Review: Great Geek Chic Nerd Literature
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 8, 2013
As usual I received this book for free but not for the usual reasons.  Despite losing the GoodReads drawing for this book I was able to wheedle a free copy out of the author anyway.  This is proof of the author's bravery if nothing else as I did warn her that I am a profusely harsh critic.  Much like Schrodinger's cat though, one will never know if the critic is good or evil until you open the box.The summary here is pretty straightforward.  Tibbs' novel gives us a classic example of Geek Chic nerd literature.  A very diverse group of young adults gets together to use their various talents to solve a significant societal problem.  They use scientific instruments, collect data, spout all sorts of tech speak (which is NOT the usual made up mumbo-jumbo, it should be noted) and do generally what scientists do.  The details of this are left as an exercise to the reader in order that a sense of suspense will be maintained.On the positive side, Ms. Tibbs has written one of the few novels in my recollection that uses science without totally bunking it up.  There are some parts that feel a bit soft but you have none of the usual sense that the text was written with the banal Lorem Ipsum of [INSERT TECH HERE] rumored to have been in use for Star Trek scripts.  The author knows what she's talking about.  It's also endlessly refreshing that the author has included an overtly religious character who doesn't miraculously manage to convert all the "heathens" by the end of the book.  All the actors interact and manage to learn from each other but the places they each end up psychologically is very credible and realistic.  The book also has an interesting thread running through it in terms of science's responsibility to society.  While this is not overly emphasized, it is important and thought provoking.To the negative, for all the author's obvious skill above, the story seems rather whitewashed.  I can't say much here without constituting plot spoilage but suffice to say that the whole story seemed unbalanced to the glowing and positive side of the proverbial ledger.  Sure, some negative things happen but there are no points in the story when there's any real doubt or drama about the eventual outcome.  It just comes across as rather soft and airy with little real drama.In summary, better than I expected but still rather on the fluffy side.  Some great use of tech and some very memorable characters but just rather lacking any narrative edge.PS: It is my endeavor to provide reviews that are succinct, honest, balanced and above all help the potential reader to answer the simple question, "Do I want to read this or not?"  Any feedback you can provide about how you feel I have accomplished those goals (or not) is immensely appreciated.