A NIGHT OWL REVIEWS BOOK REVIEW | Reviewed by: Laurie-J
Eighty percent of this book is background information and history that leads up to a final horrific event that is the catalyst for the remainder of the story. At first, I was put-off by the scientific jargon. I am unfamiliar with many of the geological terms that were used. I would try to look up the new words but discovered that many were not listed in the dictionary that came with my Kindle Fire. Soon, I gave up that exercise and tried, as best I could, to figure out the meanings based on their context. At that point, I also relaxed more into the story itself instead of trying to fully understand the underlying science. Despite the unfamiliar terminology, however, I liked the book. The characters came alive during the narration. I loved the adventure in the Mayan pyramids of Yukatan. I was interested in the history of Islam and, especially how it relates to current events, and why the fanatical hatred of the West is so ingrained. Set in the near future, I read this book as a cautionary tale of our world teetering on the brink of annihilation. Mankind plays god; engineered biological agents are being developed - one is intended to create a green source of affordable, renewable energy but when an unimaginable catastrophe lets loose an airborne plague with a 100% fatality rate, the voracious bacteria may be the last hope for mankind's survival. I would have preferred this book to have been shorter, with less technical discussion of detail and more action. However, I have to say, my mind is still thinking about many of the points raised, and I am certainly glad to have read it.
Dec 28, 2011 | B0063XNNT8
5 - Rare Top Pick | 4.5 - Top Pick | 4 - I Liked It | 3.5 - Enjoyable | 3 - OK | 2.5 - It just didn't click
Book Blurb for Kill Zone
Dr. Marcy Whites resurrects V5, a prehistoric bacterium capable of creating synthetic oil, but bio-terrorism quickly overshadows her successes. People die by the millions when a genetically-engineered disease is inadvertently released in Mecca. Carried by fanatical Ambulatory Infectious Agents, the disease spreads like wildfire with a 100% kill rate. Out of desperation, countries agree to sanitize the perimeter of the Kill Zone with nuclear weapons, even as Cheyenne Mountain scientists work to adapt V5 as an antidote. The deadline passes, and Operation Sanitize releases mankind's most powerful weapons against its smallest enemy. Detonations temporarily halt expansion, but Kill Zones soon crop up worldwide. An antidote is created from V5, the entire world is inoculated, and energy independence is achieved; however, one year later, birth rates begin declining. Marcy and other scientists locked inside Cheyenne Mountain gird for an extended stay-until the anomaly can be explained.
|