Do you like reading thrillers but finding books in this genre repetitive? I love coming home from work then
curl up on my couch, and loose myself in a page-turning, paperback
thriller novel. This is my favorite way to relax. The problem
is, today's thriller novels are formulaic. I don't know about my
fellow readers, but I can only dose so many “Dan-Brownish”,
conspiracy thrillers before feeling “burnt-out”. Indeed,
“burnt-out” is how I would describe myself after reading about 20
thrillers which were all similar to Mr. Dan Brown's books. I reached
a stage where thrillers no longer thrilled me, and I took a break
from reading books in this genre. In the past six months, I have not
read a single paperback thriller.
Then Goodreads illuminated my reading
world with the light of hope. It recommend a thriller written by
Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. This book is a techno-thriller
called Relic. I read the synopsis for this book, and it
grabbed my interest. I hunted for this book in the dark recesses of a
second-hand bookstore, and unearthed a used copy of Relic from
the bargain bin. I bore this book home and read this 480 pages novel
in 2 sittings.
Yes, 2 sittings! This book is a blast
to read and I recommend it to you. Allow me to begin my book review
with a synopsis.
Synopsis:
New York Museum of Natural History is
about to host its biggest exhibition. However, a few days before the
exhibition the museum became a haunted slaughterhouse, bloodied by a
series of mysterious and grotesque murders. FBI special agent,
Aloysius Pendergast, was called in to investigate the case.
Meanwhile, autopsies and forensic analysis showed the killer cannot
be human.
Despite the murders, the museum
director ignored the alarming signs and plans to open the exhibition
with a grand celebration.
With the murder case unresolved and the
savage killer roaming free, comes night fall, a creeping death
plagues the museum as a terrifying menace lurks in its dark halls and
forgotten basement. Who knows what tragedy may strike upon the
opening hour of the exhibition? It is up to the young curator Margo
Green, and special agent Pendergast, to identify the murderer and put
a stop to the killing spree before it is too late...
My thoughts about this book:
The cultural phenomenon of paperback thrillers
fascinates me. Literary critics often look upon paperback thrillers
and blast these books as “cheap, dumb entertainment” or “graveyards
of the English literature”. I am not an expert in literature but I
have a different opinion to critics. You see, while I do think
paperback thrillers' only purpose is to entertain, but I also adore
the amount of writing skills and book designing works required to
produce a good, entertaining thriller.
Next time when you read a good
paperback thriller pay attention to its structure. You will probably
notice the storytelling works in harmony with the book's page/print
layout to intentionally produce a page-turning novel. I think it
takes exceptional skills to write a fast-paced, suspenseful story.
Furthermore, it must be an intricate art itself to design how the
texts should be presented and laid out on the pages to ensure a
captivating, fast-paced reading experience for the readers.
Relic is a fine example of a
paperback thriller done right. It is is a fast-paced, techno-thriller
novel. What is techno-thriller? I believe it is a genre mixing
elements from sci-fi and thrillers, then pumped to life with plenty of
actions. The best comparison that surfaced on my mind is James
Rollins' Sigma Force novels (a superb thriller series, check
it out if you haven't read them yet). I think Relic
distinguishes itself from other techno-thrillers with a flavor of
horror. Indeed, not only is Relic's story drenched in mystery
and layered upon webs of suspense, but it also submerges readers in
an atmosphere of creeping horror.
Relic tells an engrossing story full of
surprising twists and turns. This atmospheric story mostly took place
in New York Museum of Natural History. The descriptive, vivid
writings captured a real sense of danger surrounding each character
as the plot unfold. I could not put this book down when I was reading
it. The end of each chapter didn't prompt me to take a break.
Instead, the end of each chapter only fueled my desire to read the
next one, all the way until the end.
In terms of characterization, Relic
is supported by a cast of memorable characters. Sure, in this
thriller novel you will not find three dimensional characters like
the ones you will find in epic fantasy novels. Nevertheless, the
characters in Relic are distinctive and interesting enough
that will make you like and care for them. I especially like special
agent Pendergast, who is portrayed as an intelligent man possessing
an unique personality. I believe Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
wrote an entire series of books casting Pendergast as the
protagonist, and I look forward to reading them.
In the past 2 years I read more than a
dozen Dan-Brownish thriller novels. They all feel the same to me and
the thriller genre became stale. Relic is a refresher and it
reawakened my desire to read thriller novels again. This book has a
ripping, fast-paced story that will entertain you for a few hours
while keeping you at the edge of your seat. If you like reading
thrillers but wearied of the conspiracy trope in the thriller genre,
then I recommend Relic to you.
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