Review of Resonant

[Aeesha Bashir]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Resonant" by Robert Leet.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Resonant by Robert Leet is set in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It follows Dr. Joseph Tenatt, a mathematician and the protagonist as he attempts to understand methods by which humpback whales communicate with one another. He embarks on this behemoth project with the help of some close friends and together, they discover some really exciting discoveries about the great gentle creatures and also attract the attention of the US Navy.

One of the many things I loved about this book was the powerful manner of description employed by the author; his ability of making even the most mundane and seemingly trivial things seem so exciting and colourful, I could almost see the places clearly in my head. The easy camaraderie between Joe and his neighbours; Marta and Teddy Witkowski, how they get together to play string instruments. Robert Leet's intersection of classical music with physics and mathematics was quite ingenious. However, my absolute favourite thing was the development of the other characters; for example: Matt's obvious passion for his work and dedication, Marta's unique intelligence and sharp wit or the way Joanne's eyes change colour in different types of lighting, to name but a few. This attention to detail greatly improved my overall reading experience.

I genuinely have few negative things to comment on but some in-depth explanations of various theories of physics and mathematics were sometimes a bit cumbersome and mostly went over my head. Although this didn't really detract from my reading as the instances were few and far in between, I still think it's worth a mention.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because of the gradual introduction of new characters made it seem as if you were being carried along, a feeling I thoroughly enjoyed. Generally, books in the science fiction genre usually tend to have a million new words and terms so many things going on simultaneously that sometimes it feels like you're constantly trying to catch your breath. Because I didn't feel like while I was reading added to the refreshing nature of this book as it felt grounded in actual science and events that it didn't seem far fetched. Also, it was edited extremely well and I found no errors in the process of reading as the narrative was quite easy to follow and to the best of my knowledge, there weren't any major plot holes.

All in all, Resonant delivered on all counts and far exceeded my expectations. I really enjoyed reading the book and I would like to recommend this book to science fiction enthusiasts and classical music lovers.

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Resonant
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[Famzi Ken]

The theme of this book was interesting. Whales can communicate. There were some parts that fascinated. However the scientific explanations in the bored me at times. Great review.

[SINGH JAY]

In addition to some basic physics, I have some math knowledge up to calculus. I'll enjoy this book even if it will test my limited expertise. Being simple to understand is a wonderful thing. The author deserves praise for his or her originality.