3 out of 4 stars
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Seer by Larry Austin was definitely a great surprise! Though a character-busy story, this novel provided a great dystopian plot that kept my interest throughout. This is one I recommend to others and I look forward to the future of the series.
Right from the beginning of the novel I was interested. To me, the beginning was the best part. The story begins in the year 2028. This is the year a new material is constructed out of plastic and steel that is stronger and will last infinitely. However, a few years after distribution of this product all hell breaks loose. It is revealed that this material creates a virus that makes people sick. The author describes the progression of the disease in a clear, concise detail that is easy to understand. I particularly liked the uniqueness of the disease process, it's uniquely is described as "the numbing cold". The description of society is also explained at this time, which added another layer to the serious tone. Simply put, the first fifty pages were a joy to read!
Dr. Michael Macalister leads a cast of diverse characters. At first, he is in charge of finding a cure for the disease, however, he quickly finds that the end of civilization is inevitable. He acts very logically, unlike characters from other dystopian novels, which I found as another great aspect of this novel. He gathers with other colleagues and peers to figure out the best way to survive. Most of the novel surrounds Dr. Macalister and his group of survivors as they face different challenges moving forward in the new desolate world. I particularly enjoyed the characters named John and Heather.
The main thing I didn't enjoy about this novel is the plot of the second half of the novel. The characters that are trying to survive are put through similar situations to other novels that I've read and movies I've watched. For example, there are a few characters that turn bad and end up leaving the group. Also, there are other groups of people that attempt to take over their land. This has been done before, but the main characters are well developed and I easily kept reading. Secondly, too many characters fill the story at times. This made it hard to keep up with.
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. Even though I found it similar to other stories, it was well written and had great main characters. It had a great pace and kept my interest throughout. I certainly look forward to what the series has in store. My hope would be for some unexpected plots and for some of the minor characters to become more developed.
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Seer
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