A review by anthers
Mad Skills by Walter Greatshell
3.0
Mad Skills by Walter Greatshell follows the story of Maddy Grant, a young woman who suffers a tragic injury that leaves her brain damaged and disabled. A miraculous medical intervention provided by a medical group called Braintree returns her to full health and more, but it comes with a price that causes Maddy's whole life to come undone at the seams.
This book was good in the way a bag of Doritos for a meal is good- tasty but not very substantial. The action scenes were thrilling but had little in the way of plot to thread them together. The nefarious conspiracy behind Maddy's brain implant was never fully explained or explored except for a last minute exposition dump, which felt like a waste. Besides this, the ending twist didn't feel very plausible or satisfying.
What I did enjoy was the way that the narrative treated Maddy's reaction to her brain implant, though. Instead of having her become all-knowing and thus all powerful, her reactions seem more plausible for a teenage girl. This makes it easier to sympathize with her as a scared child, and makes the contrast between her personality and abilities all the more distinct.
All in all, this was a solid three stars and a fun book despite its shortcomings. I'd recommend it for a beach read.
This book was good in the way a bag of Doritos for a meal is good- tasty but not very substantial. The action scenes were thrilling but had little in the way of plot to thread them together. The nefarious conspiracy behind Maddy's brain implant was never fully explained or explored except for a last minute exposition dump, which felt like a waste. Besides this, the ending twist didn't feel very plausible or satisfying.
What I did enjoy was the way that the narrative treated Maddy's reaction to her brain implant, though. Instead of having her become all-knowing and thus all powerful, her reactions seem more plausible for a teenage girl. This makes it easier to sympathize with her as a scared child, and makes the contrast between her personality and abilities all the more distinct.
All in all, this was a solid three stars and a fun book despite its shortcomings. I'd recommend it for a beach read.