Paradox

I have read most of what Douglas Preston has written solo and with Lincoln Child, and have always enjoyed the work. It was always well written and never made me stop mid-read because of some awful grammatical, writing, or plotting errors. I hate being taken out of the story and being made to long for a red pen. This book did that time and again. I know his co-writer is his daughter and that is sweet but just no. There was a concerted, awkward effort to incorporate a whole lot of liberal politics. I’m very much in favor of liberal politics but I want the info to flow naturally and have some degree of subtlety and this was anything but. The names felt like some someone deconstructed a dictionary and then threw darts at the pages to pick them. The editing was lacking. There were too many instances of strange phrasing. The plot ended abruptly with no real explanation or resolution. It felt like someone got tired of writing and decided to do a quick wrap up. So much explanation lacking, so many loose ends. I am so sad but at least I know not to waste my money on the next book. I didn’t even read the sample.

Such a disappointment. I have enjoyed Preston’s other books but if this is the direction he is going it’s time to find a new author. Add in a healthy dose of “forced down your throat” social issues and themes with the theory that just because you are a good author so is your daughter and you have this book. The pacing is awful the story barely holds together and is insulting throughout. The female roles in this book seem to be the only ones capable of coherently thinking or doing anything with the males being relegated to bumbling idiots at best. Whatever happened to just having strong characters. This was complete trash and I am more disappointed in myself than the author for finishing it. Sure if you can crank out a half baked book for the money by just writing the social themes of the minority but loudest part of society why wouldn’t you I guess. Never mind that it is a complete rip off of another book already written ( can anyone say Da Vinci Code?? Trust me save your money and sit in a dark room repeatedly punching yourself in the face. It will be more enjoyable and enlightening.

Preston’s worst book by far, and I’ve read them all, including his co-efforts with other authors.
The plot in this one seems like Dan Brown ripped off the history channel. It is trite, predictable, repetitive, with massive procedural and technical inaccuracies, despite being overly specific about certain types of technologies.
Most characters lacked development, others, and their side stories were ultimately irrelevant to the plot or not wrapped up in context (and yet not left in a cliffhanger way that would indicate they would be in a sequel).
Preston as a writer is so much better than this, and you can tell it was a co-effort because you can distinguish his writing from that of his co-author.
It also had a lot of personal politics, inserted that added absolutely nothing to the plot and seemed to be there, strictly for pandering purposes, or to appear ‘enlightened’. There’s also an extremely weird focus on women and their bodies, especially older and heavier women, and it’s condescending in a way that comes off as the writer of those parts thinks they are positive. It’s very strange.

This book could’ve been so much better than it was; instead, it was over ambitious and lacking development