I really enjoyed this book. The first half was likable but a bit hard to follow due to all the point-of-view changes and a somewhat difficult-to-track passage of time. But the second half really took off and had some very enjoyable "wow" moments. :)I considered not reading this book since it's part of a series and I haven't read any of the preceding books, but since it's my August sci-fi book club selection at my library, I decided to give it a chance. And I'm very glad I did!There seemed to be a few references to events from the previous books, but not having read those books turned out to not be a problem. On the contrary, this story makes me want to read the rest of the Covert-One series. More books for my TBR shelf, what a shock! ;)I really liked the characters in this story. Colonel Jon Smith and CIA Agent Randi Russell were wonderful. Randi especially was fun: I really loved her spunk (or should I say her piss and vinegar, lol!). And Marty Zellerbach was really great, too. He had a couple literally laugh-out-loud lines in the dialogue. :)The plot to the book - the Merge and what Christian Dresnor planned to use it for - was quite chilling. The premise behind the technology was quite intriguing. I wonder if scientists are trying to create such a thing now? I sort of hope not, since I'm having trouble thinking of a way to make it work without any adverse effects. It seems to me that such a thing would have a high chance of abuse.For a fiction story, though, it was wonderful. The story was really suspenseful, especially once I got past the first half. I'm very interested in reading the rest of this series, and I very much hope to see more of Jon, Randi, Klein, and Marty. :) Kyle Mills has done an excellent job carrying on Ludlum's heritage. I love Dr. Smith and Randi and especially Zellerbach the hacker. It's like meeting up with old friends after a long absence. The plot was solid and carried through to the end. I especially liked the bleeding edge technology. Where do we go from the smartphone? This one has the answer. Although they advertise the Ludlum books as being "from the creator of Jason Bourne," I like these guys better -- less shoot 'em up and more techie. Great book, if you like the genre.
What do You think about The Utopia Experiment (2013)?
Great suspense and a look into a frightening future world.
—Shivi
great book. Interesting tech ideas and twists
—Simone
