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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
A ripping high-tech political yarn
Fast-paced, well-written, interesting and scientifically sound political sci-fi.
Good enough that I'm keen to read the rest of the series.
A bit 'US rides in and saves the day', but it's hard to find any sci-fi these days that doesn't place the US at the centre of the universe.
Good effort. Not a classic, but a pleasant diversion.
Fast-paced, well-written, interesting and scientifically sound political sci-fi.
Good enough that I'm keen to read the rest of the series.
A bit 'US rides in and saves the day', but it's hard to find any sci-fi these days that doesn't place the US at the centre of the universe.
Good effort. Not a classic, but a pleasant diversion.
Not bad for a first time, self-published author, but definitely not what I would call a good book. I had the persistent feeling that I was reading the mid-draft of a script for a made for TV action movie. It had an interesting plot which kept me turning the pages, but it all felt kind of silly and hard to take too seriously. Grumley did a good job introducing characters, but seemed to struggle with continuing the characterization as the plot continued, especially in scenes with dialogue. There was also little attempt to flesh out characters with flaws: the bad characters were bad guys, and the good characters were good, and everybody was fairly one-dimensional. Descriptions felt very generic and full of unironic tropes.
I can see Grumley has written more since this was published and I am sure his writing has improved with feedback and experience. I'm not judging him too harshly for the flaws in this book as a first time writer, just giving what I hope is constructive feedback on where there is room for improvement.
I can see Grumley has written more since this was published and I am sure his writing has improved with feedback and experience. I'm not judging him too harshly for the flaws in this book as a first time writer, just giving what I hope is constructive feedback on where there is room for improvement.
Excellent intersecting plot lines and decent character development. As a first novel it bodes very well for the author and I look forward to watching him develop his craft.
A thrill ride
Breakthrough is an entertaining thrill ride of a book. A little light on the research, but still fun. Sci-fi meets politics in a good read with dolphins. What's not to like? Did I mention dolphins?
Breakthrough is an entertaining thrill ride of a book. A little light on the research, but still fun. Sci-fi meets politics in a good read with dolphins. What's not to like? Did I mention dolphins?
I loved the beautiful combination of mystery, corruption, biology, and sci-fi. Very well done--reminds me of James Rollins.
I was lucky enough to grab this book when it was free on Amazon. I am never quite sure what I am going to get for a free book. This one was a great surprise. Well written, action packed, surprises, good science (except maybe for the glacier) and just plain fun. It did remind me of the early days of,Cussler and Dirk Pitt. I would like to read more of this author, and see his characters grow. Well done! And I highly recommend it!
How am I just now hearing about [a:Michael C. Grumley|7141003|Michael C. Grumley|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1377571506p2/7141003.jpg]? This guy writes old school adventure sci-fi like a boss! Reading Breakthrough made me reminiscent for some of my old favorites like [b:The Swarm|68146|The Swarm|Frank Schätzing|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1442648971s/68146.jpg|66048], [b:Beast|825282|Beast|Peter Benchley|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1470055296s/825282.jpg|926233], and [b:Jurassic Park|6424171|Jurassic Park (Jurassic Park, #1)|Michael Crichton|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1344371661s/6424171.jpg|3376836].
Does all the science add up? Pish posh, of course not, but who cares? It works. Does it make for a great story, where you cheer on the heroes, cry for the innocents, and hold your breath when something goes boom? Yes, yes, and YES!
On my TBR short list there are a few novels waiting, including some from some potentially wonderful indie authors, but darn it all, they'll have to wait. I have Book 2 ([b:Leap|22798216|Leap (Breakthrough, #2)|Michael C. Grumley|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1455998935s/22798216.jpg|42346602]) and Book 3 ([b:Catalyst|27858849|Catalyst (Breakthrough, #3)|Michael C. Grumley|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1447916275s/27858849.jpg|47847696]) here in front of me, and I...can't...help...myself. It's like an addiction.
I have this overwhelming urge to go watch "The Poseidon Adventure" now. And maybe "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea", if I can dig up that ancient series somewhere. I need to revisit my old adventure sci-fi roots. Where can I find old episodes of "Flipper"?
Does all the science add up? Pish posh, of course not, but who cares? It works. Does it make for a great story, where you cheer on the heroes, cry for the innocents, and hold your breath when something goes boom? Yes, yes, and YES!
On my TBR short list there are a few novels waiting, including some from some potentially wonderful indie authors, but darn it all, they'll have to wait. I have Book 2 ([b:Leap|22798216|Leap (Breakthrough, #2)|Michael C. Grumley|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1455998935s/22798216.jpg|42346602]) and Book 3 ([b:Catalyst|27858849|Catalyst (Breakthrough, #3)|Michael C. Grumley|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1447916275s/27858849.jpg|47847696]) here in front of me, and I...can't...help...myself. It's like an addiction.
I have this overwhelming urge to go watch "The Poseidon Adventure" now. And maybe "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea", if I can dig up that ancient series somewhere. I need to revisit my old adventure sci-fi roots. Where can I find old episodes of "Flipper"?