Review: Intense Nailbiter!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 31, 2013
Technology that can control your mind and actions, making you the perfect employee? With a few key strokes, you forget non-essential things, but understand more about your job? That's the reality of the world created in Lisa von Biela's novel, The Genesis Code ! The ultimate weapon for success in a dog-eat-dog world is just a `slice, insert, seal, and tweak' away, according to the egomaniac doctor who has created a small implant chip that is being tried out at OneMarket, a hugely successful tech company run by a power/money hungry CEO. Unfortunately, the `good' doctor neglected to mention the chips have never been tried on humans before, not that it would have mattered to said CEO.Caught up in the middle of this heinous plot is Mark Weston, who, against his better judgment, is just hired to a high-pressure job at OneMarket. It pays extremely well and Mark thrives on challenges, but as time goes on he is in over his head, his marriage is suffering, his health is suffering and he has no life to speak of, outside of the office. When he can no longer sleep well and his job performance starts to slip, he sees the company doctor for a temporary sleeping aid, only to be sedated and have the implant put in without his knowledge. His work performance rapidly soars, but something is horribly wrong with his memory, his temper and his personality is changing. One other employee was tricked into being another guinea pig and he died. As this is revealed to Mark by another doctor at OneMarket, the chip is removed and he is in a fight for his life! Will he make it away from OneMarket alive? Is there permanent damage to his brain? Does he have a future?Lisa von Biela had me on the edge of my seat, with her plausible sci-fi tale! Her attention to details regarding the chip, Mark's job, the pressure he was under and the changes he underwent at the hands of the twisted creator of the chip were nailbitingly gripping! For that, this is a definite 5 star read! What/who led Mark to this job was, well, achingly aggravating and overwrought with drama. His wife's character was melodramatic, bossy, demanding, whiny, and I found myself gritting my teeth every time her dialogue came up. So, I thought, does this mean Ms. Von Biela did an awesome job with her characters? For me, yes and no, the wife was over the top. (minus 1 star) Her sister was amazingly likeable! The writing style is crisp, intense and the pace is often break-neck! (plus.5 stars)A review copy was provided by NetGalley and Darkfuse in exchange for my honest review!Publication Date: February 5, 2013Publisher: DarkfusePaperback ISBN-13: 9781937771768Page Length: 382My Rating: 4.5 Stars