Review of The Prize

[Harsimran Kaur 5]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Prize" by Geoffrey M Cooper.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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The prize by Geoffrey M Cooper is a novel about race to glory. Eric Prescott has won a number of prestigious awards over the years, now he is determined to find the cure of Alzheimer’s to get a Nobel Prize. So far, he has not found a cure, but he thinks chemical compounds might be the key. This might be his path to the ultimate fame and glory. In comparison with Eric, Pamela Weller is new to the work and has yet to achieve tenure. Though she also wants to find a cure for Alzheimer, her ultimate goal is not fame, but rather helping the world.

Holly, a post-doctoral fellow, engages Pam in a fight when she and her teams get closer to finding a cure. Pam and her career might suffer dire consequences from this fight. As Pamela nears the discovery, Eric tries to steal her glory. How can she prove herself when even her closest mentors and scholars turn their backs on her? After all, research can cause the scientist their moral values and sanity.

The cover perfectly captures the essence of the book. In it, a woman is running towards something, whether fame or a cure for a heart-breaking disease. Its symbolism isn’t lost on anyone. I liked how the characters were opposites of each other, showing the duality of what science might make you do. Eric is selfish, greedy, ruthless, and determined to do anything as long as the fame is his'. Pamela on the other hand, is morally strong and genuinely determined to find the cure. The book is difficult to put down, it flows nicely and is easy to read. I liked Jake, Pam’s boyfriend too. He was really nice and caring. It isn’t new to see corruption in the field of medicine and research and the author took full advantage of that and turned the book into kind of a thriller.

One of the things I disliked about the book was the ending. The book was predictable and ended very abruptly. I wish the book was just a little longer to give the reader a sense of closure. The book lacked backstories of the characters as well. I think if we had some backstory on Eric, we would have gotten a better insight into his character. Same goes for Pam.

Overall, I would rate it 3 out of 4 stars. It was entertaining and had me in its grip from the start to end. It would have been better if there were just a few pages more though.

I would highly recommend it to anyone who is in research and likes to read. Thriller enthusiasts should also check this one out.

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The Prize
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