Mutation

Rating:
Summary: Class Report
Review: This book was pretty boring. The last 4 pages was about the only really suspenseful part of the book. I loved the idea of the plot, but I dont like the feeling of having to force myself to keep reading. I like when I cant turn the pages fast enough.

Rating:
Summary: so-so...a bit on the outrageous side
Review: Well, it all started when my dad began checking out all these Robin Cook books from the library. Finally, out of curiosity, I picked one up and began to read, wondering what was so great about these novels that had my dad checking out every last one from the local library. The hardcover I picked up just so happens to be this one, Mutation. The novel starts out with long descriptive passages, which I find out are quite trademark of Robin Cook. Turns out, he is a physician turned novelist, so it helps to know that he has the credentials to be throwing out the medical terms to the reader. After all the deep, allusion-filled novels I've been reading for school, it was nice to curl up on the couch with a medical mystery. Even though the book is 300 something pages, it only took me one day to read. I couldn't put it down! I sat there until 2 AM just to finish that novel. I was not expecting to find any underlying allusions, for heaven's sake I was trying to escape from heavy thinking novels; but after going through the first few chapters it hit me that Victor from Mutation holds an uncanny resemblance to Dr. Victor Frankenstein from Mary Shelley's famous novel. Victor attempts to manipulate gene science to procreate the perfect "superchild." Dr. Frankenstein uses electricity to bring the dead to life. Both Victors are driven to alter the laws of nature to satisfy their desire to play God. However, where Mary Shelley is vague on the scientific details of Frankenstein's experiments, Robin Cook elaborates more on the specifics of Victor's gene-altering experiments, thus adding to the believability of his story. This is frightening, especially in present time when the possibility of scientific enhancement of embryos is all too real. However, no matter how feasible the thought of a scientifically perfected child may be, the rest of Cook's story is quite outrageous, leaving the reader thinking "The Outer Limits." I won't spoil the ending for anybody, but I will say this: for those that have read Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, the story line is pretty clear cut, but for everyone else, you might be taken on a couple wild plot twists.