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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This seems more like a spec script for a big sci-fi blockbuster than a novel; that is to say, entertaining but not necessarily substantive. I enjoyed reading it but found myself distracted by the world-building Michel does through infinitesimal details.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Cursing, Gore, Gun violence, Blood, Medical content, Murder, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, Drug use, Terminal illness
Minor: Sexual content, Vomit, Police brutality, Death of parent
I LOVED this!! Sci-fi, dystopian, mystery/thriller
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Cynerware future where most people have cybernetic body parts or are enhanced by hormones other chemicals. Deals with effects on baseball, which is now owned by big pharma and used to test new enhancements on players. Tried to be a noir mystery in all of this but was t very satisfying in either genre.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I think the setting of The Body Scout could be an adaptation for an HBO series. This was so, so rich in its world-building and imagery - you can tell Michel has thought deeply about the quirks and qualities of this futuristic New York City ravaged by climate, plague and rampant body editing. As I read, I kept thinking of the movie Blade Runner 2049 and its visual effects. I also really like the characterization of the main lead. He's gritty and darkly complex, but still the traditional "good guy" of the story.
Where this book loses points is in the mystery that defines the entire plotline (as set out in the book blurb). It is kind of predictable, and not super engaging. There's no twist, and honestly not a lot of suspense. A better mystery could have hit this out of the park.
3.5 stars!
I voluntarily obtained a digital version of this book free from Netgalley and Orbit Books in exchange for an honest review.
Where this book loses points is in the mystery that defines the entire plotline (as set out in the book blurb). It is kind of predictable, and not super engaging. There's no twist, and honestly not a lot of suspense. A better mystery could have hit this out of the park.
3.5 stars!
I voluntarily obtained a digital version of this book free from Netgalley and Orbit Books in exchange for an honest review.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I am not typically one for a sports kind of novel, but apparently if you mix it with some sci-fi, some mystery, and just a touch of thriller, I'm all in. The Body Scout was a gritty and intriguing read from the get go. It took me a little bit of time to understand the basics of the world-building in this dystopian focusing on body modification and genetic alteration, but once I was buckled in, the ride was a solid one.
Michel's writing is something you would expect in a dark crime novel, a kind of "just the facts, ma'am" approach, but with a nice atmospheric rounding. The world is fantastically constructed and clear, easily having me believe the possibilities of this futuristic world. There is no dawdling in the plot and every scene makes sense to the continuation of the story. The characters are diverse and interesting, with the message of a world where everyone is out for themselves and a buck painted incredibly clearly.
There is a lot of baseball in here, but it worked for me all the same. The mystery, the scheming, and the business/medical/political intrigue took over enough that it really didn't matter that there was a central sports focus. That being said, true baseball fans will definitely get even more satisfaction out of this read. I enjoyed the societal commentary and how the entire economic system has taken over all aspects of life. Sponsorships have run amok. Instead of just the stadiums being named after companies, they have purchased entire teams. These big money players run the world and control day-to-day life. Everything feels like a big commercial. It's grim, but a very appropriate extrapolation of how things could easily progress.
I really had a good time with my read. I could definitely do with more from this world or just more from Michel in general. I enjoyed the writing style and the construction.
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *
Michel's writing is something you would expect in a dark crime novel, a kind of "just the facts, ma'am" approach, but with a nice atmospheric rounding. The world is fantastically constructed and clear, easily having me believe the possibilities of this futuristic world. There is no dawdling in the plot and every scene makes sense to the continuation of the story. The characters are diverse and interesting, with the message of a world where everyone is out for themselves and a buck painted incredibly clearly.
There is a lot of baseball in here, but it worked for me all the same. The mystery, the scheming, and the business/medical/political intrigue took over enough that it really didn't matter that there was a central sports focus. That being said, true baseball fans will definitely get even more satisfaction out of this read. I enjoyed the societal commentary and how the entire economic system has taken over all aspects of life. Sponsorships have run amok. Instead of just the stadiums being named after companies, they have purchased entire teams. These big money players run the world and control day-to-day life. Everything feels like a big commercial. It's grim, but a very appropriate extrapolation of how things could easily progress.
I really had a good time with my read. I could definitely do with more from this world or just more from Michel in general. I enjoyed the writing style and the construction.
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *
A decent read. The Body Scout was certainly entertaining albeit pretty predictable. There are lots of little things that really annoy me about this book. First off, I do not think the author is that big of a baseball fan. Which is kind of a big deal being that the book is centered largely around the game. Just subtle things like calling a pitchers pitch a ‘throw’ or describing the act of pitching as ‘throwing.’ There were a few instances where the word ‘throw’ should have been replaced with ‘pitch’ and it would have made the whole book sound more accurate. Also there is minor part in the book I had to re read several times because it made no sense. The batter definitely got 4 strikes at the plate. The author must think a foul ball (with less than 2 strikes) constitutes a ball. Because the sequence went something like foul ball, strike, ball, strike, strike and then the batter was called out. I could be remembering that incorrectly it could have been the batter was walked on 3 balls. Either way I remembered re reading it several times and deducing the author must think a foul ball is marked as a ball. It was the only way to make it make sense. So that was definitely off. Also something I found very annoying were the names. Terrible names that did not pop off the page and were a slog the read. Especially the main characters brother JJ Zunz. Mostly referred to as just ‘Zunz.’ This name just feels awkward when you read it and I have no idea how it’s supposed to be pronounced. I just assumed it’s pronounced ‘Zunes’ but who knows it’s never explained. It’s just a bad clunky name and I think the author thinks it sounds futuristic but honestly it’s just bad. Other than that it was decent. Wasn’t a huge fan of the dialogue. Very cheesy. The whole book is cheesy but sometimes that’s fun. I thought I was really going to hate it at the beginning when the author said someone’s eyes were wide like a pair of pop flys. Just over reaching on baseball similes that don’t make sense. Ended up being a pretty engaging book and I enjoyed it for the most part. Just hard to get through some parts.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated