7 July 2011

The Eden Prescription: the war on cancer is not what it seems by Ethan Evers

This is likely the hardest book I have had to review since I started this blog. First, you might want to check out the synopsis here.

Let's start with the plot. Great plot. It's all about corporate espionage. Two drug companies in competition with each other to create the next cancer wonder drug. There's intrigue, secrets, corporate moles, gun fights, good guys, bad guys, guys caught in the middle. What's not to love about all that? From page one the reader is thrown into the whole sordid mess. It's great!

The characters were well developed and believable. I started to get paranoid about characters and their motivation early in the book. That's how I know I've really been drawn into the suspense. I didn't know who to trust. (If I ever get into one of these situations for real I will be totally paralyzed and unable to move.)

I also liked the bibliography at the end of the book. If any part of the cancer drug related plot leads the reader to want to do some research, there's a place to start.

So why is it hard to review? Because it was so hard to read. For the longest time I couldn't figure out why I was struggling with getting through the book. After a quick discussion with my fantastic husband, we came to the realization that the problem was technical. It's hard to read black print on bright white paper. It's hard to read when the spacing is close between lines; the paragraphs are long and the print is small. Even the size of the book was a problem, the pages are long and narrow. It's similar to reading columns.

Do I recommend this book? Well, there's the problem. Yes for the story but no for the reading experience. I guess you'll have to figure it out for yourselves.
*** Just found out there is a kindle version of this book available and that would eliminate the technical issues just leaving the great plot, action, character development, etc.

2 comments:

  1. Hello Dana,

    Thank you for the honest review - I highly appreciate it, and of course the very kind words on the characters and plot! First, I just want to mention to your readers that there is a Kindle version available which would eliminate any readability issues.

    As for the paperback, the format is actually industry standard 6" X 9". The font and line spacing are indeed just a bit on the small side, but are identical to several mass market paperbacks on my shelf right now. Perhaps because they are narrower they are easier on the eyes.

    Thank you for alerting me to the issue of readability, it is the first time ever I had such a comment but I will stay on the lookout for more.

    Best regards,
    Ethan Evers

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for the comment, Ethan. And, of course the review is just my personal opinion. It really is a great story (in my opinion) and other readers may not feel the same as I did about the technical stuff.

    ReplyDelete

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