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lolo007's review against another edition
2.0
I really, really wanted to like this, but it just isn't very good. The plot is a bit ridiculous, and the characters and their interactions seem really forced. The main character is likable enough but at times her decisions just really don't make sense. I don't think I can bring myself to read any more in this series, it feels like a waste of time.
unicorn23's review against another edition
3.0
So Gillian Anderson wrote a novel (yes, that Gillian Anderson) and it was just okay. I need to read more about other people's reviews/thoughts because I kept on nodding off while reading this on the train so I'm a bit confused as to why all those weird things were happening. I think I know what caused it, but I wanted to find out the how and the why.
I just noticed that this is the first book of a series (of course it is) so hopefully I'll get my answers in the subsequent book(s).
I just noticed that this is the first book of a series (of course it is) so hopefully I'll get my answers in the subsequent book(s).
carynrjones's review against another edition
Reminiscent of an X-File as we follow our protagonist through a psychological world of another time and place. Exploring the unknown language that three teens (maybe more) experience. In their attempt to communicate what is happening she discovers new feelings for an old friend, a new way to reach out to her son, and what is happening to these young kids. What we have yet to discover in Part 1 is why it started, what the artifact is, and how it all ties in together?
alanahcw's review against another edition
5.0
I definitley have a girl-crush on Gillian Anderson! She is the coolest role-model. This book had me completely hooked the whole way through - the story and writing are amazing. I can't wait to pick up the next one!
bookishdutchie's review against another edition
4.0
I went into this book not expecting much of if. I knew it was a sci-fi mystery, co-written by an actress, so it couldn’t be good, right? As it turns out it was actually an awesome read.
The first 3/4 were amazing. The mystery was being set up in a solid way and explored through characters I wish I were friends with. A United Nations translator, a diplomatic family from India, and at the heart of the story there is psychiatrist and single mother to a deaf son, Caitlin. I fell in love with her. A smart, modern, educated, well-traveled woman, living in New York City. She was interesting and normal and my way into the story, which had thus far not been too science fictioney. It felt more like a detective novel initially.
The story kept surprising me in that first 3/4 and felt in no way predictable. Which is probably what kept me from putting the book down, as the mystery remained so mysterious and I was eager to figure it out.
Sadly, once you start to slowly piece together the mystery in the last quarter of the book, the story takes a weird turn. It goes from a detective novel with sci-fi aspects to very new-agey. It bothered me and kind of ruined the story a bit. It felt really out of character for Caitlin, who had thus far seemed very grounded and scientific (though open minded), to suddenly get into all this religious stuff based on a weird conversation with this guru type dude. She takes a few giant mental leaps to explain things. It felt like the authors were trying to ground the sci-fi part of the story in a reality that didn’t feel like reality to me, if that makes sense. And it sort of floated away from the solid build up that was established in the first part of the book.
The final scenes were back to being awesome and I felt like this story would have been stronger had they not added the new age/eastern religion aspect. In my brain I just sort of found myself rewriting the story a bit without the weirdness and that seemed to work just fine for me.
This is book one in a trilogy and I am definitely going to read the next book, as the story ended somewhat unfinished and with a cliffhanger. Hopefully the next one will be more of the good stuff and less of the new age mumbo jumbo.
The first 3/4 were amazing. The mystery was being set up in a solid way and explored through characters I wish I were friends with. A United Nations translator, a diplomatic family from India, and at the heart of the story there is psychiatrist and single mother to a deaf son, Caitlin. I fell in love with her. A smart, modern, educated, well-traveled woman, living in New York City. She was interesting and normal and my way into the story, which had thus far not been too science fictioney. It felt more like a detective novel initially.
The story kept surprising me in that first 3/4 and felt in no way predictable. Which is probably what kept me from putting the book down, as the mystery remained so mysterious and I was eager to figure it out.
Sadly, once you start to slowly piece together the mystery in the last quarter of the book, the story takes a weird turn. It goes from a detective novel with sci-fi aspects to very new-agey. It bothered me and kind of ruined the story a bit. It felt really out of character for Caitlin, who had thus far seemed very grounded and scientific (though open minded), to suddenly get into all this religious stuff based on a weird conversation with this guru type dude. She takes a few giant mental leaps to explain things. It felt like the authors were trying to ground the sci-fi part of the story in a reality that didn’t feel like reality to me, if that makes sense. And it sort of floated away from the solid build up that was established in the first part of the book.
The final scenes were back to being awesome and I felt like this story would have been stronger had they not added the new age/eastern religion aspect. In my brain I just sort of found myself rewriting the story a bit without the weirdness and that seemed to work just fine for me.
This is book one in a trilogy and I am definitely going to read the next book, as the story ended somewhat unfinished and with a cliffhanger. Hopefully the next one will be more of the good stuff and less of the new age mumbo jumbo.
mindy85's review against another edition
2.0
Really wanted to like this series but it was all over the place. Lots of focus on political situations as a premise, which can be dry material to get through.
hlizmarie's review against another edition
2.0
Creepier than expected but I never really got caught up. In the end I just skimmed through to the resolution. It drew me in because of Gillian Anderson's name in big, bold letters but I think I'll stick to watching her fabulous acting instead.
alyflo22's review against another edition
2.0
I was expecting much more. It wasn’t bad but I wouldn’t really recommend to others. I split this read between audio and book format. I enjoyed both types but still, I felt the story was fell a little short.
claireitsfrench's review against another edition
2.0
the things i'm doing for gillian anderson (subscribed to audible to hear her reading for 9 hours)
dkoplos's review against another edition
3.0
picked this up after reading Gillian Anderson's AMA on Reddit. I enjoyed it and the characters were interesting, I just felt like there was something more to the novel than there was (I was waiting for something more dramatic to happen in the climax, but it was lacking) but still an enjoyable book. The lead character is very well done, and for a first time novel, Gillian Anderson does will with the format.