Review of The Ripsons

[Runan]

I enjoy reading sci-fi novels occasionally. The strong character development in this story has caught my attention, and I would like to read this story. Thanks for the clear analysis of this book.

[Anaïs Quesson]

The Ripsons sounds like a delightful sci-fi novel. Too bad it is not professionally edited, this really impacts the reader's experience.
Thank you for this insightful review, Massimo!

PS: Completely off-topic. I see you're currently reading This Is How You Lose The Time War. I loved that book, I hope you're enjoying it as much as I did!

[NetMassimo]

I enjoy reading sci-fi novels occasionally. The strong character development in this story has caught my attention, and I would like to read this story. Thanks for the clear analysis of this book.

Have fun, and thank you for commenting!

[NetMassimo]

The Ripsons sounds like a delightful sci-fi novel. Too bad it is not professionally edited, this really impacts the reader's experience.
Thank you for this insightful review, Massimo!

PS: Completely off-topic. I see you're currently reading This Is How You Lose The Time War. I loved that book, I hope you're enjoying it as much as I did!

I hope the author does proper proofreading to avoid distractions for readers. Thank you for your appreciation!

As for This Is How You Lose The Time War, I just finished it and enjoyed it very much!

[Cristina-Ioana Toader]

Your review has piqued my interest; the tale of an alien ship crashing on Earth and the subsequent study of the aliens fascinates me. Additionally, I commend the author for balancing this intriguing plot with thoughtful character development. Well done on the review! Thank you!

[NetMassimo]

Your review has piqued my interest; the tale of an alien ship crashing on Earth and the subsequent study of the aliens fascinates me. Additionally, I commend the author for balancing this intriguing plot with thoughtful character development. Well done on the review! Thank you!

Character development is central in this novel, also drives the plot. Thank you for your appreciation!

[Stephen Christopher 1]

I've always believed that there's some truth to Roswell, and Area 51, this book might be very close to the real story. Shame about the errors, but I think I'll still give it a go as the story appeals to me. Thanks for introducing it to me.

[NetMassimo]

I've always believed that there's some truth to Roswell, and Area 51, this book might be very close to the real story. Shame about the errors, but I think I'll still give it a go as the story appeals to me. Thanks for introducing it to me.

Frankly, I think that those stories covered up military experiments and became part of conspiracy theory folklore, at least before conspiracies became totally insane with movements such as QAnon. Still, thank you for commenting.

[williams Emerald]

Your review of “The Ripsons” by Joe Morrow is comprehensive and insightful. Your breakdown of the characters’ motivations and the ethical dilemmas they face adds depth to the analysis. It’s evident that you appreciated the character development and the moral complexities woven throughout the narrative. Your critique of the pacing and editing issues is fair and balanced, providing potential readers with a well-rounded understanding of what to expect. Your recommendation takes into consideration the target audience and content warnings, showing thoughtfulness towards potential readers’ sensitivities. Overall, your review is thorough and will undoubtedly help others decide whether to dive into this intriguing science fiction tale.

[Sushan Ekanayake]

What a well-thought-out review! Your insights into the ethical and moral dilemmas faced by John and Geraldine Ripson, as well as the contrast with Mr. Lee's nationalist agenda, really highlight the depth of the characters. Thanks for sharing your thoughts—I found them very insightful!

[NetMassimo]

What a well-thought-out review! Your insights into the ethical and moral dilemmas faced by John and Geraldine Ripson, as well as the contrast with Mr. Lee's nationalist agenda, really highlight the depth of the characters. Thanks for sharing your thoughts—I found them very insightful!

Joe Morrow did a great job developing those characters and showing the contrast between their positions on ethics and morals. Thank you for your appreciation!

[David Awunor]

A very detailed and lengthy review. I also agree about the pacing; I prefer a fast-paced book, even if it the beginning scenerio becomes relevant towards the end.

[NetMassimo]

A very detailed and lengthy review. I also agree about the pacing; I prefer a fast-paced book, even if it the beginning scenerio becomes relevant towards the end.

This is far more a character-oriented story than an action story, so it might not be suitable for your taste. Thank you for commenting.

[Leona Rodrigues]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Ripsons" by Joe Morrow.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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The Ripsons by Joe Morrow is a science fiction novel that explores the consequences of the crash of an alien spacecraft that is kept secret. John and Geraldine Ripson are college professors who are offered the opportunity to join a top-secret operation with the task of studying alien creatures and their spacecraft. They're arm-twisted into accepting by Mr. Lee, the project's director, so they have a strong scientific interest and moral reservations at the same time. Their discoveries about Mr. Lee and his superiors' agenda will worry them.

Joe Morrow drew inspiration from UFO folklore for the start of this novel. An alien spacecraft crashed on Earth and the three aliens aboard were taken by the US military to be studied in a secret facility. The place is not called Area 51 but is pretty much what you can expect from the secret place depicted in conspiracy theories.

After the beginning, the author offers a lot of background information about the protagonists, so we understand where they come from and how they think. That's important to understand the motives behind their actions during the novel.

John and Geraldine Ripson are among the people brought into the top-secret project despite being civilians because of their scientific skills. They think that ethical and moral issues are to be taken into account when dealing with the aliens. On the contrary, Mr. Lee was picked as the project's director because of his nationalist belief, so his priority is to discover anything useful to make the USA the only superpower in the world.

The story spans several years starting from 1963, with occasional leaps forward in time. The pace is mostly slow with occasional events that are particularly significant and sometimes intense. Honestly, sometimes, I had the impression that some bits might have been cut out. To be fair, occasionally, an event might seem irrelevant just for its significance to be revealed later. In general, the pace is quite slow with sudden peaks when something crucial to the plot happens. On a few other occasions, some important events seemed even too rushed.

Honestly, this is not a novel suitable for readers who are looking for an action-packed story. Flashbacks are used to dig into the protagonists' background and a lot of dialogues offer a strong character development that in my opinion is the best part of the novel. The Ripsons bring ethical and moral dilemmas, Lee is a sort of fulcrum for the nationalists, and his second in command Mocaber is sort of caught in the middle.

The editing could be better. There are many errors, especially misspelled words, so I have to take a star from my rating. I don't think the problem with the pacing is bad enough to take another star. Therefore, my rating is 4 out of 5 stars. The story has a development I found great with food for thought about the diverse agendas of people involved in studying alien sentient beings with various ramifications and twists. If you're interested in this kind of story, I recommend The Ripsons. It contains swearing and some violent moments, so it's not suitable for readers who are very young or impressionable.

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The Ripsons
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The review is great, highlighting all the pros and cons in detail! As a sci-fi fan, this goes into my want-to-read list!

[NetMassimo]

The review is great, highlighting all the pros and cons in detail! As a sci-fi fan, this goes into my want-to-read list!

Have fun, and thank you for your appreciation!