Review: Fascinating concept executed brilliantly
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 12, 2012
Suspense is set in a world where everyone is continuously linked via a network called Connect and the culture of celebrity has been elevated beyond entertainment via the power of stars called "idols." While everyone follows the idols, a few become diehard followers of a particular idol, forming gang-like groups who fight it out with the diehards of other idols. One diehard is Suspense "Spence" Nye whose gang discovers that one of the idols is plotting to kill the others. Her gang manages to get Spencer inside the mansion where the idols live, but convincing the idols to take the threat seriously isn't easy.Suspense is full of action and suspense, living up to its title. The character of Spence is well-developed as she's our point-of-view character. We see everyone else through her eyes. Her mates are full drawn characters, but the idols are very superficial. This works because Spence knows them only through their movies and ads. Toward the end of the book, as Spence is getting to know the idols, we are learning more about them as individuals as well. It's clear that as the trilogy proceeds, Spence and the reader will continue to get to know the idols as real people rather than their carefully crafted public images.I'm looking forward to the rest of the trilogy. The technology that powers this world is apparently alien in origin, although this is not public knowledge. The real struggle is yet to come as the characters try to come to grips with the implications of this new discovery.I received this book free in exchange for this review. I'm looking forward to reading the second book in the series.