Code White
Britz-Cunningham’s first novel posits a scary future in which medical and computer science have advanced to the next level—for good and a whole lot of ill. A blind boy has the opportunity for sight through the implantation of a device inside his brain. He agrees to have the procedure, to be performed by neurosurgeon Ali O’Day, filmed on live television. During the surgery, a Code White alert is announced over the loudspeaker, which signifies a bomb threat. Security soon stumbles upon the explosive, but there are more hidden throughout the building, seemingly operated by some form of nonhuman intelligence. Britz-Cunningham clearly knows his medical technology, but he has difficulty breaking it down for not-so-savvy readers. The characters are somewhat jumbled, and the most fascinating person happens to not be a person at all. The abrupt and somewhat forced ending leaves a lot of questions unanswered. Britz-Cunningham wants to be like Michael Crichton, but while he shows some promise, he’s not quite there. --Jeff Ayers