A rare 5 star review!
Wow. What an epic, absorbing, and incredible piece of fiction! I just finished reading and I already feel bereft. I was trying to remember if I have ever spent this much time and effort reading a book in my life. It wasn't so much just the huge amount of detail in the actual novel -- it was also my side activities feeling that I had to Google search every single possible fact within.
This is one of the longest books I have ever read at 440,000 words, 815 pages in a paperback print 8 by 10-inch format.
What is this book about?
Two billionaire brothers, Winston and Ethan McCarthy, have bought 4 islands off the coast of Baja California, Mexico, and have built a huge theme park, Genetic World, and established research and development facilities. Dr. Francesca Ferrari, with her PhD from Oxford, is a researcher, scholar, and author -- an expert in religion and material culture studies. She's invited to the soft opening of the theme park along with her friend, NY Times journalist, Sawyer Clemens. The main reason for their invitation is centered on a controversial archeological discovery related to a documentary produced by film director, James Cameron. Although this novel covers just about every topic known, the main focus is religion.
Will you enjoy it?
I dare say that the contents will challenge any long-standing beliefs you have. Keep reminding yourself that this is fiction, but also keep your search engine handy so you can go investigate some of the questionable details. In other words, a smart reader will be fact checking. "The history is real. The locations are real. The science is real." I learned a lot.
Why I recommend it. If you like Dan Brown and religious intrigue as well as Michael Crichton and DNA science, this is the book for you. It begs to be a film adaptation and the novel reads like a screenplay with short chapters and quick scene changes.
I was glued to the pages of this book, and first of all, unless you like tiny print, big, heavy books, and marking up pages, you should get the e-book version. My local library was kind enough to purchase this upon my request, so I had the paperback, and it was tedious. Aside from slowing me down, I was unable to highlight passages or do minor internet searches from within the device.
I could go on forever about all the things in this book that I would love to discuss with other readers so I welcome any and all comments. My favorite type of book is one that makes me question everything and analyze my true beliefs while absorbing new information. This was that.
This is a standalone and not part of any series.
Genre - religious intrigue, technothriller, archeology, controversy
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