Sometimes I get tired of reading deep books. They take so much focus and introspection that eventually... I start to crave something more action-focused, more thrill, less thoughts. Due to this need I just picked this book fter doing rather extensive search at the library on their computer about horror/thriller novels; the plot sounded interesting, very much reminiscent of The Thing actually.A bunch of scientists are digging in Northern Alaska when they find this smilodon-type of creature mummified in ice. When the instance that finances their digging, a nature documentary TV network, is informed of their find, they decide that they want to melt the cat in live broadcast so a bunch of TV people flies to the digging site to turn it into a big show. But then, then before the big moment the cat in the ice block disappears and soon dead people are found all around...!Yeah, not maybe the most inventive plot, but I really just think that places like Antarctica and Alaska and North Pole make for completely perfect horror story surroundings. They're cold and isolated and that already makes for half of the excitement. And in the summer it's much more entertaining to read about places like that, whereas in winter it would just be quite depressing.The nature of this story was rather interesting - it felt like a mix of Michael Crichton and Stephen King. There were all those scientific and technological aspects (which I really like in thriller novels nowadays) combined with this presence of something perhaps paranormal origin. I guess that after Chrichton passed away many people were left craving for solid techno-thrillers, and it seems like the author of this has probably managed to mould himself nicely into this spot.He's not exactly similar though. Even if the highly educated expert characters with their computers and devices are still there, they're somehow much more credible than in Crichton's work. Crichton always made his characters superhuman, and it could be easily predicted who would make it to the end of the book - the "wusses" never did, and no character really was neutral in this sense, they all would fit into one of the categories of hero, loser and bad guy. So with this book I was glad to notice that there was more dimension and realism. Despite there being a protagonist, it's still hard to say who really was the hero of the book and who the bad guy. Their actions caused both good and bad, but above all it was possible to sympathise even with poor judgments - unlike in Chrichton's work. In that sense the book leaned more towards that King stuff, which of course was good for me - got the best bits of Crichton with the bad ones left out.It wasn't a story that would have made me think much, but these kind of books never are. The reader just rides the story and that's about it, moves to next one. Definitely worked for me in terms of being entertained - I started this book just yesterday but already somehow managed to finish the over 400 pages by today, I just couldn't put it down. In fact I even felt compelled to read it at 2 am last night.In conclusion I hardly have anything negative to say about this book. I borrowed it to increase my reading enthusiasm and that was very much achieved! First novel I've read by this author. It isn't my favorite genre, but nonetheless I enjoyed the read. If possible, I'd rate it 3.5 stars as the writing is decent; the plot is interesting, and the characters fairly realistic. Still, I felt it was a stretch for the author to entwine native american legend with the horrific creature. On the other hand, he also provides a team of scientific theories for scientific rather than mystic alternative theories, and he does so well. I'll read other books by the author in the future. I won't, however, be spitting in disgust while awaiting his latest new thriller to FINALLY show up on the eBooks section of my local library years after their original hard bound release.
What do You think about Nullpunkt (2010)?
ok for taking my mind off the daily commute but.....that's about it.
—tarahoda
Litt simpel, men strålende setting og god atmosfære.
—Kpslp
Weird beast.Somewhat unbelievable.Still a good story.
—Beverly
