Official Review: What the Thunder Said by R. R. Washburn
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martha87
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- Latest Review: "What the Thunder Said" by R. R. Washburn
Official Review: What the Thunder Said by R. R. Washburn
[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "What the Thunder Said" by R. R. Washburn.]
2 out of 4 stars
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The story is told from a third person narrator following the story lines of six different characters: Rey Stone, Tejinder Wakeman, Enid Lyall, and Orion Gideon. The story line follows Sergeant Stone as she tries to disarm a weapon called the Battle-Brave located underneath Ashwater, WA. The book is a sci-fi in a post-apocalyptic United States where Washington DC has been obliterated.
The book was gripping, pushing me to read the next pages. The transitions between the individual stories was handled well with each chapter switching to a different character. There are three different elements setup to be the conflict in the book: a mechanical race known as Synths, a disease known as allobion, and a mysterious weapon, the Battle-Brave, which could implode and wipe out the city.
The Sythns occupy four levels of omniscience. The main plot line sets them up as responsible for the destruction of Washington DC. Agent Stone is in a race against time to get to the Battle-Brave before the Synths. But, there is never any information given about these creatures- where do they come from? If they are machines, who makes them? We aren't given enough information to understand their agenda or purpose. It was hard to put the Synths in the antagonist position because I didn't know enough about them. There could be a whole book just written about these creatures and the history behind them, but instead the information about them was slim.
Then there is also allobion, a disease which is killing off some of the people. The disease has lots of different manifestations, and people who are infected are quarantine in a defunct medical institution. Once again, the reader is left with more questions than answers- what is this disease? Where did it come from? Was it a result of the destruction in DC? Does it just plague Ashwater or is it also in the Eastern Order? It seemed like this was a background topic for the author, but it was distracting for the reader.
Finally there is the weapon itself- the Battle-Brave brave. At the end of the book we are finally given a description of the weapon but still don't understand what it's power source is, or who designed it, or why. It appears that the Battle-Brave was used to level Washington, however the reader is never given details on what happened. I would have liked to understand the back story more so that I could understand what happened and why the United States split into different regions. I think a bit more information on the background and creation of the weapon might help the reader understand the consequences of it going off and the damage it could do to the world.
The book has some really great qualities pushing the reader to the next pages. I liked some of the themes surrounding disabled family members, poverty, and the value of human life. But I think it had too many twists for the reader to be able to track the main story line. Between the failed government, the world-ending weapon, a disease that is spreading (somehow), and the family dramas of the characters, it was hard to keep straight what was happening. I would give the book a 2 out of 4 star rating. I think after focusing the main themes, it has the potential to be a great book.
******
What the Thunder Said
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2 out of 4 stars
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The story is told from a third person narrator following the story lines of six different characters: Rey Stone, Tejinder Wakeman, Enid Lyall, and Orion Gideon. The story line follows Sergeant Stone as she tries to disarm a weapon called the Battle-Brave located underneath Ashwater, WA. The book is a sci-fi in a post-apocalyptic United States where Washington DC has been obliterated.
The book was gripping, pushing me to read the next pages. The transitions between the individual stories was handled well with each chapter switching to a different character. There are three different elements setup to be the conflict in the book: a mechanical race known as Synths, a disease known as allobion, and a mysterious weapon, the Battle-Brave, which could implode and wipe out the city.
The Sythns occupy four levels of omniscience. The main plot line sets them up as responsible for the destruction of Washington DC. Agent Stone is in a race against time to get to the Battle-Brave before the Synths. But, there is never any information given about these creatures- where do they come from? If they are machines, who makes them? We aren't given enough information to understand their agenda or purpose. It was hard to put the Synths in the antagonist position because I didn't know enough about them. There could be a whole book just written about these creatures and the history behind them, but instead the information about them was slim.
Then there is also allobion, a disease which is killing off some of the people. The disease has lots of different manifestations, and people who are infected are quarantine in a defunct medical institution. Once again, the reader is left with more questions than answers- what is this disease? Where did it come from? Was it a result of the destruction in DC? Does it just plague Ashwater or is it also in the Eastern Order? It seemed like this was a background topic for the author, but it was distracting for the reader.
Finally there is the weapon itself- the Battle-Brave brave. At the end of the book we are finally given a description of the weapon but still don't understand what it's power source is, or who designed it, or why. It appears that the Battle-Brave was used to level Washington, however the reader is never given details on what happened. I would have liked to understand the back story more so that I could understand what happened and why the United States split into different regions. I think a bit more information on the background and creation of the weapon might help the reader understand the consequences of it going off and the damage it could do to the world.
The book has some really great qualities pushing the reader to the next pages. I liked some of the themes surrounding disabled family members, poverty, and the value of human life. But I think it had too many twists for the reader to be able to track the main story line. Between the failed government, the world-ending weapon, a disease that is spreading (somehow), and the family dramas of the characters, it was hard to keep straight what was happening. I would give the book a 2 out of 4 star rating. I think after focusing the main themes, it has the potential to be a great book.
******
What the Thunder Said
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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Latest Review: "What the Thunder Said" by R. R. Washburn
