This was another hand-me-down airport novel donated from the lovely mother. Here's the deal with Deep Storm: while reading it, I felt super conflicted. It was written really well, the story was interesting enough, and the plot moved at a whiplash-breakneck-pace, yet I couldn't have wanted to put it down more. Seriously. My extreme need to drop this book where I stood (or, more accurately, sat) was immeasurably high, for an inexplicable reason. But I did.In Deep Storm, there was a lot of submarine and technological terminology, and I held onto or understood about 0.001% of it. Things like "hull" and "electromagnetic link" and "degausser" . . . yeesh. Maybe I'm just retarded or I didn't pay enough attention in 8th grade history class.I've never been one that fancied airport novels. In fact, my whole life I've tried to stay away from them. Seeing James Patterson in big, bold letters on a book cover makes me cringe (and not just for the rights issues). I cringe away from them because they're all so . . . predictable. Which is one thing this book was not. I was totally not expecting the ending this book had.It just jumped out at me, and honestly, it kind of made the entire book pointless. When the characters don't get anywhere in a book, it pisses me off majorly. That is my biggest pet peeve in literature: books that go nowhere, which is why sitcoms bug me so much. They always start in the same place and end in the same place.Lincoln Child doesn't seem like a guy I'm going to buy on a whim at an airport the next time my flight is delayed. In fact, after this reading experience, I think I'm just going to drop all related authors. These books do nothing for me. Nothing!Clive Cussler said this book was "harrowing and brilliantly conceived." No wonder I hated Medusa so much if you think this book is any of those things you said about it.Another thing about this book that bugged me is that none of the characters really did anything for me. None of them were any different from the next. They were all scientist/marine biologist carbon copies, and when the end came, I didn't care whether they all lived or died. I actually couldn't have cared less.I actually kind of liked the book for a few chapters, but after those initial few I began to think, "By god, when is this thing going to end?" And that's a correct assumption to make. The thing is 370 pages with the smallest print imaginable. I think Child could've taken some things out and made it about 300, at the most. In the middle, I got really bored, and I skipped over the rest until I got to the end. Lincoln Child drew a few yawns out of me before I finally "finished" the book.Deep Storm is nothing special in the world of literary gems, besides the jaw-dropping ending and the fairly good writing. It's definitely nothing you need to spend $14.95 (or, as my mom paid for it half off, $7.48) on.
Unputdownable thriller!Deep Storm is one of the best thrillers I've ever read. It has flawless pacing, an incredibly interesting story, an excellent sense of place, non-stop action, and just the right amount of character development. It has a tantalizing touch of the paranormal, a mysterious historical event that keeps surprising and unfolding, along with a great setting. The setting of an offshore oil rig and deepsea lab offers an intimacy of place, exotic to the everyday person, that envelops the reader. It should come with a warning that says "Contents Under Pressure" - you feel the deadly pressure of the ocean you are taken deep into, along with ever-mounting action and the relentless unveiling of fascinating mystery after mystery. The story stays tight to the protagonist's point of view, so you feel you are walking the halls, seeing and experiencing everything right along with him. There were many times where I felt like I was looking characters in the eye and feeling the mounting tension all around. Action and reactions were always believable. You are never separated from the central action and purpose of the story. I was riveted.I've read a lot of thrillers and after reading Deep Storm I came to better appreciate the solid pacing that keeps the reader turning pages, balanced with just the right amount of description of environment and action so that you can picture and imagine everything, but not get bogged down in endless showy descriptions that sometimes can seem like author showmanship and slow the story down. This never happens here, though it is superbly researched. Deep Storm is just excellent storytelling, with a perfect blend of action and intrigue. The only thing I could say might have been improved upon was that I wish the explanation at the end could have been developed a little further. There's so much build up to it, it's such a cool concept, that I would have liked to stay with it just a little longer and explore it a bit more. Having said that, it is sufficient and I can understand why it was done the way it was.I honestly could not put this book down, the story grabs you from page one and never lets go. It's a 5-star read all the way. Every day I looked so forward to diving back into the story and eagerly did so. I think this is the fastest I've read any book. Lincoln Child has the gift for penning thrillers, no doubt. Deep Storm is highly recommended! Rai Aren, co-author of Secret of the Sands
What do You think about Deep Storm (2007)?
I got about 150 pages into this, and realized that I just didn't care anymore! I think the concept of this book is interesting, but Child's writing is frustrating. He seems to want to "wow" us with his knowledge of technical jargon in the medical, military, AND computer fields. Throw in some vocabulary about oil platforms and submarines, and you've basically got the book. The protagonist is a flat character, one you never really care about because he's got no personality.Overall, disappointing, unless you enjoy a little science fiction mixed with military secrets and very little relationship development.
—Darcy
Though an easy read, I found the scientific/technical flaws very upsetting. [Spoilers below]The sentinels are supposedly emitting a light with a signal that came from the "star" "Cygnus Major". Cygnus is a constellation, there is no Cygnus Major. There's only a "Major" when there is also a "Minor", as in Ursa Major/Minor, or Canis Major/Minor. Also, there's no real use made of this "fact", it's just supposed to indicate their alien origin.I'm a computer programmer, with computer security experti
—Mangzilla
This book is hard to describe. Fast moving, easy to read, science fiction in spades with black holes, antimatter, nuclear garbage dumps and about every other fictional attachment available for the fantasy lovers of the world. Should become a great video game. I love a change of pace continually in my reading efforts and this book may have cured me of that. But if you need a cure from self serving autobiograhies or the latest investigative report that your favorite ice cream causes mumps, this could be your answer.
—Chuck
