Review by Twylla -- Flicker World by Brian Cramer
Posted: 19 Oct 2020, 10:24
[Following is a volunteer review of "Flicker World" by Brian Cramer.]
Flicker World by Brian Cramer is a unique and entertaining sci-fi story. Mark Scottsdale and Lisa Brabham have been inseparable friends since grade school. In high school, their relationship blossomed into a romance. Lisa is a veterinarian, and Mark is a metabolic biologist. After graduation, they had a simple wedding ceremony at the county clerk's office, honeymooned in New Zealand, and then bought their first home together. While attending a job fair, Mark ran into Steve Bastille, a former college classmate, who offered him a job at Accelerated Technologies and a very generous salary. Steve started the company based on an idea that Mark had given him in their college physics class. Just as Mark and Lisa were getting started with their new life together, a police officer came to Mark's office one day and told him that Lisa had been killed in a car accident. She had been hit by a drunk driver. Mark lost his will to live. Just when Mark hit bottom, he found a way to be with Lisa again.
I loved the characters and their relationships with each other. Mark and Lisa were like peas and carrots. You never saw one without the other. When Lisa died, Mark felt like his life was over. Mark's plan to see Lisa again involved stealing government secrets, but he was so consumed with grief, he didn't care about the consequences.
I enjoyed the science behind the story. The work being done at AccelTech was fascinating. The projects were discussed in a very logical, accurate, and understandable way. I would have loved to work at AccelTech.
The humor throughout the story was one of my favorite things. All of the team members were told to make notes of their thoughts and progress every day on the main computer to share with the whole team. Brad, one of the test pilots, was frequently bored from standing by waiting to perform a test. So his notes usually contained descriptions of his bowel movements that day or how many licks it took to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop and exactly how he arrived at that metric.
Pryb was my favorite character. His real name was Stanley Przybylowski, but Mark shortened it to Pryb in 7th grade. Pryb was the product of an alcoholic attorney and an exotic dancer, so he had a unique perspective on life. It was obvious that Pryb was somehow involved in international espionage, but he insisted that he worked for a home improvement company installing cabinets, counter-tops, and flooring.
Flicker World leaves you with a strong desire to cherish the relationships that are most important in your life and put first things first. This book is well-written and professionally edited. I didn't find any errors. The story is very smart and entertaining. All of the characters, even the minor ones, have substance and depth which makes the story more believable. I would never have had the imagination to write the same ending to the book as author Brian Cramer. I loved it. I can't name one thing about the book I didn't like. I am giving this book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. I would recommend Flicker World to science geeks and sci-fi fans everywhere, including teens and young adults. There is no foul language and no sexual content. It is a great story, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
******
Flicker World
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Flicker World by Brian Cramer is a unique and entertaining sci-fi story. Mark Scottsdale and Lisa Brabham have been inseparable friends since grade school. In high school, their relationship blossomed into a romance. Lisa is a veterinarian, and Mark is a metabolic biologist. After graduation, they had a simple wedding ceremony at the county clerk's office, honeymooned in New Zealand, and then bought their first home together. While attending a job fair, Mark ran into Steve Bastille, a former college classmate, who offered him a job at Accelerated Technologies and a very generous salary. Steve started the company based on an idea that Mark had given him in their college physics class. Just as Mark and Lisa were getting started with their new life together, a police officer came to Mark's office one day and told him that Lisa had been killed in a car accident. She had been hit by a drunk driver. Mark lost his will to live. Just when Mark hit bottom, he found a way to be with Lisa again.
I loved the characters and their relationships with each other. Mark and Lisa were like peas and carrots. You never saw one without the other. When Lisa died, Mark felt like his life was over. Mark's plan to see Lisa again involved stealing government secrets, but he was so consumed with grief, he didn't care about the consequences.
I enjoyed the science behind the story. The work being done at AccelTech was fascinating. The projects were discussed in a very logical, accurate, and understandable way. I would have loved to work at AccelTech.
The humor throughout the story was one of my favorite things. All of the team members were told to make notes of their thoughts and progress every day on the main computer to share with the whole team. Brad, one of the test pilots, was frequently bored from standing by waiting to perform a test. So his notes usually contained descriptions of his bowel movements that day or how many licks it took to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop and exactly how he arrived at that metric.
Pryb was my favorite character. His real name was Stanley Przybylowski, but Mark shortened it to Pryb in 7th grade. Pryb was the product of an alcoholic attorney and an exotic dancer, so he had a unique perspective on life. It was obvious that Pryb was somehow involved in international espionage, but he insisted that he worked for a home improvement company installing cabinets, counter-tops, and flooring.
Flicker World leaves you with a strong desire to cherish the relationships that are most important in your life and put first things first. This book is well-written and professionally edited. I didn't find any errors. The story is very smart and entertaining. All of the characters, even the minor ones, have substance and depth which makes the story more believable. I would never have had the imagination to write the same ending to the book as author Brian Cramer. I loved it. I can't name one thing about the book I didn't like. I am giving this book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. I would recommend Flicker World to science geeks and sci-fi fans everywhere, including teens and young adults. There is no foul language and no sexual content. It is a great story, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
******
Flicker World
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon