Scan barcode
patchworkbunny's review against another edition
5.0
No Harm Can Come to a Good Man is another bleak vision of the near future from Mr Smythe, this time told through one man’s family. It’s a slow burn, the tension growing with one small event that snowballs out of control. The writing draws you in and I honestly started to feel anxious about these people. That’s a sign of good writing, when the characters become real enough to affect your emotions. So, maybe don’t read it when you’re feeling down, but do read it.
It just goes to show how much I love James Smythe’s style that I read this. Let’s face it, a political thriller isn’t really my thing. But like many of his books, it’s intimate and claustrophobic. The campaign for presidential candidate is a vehicle for what happens to Laurence and justifies the media interest. Laurence might not have started out as a character I would have empathised with but I felt for him by the end. There’s no justice or sympathy.
The story highlights the media circus surrounding presidential candidates and the incredible invasion of privacy they must face. Where do you draw the line between knowing the candidate is a good enough man to run the country and intruding on personal life?
There is a small science fiction aspect to this of course. The science of predictions; which is already a big thing in the US. How reliable are they and when does a prediction shape the future? The Walker family suffer a loss they are unlikely to recover from, but they can carry on their lives; can a computer really differentiate between those kinds of subtleties?
Review copy provided by publisher.
It just goes to show how much I love James Smythe’s style that I read this. Let’s face it, a political thriller isn’t really my thing. But like many of his books, it’s intimate and claustrophobic. The campaign for presidential candidate is a vehicle for what happens to Laurence and justifies the media interest. Laurence might not have started out as a character I would have empathised with but I felt for him by the end. There’s no justice or sympathy.
The story highlights the media circus surrounding presidential candidates and the incredible invasion of privacy they must face. Where do you draw the line between knowing the candidate is a good enough man to run the country and intruding on personal life?
There is a small science fiction aspect to this of course. The science of predictions; which is already a big thing in the US. How reliable are they and when does a prediction shape the future? The Walker family suffer a loss they are unlikely to recover from, but they can carry on their lives; can a computer really differentiate between those kinds of subtleties?
Review copy provided by publisher.
terranovanz's review
4.0
An intelligent, thoughtful and deeply personal thriller. I've read almost everything the author has written, both his scifi and his YA, and I believe he's one of the most versatile writers around at the moment.
snoakes7001's review
3.0
This one wasn't really for me I'm afraid. I'm disappointed because I've seen a lot of love for James Smythe's writing and I was expecting an exciting work of speculative fiction. What I got was a fairly run of the mill political thriller - it was OK but it didn't set my world alight. The speculative element was there in the form of ClearVista, an all-pervasive computer program that can predict everything. It wasn't terribly believable though - it seems unlikely that it has always been right and never given any cause for concern right up until people start trying to predict the outcome of the US presidential election. I can suspend my disbelief for the right story, but unfortunately in this case the characters just didn't grab me enough to really care.
ellabf717's review
4.0
"Laurence smiles, and then he steps back and he launches forward in turn, up and into the air; and then down, following his son underneath the waves that they themselves have made."
sheldonqueens's review
2.0
My human host's first introduction to James Smythe's work wasn't the best.
He really wanted to like this - like, a lot.
Especially as he loves a good near-future scenario that he can better relate to, rather than a distant future one.
This reminded him of some aspects of The Circle by Dave Eggers in terms of near-future apps and tech companies.
Along with a writing style that possessed no elegant flair in any manner, and characters that were not given enough depth for us - the readers - to care much about. Perhaps it was simply a matter of them being too conventional and uninteresting to begin with.
My host's favorite character in this little story, from what I gathered, was that of Amit. But when your book's supporting character is the only person's perspective that one prefers to read from, rather than the main protagonists, that's maybe a matter worth addressing.
Another gripe, is the high number of typos to be found in this story. So much so that it distracts my host to the point of annoyance. Annoyance that issues such as these managed to slip through the editing process of a major publication.
Independent authors have managed to achieve a near to perfect job of producing a typo-free work of literature, and so coming across this in such a fashion here, is unforgiving.
Oh, not to mention the details of an evasive conclusion, which leaves readers with an unsatisfactory last bite of an already disappointing journey.
The premise, however, was still intriguing, with aspects of interest. Pity it was not delivered by applying a more riveting narrative.
He really wanted to like this - like, a lot.
Especially as he loves a good near-future scenario that he can better relate to, rather than a distant future one.
This reminded him of some aspects of The Circle by Dave Eggers in terms of near-future apps and tech companies.
Along with a writing style that possessed no elegant flair in any manner, and characters that were not given enough depth for us - the readers - to care much about. Perhaps it was simply a matter of them being too conventional and uninteresting to begin with.
My host's favorite character in this little story, from what I gathered, was that of Amit. But when your book's supporting character is the only person's perspective that one prefers to read from, rather than the main protagonists, that's maybe a matter worth addressing.
Another gripe, is the high number of typos to be found in this story. So much so that it distracts my host to the point of annoyance. Annoyance that issues such as these managed to slip through the editing process of a major publication.
Independent authors have managed to achieve a near to perfect job of producing a typo-free work of literature, and so coming across this in such a fashion here, is unforgiving.
Oh, not to mention the details of an evasive conclusion, which leaves readers with an unsatisfactory last bite of an already disappointing journey.
The premise, however, was still intriguing, with aspects of interest. Pity it was not delivered by applying a more riveting narrative.
kelly281's review
3.0
This book did not live up to the blurb for me. I expected something suspenseful and very futuristic, and this just did not deliver. The story was good, however the conspiracy didn't really follow through and I found the ending disappointing.
N.B. I received this book as a Good Reads giveaway.
N.B. I received this book as a Good Reads giveaway.
readbydusk's review
2.0
The universe where this book is set - reminiscent of Minority Report - brought up interesting themes about predicted future and self-fulfilling prophecy that I wish were better explored. If anyone had access to the software, shouldn't there be an organisation monitoring it so that the events at the end of the book could have been prevented? What was the point of a predicted future if it only applied to when needed? There was also a lack of urgency and surprise in the story, and bar one character, the rest were dull and unlikable. It made for a disappointing read.
badbookstagrammer's review
3.0
This was such a gripping read. It had me completely, yearning for every toss and turn along the way.
meggyl's review
3.0
Took me a while before I got into it, but that was more because I read the synopsis wrong. The book starts representing a happy family with normal family issues but you can see it unravelling the moment the first things go wrong. Three stars because I did not like the end that much. Also because it took me a while before it got me hooked.
robchilver's review
3.0
Felt there was something a bit lacking here sadly. I liked what was being said and explored but perhaps not the way it was told I'm afraid.