Adrenaline

by John B. Olson

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Wow! Adrenaline is the title and the novel does not fail in delivering what the title promises! It is fast-paced, intriguing, confusing, mysterious, and even has a thread of romance woven throughout it. I thought it was quite intelligent and "out there" at the same time. I kept saying to my husband, "You gotta read this! Come on, read it! I need to know what you think about this .... and this....!" At some points near the beginning I would throw up my hands and say I don't have a clue what's going on but I would pick it back up the next minute, curious to find out what would happen next.

The characters were interesting and fairly well-developed. I felt a fair amount of empathy and understanding for the two main characters. I didn't feel any empathy for or understanding of the villain in the novel. S/he appeared to be there simply to be the foil. We don't really know much about the choices that person makes or why. Not crucial for the success of the novel though.

The biochemical issue that the plot is woven around is intriguing and yet the author does not come across with any clear statement against it - in other words, it doesn't come across "preachy". It raises the interesting question of "What would I do if I was Parker and had the chance to regain the use of body parts that previously confined me to a wheel chair?"

Intriguing novel, to say the least. It is one you can choose to read with abandon for sure entertainment purposes or one that you can use to think about deeper issues such as medical ethics. You won't be disappointed in this novel, I'm certain!

~ Tracy