Book Review: Contest by Matthew Reilly

RATING: 4 OUT OF 5 STARS

Synopsis


The New York State Library looms as a silent sanctuary of knowledge: a hundred-year-old labyrinth of towering bookcases, narrow isles, and spiral staircases.
But for Dr Stephen Swain and his eight-year-old daughter Holly it is a place of nightmare. Because, for just one night, this historic building is to become the venue of a horrifying contest... a contest in which Swain must compete whether he likes it or not.
The rules of the challenge are simple: seven contestants will enter, but only one will leave.
With his daughter in his arms, Stephen Swain is plunged into a terrifying fight for survival. The stakes are high, the odds are brutal. He can choose to run, to hide, or to fight - but if he wants to live, he needs to win.
For, in this particular contest, unless you leave as victor, you don't leave at all.


My review: 

My friend gave me this book as he thought I would love it. At the time I had loads of books I had to plough through.

First off I found that the edition I had, had a cover that did not really show a good representation of the book. This looks like some kind of Dan Brown thriller. It does have elements of Brown with it's fast pace and light reading style. Yet with this book there is an element of sci fi and fantasy.


So it starts off with you learning who the hero of the book will be. Stephen Swain is a Doctor, who with his daughter unwittingly enters a 'galactic' competition. A competition where the winner takes the ulimate prize.... Their Life!


The plot is very fast paced, nor is it hard to get confused with what happening. This I feel is because it's not exactly a complex storyline.  But then by what I have read online the author admits that he never intended his work to be epic masterpieces.  I read this book real quick and I think this would be perfect for a holiday read. Once finished I moved straight on to another book.


My only major issue is that I did struggle a little to imagine the setting. Sometimes I found it all too unbeliveable; which isn't a bad thing in a Sci-fi novel but there comes a point where it makes you fall out of the world that the author is trying to bring you in.


Overall a quick, fast paced book with a plot that is some what unrealistic scenes but is perfect for a plane flight.


Should i have given it a 4 star? yes and no. It kept me reading, I would recommend, yet I was not raving about it. What a hard book to review.