Invasion

Rating:
Summary: New spin on "Invasion of the body snatchers"
Review: This is the first book that I've ready by Cook. The writing was passable, but readers should be forewarned that the author has a tendency to throw biological and scientific terms into the text, seemingly at random (in this book anyway). Most of the technical jargon used by the author is so esoteric in nature that only professionals in the field of molecular biology or medical research are likely to know them (most of those terms are not even found in most dictionaries). In many cases there is no explanation about what those terms mean. As a biologist myself I caught the drift in most of those cases, but a reader not trained in the sciences will often be left scratching their head.

As for the characters and story, they are passable, and the story moves along at a good pace. In that respect, this book IS a page turner. The main characters include a college senior business major, his fiance, a student teacher, their best friend, a college senior headed to med school in the next fall, the head of a hospital ER unit, a molecular biologist, a physicist, a teen computer whiz-kid, an underground immunologist, and 1000s of small, smooth, black extraterrestrial "coke bottle tops" that are the source of anguish in the book.

The little objects "sting" humans and other living things, and change them biologically and psychologically.

Cook's "Invasion" struck me as a thinly veiled molecular biological version of the sci-fi classic movie, "Invasion of the Body Snatchers." In that movie alien seed pods that mysteriously appear take over the minds and bodies of unassuming humans when they fall asleep.

While the book is a page turner and the characters are pretty believable, I was disappointed by the lack of originality in the basic story line, and the author's rampant, unexplained use of so many specialized terms.

There are some interesting plot twists, though some of them seem a little to convenient for my tastes.

All in all a good read if you're looking for some sci-fi escapism.

A three star effort over all.

Watch out what you pick up out there, and if you don't, keep on grinning!

Alan Holyoak

Rating:
Summary: Really, Really Bad!
Review: TERRIBLE!! THE WORST!! BORING!!! RIDICULOUS!!!

Now....would you like me to tell you how I really feel?? OK...All of the above. However, Robin Cook has written some excellent books, ("Vital Signs," "Fatal Cure," "Acceptable Risk") but "Invasion" was sadly not one of them.

This is the story of an alien spaceship that comes to earth and drops off these little black disks. If you hold the disks in your hand you'll get pinpricked and injected with a strain of the influenza virus. And then you'll get really sick for several hours. But then you'll get better and suddenly gain a interest in environmental causes. And then you'll find that people all around you are experiencing the same symptoms. And finally, you'll slowly morph into an alien-like-creature - scaled skin and all!.

Now don't get me wrong....I personally don't have anything against science fiction/alien-type-stories. But this book was worse than any "X-Files" story line that was ever written and produced, The plot has so many holes and the characters are underdeveloped and bland. But worst of all the story was totally predictable. So formula. There were one or two mildly interesting plot twists but they were overshadowed by the implausibility of it all. If this were the ONLY book available at an airport before a long flight I'd rather daydream or watch the in-flight movie.

Rating:
Summary: A BIG disappointment
Review: I was very eager to pick up this book after all the other great Cook books I'd read but after I finished the prologue I was very disappointed. I mean, Cook, doing a medical thriller about aliens! I found it very predictable and, I hate to say it but, stupid! I will admit after I finished the book I wasn't as upset but I still thought this was definitely one of Cook's worst books.

Rating:
Summary: a page turner
Review: I loved this book. I bought it because Robin Cook wrote it. After I started reading it I found out it is not one of his medicial novels. I could not put this book down. I also saw the movie. If you like Robin Cook & science fiction you will like this book. You can feel the fear Cassy & the rest are going through. read this book. It is well worth it.

Rating:
Summary: A bit of a let down
Review: I had eagerly anticipated reading this one. I bought it at the store, got busy on it as soon as I could, and finished it. Am I the only one that was left wondering what happened to everybody at the end? If you want good Cook, try Toxin or Chromosome 6. The characters are paper thin and development is poor. The plot is has a reckless quality to it. Save your time and money on this one.

Rating:
Summary: One of THE Best Books I've Ever Read!
Review: I thought this book was outstanding! Robin Cook is my favorite author, and this book did not disappoint. It is definitely a fast-read, and the story will capture you. It is about Pitt and Cassy who try to stop aliens from taking over the planet. I know, it sounds like a cheesy story, but Cook's use of description will ultimately make this book a joy! It has suspense, intelligence, and a quality about it that makes it a true page-turner! I highly recommend it for everyone.

Rating:
Summary: A n Absorbing Read
Review: What I enjoyed about this book was the message it puts across about our environment and how our race is degrading it. This book is a slight deviation from the normal Robin Kook novels as it involves medicine plus sci-fi. This novel kept me engrossed right down to the last page.

Rating:
Summary: oh heck!
Review: I love Robin Cook's stuff soooooooo much..and I also love sci fi. As a medical professional, I picked up this book thinking here is a marriage of my two fav subjects, medicine and sci fi..and was so disappointed. THis book would have been great if it had been written in the 50s..or 60's--truly ground breaking..but for now? It's old hat. Im sorry, Robin! Do better next time, ok?

Rating:
Summary: COOK'S CREEPIEST NOVEL!
Review: This sci fi medical thriller by the author of Vector and Outbreak is one of the creepiest of it's kind. When a spaceship not of this Earth lands and dumps mysterious black discs, no one knows what they are, or where they came from. But, if you are unlucky enough to pick one up and get stung by a protruding needle, you will soon suffer flu symptoms, and eventually, become something not of this Earth. All over the world, people are stung by the black discs, and "turned". It's now up to a remaining group of "normal" people, to save the world from the deadly alien disease. Good sci fi novel! READ IT!

Rating:
Summary: Strange...
Review: I can't believe Robin Cook wrote this book. It's not like his other books at all. It's a good book, a little impropable, maybe, but good. Of course, all of his stories are impropable. I don't really like the ending. I mean, what would be so bad about the world ending up like that. I won't spoil it for anyone; I hate it when people do that. I just think the planet would have been it they hadn't stopped "them".