4 out of 4 stars
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If you think that prey and predator only exist in the animal world, Geoffrey M. Cooper's The Prize will prove to you that it happens with humans as well. This book shows you how relentless and cunning humans can be, specifically scientists, in getting their desires.
The only thing missing in his shelf is the Nobel Prize, and Eric Prescott is determined to get his hands on it quickly. After his achievement in creating mouse models that have developed Alzheimer's, the need to step up his game to get the Nobel is stronger than ever. How far would he go to obtain it?
Pamela Weller, a scientist at the University of Langmere, is working on finding the cure to Alzheimer's with her team of post-docs. Achieving it would mean tenure at the university and a Nobel Prize for her. She would fight until the end in fulfilling her life's work. Would she be able to accomplish them? Or would she face another dead-end?
Two people with the same field of expertise but with different perspectives. Two people with burning desires. Would they work together to achieve their dreams? Or would one of them destroy the other for self-satisfaction?
First of all, this book is fast-paced and a page-turner. Cooper knows how to keep his readers on the edge after every chapter. It was hard to put down the book when I first started reading it. The plot itself is brilliant enough to keep you anticipating what will happen next. Moreover, the characters in this book are well-written. You can tell what kind of person they are by their actions and the words they say. One thing I also liked was Pamela's character development. I couldn’t say more because I might give away some spoilers, but I love it when a character grows and changes throughout the story.
The fast-paced element of the book has its pros and cons for me. The good thing about it is that it builds anticipation and it keeps on rising. There were no dull moments in the book, and I couldn't find a chapter that I would want to skip. The author knows how to get your attention in every word. However, as always, the problem with books that move moderately fast is the ending. It will leave the readers in a state of "What? That's it?". In a way, the ending was satisfying, but I couldn't help wanting more. It was a little frustrating when I turned to the next page and it was already the epilogue.
As an aspiring scientist myself, The Prize opened up new perspectives about the world of science. The thrill of this book is, for me, still unsurpassed, and that is why I give it a 4 out of 4 stars rating. I found no noticeable errors also. Every moment kept me on the edge of my seat, which is hard to find in suspense-thriller stories that don’t involve supernatural beings or fantasy realms. If you're a fan of scientific discoveries and action-packed thriller books, then I'd recommend this to you. However, if you prefer long and peaceful reads that don't give you the adrenaline rush, then this book is not for you.
At first, I hesitated if I should pick this up since I have high standards in reading science fictions and thrillers, but this book did not disappoint. I would gladly recommend this to anyone I meet. With that note, I would like to leave you one of my favorite lines in the book:
******We may not like to think so, but scientists are just people. No better than businessmen, lawyers, or anyone else.
The Prize
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