The flaw - D.M. Rasey

First, I have to say that this book seems to have been hastily (and heavily) edited, and to be a way shorter version of a longer one, which is a pity, because all through reading it, the only thing you can think about is about these many scenes / plot exposition moments that have been cut out, rendering the reading a head-scratching one.

And that is a pity because D.M. Rasey writes well enough to create a nice sense of paranoia in his novel. From the very beginning, it is easy to jump into the story, and, even if it feels it was written by a conspiracy theories fanatic, it is realistic enough to be 'scary' (even if the use of real events and the cameos by famous people can be something to have a dialogue about). But also, from soon enough (like the first page), all the weird time/space jumps, the feeling of whole chapters and scenes being left in the editing room, and even sentences that start and never end, take the reader from the story; so much, that it is impossible to consider this a 'real' book. Also, Rasey makes the characters take some really head-scratching decisions to take the story to its ending, giving the feeling that he has a movie in his head (so, he is writing a script) more than a book.

Unfortunately, a mess.

The best: Rasey knows how to write; some ideas are interesting

The worst: it is a mess on all levels; the cuts have made it a frantic affair; using famous people and events is a decision that may not sit well with some readers; that there seems to be a novel with a body and a spirit somewhere

Further reading: "Cryptonomicon", "The Santaroga Barrier" or "The Handmaid's Tale"

3/10

(English)

*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy*