the bomb went off in the new Wall Street and I'm very nervous about which way this is going to go. I tend to like thrillers that end on a mostly positive note rather than just all around depressing and/or fatal for all the characters a la GRRM. If this author goes that way (like a Jim Butcher), I could see him becoming one of my new favorites. But I had a similar experience with another Kindle Unlimited series recently that took a weird twist (I wanna say the Atlantis Gene) that I just don't feel the need to keep reading. This one starts out so strong, with characters I already feel like I know and like (again, a la Butcher), so I think it will be even more of a letdown. That's why I paused where I did and am nervous to continue.
Update page 155:
Oh man...he's going on the run! He's taking responsibility for the bombing!!!! Gahhh!
Update page 323:
Well, I knew the Woman Who Walks Through Walls would be back - and that she wasn't the one who blew the Stock Exchange. I had a feeling something would happen to Lee and Lisa...I hope it ends okay for them, but they may be the thing that actively turns Cooper away from the government. I'm very curious about what Shannon was lying to Cooper about and I'm a little nervous because Cooper is about to try to assassinate John Smith and there's a quarter of the book left. Plus, I think it's the first in a series and now I'm nervous about what's going to happen to everyone. And there is clearly something about the name Helen Epeus that he knows but has forgotten. Is it because Epeus made the Trojan horse?! Is Helen Samantha, the empath hooker? I really like the Erik Epstein plot twist, though. And I love all the bits in between chapters that either talk about what it would have been like if abnorms didn't exist or about the fake history that exists in this world. The world building in this novel is awesome.
**Update from the end**
Oh my god, this was aMAzing! I can't wait to read the next one. The twist about Peters was exceptional - you could practically feel Cooper's pain as he realized that his role in life was based on a lie. I'm so glad he saved his family and that he and Shannon and Bobby survived - I was a little afraid his buddy would be killed. I'm kind of hoping they retreat to New Canaan for now.
Update page 155:
Oh man...he's going on the run! He's taking responsibility for the bombing!!!! Gahhh!
Update page 323:
Well, I knew the Woman Who Walks Through Walls would be back - and that she wasn't the one who blew the Stock Exchange. I had a feeling something would happen to Lee and Lisa...I hope it ends okay for them, but they may be the thing that actively turns Cooper away from the government. I'm very curious about what Shannon was lying to Cooper about and I'm a little nervous because Cooper is about to try to assassinate John Smith and there's a quarter of the book left. Plus, I think it's the first in a series and now I'm nervous about what's going to happen to everyone. And there is clearly something about the name Helen Epeus that he knows but has forgotten. Is it because Epeus made the Trojan horse?! Is Helen Samantha, the empath hooker? I really like the Erik Epstein plot twist, though. And I love all the bits in between chapters that either talk about what it would have been like if abnorms didn't exist or about the fake history that exists in this world. The world building in this novel is awesome.
**Update from the end**
Oh my god, this was aMAzing! I can't wait to read the next one. The twist about Peters was exceptional - you could practically feel Cooper's pain as he realized that his role in life was based on a lie. I'm so glad he saved his family and that he and Shannon and Bobby survived - I was a little afraid his buddy would be killed. I'm kind of hoping they retreat to New Canaan for now.
joshhall13's review against another edition
3.0
Fun, light reading. Nothing memorable here, but I won't count out the series in the future... In case I want an x-men like light read.