Scan barcode
saltycorpse's review against another edition
5.0
I highly enjoyed this, it was a tense and unsettling page-turner with notes of Solaris, Sunshine, and Event Horizon. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys space horror.
courtsport3000's review
5.0
I don’t even know where to begin... so creepy, so twisty, so thrilling- I could not put this book down!!
readingwithhippos's review
3.0
Obscura is a sci-fi/thriller hybrid about a medical researcher in space. That was a setup I’d never heard before! I love when a book feels like a fresh and original experience.
Gillian Ryan is an expert on a dementia-like disease that can affect people of any age. She lost her husband to it, and now her daughter is showing signs as well. When she is approached by NASA about going into space to see if she can help astronauts who have been showing similar symptoms, she agrees because she hopes doing so will help find a cure to save her daughter.
There are a few problems: One, Gillian has an addiction that clouds her judgment and, at times, her perception, and two, NASA lied to her about key aspects of the mission. (Like, really really important aspects.) And that, my friends, is a recipe for a space disaster if I ever heard one!
While I got a little annoyed from time to time (I don’t like being inside a character’s head while they’re on drugs, for one thing, it’s just not my bag), mostly I was engaged with trying to put the pieces together to figure out what the heck was going on and how Gillian was going to get out of a string of impossible situations. This would be a fun thriller for your beach bag.
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
Gillian Ryan is an expert on a dementia-like disease that can affect people of any age. She lost her husband to it, and now her daughter is showing signs as well. When she is approached by NASA about going into space to see if she can help astronauts who have been showing similar symptoms, she agrees because she hopes doing so will help find a cure to save her daughter.
There are a few problems: One, Gillian has an addiction that clouds her judgment and, at times, her perception, and two, NASA lied to her about key aspects of the mission. (Like, really really important aspects.) And that, my friends, is a recipe for a space disaster if I ever heard one!
While I got a little annoyed from time to time (I don’t like being inside a character’s head while they’re on drugs, for one thing, it’s just not my bag), mostly I was engaged with trying to put the pieces together to figure out what the heck was going on and how Gillian was going to get out of a string of impossible situations. This would be a fun thriller for your beach bag.
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
itadakinasu's review against another edition
3.0
A well-paced mystery thriller in space, Obscura is well-written and exciting. The plot unfurls slowly at first, but picks up steam quickly before reaching a gripping emotional peak. This fun read ultimately lacks the memorability of great thrillers due to a few major problems.
Although teleportation isn't a realistic concept for current technologies, it's a common and acceptable development in the sci-fi genre. But there are limits to plausibility, and the major reveal in Obscura completely ignores those limits. It ruined all of the anticipation built throughout the story and had me seriously considering shelving it DNF.
Another problem common in thrillers and sadly also prevalent in Obscura is idiot protagonist syndrome. I like to call it IPS.
IPS is characterized by otherwise intelligent or educated characters completely missing important clues and being caught unawares by what readers will probably consider obvious reveals. Our protagonist, genius neuroscientist Gillian, has the deductive ability of a bath mat.
While I'll give her some slack at the final reveal, several of the smaller ones leading up to it were so painfully obvious that I felt almost insulted while reading.
Hart is not a bad writer. I enjoyed reading Obscura for the most part, but as far as thrillers go, the implausibility and Gillian's IPS were significant problems that (had they been addressed) could've brought this book up from "good" to "great."
Although teleportation isn't a realistic concept for current technologies, it's a common and acceptable development in the sci-fi genre. But there are limits to plausibility, and the major reveal in Obscura completely ignores those limits. It ruined all of the anticipation built throughout the story and had me seriously considering shelving it DNF.
Another problem common in thrillers and sadly also prevalent in Obscura is idiot protagonist syndrome. I like to call it IPS.
IPS is characterized by otherwise intelligent or educated characters completely missing important clues and being caught unawares by what readers will probably consider obvious reveals. Our protagonist, genius neuroscientist Gillian, has the deductive ability of a bath mat.
While I'll give her some slack at the final reveal, several of the smaller ones leading up to it were so painfully obvious that I felt almost insulted while reading.
Hart is not a bad writer. I enjoyed reading Obscura for the most part, but as far as thrillers go, the implausibility and Gillian's IPS were significant problems that (had they been addressed) could've brought this book up from "good" to "great."
thereadingrogue's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
vesryn's review against another edition
5.0
I was not expecting this much from this book! Wow. This was thrilling, shocking, and overall pretty satisfying. I'd say it was a touch formulaic, and that the ending showed that, but not enough for me to take any stars away. I enjoyed the way the seemingly-different storylines were wove together, and that this went from a story about a neurologists' hunt to find a cure to so, so much more.
catbooking's review against another edition
2.0
Such an incredibly watered down plot with too many scene changes and too many motivations heaped one on top of the other. When the big bad guy reveal happens you don't really care, because you just met all these characters, and Gillian doesn't seem to care either.
The only reason I kept reading was because I got a little shiver during the first 1/3 of the book, and thought there would be more of that. Instead we got nothing. I won't be reading Joe Hart's other books, if this is considered one of his best and is supposed to scare me, then it is a complete miss.
PS:
The only reason I kept reading was because I got a little shiver during the first 1/3 of the book, and thought there would be more of that. Instead we got nothing. I won't be reading Joe Hart's other books, if this is considered one of his best and is supposed to scare me, then it is a complete miss.
PS:
Spoiler
drilling a port into someone's brain without stabilizing the skull!? Putting a band-aid on that hole without concern for infection?! What the hell?!rmichno's review against another edition
4.0
Around 3.5 stars, but still enjoyable.
I thought this would be more of a sci-fi story but in the end it felt like a Blake Crouch techno-thriller. It was fast-paced and for the most part I liked the main character Gillian. The other characters, except Birk, were less well-developed.
Overall I enjoyed it enough to try another book from Joe Hart in the future.
I thought this would be more of a sci-fi story but in the end it felt like a Blake Crouch techno-thriller. It was fast-paced and for the most part I liked the main character Gillian. The other characters, except Birk, were less well-developed.
Spoiler
It was disappointing that the teleportation device wasn't explored more in the story. Instead it felt like a plot device to explain the sickness.Overall I enjoyed it enough to try another book from Joe Hart in the future.
dvargas's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
motherofpugs's review against another edition
5.0
Great Read!
Pulled me in immediately and was a page turner the entire time! First book by this author that I’ve read, but I intend to read more!
Pulled me in immediately and was a page turner the entire time! First book by this author that I’ve read, but I intend to read more!