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A review by skylarkochava
Extinction Point by Paul Antony Jones
3.0
The concept is clever and unique (so far as I know). It was a really good idea. The execution was not so great. The story is even pretty well-written. But the details kill it because it pulls you out of the story over and over again because they don't make intuitive (and often known) sense.
Most of the reviews I have looked at focus on the unrealistic preparations. Two serious continuity issues in the beginning were what told me this book would have problems:
1) One page says she's from Iowa. Another says she's from Kansas. (Why else would she only be calling Kansas government offices?)
2) She is described several times as living in a "studio apartment." Her apartment has "a bedroom" with a door that closes (and later we find out it locks). That is not a studio. That is a one bedroom apartment.
These should have been easy continuity checks, so I had the feeling the other details would have been checked equally "well."
But I have to say that the entire transportation "issue" baffles my mind. In a rural area, she would have learned to drive. She would have. And coming from TN to Manhattan myself, there is no way that anyone would ride a bike in this city without being paid really well to do so. It is seriously risking your life and limbs. Primarily because there are very few bike lanes, which the author seems to always describe her riding in. (And those are also dangerous because of pedestrians and insane bike messengers.) Further, Manhattan is over 13 miles long, and NYC is very large. As a reporter, she HAD to go out of "biking range" pretty regularly. And don't even get me started on the car issue after it all goes bad. That is just dumb and no sane person would make that decision. If she was scared of driving before, I see no reason she could be brave enough to face what she faces and still be afraid of driving. Ugh!
Most of the reviews I have looked at focus on the unrealistic preparations. Two serious continuity issues in the beginning were what told me this book would have problems:
1) One page says she's from Iowa. Another says she's from Kansas. (Why else would she only be calling Kansas government offices?)
2) She is described several times as living in a "studio apartment." Her apartment has "a bedroom" with a door that closes (and later we find out it locks). That is not a studio. That is a one bedroom apartment.
These should have been easy continuity checks, so I had the feeling the other details would have been checked equally "well."
But I have to say that the entire transportation "issue" baffles my mind. In a rural area, she would have learned to drive. She would have. And coming from TN to Manhattan myself, there is no way that anyone would ride a bike in this city without being paid really well to do so. It is seriously risking your life and limbs. Primarily because there are very few bike lanes, which the author seems to always describe her riding in. (And those are also dangerous because of pedestrians and insane bike messengers.) Further, Manhattan is over 13 miles long, and NYC is very large. As a reporter, she HAD to go out of "biking range" pretty regularly. And don't even get me started on the car issue after it all goes bad. That is just dumb and no sane person would make that decision. If she was scared of driving before, I see no reason she could be brave enough to face what she faces and still be afraid of driving. Ugh!