A review by deearr
Altered Genes: Genesis by Mark Kelly
4.0
I purchased this series backwards, buying the second book without careful research and thus decided to purchase the first book and begin there. Thus, I knew there might be a potential cliffhanger but since I had both books, it wasn’t an issue. More on the cliffhanger thing later.
First, I enjoyed the majority of Mark Kelly’s book. The story evolved well, the chapters moved from character to character in a logical fashion, and the cast size was large enough to keep me interested without getting lost trying to keep up with too many people. There was enough science to justify the plot, but not so much that I had to grab the medical dictionary off the shelf. The story of a “superbug,” though done many times in recent years, is handled well and I ended up reading the entire book in one sitting.
I always try to review without spoilers, and it is tough this time because if I reveal what bothered me about the book, I may spoil the story for some readers. I will try to explain. Mr. Kelly was doing well, pacing, plot, style, everything…and then he introduced what I call a plot contrivance. He forced something to happen that, in reality, had less than a trillion-to-one possibility of happening. As an example, say I write a story about myself and a friend putting together a jigsaw puzzle, and at the end, we find one central piece is missing. Another friend stops by, says she is late because of a flat tire, and talks about a puzzle piece she found on the side of the road about 15 miles away from my house. Of course, the puzzle piece fits and the story concludes happily because I contrived an event that would never happen. The shame is that Mr. Kelly had a couple opportunities to conclude the story without inserting this hard-to-believe-it-happened event into the plot, and why he didn’t is a mystery.
As far as the cliffhanger, I thought it was a non-issue. Yes, the characters still have a lot to do, and the major storyline will pick up in book two. However, Mr. Kelly ends the book with NONE of the characters in immediate danger. One could read “Altered Genes: Genesis” and feel that book one’s storyline was completed even though the main story still goes on. Think Lord of the Rings trilogy. The story ends in each book, yet you have to read all three to see how the main story concludes.
For those who are interested, no sex scenes in the book and vulgarities are used sparingly and more in the second half.
For me, this was a solid four star effort (or was, until the plot contrivance entered). Still, I can’t say I wasn’t entertained and I would recommend to anyone looking for a fast-paced read. Three-and-a-half stars rounded up.
First, I enjoyed the majority of Mark Kelly’s book. The story evolved well, the chapters moved from character to character in a logical fashion, and the cast size was large enough to keep me interested without getting lost trying to keep up with too many people. There was enough science to justify the plot, but not so much that I had to grab the medical dictionary off the shelf. The story of a “superbug,” though done many times in recent years, is handled well and I ended up reading the entire book in one sitting.
I always try to review without spoilers, and it is tough this time because if I reveal what bothered me about the book, I may spoil the story for some readers. I will try to explain. Mr. Kelly was doing well, pacing, plot, style, everything…and then he introduced what I call a plot contrivance. He forced something to happen that, in reality, had less than a trillion-to-one possibility of happening. As an example, say I write a story about myself and a friend putting together a jigsaw puzzle, and at the end, we find one central piece is missing. Another friend stops by, says she is late because of a flat tire, and talks about a puzzle piece she found on the side of the road about 15 miles away from my house. Of course, the puzzle piece fits and the story concludes happily because I contrived an event that would never happen. The shame is that Mr. Kelly had a couple opportunities to conclude the story without inserting this hard-to-believe-it-happened event into the plot, and why he didn’t is a mystery.
As far as the cliffhanger, I thought it was a non-issue. Yes, the characters still have a lot to do, and the major storyline will pick up in book two. However, Mr. Kelly ends the book with NONE of the characters in immediate danger. One could read “Altered Genes: Genesis” and feel that book one’s storyline was completed even though the main story still goes on. Think Lord of the Rings trilogy. The story ends in each book, yet you have to read all three to see how the main story concludes.
For those who are interested, no sex scenes in the book and vulgarities are used sparingly and more in the second half.
For me, this was a solid four star effort (or was, until the plot contrivance entered). Still, I can’t say I wasn’t entertained and I would recommend to anyone looking for a fast-paced read. Three-and-a-half stars rounded up.