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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
2.5 stars from me.
I love sci-fi. I love baseball. I love mysteries. I love good writing.
But I, apparently, do NOT love the world of cybernetics. Because this book is disgusting. I almost put it down so many times because of the constant, graphic descriptions of gross things. Fluids oozing, mechanical parts breaking, drugs and spit (so much spit) and blood. The only reason I even made it through the book was because I have aphantasia and don't picture anything as I read. Even with my lack of a "mind's eye", the knowledge of what was happening was enough to make me queasy.
Michel is not a bad writer, but the plot takes way too long to become engaging and moving. Instead there are endless chapters where the main character is just... existing, living a purpose-less life in the dark about the mystery as much as we are.
If you read Ready Player One, you understand - in that book, the author does the same thing, just spends endless time showing off his world of the 80's and it is only near the end that the plot gets moving. This had the same pacing problem.
I had to force myself to finish it because it is already overdue at the library by 2 weeks, but also I DID finish it and not abandon it which is a point in its favor.
If you love oozing and addictions and blood and guts and vices and every form of twisted, dystopian nihilism, this might be for you. Otherwise select another option.
I love sci-fi. I love baseball. I love mysteries. I love good writing.
But I, apparently, do NOT love the world of cybernetics. Because this book is disgusting. I almost put it down so many times because of the constant, graphic descriptions of gross things. Fluids oozing, mechanical parts breaking, drugs and spit (so much spit) and blood. The only reason I even made it through the book was because I have aphantasia and don't picture anything as I read. Even with my lack of a "mind's eye", the knowledge of what was happening was enough to make me queasy.
Michel is not a bad writer, but the plot takes way too long to become engaging and moving. Instead there are endless chapters where the main character is just... existing, living a purpose-less life in the dark about the mystery as much as we are.
If you read Ready Player One, you understand - in that book, the author does the same thing, just spends endless time showing off his world of the 80's and it is only near the end that the plot gets moving. This had the same pacing problem.
I had to force myself to finish it because it is already overdue at the library by 2 weeks, but also I DID finish it and not abandon it which is a point in its favor.
If you love oozing and addictions and blood and guts and vices and every form of twisted, dystopian nihilism, this might be for you. Otherwise select another option.
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5 stars.
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. *
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. *
No va a quedar como uno de mis libros favoritos, porque me resulta un poco desagradable y porque el baseball ni lo entiendo ni me interesa, pero es ciencia-ficción de la mejor, no sé si cyberpunk o biopunk o algo entre medio, aparte de una novela detectivesca más que decente.
At first I enjoyed sinking in to every detail of the world, but I soon realized the backdrop didn't really add anything or matter too much. It's the old show not tell saying, I enjoy when authors let us learn about the world through the characters interactions, not an info dump, this was definitely the info dump variety. Still, the plot itself was interesting, even if you don't care about baseball. I enjoyed it the most at the beginning and less as it was amping up. There always seems to be action and fast paced danger sections that don't interest me in books with mysteries it seems, but it was an enjoyable read. I all the ideas and side notes about this future seem worth pursuing, and if the characters actually interacted with what we got a lecture on this would have been even better for me, but for a book about scouting and body augmentation in professional sports I did what it was supposed to do. Very unique.
Big Pharma takes over Major League Baseball (and everything else) and leans heavily into performance enhancing drugs. Our protagonist, after watching his superstar stepbrother die, live mid-game, sets out to find out what happened and thereby hangs the rest of the tale. Entertaining and I'll look for another one by Mr. Michel.
а вот чудный киберпанк. горячо любимый жанр в формате кино, но в литературе работающий как-то не очень: все эти техно-чудеса хочется видеть, а не представлять. тут ещё и все замешано на бейсболе, что в моем представлении книге очков не должно добавлять вообще никак. но не фига: бойкая, захватывающая, набитая клевыми деталями история, по которой если эти дураки ещё не снимают фильм, то не знаю чем они там вообще занимаются.
Neat stuff, and now I'm even more eager to read Amy Webb's forthcoming book on biotech!
dark
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes