A thriller with a slight science fiction edge, this book is set in the present day - but in a world where for the past 30+ years, about one percent of children have been born with extreme savant/genius like talents, for reasons no one knows. The protagonist is himself one of these "abnorms," but who works for a government agency tasked with hunting down abnorm criminals and terrorists. A very enjoyable page-turner, and thought-provoking as well. 4.5 stars. This was a solid book but it was full of tropes. The cover has a quote that says "the kind of story you've never read before" and this cannot be further from the truth. Nothing here is original enough to deserve such a quote, regardless of how entertaining and fuck the book was. Having that on the front cover drastically changed my expectations going into the novel, always waiting for something different but I never found that island of originality. This reads and is laid out like a YA novel but specifically for adults, not superficial like a Hunger Games. Still, it's a solid read and a fantastic thriller, which is no easy feat.
What do You think about Brilliance (2013)?
I liked it! Worth the read! I probably would say 3 1/2. I would recommend!
—tikaninua
A decent sci-fi-ish read, some okay plot twists and what-ifs.
—Myself
