Review: Good, but unsatisfying
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 12 5, 2011
--from Red Adept Reviews--I received The Device, by Patrick Skelton, as a review copy submitted to "Red Adept Reviews" by the author.Description from author's website:Overall: 3 1/4 StarsPlot/Storyline: 3 StarsI love the beginning of this novel. It folds you into the action and explains everything you need to know without distracting from events. But I found myself waiting...and waiting...for the science fiction to kick in. The author does a (too) thorough job of shrouding potential sci fi events in mystery and apathy. The greater portion of the novel's events are left to deal with John's interpersonal relations, memories and medical conditions.When all begins to be revealed, it's both sudden and overdue.The main portion of the novel contains a steady, easy-to-maintain pace. I didn't sense much uptick as the conclusion neared, possibly as a consequence of such a thoroughly self-absorbed first person POV. The last three chapters felt jumbled, a collection of several disparate story elements swept together at the end instead of placed neatly like the rest of the novel's events. It didn't deliver a satisfying end, and I never found the "frightening climax" the blurb promised.Character Development: 4 StarsThis novel was written from a first person POV, so it makes sense that John's character is the most developed. Everything from his obsession with past events to his inability to carry through with large changes to his life helps reinforce his troubled existence.Other characters have much smaller roles, but all are well-crafted, and most remain consistent and true to character. Sam's good-old-boy bossiness is a joy to read. Dr. Elberton's superior attitude makes him seem larger-than-life, despite his brief appearance. Linford Daniels' political statements on global warming are hilariously infuriating, inviting many a facepalm.The story wouldn't have happened if John hadn't picked up the Device, but I found his persistence in trying to retrieve it from its difficult-to-reach location to be unbelievable and out of character. It went against all the other times he failed to follow through when given a new direction to pursue.Writing Style: 3 1/2 StarsI love Mr. Skelton's writing style. It is immersive without becoming boggy. Dialogue is emotive and character-specific: Jacob's speech patterns told me he was a well-educated man before events confirmed it. Sentences are crisp, with a clean feel of moving forward. The world of the protagonist, shown through first person, was my world. The tone of the character's outlook on life is consistent and thoroughly colors the novel's events.On the opposite side of that coin is the odd feeling that important things are passing me by, and John just doesn't care. Lisa, the love interest, didn't quite feel like she got a fair shake. Some critical features of her relationship with John are mentioned only in passing or in retrospect. Other items in the novel seem to waft past in the background. Two special gifts given to the protagonist are ignored nearly the full length of the plot.The Device itself is hardly in this book at all; the main character lets another party have it for ten years. During the denouement, John falls back on his inertia, and the end of the book seems to happen without him, which did not seem to be the intent of the story.It's unclear what the novel's perspective on global warming is. Strong opinions are voiced, but between plot developments and character associations, the issue is muddied.Editing: 3 1/2 starsMr. Skelton's writing style is very polished and easy to read...except for its bumper crop of spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPaG) errors. The first fourth of the novel has been scrubbed of typos, as if putting its best foot forward for the online sample, but after that the errors show up regularly. A thorough editing read-through could improve the reading experience greatly.Personal Enjoyment: 2 1/2 starsReading this book felt like watching a movie whose trailer touted it as the next Matrix, and finding it instead to be a deeply emotional Hallmark film narrated by Jeff Bridges. It wasn't a bad story, necessarily--it was just focused on entirely different issues than the blurb led me to believe. Readers take their cue from book blurbs to determine whether they'll be interested in the themes within. This blurb was highly misleading for me, and as a result, I spent too much time wondering when the "real" story would start and not enough enjoying the story that was presented.