Quick Reviews – Cold People, Code Red and Ordinary Gods and Monsters

On May 12, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Drama, Quick Review, Science Fiction, Thriller3 Comments

In recent weeks, I have been trying to get out reviews of several books I read last year but never got the chance to write anything about. I am hoping to partially rectify that now by publishing quick reviews of three great novels from 2023 I had a fun time reading.

Cold People by Tom Rob Smith

Cold People Cover

Publisher: Simon & Schuster (Trade Paperback – 1 February 2023)

Series: Standalone

Length: 452 pages

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

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The first book I want to quickly review in this post is Cold People by established author Tom Rob Smith. Cold People was an intriguing science fiction read that presented a very unique scenario to the reader.

Plot Synopsis:

The world has fallen. Without warning, a mysterious and omnipotent force has claimed the planet for their own. There are no negotiations, no demands, no reasons given for their actions. All they have is a message: humanity has thirty days to reach the one place on Earth where they will be allowed to exist… Antarctica.

Cold People follows the journeys of a handful of those who endure the frantic exodus to the most extreme environment on the planet. But their goal is not merely to survive the present. Because as they cling to life on the ice, the remnants of their past swept away, they must also confront the urgent challenge: can they change and evolve rapidly enough to ensure humanity’s future? Can they build a new society in the sub-zero cold?

This was a pretty cool (ha ha) story, although I must admit it went in some directions that I really wasn’t expecting. Based on the synopsis, I was expecting Cold People to primarily show the harrowing journey that many different people would take to get to the safety of Antarctica, which would have made for a great story on its own. Instead, only the first section of the book really showcased this journey, which was honestly a rushed introduction to the whole plot. The rest of the book skips ahead many years and dives into showcasing the ongoing struggles that humanity faces whilst trapped in Antarctica. This part of the book then becomes a cautionary tale about genetic modification as various geneticists work to make humans more adaptable to living in the ice, only to unleash something far more dangerous than the alien threat above.

I honestly had some issues with how Cold People is structured. I felt that this book might have been better if the author had either focused fully on the journey to Antarctica or set it completely in the isolated future and explored the journey in flashbacks for several characters. The focus on genetically enhanced humans was also an interesting choice, and while it was primarily to explore how humans are capable of surviving anything, it felt very unrealistic in places and got way out of hand. It was also odd that you really don’t get to find out anything about the mysterious aliens who caused the human exodus, and you are instead left wondering about who or what they were.

Still, there were some great elements to this book. The genetic antagonists are pretty scary, and Smith does a good job diving into the psychology behind them. I also really loved the author’s intriguing insights into the hostility of Antarctica as a continent and how hard it would be to live on it. The clever way Smith built up the background setting to showcase several ingenious ways that humans could potentially adapt and survive in such a scenario was quite fascinating, and it proved to be a great part of the book. As such, Cold People is an interesting novel to check out, and many readers will appreciate Smith’s ideas about humanity and its strong desire to survive.

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Code Red by Kyle Mills (Based on the series by Vince Flynn)

Code Red Cover

Publisher: Simon & Schuster (ebook – 4 October 2023)

Series: Mitch Rapp – Book 22

Length: 352 pages

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Amazon

The next book I want to highlight here is Code Red by Kyle Mills, which served as the 22^nd entry in the long-running Mitch Rapp series that was originally written by the late Vince Flynn. Following a hyperviolent veteran American spy as he goes up against a range of deadly threats in unusual thriller situations, the Mitch Rapp books are a key part of my yearly reading schedule, and I have really enjoyed several of the latest entries, including Red War, Lethal Agent, Total Power, Enemy at the Gates and Oath of Loyalty.

Plot Synopsis:

Mitch Rapp returns to make a mortal enemy of Russia in this high-octane and up-to-the-minute installment in the #1 New York Times bestselling series from “one of the best thriller writers on the planet” (The Real Book Spy).

Mitch Rapp hates owing anyone a favor—especially when it’s the world’s most powerful crime lord. But when Damian Losa calls, Mitch is honor-bound to answer.

The Syrian government appears to have created a highly addictive new narcotic that it plans to distribute throughout Europe. It’s a major threat to Losa’s business and he’s determined to send someone to keep him on top by any means necessary. Rapp is the perfect choice for the mission. Not only does he have extensive experience operating in the Middle East, but he’s also entirely expendable. As he crosses into war-torn Syria, Rapp quickly discovers a shocking truth. The new drug isn’t being produced by Damascus to prop up the government’s collapsing finances. Instead, it was created by Russia’s asymmetrical warfare unit, not for profit but as a weapon against the West.

With far more than Damian Losa’s interests at stake, Rapp devises a desperate plan that forces him and his team onto a battlefield where the United States is virtually powerless and allegiances shift almost hourly. Further, if Russia uncovers their plot, it will set off a confrontation between the two countries that could change the course of human history.

This was another exciting entry in the Mitch Rapp books, although I must admit this book wasn’t my absolute favourite novel in the series. Don’t get me wrong, Mills came up with a very compelling story that thrust the protagonist into some dangerous situations as he attempts to repay his debt to the entertaining crime lord Damian Losa. However, in some ways Code Red is a little by the numbers, especially as we have just come off several impressive reads where Rapp was in some very ridiculous or deadly situations, such as a massive power-outage impacting all of America, or the last two books where Rapp found himself at war with a corrupt US President. An infiltration mission into Syria seems a little tame in comparison, so this might have coloured my appreciation for Code Red a little.

Despite this minor complaint, Code Red was a great action-packed read that showcased Mitch Rapp doing what he does best, infiltrating the Middle East and frustrating Russian plans. There are loads of firefights and intense action scenes scattered throughout this book, and I thought the underlying Russian plot to destroy economies and weaken Western society through an addictive drug was very intriguing, especially as it also featured some dark scenes of exploitation and utilisation. Easily read as a standalone novel or as an entry into the wider Mitch Rapp series, Code Red was a fantastic novel that I managed to get through quickly, and it is well worth checking out.

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Ordinary Gods and Monsters by Chris Womersley

Ordinary Gods and Monsters Cover

Publisher: Picador (Trade Paperback – 29 August 2023)

Series: Standalone

Length: 300 pages

My Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

The final book I want to feature in this post was the excellent Australian novel, Ordinary Gods and Monsters by Chris Womersley.

Plot Synopsis:

It could have been any summer’s evening, but of course it wasn’t.
It was the end of some things, the beginning of so many others.

Nick Wheatley has finished high school, but he isn’t ready for the rest of his life. His parents are getting divorced, his sister is downright weird and his best friend and neighbour, Marion, seems to have acquired a boyfriend.

One hot night, Marion’s father is killed in a hit-and-run. There are no suspects and no leads. But a sly tip from the local psychic sends Nick and Marion into the undertow of a strange and sinister world they hadn’t known existed in the suburbs – one of inscrutable gangsters, speed-dealing bikies and unpredictable, one-eyed conspiracy theorists.

It’s a world they’ll be lucky to survive.

Ordinary Gods and Monsters was a pretty awesome book from Womersley that proved to be one part crime fiction novel, one part Australian coming-of-age story. Following Nick Wheatley, a young teenager in 1980s suburban Melbourne, as he simultaneously deals with life, complex family issues, and his uncertain relationship with his best friend and neighbour Marion. Life becomes even more complicated when he is forced come to terms with the death of Marion’s father. Thanks to a tip from a drug-dealing psychic, Nick finds himself identifying a series of clues that suggest that Marion’s father was murdered, and he takes it upon himself to investigate.

The resulting story is an interesting mixture of elements that will appeal to a range of different readers. Womersley does an excellent job of portraying the life and difficulties of a teenage protagonist, and I loved the protagonist’s very relatable take on the various events, both mundane and unusual, going on around him. This dramatic, 80’s focused, character-driven storyline blends extremely well with the more crime fiction elements of the book, as the protagonist finds himself becoming more and more involved with searching for the person responsible for Marion’s father’s death. His unlikely investigation adds some exciting spice to an already engrossing coming of age tale, and you get drawn into his attempt to find answers.

The result of this plot is very interesting, especially as the reveal about who is behind everything is well handled and compelling. Womersley also adds in a very compelling final sequence, where Nick and Marion find themselves confronting the perpetrators in a dangerous scenario. The conclusion of this confrontation will leave readers wondering about what truly happened, and which I felt was a great end to this book. An overall excellent piece of Australian fiction that I had a great time reading.

Quick Review – A Great Hope by Jessica Stanley

On March 17, 2022August 22, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Drama, Quick Review1 Comment

Publisher: Picador (Trade Paperback – 22 February 2022)

Series: Standalone

Length: 406 pages

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

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Intriguing new author Jessica Stanley produces a compelling Australian political drama, A Great Hope, an intense read that looks at the impact of the mysterious death of a politician on his family, set to the backdrop of a turbulent time in Australian politics.

Plot Synopsis:

John Clare was a titan in Australian politics. The head of a powerful union and a key player in the election of Kevin Rudd as prime minister in 2007, he had long been tipped as a future leader himself. Supporting him in his push for power were his elegant wife Grace, his troubled children Sophie and Toby, and Tessa, the mistress he thought would stay secret.

But now John has fallen, brutally, to his death. A terrible accident – or was it?

In the wake of losing John, his inner circle mourn and rage, remembering and trying to forget the many ways he’d loved and disappointed them. An adoring and unreliable father; a grateful and selfish husband; a besotted and absent lover; an authoritative and compassionate leader; a failed politician in an era when party politics failed a nation. As those around him reassess everything they knew of and felt for John, a new idea of what love and power really mean begins to emerge – as does the true cause of his death.

Gripping, propulsive and ambitious, A Great Hope untangles the mystery of John’s fall through the eyes of those who knew him best – or thought they did. Deftly displaying the clash of the political and the personal, this is a novel for our times, from a brilliant and forceful new Australian writer.

This was an excellent novel which I think did a great job telling a unique story by exploring some of the more controversial elements of recent Australian politics. A Great Hope’s story is a great blend of personal drama, political intrigue and contemporary historical fiction, with a little bit of mystery thrown in as various characters attempt to understand the death of John Clare and the impact he had on the world.

Telling the story from a variety of different perspectives, including those of his family, his mistress, and other related figures, Stanley presents a complex and winding narrative that proves to be very compelling at times. Initially set one year after the death of John Clare, the story jumps around the various point-of-view characters, and the readers are shown not only their present situations and opinions but also the origins of the characters as well as the full events that led up to the night John Clare died. While this does produce a cluttered story with a few odd moments (such as the unnecessary and graphic sex scenes), the reader is soon treated to a unique story that cleverly builds up to the finale while also exploring the various key characters. You get a real sense of everyone featured in the novel, especially those closest to John Clare, and their complex lives and relationships with the political heavyweights. Unfortunately, most of these characters are pretty terrible people who are fairly insufferable and hard to enjoy. While this was no doubt the intent, to show the strain and ugliness a political life brings out, there are barely any relatable or redeemable figures here (honestly the only character I particularly liked was the mistress, Tessa, which is a bit odd when you think about it).

While this lack of likeable characters did slow the flow and my enjoyment of the story a little, I managed to power through the last 200 pages in a single sitting. There are some interesting resolutions and revelations towards the end, and I enjoyed seeing some of the storylines come full circle, especially those that are set up in the present and then expanded on in the flashbacks. The resolution of who or what caused the death of John Clare was pretty interesting and a little surprising, but it fit nicely into the unique feel and storytelling of A Great Hope.

One of the most distinctive elements of A Great Hope was the author’s intense and in-depth examination of Australian politics in the early 21^st century, particularly around the 2007 and 2010 elections. This is mainly because the author, Jessica Stanley, was herself involved in some of these campaigns, particularly in 2007, when she served as one of the party’s social media consultants (similar to main character Tessa). As such, this book contains some compelling and fascinating insights into the election campaign, candidates, and voters, particularly those associated with Australia’s major left-wing party (the Labor party), which really added to my enjoyment of the book. Some of the more intriguing and compelling political moments of this period are scattered throughout A Great Hope, and I deeply enjoyed seeing the author’s take on what happened and why. The author also examines the growing impact of social media during this time, as well as other intriguing elements about campaigns and party politics. However, readers should be warned that these political elements do start to get very upsetting as the book continues, especially as Stanley dives into the failures of government, the increased political hostility, the rejection of climate change by the opposition, and the inherent sexism that defined the era between 2007 and 2010. This stirred up some unpleasant memories of the political landscape of the time, but I did find this to be an interesting and captivating part of the novel, and I really appreciated how much these unique and realistic inclusions added to the story.

Fantastic new author Jessica Stanley got off to a great start here with A Great Hope, producing an intriguing and distinctive novel that makes excellent use of the author’s political insights. While I had some issues with the story and characters, A Great Hope ended up being quite an entertaining book, and I was very interested in seeing how everything came together, as well as all the clever political inclusions. I look forward to seeing what Stanley writes in the future, especially as there are so many memorable moments in Australian politics to set a story around.

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Connect by Julian Gough

On July 9, 2018August 17, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn Science Fiction, ThrillerLeave a comment

Connect Cover

Publisher: Picador

Publication Date – 8 May 2018

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For those looking for a darkly complex and intense techno-thriller, look no further than Connect by Julian Gough, a unique novel that also critiques future trends and humanity’s increasing reliance on technology.

In the very near future, computer technology has been incorporated into nearly everything, linking the world and helping with all aspects of day to day life. In Nevada, awkward young teen Colt is a talented hacker living with his mother, Naomi. Seeking to create a perfect replication of the real world in virtual space, Colt has also developed a dangerous fascination with his mother’s biotech research.

When Colt submits his mother’s revolutionary work to a biotech conference, Naomi comes to the attention of the government, including Colt’s father, a high-ranking spook, Ryan, concerned with its potential implications. However, Colt has also taken the opportunity to inject himself with the experimental biotech, turning himself into something new: a hybrid of man and technology. Colt and Naomi are soon considered to be threats to the government, and Ryan activates an experimental defence network to hunt them down. Colt and Naomi are forced to go on the run and must try to avoid a barrage of killer drones programmed to target and kill them at any cost. Will Colt’s new abilities be enough to overcome the computer intelligence seeking them, or will the future of technology be changed forever?

Connect is an inspired new novel from Gough which represents a different direction from his previous writings. Connect is a fascinating read and an interesting techno-thriller that examines the future of technology, creates a compelling dialogue and makes significant use of some excellent narrative elements.

The main story is an absorbing thriller that pits the protagonists against some sizeable opponents and threats. One of their main opponents is an advanced and experimental computer program that is connected to every piece of technology in the country. As a result, the protagonists are forced to find ways to avoid the overwhelming surveillance hunting them. Not only must they avoid pursuit from teaching devices and video cameras but they must also find a way to go low tech in a society that has computers connected to everything. There are some great scenes where the characters are forced to out-think drones hunting them and try to find ways around the tracking programs that determine when and where to attack. All of these play wonderfully into the book’s thriller storyline, and there is some real excitement when the protagonists encounter and attempt to counter these technological threats.

Gough spends a significant amount of Connect examining the future of technology and ends up offering some significant commentary on our reliance on technology and its potential influence on us. The story is set in the immediate future, where everything is controlled by computers and certain things common in our current world no longer exist. For example, most cars are self-driven, everything has become exceedingly automated and cash has become nearly obsolete. In other words, it is a picture of how our world is likely to turn out in the next few years, based on current advances in technology. Gough scrutinises how this over-reliance on technology could be detrimental to humanity, and how it could be turned against us by hackers and governments. There is also an examination of the automation of a nation’s defence and security as an advanced security program is activated to hunt down the protagonists. The debate around such a program is very in-depth, and the readers will be fascinated by some of the arguments presented. Naturally, the program starts getting out of hand as it is manipulated into seeing the protagonists as a bigger threat than they are and it starts to dramatically escalate its attempts to destroy its targets. This thought-provoking discussion and examination of the future of technology is a key part of Connect and will prove to be one of the most intriguing parts of the book for some thoughtful readers.

One of the most noticeable parts of the book is the unusual format that Gough has chosen to implement throughout his book. The story is broken up into 12 chapters, and then further broken down into 149 sub-chapters, and is formatted in a way that vaguely reminded me of code within a computer program. The inclusion of such a visually distinctive writing format does not break up the flow of the story, nor does it affect the reader’s ability to follow the story. It does, however, dramatically change towards the end of the book in a way that ties in nicely with some of the significant plot elements occurring during this part of the book. Gough has also chosen to include a number of relevant quotes at the start of each of the chapters. I personally enjoyed reading those and connecting them to the plot of the upcoming chapter, and may prove to be more amusing to those of a more computer or technical mindset than myself. Overall, the consistent use of this unique format and the attention grabbing quotes work well with the technology-centric plot and are a clever addition by Gough.

The point of view of Connect is mostly shared between the book’s protagonists, Colt and Naomi, although the main human antagonist, Ryan, also features in a few of the book’s chapters. These separate viewpoints offer different subjects to the reader, and Gough has done a fantastic job of presenting unique content for both of his protagonists. The scenes that follow Colt are a stimulating experience, allowing the reader a real sense of Colt’s social awkwardness and the disconnectedness he feels with the real world, especially when he focuses on his recreation of the real world in his virtual reality. This virtual world appears in quite a number of scenes and plays a pivotal role in the end of the plot, and it is curious to watch Colt attempt to live most of his life within this world. The characterisation of Colt shifts subtly after he injects himself with the experimental biotech and he starts to change. It is interesting to watch his character change and mature after this point, especially as he attempts to initiate a very awkward romance with another young hacker. The interactions he has with technology after this point, including with the advanced defence program hunting him, are some great scenes, especially as he creates and utilises some clever work-arounds to manipulate the computer networks to his advantage.

The scenes that feature Naomi’s perspective are significantly different, representing a noticeable change of pace for the reader. Naomi is a very damaged person who presents herself in very different way to her socially awkward son. Gough has made sure to communicate her multiple neuroses and issues to the reader, which adds a lot of drama to the story as she must attempt to save her son whilst trying not to get overwhelmed. Like her son, she also undergoes substantial character development throughout the story, and the reader will enjoy watching her work towards a better relationship with her son. In addition to this excellent piece of character work, the chapters featuring Naomi as the focal point are generally a lot darker and more adult. For example, one of these sub-chapters features one of the most memorable and disturbing death scenes that I’ve ever read.

Connect is deep thriller that revels in its use of technological elements to create a distinctive and eccentric story. Julian Gough’s discussion and consideration of a technologically advanced future and the problems this could create is compelling and thought-provoking, and his great use of characters and formatting elements turns this into one of the most unique pieces of literature you are likely to read this the year.