Hey guys! A few days ago, I decided I would put Food: A Love Story and Darkest Before Dawn on hold for a little while. I needed a break from them and decided to dive into The Path by Peter Riva. I enjoyed reading it, but it did have a few drawbacks. I received it a while ago from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
The Cover:
The Cover:
The Cover:
The cover shows rather Simon or Agent Cramer doing... something to the System, I imagine. While I was looking at the cover, trying to think of something else to say about it, I noticed that its the first in the Tag SERIES? I thought that this was a standalone book. I can easily say that I have no idea where the rest of the series will go. This book did not have the feel of an opening book of a series...
My Description:
Simon Bank's job is to go into the System (the computer system that controls all of American life from national security to food production) and give it human interaction. He basically tries to mess it up, and theoretically it will learn from him to better itself. Except this plan works too well. The System becomes sentient, and the task of fixing the derailing System falls to Simon. Simon has help though from an agent of Control, Cramer, who while loving chocolate is rude and loves to be in charge. Things go from bad to worse as Simon, Cramer, and a few others attempt to save everyone in America and maybe even the entire world.
My Review:
The good parts?
Everything had a greater significance than it first appears. The plot built on itself in complex yet understandable levels. There were frequent plot twists, and you could never tell where anyone's loyalties truly lay. In fact, there was a huge mystery element to the entire book. I was definitely intrigued and zipped through this book.
It also had a very unique universe in which it took place.
The bad?
At times, it was a bit confusing for a number of reasons. (1) Abbreviations. There were probably thirty or forty different things that were all identified by their initials, and I had a little trouble keeping them straight. (2) The Fictional Universe. I never felt that I fully understood the rules of the world the story took place in. They would introduce a new story element and I would have no idea that that was even possible before it became a critical part of the plot. There was no gradual integration into Simon's world, the reader is mainly just shoved into the deep end. While I figured it out, I wish I didn't have to. (3) Transitions and the Like. I found myself having to reread entire pages because I couldn't figure out who was talking or what the characters were talking about to begin with. (4) Technology. There were many long complex computer programming moments in this book. While I found that I could follow them mostly, I am afraid that some people would be completely lost during them. In general, they didn't effect your understanding of the book but be warned.
I also had trouble comprehending the plans that were created by the characters, and there were a lot of plans. Some of them just didn't make any sense. (SPOILER: What was the benefit of giving Cramer invincibility? I don't think that it helped anyone! SPOILER OFF.) Some of the plans were so complex and dependent on others ignorant reactions that I just didn't buy them. That being said, the plans weren't horrible. I am always a little skeptical of the plans that books propose.
All in all, I enjoyed reading The Path. I was interested. There were a few issues that I had with it, but they were minor. I suggest reading it if you were interested in the description, but if not, I recommend holding off.
Phrase:
Mary's a Genius
Happy Reading!
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