Review: A Feast of Thrills With a Side of Science
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 17, 2014
I don't want to say the title is "misleading", but I was certainly expecting something a bit more science in the novel, besides the general premise of the book and the characters/conspiracy. As a huge fan of modern science and the developments of subatomic particle research, I thought that a thriller centering on the Hadron Collider would be right up my street, and I was initially disappointed when it seemed as though "science" was being used more as a literary tool than a legitimately researched and studied element to include in the novel. HOWEVER, once I moved past that fact, I began to thoroughly enjoy the book. First of all, the mysterious characters and the countless unexplained moments early in the book created a tangled narrative from the very beginning, and I read on just to see how Danser was going to be able to unravel this story to make sense for the reader. The allusions to disasters, both actual and imaginary, couched the story in a bit more of a realistic feeling, and the protagonist really was a normal person (aside from being a veritable genius).My initial reservations about the book faded away as I became enraptured by the progression of the plot and the unlikely, but undeniably intriguing, storyline. Clara was enthralling, Tom was amusing and impressive at times, and generally, the book could be read as a horrible warning about our own behaviors in the present, or as a fast-paced, suspenseful romp through an imaginary future. The book was very accessible, which may not have been possible if it had centered more on the "real science". All in all, even if you are a bit fooled by the title, you'll probably love the book all the same. Definitely recommended!