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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Blindness takes over the planet like a plague and chaos ensues. Over the next 7 years, vision is restored artificially with implants called Vitters. (I listened to the audiobook - fitting considering the subject matter, don't you think - so am assuming the spelling.) As can be expected, some people resist the technology and some people work to take advantage of the devices. The story plays out mainly focused on a detective faced with an odd situation where he thinks Vitters are being hacked to allow criminals to be erased from visions. I thought the world created was incredibly smart and realistic, given the dystopian twist. The author did an excellent job of presenting a world that is frightening to many of us, as we are so dependent on vision and this was well voiced by the solo narrator. Tiedemann, the narrator, was also effective in representing the many difference voices and characters in the book. I listened at 1.25x, as I normally do, without any confusion. Character development seemed to lose out to time spent detailing the new world, both the history and current action. Likewise, the focus on the book was more on the mysteries while using the science fiction aspect as the foundation for events to take place. But, more than once I stopped to consider how I would do without my sight, something I have wondered about in the past. If this happened, would I eagerly grab for a Vitter despite this cautionary tale?
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
adventurous
challenging
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I requested this book based solely on Thomas Mullen's name on the cover. I absolutely loved his previous books Darktown and Lightning Men (the first two books in his Darktown historical police procedural series) and was eager to see what he had written now.
This time out, Mullens is changing up genres and has written a dystopian/Sci-Fi/ speculative thriller. Admittedly, SciFi isn't my go-to genre but it had a very unique premise. A pandemic takes the sight of everyone on earth and now people rely on technology called Vidders that approximate vision directly into people's brains. But what if someone was able to manipulate the images people 'see'?
Within this thriller, Mullen throws in some good twists and interesting world building. The story is told by a few POVs, but the one that stood out the most for me was Homicide Detective Mark Owens who is on the hunt for the person who murdered a scientist and is still reeling from the loss of his wife.
But I felt the thriller aspect gets a bit lost in the details, the multiple POVs and their backstories. Sci-Fi is not a genre I normally read so I appreciated that Mullen doesn't get into the nitty-gritty of the science behind how people now see with Vidders but would have loved to have known what caused The Blinding in the first place.
Audiobook: I jumped between the eBook and the eAudiobook for this read and while Gary Tiedemann did a good job narrating, I preferred reading this book on my kindle due to the many characters. I also couldn't help but feel like Blind Spots was written more like a TV script and less with a book format in mind.
A unique blend of genres, this dystopian story (with some social commentary for good measure), will make you wonder what your life would be like and how you would manage if you and everyone around you lost your sight.
Disclaimer: Thanks to Minotaur Books and MacMillan Audio for the complimentary eBook and eAudiobooks that were provided in exchange for my honest review.
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
4.5 stars
Synopsis: Seven years ago, for inexplicable reasons, everyone in the world went blind over the course of months, which has since been referred to as "The Blinding." Through the use of technology, people began to find a new normal by using devices called "vidders" that approximate vision. Detective Mark Owens' latest case involves the murder of a scientist, and the only witness to the crime claims the killer was somehow "blacked out" of her vision. Owens doesn't believe her until he experiences the exact same phenomenon as a murder is committed in front of him. Clearly someone has figured out a way to hack vidders and distort visual reality. Suspects range from tech billionaires to anti-vision cults, and Owens has to figure out who is responsible when he can't even trust his own eyes.
Thoughts: This book grabbed my attention right away, and I was racing to the end to figure out what happened. I enjoyed Mullen's quick cadence and curt writing tone-- it really worked with this type of story. Admittedly, it grew a little confusing toward the end, and I was slightly underwhelmed by the big reveal. Still, I enjoyed the ride and think others will too.
Read if you like
-Blake Crouch
-Dystopian books
-Station Eleven
-Investigative stories
Synopsis: Seven years ago, for inexplicable reasons, everyone in the world went blind over the course of months, which has since been referred to as "The Blinding." Through the use of technology, people began to find a new normal by using devices called "vidders" that approximate vision. Detective Mark Owens' latest case involves the murder of a scientist, and the only witness to the crime claims the killer was somehow "blacked out" of her vision. Owens doesn't believe her until he experiences the exact same phenomenon as a murder is committed in front of him. Clearly someone has figured out a way to hack vidders and distort visual reality. Suspects range from tech billionaires to anti-vision cults, and Owens has to figure out who is responsible when he can't even trust his own eyes.
Thoughts: This book grabbed my attention right away, and I was racing to the end to figure out what happened. I enjoyed Mullen's quick cadence and curt writing tone-- it really worked with this type of story. Admittedly, it grew a little confusing toward the end, and I was slightly underwhelmed by the big reveal. Still, I enjoyed the ride and think others will too.
Read if you like
-Blake Crouch
-Dystopian books
-Station Eleven
-Investigative stories
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I received an ARC through a Goodreads giveaway. Having said this, my simple review is not influenced by my appreciation in receiving this from the publishers.
Overall, I really enjoyed this alt-reality where everyone is blind. However, having said that, there were some things I personally didn't enjoy that is reflective in my 3 star rating.
I personally felt there were too many POV in the book that hindered the enjoyment. *Any specifics will be tagged as spoilers.* Adding extra perspectives made it feel as if parts of the story were being hand-fed to me. I'm a reader who is okay with mystery. I'm okay with not knowing full details of what's going on, not having all the answers. Even with that, I did enjoy it overall. I loved this world where everyone is blind and has to depend on devices to be able to 'see' again, where some choose to stay blind and live their life that way. It made me think on which way I'd live, and I still don't know.
One thing I do hope is it does go through another review as there were some technical errors that in no way reflects the author's work, such as paragraph breaks in the middle of a sentence and grammatical errors.
Overall, I really enjoyed this alt-reality where everyone is blind. However, having said that, there were some things I personally didn't enjoy that is reflective in my 3 star rating.
I personally felt there were too many POV in the book that hindered the enjoyment. *Any specifics will be tagged as spoilers.*
Spoiler
I would have rather not had a chapters from the perspective of Leila, Ballantine, Nayles, and mostly Peterson.Spoiler
Having the chapters from the victims, I felt it took away from that mystery of if Owens was going crazy or not, if he was really unhinged like his peers were thinking. If that mystery was there, it would have been more engaging.One thing I do hope is it does go through another review as there were some technical errors that in no way reflects the author's work, such as paragraph breaks in the middle of a sentence and grammatical errors.