Review: Great characters; fun story.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 10, 2011
I currently have more than 20 eBooks on my hard drive, and most of the time I keep starting a book here, a book there, and then taking weeks or months to finish because the stories just can't sustain my interest. This was the first book in I can't even say how long that I read in a single sitting, even though I stayed up until nearly 2:00 am to finish it. I kept wanting to find out what happened next until I was at the last page.I do agree with some of the other reviews here that it's not perfect--Flynn's sexuality is a bit ambiguous and the sudden twist caused by the (alien? magic?) piece of technology felt a bit odd a choice given the larger plot arc of the hunt for a killer. That said, I really loved the way the author handled it. It wasn't that the powers or even Flynn's reaction to them were particularly unusual, but rather the way that the author portrayed the real-world ramifications of having these exceptional abilities. I didn't envy Flynn one bit and I doubt you will either. I also thought the way the two agents' dealt with each other and Flynn's new powers was brilliant and indeed ended up being my favourite aspect of the story.I was also impressed with how well the author showed that being gay, even in San Francisco in the new century, is far from all sweetness and light. Parker's loneliness and gritted teeth-endurance of the constant low-level homophobia felt painfully real. The leitmotif of everyone thinking that Flynn and Parker were already in a relationship was both funny and uncomfortable for much the same reason. That added unexpected and admirable depth to the story.It seems obvious that there will be a sequel, and I'm looking forward to it. I want to find out about that superpower zap device, and the agents still have two murders to solve. :)