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mirpallo's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
mattgorski's review against another edition
1.0
I didn't finish it.
Normally I like Robin Cooks books. I didn't like his writing about the Japanese or US Mafia's. Those parts just didn't ring true. The ME parts were bogged down in the characters ambivalence about work/family balance.
I wanted to rate this a no-star, but then it looks like I didn't rate it. So, one star is the worst.
Normally I like Robin Cooks books. I didn't like his writing about the Japanese or US Mafia's. Those parts just didn't ring true. The ME parts were bogged down in the characters ambivalence about work/family balance.
I wanted to rate this a no-star, but then it looks like I didn't rate it. So, one star is the worst.
janicerm79's review against another edition
1.0
Too much organized crime. Not enough medicine. Much slower paced than the Robin Cook that I'm used to.
isadoramartha's review against another edition
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
The consistency of the writing isn't very good. And the end of the book is completely different than the rest if it. It's hard to explain without giving any spoilers, but the book could have ended sooner.
kelseyum's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Way too confusing to follow
everstormseve's review
1.0
Did not finish. Between the literal three pages worth of key characters (many of whom had names starting with the same letters), the very forced “show-don’t-tell” method of explaining medical information (instead of just explaining it to the reader, a doofus conveniently walks into the room so that the main character can patiently dumb it down), and the uninteresting plot, I couldn’t be bothered to keep going.
ivorymusic82's review
2.0
Kidnapping, dead bodies, the Mob and the Yakuza?! This book had the recipe for being great but fell short. It did pick up towards the end, but just could not keep my interest.
juggernaut's review against another edition
4.0
The story is not so convoluted as some readers have written in their reviews. I feel that the plot and narration could have been better. But it is not a major flaw. I have read Vector by Robin Cook , in which Jack and Laurie were just friends. I have not read any book inbetween in this series. But still the characters are bit familiar. But Jack is pushed back to make room for Laurie. It was a bit reversal of roles compared to Vector.
The story has a Epilogue that touches upon the real theme of the novel. The failure of governemnet to control medical field becoming a profit-mongering business, the flawed educational and market system that makes students compete in term of financial gains instead of professional excellence. The educational loan that puts extra pressure on students to look for courses that allows them to earn more to pay back their loans, the flawed patent system that allows even genes to be patented and the lack of universal healthcare and failure to nationalize inventions/discoveries that are funded by government and allowing private players to exploit these scientific progress for their profit are laid as reasons for the events in the novel. Also the novel talks about the state of current pharma companies, health insurance companies, hospitals etc are not having serving people as their goal but profit is their goal. Serving people is just a secondary goal or unintended side-effect in most cases. The author doesn't make this theme recurring throughout the plot but gives it only few paragraphs. Whether it is to keep the plot with least ditraction or not to offend the readers with capitalistic mindset, I don't know.
https://techmusicnmore.blogspot.in/2016/04/why-patenting-genes-is-wrong.html
https://techmusicnmore.blogspot.in/2016/04/a-story-of-innovations.html
https://techmusicnmore.blogspot.in/2016/02/confessions-of-cauliflower-cultivator.html
The story has a Epilogue that touches upon the real theme of the novel. The failure of governemnet to control medical field becoming a profit-mongering business, the flawed educational and market system that makes students compete in term of financial gains instead of professional excellence. The educational loan that puts extra pressure on students to look for courses that allows them to earn more to pay back their loans, the flawed patent system that allows even genes to be patented and the lack of universal healthcare and failure to nationalize inventions/discoveries that are funded by government and allowing private players to exploit these scientific progress for their profit are laid as reasons for the events in the novel. Also the novel talks about the state of current pharma companies, health insurance companies, hospitals etc are not having serving people as their goal but profit is their goal. Serving people is just a secondary goal or unintended side-effect in most cases. The author doesn't make this theme recurring throughout the plot but gives it only few paragraphs. Whether it is to keep the plot with least ditraction or not to offend the readers with capitalistic mindset, I don't know.
https://techmusicnmore.blogspot.in/2016/04/why-patenting-genes-is-wrong.html
https://techmusicnmore.blogspot.in/2016/04/a-story-of-innovations.html
https://techmusicnmore.blogspot.in/2016/02/confessions-of-cauliflower-cultivator.html
shells's review against another edition
1.0
I'm not even sure if I read a fictional story here, or a drawn out medical examiner's report.
Too much minutiae. Characters that were simply one dimensional and uninteresting. The main character acted like a child most of the time. Dialogue that was also mind baffling juvenile at times, very often stilted, and lacking emotional depth. Character reactions to situations were just wrong. Even the title doesn't fit the book.
The plot was laid out in such a manner that there really was no point in reading the entire book. I did though, I figured with so many books under his belt, there had to be a reason and maybe the book would get better. Clearly I was mistaken.
Too much minutiae. Characters that were simply one dimensional and uninteresting. The main character acted like a child most of the time. Dialogue that was also mind baffling juvenile at times, very often stilted, and lacking emotional depth. Character reactions to situations were just wrong. Even the title doesn't fit the book.
The plot was laid out in such a manner that there really was no point in reading the entire book. I did though, I figured with so many books under his belt, there had to be a reason and maybe the book would get better. Clearly I was mistaken.