Review: The God Particle
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 22, 2014
“The God Particle” is a solid man vs. machine novel that lets you really get into the mind of protagonist Tom Halligan, making the book emotionally-charged and relatable.  It plays out like a movie, with a proper balance of action and personal scenes that bring the plot back to its origin and doesn’t allow it to get too “out there.”  It expertly intertwines fiction with historical facts and events, making the entire plot realistic and relatable (although scary to think about if it could be true!).As someone who is not intensely educated about this science-y subject, I was willing to trust that the facts presented were true, possibly slightly exaggerated for the sake of the book, but if you are someone who wants a 100% accurate representation of nuclear bombs and particles, this may not be the book for you, even though you may find the subject matter fascinating.I liked how author Daniel Danser didn’t focus solely on the nuclear aspects and CERN operations—there were deep insights into other characters and their relationships with each other that made it seem less sci-fi and more down to earth.  This is the quality of a good writer that makes the unbelievable seem believable.  While it does touch upon codes of morality, it definitely does not overwhelm you with it—this book simply offers a unique angle into the power of man over nature and when to draw the line over certain uses of the earth’s products.Bottom line—this book is a surprisingly quick read given its size.  I usually take breaks in between chapters, but each scene so cleanly transfers into the next that I constantly wanted to keep reading, a sign of a terrific writer and topic worth the investment.