shelbymarie32's review against another edition
4.0
Dan Wells is one of my favorite authors. So far he has yet to disappoint me. Every book I've read by him, I have given 4 or 5 stars. And I doubt I will give a lower rating any time soon.
I've seen a few reviews say that the characters were kind of flat but that's the whole point. They're supposed to be like actual real life people. It doesn't bother me to say that if I were a character in a book I'd probably be bland. His characters are more realistic than anyone cares to accept. Also the characters are supposed to show that we really aren't that different. And, that too is true. None of us are exactly the same but we are all similar enough that if it weren't for our faces no one would be able to tell most personalities from another.
The first third of this book was slow and a little over half way is when the story really started to build up and becoming enthralling. It seemed so realistic that at times it felt unnerving.
This was a bit of an 'Idea book' but it was still really great. All of the uses and ways the lotion could be used was scary and extremely interesting. The ending was great too. All of Dan Wells books end really well. I couldn't imagine a better ending. I highly recommend this book and I look forward to more books by Wells.
I've seen a few reviews say that the characters were kind of flat but that's the whole point. They're supposed to be like actual real life people. It doesn't bother me to say that if I were a character in a book I'd probably be bland. His characters are more realistic than anyone cares to accept. Also the characters are supposed to show that we really aren't that different. And, that too is true. None of us are exactly the same but we are all similar enough that if it weren't for our faces no one would be able to tell most personalities from another.
The first third of this book was slow and a little over half way is when the story really started to build up and becoming enthralling. It seemed so realistic that at times it felt unnerving.
This was a bit of an 'Idea book' but it was still really great. All of the uses and ways the lotion could be used was scary and extremely interesting. The ending was great too. All of Dan Wells books end really well. I couldn't imagine a better ending. I highly recommend this book and I look forward to more books by Wells.
mirandakellymacbeth's review against another edition
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It is a satire and very much about terrible people making selfish and terrible decisions. I worry I might have liked this book more if I hadn’t accidentally taken a long hiatus from reading it due to moving states, but it’s hard to know. I think I just lost the tone of the book and forgot it was satire about terrible people so when the main character ends up still being unlikable and not hero-like at all I was stupidly surprised and disappointed.
shaekin's review against another edition
2.0
My real rating is probably about a 1.5. I didn't like the book, but I didn't hate it. I am not a fan of books with an incredibly pessimistic view of humanity, and this book definitely has that. The ending is unsatisfying, the characters are all annoying, and the plot feels like there's no direction. The science that is explained in the book is really bad and it would have been better left vague. It wasn't bad enough it made me want to quit reading, and I wasn't passionate about my dislike after I finished, but I just didn't like it.
makegr666's review against another edition
3.0
Full disclaimer: I haven't read almost any satires, nor have I read any other book from Dan Wells before this one.
At the beginning of the book, it kind of grabbed me. The premise is great, what's not to like about an oncoming apocalypse story? The problem for me is the surreality of the characters. I can't accept an innocent person becoming a killer in a few days, nor can I accept the stupidity of the heads of a certain enterprise. It just all seems too far-fetched to me.
The writing itself is great, there's no filler, and the story develops itself continually, it doesn't get repetitive or boring at any point.
Maybe it is me not liking satires, so if you're a fan of the genre, you might fall in love with this. I wouldn't really recommend it to any friends when there are so many other books that I liked far more.
At the beginning of the book, it kind of grabbed me. The premise is great, what's not to like about an oncoming apocalypse story? The problem for me is the surreality of the characters. I can't accept an innocent person becoming a killer in a few days, nor can I accept the stupidity of the heads of a certain enterprise. It just all seems too far-fetched to me.
The writing itself is great, there's no filler, and the story develops itself continually, it doesn't get repetitive or boring at any point.
Maybe it is me not liking satires, so if you're a fan of the genre, you might fall in love with this. I wouldn't really recommend it to any friends when there are so many other books that I liked far more.
ganitsirk's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars. Funny, reminiscent of Better Off Ted. Intriguing, and thought-provoking at times. A good read!
mnemosyne139's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I'm glad I finally finished this book. There were definitely parts that had me skimming a bit because I knew I wasn't fully understanding the science, but overall I enjoyed the read, and I think the ending was fitting.
lee_hillshire's review against another edition
I enjoyed it a lot, actually. Well, until part 4, then it kinda went off the rails a little? But I did appreciate it, and it brings up a lot of things to think about, in general. Overall fun times.
pharmdad2007's review against another edition
3.0
Very interesting concept, and pretty well executed. Only got on my medical professional nerves a few times for unrealistic medical crap. Interesting read if you like Michael Crichton or the like.