Sophie Dusting

Sophie Dusting reviewed a book.

“The Review:
Plot & pace - A bold and hugely entertaining thriller from start to finish. We are slammed straight into the story by the airliner crashing to oblivion; an engaging opening. This at first seems somewhat detached from the successive chapters; we turn our attention to a collection...”

“The Review:
Plot & pace - A bold and hugely entertaining thriller from start to finish. We are slammed straight into the story by the airliner crashing to oblivion; an engaging opening. This at first seems somewhat detached from the successive chapters; we turn our attention to a collection of characters on Hawaii, as the setting develops and progresses. Each set of characters is introduced as the main focus of the story takes hold; the detection of the tsunami. Kai at the PTWC, alongside his colleagues, try to verify the tsunami but cannot explain what may have caused it. The earthquake wasn't of a magnitude capable of causing a tsunami and historical records show no evidence to support any of their theories. What could be the cause?

Professionally my background is in environmental hazards and so this is a topic which I have a keen interest and understanding in. The majority of the information regarding the tsunami and the response is very accurate for a piece of fiction. At first giving such a thorough description of tsunami generation, detection and warning was quite laboured for someone with knowledge in that field, though this would be forgiven if the reader had comparatively little understanding. The cause of the tsunami was when my interest flared as I began racking my brains back to my undergraduate seminars to try to piece the evidence together. I won't spoil the surprise but the result is a tsunami of unprecedented scales.

What followed, quite surprisingly, is not the immediate physical impact of the tsunami, but the attempts to warn and evacuate. Some key points were picked up on; how to undertake a mass evacuation with little lead time to tsunami impact, how to communicate a warning which people understand, acknowledge and act on and so on. As always, you can have the most sophisticated technology in the world but if people don't heed to the warning, it may as well not exist. Of course, our characters are separated, have little means of communication, do not have the resources to evacuate and get to high land quickly... the set-up may be quite predictable but other mini-scenarios are much more observant such as difficulties in evacuating highly vulnerable groups of people.

That said, in the first half of the book, (and as you'll probably be able to pick up on from my review) that plot is concerned with the science and facts and therefore I found myself either distracted or overlooking the circumstances of each of the main characters. It seemed almost overburdened with facts and debates rather than action; you're almost waiting for the story to take flight (i.e. the tsunami to hit). In a way, the first part reads like a detective novel; gathering the facts and evidence. It was by no means boring though; if you like detective novels such as I, you'll find this fascinating stuff!

As the book is a work of fiction, the author does have an artistic licence but certain situations just seemed too coincidental or hard to believe. The fact that Hawaii is so geographically isolated does not mean they are alienated; the presence of social media and the international press was underestimated. Even if a minor news station gave a broadcast that a major tsunami was on its way, the whole world would be tuned in within a matter of minutes.

Though it took a while to take going once we get going to the tsunami impact and subsequent recovery the story takes flight and really comes into its own. I won't give away and tell you what happens in the later part of the book, but I can guarantee it's exciting! The theme of the book shifts from the science side of story to the characters and their survival. It's moving and poignant, with a satisfying ending.

Characters - The main characters belong to one family. Kai, who works at the PTWC is married to Rachel, manageress of the Grand Hawaiian Hotel, and they have one daughter Lani (not forgetting the families dog Bilbo). Rachel's best friend, doctor Theresa and her daughter Mia are staying with them. We follow them all, meeting over breakfast and discussing their days plans to their eventual survival against the odds story. All the adults are admirable and respectable but the only one which shows an ounce of emotion in Theresa, when she goes missing. Kai and Rachel comes across as being quite cold.

Language used & dialogue - I'd say Boyd comes from the same group of authors as Dan Brown, Sam Bourne, Scott Mariani and so on. The language is not elaborate or full of technical terms so it's an easy read. The description is not incredibly atmospheric or thorough when describing the setting. Tension is built by a sub-heading of each chapter which gives a countdown to the tsunami impact.

Narration - Normally I dislike not having the one narrator and the point of view from so many characters however, in this case, I really liked it. The opportunity to be involved with so many characters, on various levels, concerning different sub-plots was great; unfortunately you know that not all will survive!

Setting - The setting was very carefully thought out to make the plot feasible and realistic.

Themes & Ideas - At the time when the book was written, the Boxing Day tragedy had occurred 5 years prior. The Japanese tsunami was yet to come. Tsunamis seem to be a relatively new phenomena in contemporary society and it's the first author I've found who's latched on to the recent debate and he hasn't done a bad job either!

The Verdict - An enjoyable, entertaining thrill-ride demonstrating mother nature at her worst, in a very terrifying and realistic story. I'd of liked more of a story concerning the characters rather than a textbook of tsunami detection, generation, warning and response. That said it is still a great read that I'd recommend to all. 3.5* Stars.

If you liked the review, please follow me on Shelfari or visit my blog at: http://verdictbookreviews.blogspot.co.uk/”

Sophie Dusting rated a book.

• Rated 4 stars

Sophie Dusting has read a book.

Sophie Dusting added a book.

Sophie Dusting reviewed a book.

“The Review: An interesting read with an equally intriguing concept that has has moment where it truly shines. The synopsis captures the essence of the story; an old homeless man, who has the power to perform visions, cross paths with three people, changing their life. This old homeless man is a...”

“The Review: An interesting read with an equally intriguing concept that has has moment where it truly shines. The synopsis captures the essence of the story; an old homeless man, who has the power to perform visions, cross paths with three people, changing their life. This old homeless man is a dark, mysterious fellow but not altogether a likable character. His own past is something of a mystery; he can only remember the past two years and doesn't know where he came from or anything of his own history. Street literate and cold, he distances himself from others, not wanting companionship or friendship. His visions are something beyond what he can control and occur at random intervals. What they show he cannot always decipher. Hence he alienates himself; having such a power and little control he would either become a celebrity or banished from society should his secret become well known. The visions are not altogether clear to the reader; I found difficulty in understanding what they meant. They of course related to the character in question and obviously meant something to them. What the various visions throughout the novel represented, is perhaps a turning point in that characters life. They are a distant memory, not at the forefront of their minds but lingering deep within their subconscious. In a way I saw this mans role as 'fate'. He was showing them their faults and paths as a key to unlocking the present. Though the title concerns the man, the main story is actually concerned about the characters whose lives he changes. Gerald is a businessman leading the typical high-flying life that comes to those with money. Unfortunately his business involved in some corrupt dealings that causes the suicide of one of his tenants. Upon meeting the bereaved wife he has a change or heart and sees the error of his ways, he backs-out at the last minute and turns into the bad guy made good. Part this transformation is volunteering at the homeless shelter, Open Door, where he meeting Valerie, the one time prostitute, and falls in love.
At Open Door they also meet the Man with the Green Suitcase. The connection between Gerald and this man is not altogether clear at the start of the novel but is revealed before the end.
The twist in the ending I really enjoyed and adds to the mysteriousness of the novel but it did leave a lot of questions unanswered. I may have to ask the author, whether there is a second book to follow. You can fully absorb yourself into the story, melting into this world with great ease. The book is easily read in one or two sittings. Though the story I very much enjoyed, I really didn't like the fact the writing was in the present tense. This, combined with the fact that the Man with the Green suitcase is never named, consequently caused some of the paragraphs to read as though a child were explaining it:
"Gerald calls Tony and tells him that they need to meet. Tony comes to his office and Gerald breaks the bad news to him."
In that sense, the book almost read like a children's story (though the subjects covered are certainly not meant for children). This point irritated me throughout the novel and detracted, to some extent, from my enjoyment.
Nevertheless the paranormal themes and the twist at the end, an almost mystery come curse like element to it, I very much enjoyed. I perhaps would have preferred more of the story to focus on this rather than main narrative which mainly followed Gerald and Valerie.
The Verdict - All in all, an innovative and fresh concept that I think many a reader would enjoy. For a debut fiction & fantasy novel, this is a great start. My main criticism was over the use of the present tense which I felt made the book read like a child's story. In the end though, you do get a solid mystery novel, even if it leaves you with some unanswered questions. I'm half tempted to ask; is there anymore? If you liked the review, please follow me on Shelfari or visit my blog at: http://verdictbookreviews.blogspot.co.uk/”