Review by TooSkinny1912 -- Terror In Manila
-
Che Sparrowbosa
- Posts: 30
- Joined: 30 May 2020, 20:02
- Currently Reading: The Alchemist
- Bookshelf Size: 30
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-che-sparrowbosa.html
- Latest Review: Provoked To Anger by Cheray Gardison
Review by TooSkinny1912 -- Terror In Manila
[Following is a volunteer review of "Terror In Manila" by Frank Q. Aurillo Jr.]
Politics meets science fiction in this book about a time sensitive historical mission Terror In Manila by Frank Q. Aurillo Jr. This book opens with two young Filipino-American friends, Nick and Francis, reveling in having made their very own operational time-machine. Their intentions with their scientific breakthrough, however, are a lot more sinister than an average trip back in time .Nick is adamant about going back into the past from his time , the 21st century, to July 4th 1946 and becoming a terrorist by assassinating the High Commissioner Paul V. McNutt to keep him from reading the proclamation granting the Philippines their highly anticipated independence from the United States of America. Nick believes that by doing this he will save his people from themselves and sever the political tactic he believes the Americas employed on the Philippines by granting them Independence and avoiding having to share with them their ideas and insights into development, growth, industrialization and economics.
The book was very descriptive a bit graphic in some parts which I admittedly enjoyed because let’s be honest, history was hardly ever pretty. I felt the passion that the author put in to making the readers understand what our ancestors went through. If the intention of Aurillo was to paint a vivid depiction of what the protagonist thought and knew about the history of his homeland in order to give reasoning for his actions, then he succeeded. I also liked the anticipation that was brought out through the use of foreshadowing. The author kept me reading with the impending doom that was hovering from alluding to the chance that the main character Nick could get left behind by the time machine and be stuck in 1946.
I did not like the ending however. I couldn’t decide if it was alluding to a book 2 or if it was telling the reader what actually happened already. It was very confusing, but I am not sure if that was the writer’s intention for the reader to decide. The last few chapters didn’t really make me want to read a book 2 if there was to be one because it was just unsatisfying to the whole mission concept of the book. I think I understand what he was trying to do but it just didn't come across clearly enough to me.
I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars. If I could have I would have given it a 2.5 because it really wasn’t bad just not what I was expecting when the description said it was about a time machine mission and then the book had all those scientific terms, political ideologies and history. I thought it would have been more of an action and adventure type of thing but overall it was exceptionally well written, exceptionally well edited and a great read for historical and scientific insight so it does not deserve a one but I couldn’t go higher. I am sure however lots of other persons will enjoy it.
I do not recommend this book to persons who are probably not too well versed in the field of science and their terms since a large majority of the book is very wordy which was not necessarily a bad thing but it could be quite hard to understand . I happened to quite like how descriptive the book was ,so kudos to the author for his research that went into the writing of this book. For students of metaphysics and quantum mechanics, any scientific or political mind wanting to know how to build a time machine or the mechanics of it, anyone wanting to know how terrorists or mad scientists may think ,or for anyone of possibly Asian, American, or even Spanish descent who wants to know more about how their history is being presented and portrayed, this book may just be the right fit for you.
******
Terror In Manila
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Politics meets science fiction in this book about a time sensitive historical mission Terror In Manila by Frank Q. Aurillo Jr. This book opens with two young Filipino-American friends, Nick and Francis, reveling in having made their very own operational time-machine. Their intentions with their scientific breakthrough, however, are a lot more sinister than an average trip back in time .Nick is adamant about going back into the past from his time , the 21st century, to July 4th 1946 and becoming a terrorist by assassinating the High Commissioner Paul V. McNutt to keep him from reading the proclamation granting the Philippines their highly anticipated independence from the United States of America. Nick believes that by doing this he will save his people from themselves and sever the political tactic he believes the Americas employed on the Philippines by granting them Independence and avoiding having to share with them their ideas and insights into development, growth, industrialization and economics.
The book was very descriptive a bit graphic in some parts which I admittedly enjoyed because let’s be honest, history was hardly ever pretty. I felt the passion that the author put in to making the readers understand what our ancestors went through. If the intention of Aurillo was to paint a vivid depiction of what the protagonist thought and knew about the history of his homeland in order to give reasoning for his actions, then he succeeded. I also liked the anticipation that was brought out through the use of foreshadowing. The author kept me reading with the impending doom that was hovering from alluding to the chance that the main character Nick could get left behind by the time machine and be stuck in 1946.
I did not like the ending however. I couldn’t decide if it was alluding to a book 2 or if it was telling the reader what actually happened already. It was very confusing, but I am not sure if that was the writer’s intention for the reader to decide. The last few chapters didn’t really make me want to read a book 2 if there was to be one because it was just unsatisfying to the whole mission concept of the book. I think I understand what he was trying to do but it just didn't come across clearly enough to me.
I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars. If I could have I would have given it a 2.5 because it really wasn’t bad just not what I was expecting when the description said it was about a time machine mission and then the book had all those scientific terms, political ideologies and history. I thought it would have been more of an action and adventure type of thing but overall it was exceptionally well written, exceptionally well edited and a great read for historical and scientific insight so it does not deserve a one but I couldn’t go higher. I am sure however lots of other persons will enjoy it.
I do not recommend this book to persons who are probably not too well versed in the field of science and their terms since a large majority of the book is very wordy which was not necessarily a bad thing but it could be quite hard to understand . I happened to quite like how descriptive the book was ,so kudos to the author for his research that went into the writing of this book. For students of metaphysics and quantum mechanics, any scientific or political mind wanting to know how to build a time machine or the mechanics of it, anyone wanting to know how terrorists or mad scientists may think ,or for anyone of possibly Asian, American, or even Spanish descent who wants to know more about how their history is being presented and portrayed, this book may just be the right fit for you.
******
Terror In Manila
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Provoked To Anger by Cheray Gardison
