Top positive review
4.0 out of 5 starsfun quick read
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 26, 2022
I have had this book on my read list for years and finally got around to it. Now maybe I’ll even watch the movie.
It’s a good story. It’s quick, fast paced and though there is a lot of scientific data thrown at you, it’s fairly easy to comprehend what they are talking about with it.
I especially enjoyed that this was set in the 60’s. The explanations of the newest scientific methods of the time were being used, though maybe not as thorough as they hoped they’d were. Introductions of medicines, treatments, not to mention what the normal populace considered using, even being told it was detrimental to their health - such as a bottle of aspirin a day and using ‘squeeze’. I’d heard of people using Sterno this way, but it was the first I’d heard of how it was done. Sounds horrible, but it amazes me what people will choose to do, if it works for them, in the short term. I liked how the medical doctor just took this information in stride, even contemplating if it was part of the cure in some way.
The science and drama in this story were superbly done and kept me interested in reading. I started and finished this book in a 24 hour period. That’s not uncommon for me, but it does mean it was a good read, otherwise it would have taken a day or two longer. I didn’t want to put this down.
The only issue I had with the writing was minor. The story read as happening currently as it was written just set in the 60’s. Then the author would post foreshadowing comments, such as saying one of the scientists of the project would fail to notice something until so much later. I don’t mind foreshadowing, but I prefer a more subtle approach. If this is supposed to be read as a report after the fact, it doesn’t start that way or through many sections throughout.
Still a great read and a fun story.
