Review: well-researched
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 14, 2011
Main CharactersDr. Carl Peters is the main focus of the short story. He struggles to keep his research funding going for his scientific studies while trying to keep his wife from leaving him. Peters is what you'd expect from a biologist, smart and very obsessed with his work. He knows his marriage is walking an extremely thin tighrope, but he just can't seem to be pull himself away from his research.I found Peters to be a believable character and one that we can all most likely relate to in some way. There are times when your loves, whether it be your work or your hobbies seem to take a life of their own. We then are so immersed in what we are doing that the people around us suffer for it, whether we mean for them to or not. It's that characteristic that makes it easy for the reader to follow the doctor along during his discoveries.Dr. Peters' friend and assistant, Jim Glover is a PhD candidate assisting the doctor with his research. Glover is a bit more practical and realistic than his boss. He is interested in the work, but appears to have a better balance on things than his superior while maintaining his enthusiasm.PlotWhat drew me to wanting to read this story was the fact that it surrounded the controversy of GM food, veganism and conspiracy. Being a vegan myself and having a great interest in what's in my food, my interest was piqued to see what the author brought to the table.Gaughran did a good job with getting into the discussion about genetically modified food versus the government. A lot of potential theory or ideas are put out there, but he doesn't appear to push any sort of agenda or his line of thinking on the reader. It's fiction meets reality in a well written and told way. Gaughran knows the topic, and that is important. It's obvious he does care about the story that he is telling.WritingThe story's basis is well researched, which is a big plus. Sure, there are theories and such thrown out there, but this is a work of fiction. For me, when a writer has obviously put a lot of work into not just his style, but knowing what he's writing about, I have a good deal of respect for him. It takes a good writer to write a good tale of course, but it also takes a lot to do the hard work involved in building that story.OverallI would definitely recommend this short story for anyone interested in government conspiracy or corruption adventures. It's a quick read that will make you think. My mind was a whirl after I finished it. I look forward to checking out more of the author's work in the future.Rating4.5 out of 5 starsReview by: Shannon of Sift Book ReviewsSift Book Reviews received a free copy for review from the author. This has, in no way, affected the reviewer's opinion.