lewiscain's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 for this one. I definitely think it could have been shorter but the story was great, some really good characters and overall I did enjoy it. It kind of goes of stuff tangents in places, sometimes at length with back stories that are relevant but just too long and detailed. The ending though is great and action packed and I found myself enjoying this one more as it went on.
sarahrara's review against another edition
4.0
Well, that was something quite unexpected. And not only because I downloaded this so long ago that I forgot what it was about, and was expecting a children's book of some kind. It's definitely not a children's book... Unexpected in a good way though. The writing was deliciously witty and sarcastic, and I laughed out loud several times while listening. I also delighted in Scottish slang terms such as bampot and ned.
While I think the narrator did a bang-up job, I did have a little trouble following the climactic scene at the end, also because it was hard for me to visualise what it looked like, not having had any experience with such places. I think it might have been a little easier in writing, plus if I read the book I'd have plenty of opportunity to pause, reread and fully enjoy some of the jokes and phrasings. So for that reason alone I'm leaning towards getting the written books for the rest of the series (and possibly any other Brookmyre books).
It's a very clever book, and it gives that necessary illusion of realness while describing a pretty out there scenario by adhering to Aristotle's maxim of probable impossibilities. I did find the writing a tad self-indulgent but am mostly willing to forgive that because of how clever and funny Brookmyre is. Though I will say that if it had been 50-100 pages shorter it might have received full marks from me. There was a lot of rehashing of Simon and Ray's pasts, that while not irrelevant to the story was for the most part also not strictly speaking necessary. And to my mind there was comparatively too little backstory for Angelique, though hopefully this will rectified in the later books.
While I think the narrator did a bang-up job, I did have a little trouble following the climactic scene at the end, also because it was hard for me to visualise what it looked like, not having had any experience with such places. I think it might have been a little easier in writing, plus if I read the book I'd have plenty of opportunity to pause, reread and fully enjoy some of the jokes and phrasings. So for that reason alone I'm leaning towards getting the written books for the rest of the series (and possibly any other Brookmyre books).
It's a very clever book, and it gives that necessary illusion of realness while describing a pretty out there scenario by adhering to Aristotle's maxim of probable impossibilities. I did find the writing a tad self-indulgent but am mostly willing to forgive that because of how clever and funny Brookmyre is. Though I will say that if it had been 50-100 pages shorter it might have received full marks from me. There was a lot of rehashing of Simon and Ray's pasts, that while not irrelevant to the story was for the most part also not strictly speaking necessary. And to my mind there was comparatively too little backstory for Angelique, though hopefully this will rectified in the later books.
sharondblk's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. It's a romp, where you know from the beginning that the good guys will sort it out - even if it statistically unlikely.
The gender stuff in this book is delightful - particularity in relation to Angelique, the heroine that I hope we see more of in the next book.
There is this though:
I think Christopher Brookmyre does not suffer for anxiety. You might be surprised at what some of us worry about, but we still manage to leave the house everyday.
The gender stuff in this book is delightful - particularity in relation to Angelique, the heroine that I hope we see more of in the next book.
There is this though:
Going home at night you may be worried about the train crashing, or getting jumped on that stretch of pavement where the streetlight is knackered; not that the sportsbag in the luggage rack opposite is packed with Sarin gas, or that the next parked car you walk past might explode. If you did, you'd never be able to leave the house.
I think Christopher Brookmyre does not suffer for anxiety. You might be surprised at what some of us worry about, but we still manage to leave the house everyday.
carrie_reads_books's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
sarahmacp's review against another edition
4.0
Funny, possibly the best sex 'scene' I have ever read!
satch's review against another edition
3.0
This is a 3 1/2 star for me. I enjoyed the humour, was an alright story and writing style, although I did find some of it was too bogged down in detail. I think it would have been a solid 4 star if I'd read it when it came out in 2001, but it hasn't aged that well. It does make me want to find more recent stuff by Chris Brookmyre.