Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.43 AVERAGE
3.43 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Before I started reading hundreds of books a year I used to read mysteries. I would browse the library shelves and pick up whatever generic mystery seemed interesting. In the bookstore I stumbled across Angels and Demons and loved it, the DaVinci code was also good, but for some reason I never tried to read this. Me, the math major, somehow overlooked this. So on a recommendation I tried it, and it drew me in from the start.
I loved learning about decryption and hung on every word in the beginning. I enjoyed the backstory of the main characters and enjoyed their interaction with each other. So all in all, a great set up. You want suspense? This book has it. In spades. Every chapter should end with "duh duh duh" because each chapter leaves you guessing and wanting more. I absolutely couldn't put this down. There are twists and turns, and one surprise after another. I actually thought at around page 300 that it would start to get stale, the action was wearing a bit thin, and I thought I knew what was going to happen. Wrong. So wrong, and a book that can turn around predictability and slap you in the face with new information is worth five stars to me. I am trying Deception Point next, and can't wait. I actually can't think of an action/suspense/mystery that is more up my alley than this book. It's been a long time since I've hung on every word in a book and was unable to put it down. It's a nice feeling.
I loved learning about decryption and hung on every word in the beginning. I enjoyed the backstory of the main characters and enjoyed their interaction with each other. So all in all, a great set up. You want suspense? This book has it. In spades. Every chapter should end with "duh duh duh" because each chapter leaves you guessing and wanting more. I absolutely couldn't put this down. There are twists and turns, and one surprise after another. I actually thought at around page 300 that it would start to get stale, the action was wearing a bit thin, and I thought I knew what was going to happen. Wrong. So wrong, and a book that can turn around predictability and slap you in the face with new information is worth five stars to me. I am trying Deception Point next, and can't wait. I actually can't think of an action/suspense/mystery that is more up my alley than this book. It's been a long time since I've hung on every word in a book and was unable to put it down. It's a nice feeling.
The silver lining of having my tablet stolen is that I have to read something I hadn't really planned on choosing. That book ended up being Digital Fortress. You can tell from the dialogue and the writing style that this is Dan Brown right off the block. I definitely enjoyed some of the more technical aspects and history in the book, but with so many twists and turns I soon began to dislike where the book was heading.
It definitely is a page turner, but towards the of th book I was reading to finish the book rather than to find out what happens next. This isn't the best Dan Brown book out there.
It definitely is a page turner, but towards the of th book I was reading to finish the book rather than to find out what happens next. This isn't the best Dan Brown book out there.
Digital Fortess has not aged well.
The technical shortcomings can be forgiven, owing to the book’s age. Unfortunately the writing itself cannot be. There are far too many moments of forced tension, ones that feel made up purely for the sake of creating thrill.
One of the major characters doesnt even have any significant impact in the story. Basically this character’s presence has little to no outcome in the major plot.
However, despite these shortcomings, Brown’s writing is still as sharp and detailed, allowing readers to visualize the setting at any given moment. The story also delivers some interesting and clever twist of events.
Despite the hollywood-esque tropes, Digital Fortress is still entertaining, although disappointing when you consider this is the same writer who later on penned The Da Vinci Code.
The technical shortcomings can be forgiven, owing to the book’s age. Unfortunately the writing itself cannot be. There are far too many moments of forced tension, ones that feel made up purely for the sake of creating thrill.
One of the major characters doesnt even have any significant impact in the story. Basically this character’s presence has little to no outcome in the major plot.
However, despite these shortcomings, Brown’s writing is still as sharp and detailed, allowing readers to visualize the setting at any given moment. The story also delivers some interesting and clever twist of events.
Despite the hollywood-esque tropes, Digital Fortress is still entertaining, although disappointing when you consider this is the same writer who later on penned The Da Vinci Code.
It took me a while to get into, but after I did, I thought this book was really. Near the end I felt like screaming at the characters, because they were all thinking about the social elements, when I instantly thought about chemical elements and so on. The only thing stopping me doing so was the fact I was reading this on a plane
If I could rate a book zero star, it would be this.
I read this ages ago, and in fact I've kept the copy as a benchmark of how terrible a book can get - plus I wouldn't wish it on anyone.
It featured cardboard characters, and a predictable romance. The descriptions of technologies and how encryption works were grossly inaccurate. There was a cliffhanger at the end of every chapter. I also felt insulted on behalf of Spain for the portrayal of Seville in the 90s as some backwater lacking the most basic facilities.
And as that wasn't bad enough, the worst was saved till last. To save the day (or themselves, or the world - I have no recollection of the actual plot), our heroes, all geniuses with IQs > 170 and working for the NSA, need to solve a riddle. The question itself includes massive hints as to what the answer is going to be. But no, these clever folks repeatedly overlook the hints and go off on wild tangents for 30-40 pages at the very least.
Only redeeming feature - and that's actually a result of how basic the writing is - was that it was a quick read.
I read this ages ago, and in fact I've kept the copy as a benchmark of how terrible a book can get - plus I wouldn't wish it on anyone.
It featured cardboard characters, and a predictable romance. The descriptions of technologies and how encryption works were grossly inaccurate. There was a cliffhanger at the end of every chapter. I also felt insulted on behalf of Spain for the portrayal of Seville in the 90s as some backwater lacking the most basic facilities.
And as that wasn't bad enough, the worst was saved till last. To save the day (or themselves, or the world - I have no recollection of the actual plot), our heroes, all geniuses with IQs > 170 and working for the NSA, need to solve a riddle. The question itself includes massive hints as to what the answer is going to be. But no, these clever folks repeatedly overlook the hints and go off on wild tangents for 30-40 pages at the very least.
Only redeeming feature - and that's actually a result of how basic the writing is - was that it was a quick read.
this was an enjoyable read and very well written, I worried it would be too complicated but it wasn't at all, from other reviews apparently some information was incorrect but I wouldn't have known not knowing much about computer coding etc, definitely worth a read :)
Book Club pick!
This was a quick, entertaining read. It was a little dated but with the speed technology changes it was to be expected.
This was a quick, entertaining read. It was a little dated but with the speed technology changes it was to be expected.