Published Date:
April 3, 2012
Published Format: Hardcover
Published Format: Hardcover
Publisher:
Viking Canada Hardcover
Source: Penguin Canada
Received Format:
ARC
Pages:
352
Age: 18
& +
On the eve of a secret military operation, an assassin's bullet strikes President Seth Jerrison. He is rushed to the hospital, where surgeons struggle to save his life.
At the same hospital, researcher Dr. Ranjip Singh is experimenting with a
device that can erase traumatic memories.
Then a terrorist bomb detonates. In the operating room, the president suffers cardiac arrest. He has a near-death experience-but the memories that flash through Jerrison's mind are not his memories.
It quickly becomes clear that the electromagnetic pulse generated by the bomb amplified and scrambled Dr. Singh's equipment, allowing a random group of people to access one another's minds.
And now one of those people has access to the president's memories- including classified information regarding the upcoming military mission, which, if revealed, could cost countless lives. But the task of determining who has switched memories with whom is a daunting one- particularly when some of the people involved have reason to lie...
Then a terrorist bomb detonates. In the operating room, the president suffers cardiac arrest. He has a near-death experience-but the memories that flash through Jerrison's mind are not his memories.
It quickly becomes clear that the electromagnetic pulse generated by the bomb amplified and scrambled Dr. Singh's equipment, allowing a random group of people to access one another's minds.
And now one of those people has access to the president's memories- including classified information regarding the upcoming military mission, which, if revealed, could cost countless lives. But the task of determining who has switched memories with whom is a daunting one- particularly when some of the people involved have reason to lie...
My Thoughts:
All I can do is bow and applause for Mr. Robert J. Sawyer.
His writing is just pure gold. I don't have to force myself into his novel; his novel just sucked me in. Haha, I totally imagined one of his sci-fi action scene where I'm being dragged into this book but that's how I felt reading his book.
Robert was able to write from so many point of views but still able to connect
and make each character distinct. He never left one hanging, he perfected every
single one of the characters. It reminded me of Michael Grant's writing where
though there are so many characters, each one was explained and developed.
Beautiful!
There
were different parts to the story, each focusing on different characters. I
don't know which one I loved more, all of then was amazing. When one ended, I
felt sadly but then just I start the next part, I loved it and didn't want that
one to end. It is hard to describe but that's how I felt. Susan, the lead of
the Secret Service is so kick-ass! I just want to high five her! Gosh I wish
every single female character in books can be like that. It almost reminds of
Game of Thrones, how all the females are major kick-ass characters! Woot!
And when
I say this book has it all, I mean it.
It has a romantic side with the characters Eric Redekop and Janis Falconi. But
the story also have a more suspenseful part with the assassination. This
pleases both sides of my interests. Plus it gave me a break between the two
type. With the alternation between the two "styles", it made me crave
each one more instead of boring me out with too much of one side. While reading
this book, I had so many different type of emotions running through me. In some
parts, it was so intense that I probably didn't breath, and in other parts, my
heart broke and in some other parts I laughed. This book was a ride on a
rollercoaster. And at the end, I felt so good like I accomplished something. I
love how each chapter are decided into chunks so the chapters don't seem long
and boring. :)
When the book went into the science/quantum mechanics of this phenomena, I learnt so much.
I am kind of a geek to science plus it reminded me of the TV show Fringe.
This prompt me to think that this book would be an amazing movie! When I read this book, it kind of gets me a little squeal-ish. It reminds me of the time when I watch Justice League on TV. the action, the planning, the unexpected. I loved all the little codes and tricks! You probably won't understand what I'm taking about, but trust me, you will feel like you are learning from a spy. Mr Sawyer, were you are Secret Service agent?
Everything just fits so perfectly. I don't know what to say other than the fact that I am absolutely, indefinitely in LOVE with this book. So goodbye money, hello Robert J Sawyer books!
Okay, there are definitely graphic, descriptive scenes. For example, a car crash and a certain someone kind of had to perform surgery. Yeah, I don't really have the stomach for the details but that is just me. Just a warning for those people who are scream-ish about blood and cutting people open, though it is just 2-3 paragraphs long. :)
The ending felt a bit rushed, in the sense where you feel like you had been cheated. All the things started to collide together too fast that you don't see everything. It was a bit confusing. I remember reading it and saying "What? Really? That's it?". Things unravelled so fast that I didn't have the time to comprehend and it was over, it was unrealistic. It kind of reminded me the ending of the TV show LOST. nothing lead up to the last episode. It was "random" but it did end everything. I remember finishing that last episode and had to sit and ponder. This book made me do that. Brilliant! So beautiful, so touching, so inspiring!
P.S. I loved all the Canadian references! The Heritage Minutes got me! I loved it! I totally knew what he was talking about.
P.P.S. I did found something that didn't fit in the story. Okay, either Robert implies that Obama wouldn't be in office long or his story has a loop hole. Since in this story, Obama precedes Jerrison, but the technologies in the book is not futuristic, in fact it is a little outdated. By that I don't mean I expected flying cars but the technologies were still iPad and Nooks. Shouldn't the technologies be like iPad 5 or something since iPad 3 came out already. Unless Robert believes that Obama wouldn't be in office for long. I'm not judging him for maybe thinking that, I don't even care much about American politics. It is just that little fact can make the story more "real". It is just something to think about. Heck, perhaps this wouldn't even happen in the finish copy. Okay, yeah I should end my little OCD thought.
This book totally deserved a full-priced buy! 5 fires out of 5!
Robert J. Sawyer was born in Ottawa and lives in Mississauga. He has won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards for best novel.Follow Robert on Twitter.
Follow Robert on his blog.
Add Robert on Facebook.
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Join Robert on his book tour for events in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Waterloo, Hamilton, and Ottawa:
- Official Book Launch Party!
Dominion on Queen
500 Queen Street East
Toronto, Ontario
(in conjunction with but not at Bakka Phoenix Books)
Tuesday, April 3, 2012 at 7:00 p.m.Dominion on Queen
- Signing & Talk
John M. Harper Branch Library
500 Fischer-Hallman Road North
Waterloo, Ontario
(in conjunction with but not at Words Worth Books)
Wednesday, April 4, 2012, at 7:00 p.m.
- Signing & Talk
Fish Creek Library Branch
11161 Bonaventure Drive SE
Calgary, Alberta
(in conjunction with but not at Pages on Kensington Books)
Tuesday, April 10, 2012 7:00 p.m.CPL: Fish Creek Branch
- Signing & Talk
Audreys Books
10702 Jasper Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta
Wednesday, April 11, 2012 at 7:00 p.m.audreys.ca
- Signing & Talk
W2 Media Café
111 W Hastings Street
Vancouver, British Columbia
(in conjunction with but not at White Dwarf Books)
Thursday, April 12, 2012, 7:30 p.m.w2-media-cafe
- Signing & Talk
Mysterious Galaxy
2810 Artesia Blvd.
Redondo Beach (Los Angeles), California
Wednesday, April 18, 2012 at 7:30 p.m.Mysterious Galaxy
- Signing & Talk
McNally Robinson
1120 Grant Avenue
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Saturday, April 21, 2012 at 2:00 p.m.McNally Robinson
- Signing & Talk
Hamilton Public Library
Central Branch
55 York Street
Hamilton, Ontario
(in conjunction with but not at Bryan Prince Booksellers)
Thursday, April 26, 2012 at 7:00 p.m.Hamilton Public Library
- Guest Writer
Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo
Calgary, Alberta
April 27-29, 2012CalgaryExpo
- Signing & Talk
Clock Tower Brew Pub
575 Bank Street
Ottawa, Ontario
(in conjunction with but not at Perfect Books)
Wednesday, May 2, 2012 at 7:30 p.m.Clock Tower Brew Pub
- Reading & Signing
SF in SF (Science Fiction in San Francisco)
The Variety Preview Room
582 Market St. at Montgomery
(1st floor of The Hobart Building)
San Francisco, California
(in conjunction with but not at Borderlands Books)
Thursday, June 21, 2012, at 7:00 p.m.sfinsf.org
I love the concept of this book!
ReplyDeleteWow I am so glad that you LOVED this book!! I always like seeing that a fellow reviewer got to love what they read!!
ReplyDelete"Follow via GFC" Don't know what GFC is and I am not going to press any button unless I do.
ReplyDeleteIt means Google Friend Connect :) The widget is right above my Networked Blog widget on the left side of the blog. :)
DeleteI've read several of Rob Swayer's books in the past and I can say he is a consisently good author -- something that you don't always find with sci-fi authors I've found. I wasn't even aware he had a new book out and until I checked the website for a literary radio show I try to keep up with, The Book Report, and this popped up as one of the books to be reviewed this week -- its aired on AM radio, but I tend to stream it from their website when I can. Either way, I've glad to find a new book to add to me summer reading list :)
ReplyDeleteJudging by the review, this sounds like a great read! @ Vanessa - just checked out the The Book Report. I see they are previewing the audio book this week. After this stunning review and the countless others I've seen, I'll certainly be streaming that broadcast. Fantastic! :)
ReplyDelete