There was something about the size of the book that kind of put me off buying it for a while. I would see it in the bookstores (usually on the first shelves by the entrance), I would even get close enough to read the blurb at the back, then go…nah, maybe later. Until one day I bought it. Sure, a comment from a friend might have actually helped me make up my mind. 🙂
Getting over the fact that it’s almost 1000 pages long (and I thought Stephen King’s ‘Under The Dome’ was BIG) and the slow start – yes, it did take me a while to start caring about the people in it, I can safely say it was an enjoyable read. Besides, I’ve always loved apocalyptic stories, even more so since I watched The Road.
The story had enough elements in it to engage my curiosity. An experiment that takes a wrong turn, a virus that’s supposed to create something The Army (US Army, that is) can use in future wars, but then the proverbial slap on the wrist arrives telling the people involved that no, it’s not ok to play God because it’s just not going to work. A bit too late, though. Hell breaks lose and then humanity has one last chance. Her name is Amy and she has lived for a long, long time. She was the last step in the experiment and she holds the key to the survival of humankind.
The narrative flows nicely, with a few hiccups here and there but given the magnitude of the story (how did he keep track of all those characters is beyond me, but then I’ve always found that pretty amazing in a book) I’d say it’s forgivable. It would be really interesting to see this one made into a movie, I’d watch it for the special effects alone!
As I neared the last pages and the story didn’t seem to get nowhere near the end, I had a flashback of seeing a #1 next to the title and I thought, no, this can’t be PART 1! Alas, it is. Will I read the next one(s)? It’s a very definite maybe. 🙂
