The Wrong Side of Brightness

Rating:
Summary: great story
Review: A fast-paced, well plotted, and hip treatment of a believable contemporary moral dilemma and how it is resolved.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting plot concept - very choppy execution
Review: After reading this book, I realized that the basic plot was actually fairly interesting. And that the protagonist, Peter Ford, was a fairly believable character.

But I didn't realize these things while reading the book because I was continually distracted by changes in structure and delivery. Another reviewer here commented on his trouble reading unpunctuated conversations. That's true in the later parts of the book, but in the early parts the usual indented & quoted style is used for conversations. And at a minimum, this novel should have been more carefully edited.

I also formed the impression that this book had been written in 3 or 4 separate sessions and that the seams between them were a little too visible. Either this book was written over several years and illustrates Mr. Bay's evolution as a writer - or he was pushing a deadline and just flat ran out of time to finish it in the manner he'd begun.

While I consider the book worth its price, the bottom line is that I won't be afraid to loan this book.

Rating:
Summary: A very entertaining book, a mix of thriller and military...
Review: As the quote goes, "from the hell of war to the cool recesses of the mind", so does this book go from Desert Storm to civilian life where a former combatant struggles with an atrocity he witnessed as the war ended, and how to bring the perps to justice. It is a very entertaning story. It is clear that the author has extensive military experience and history, and he weaves them expertly throughout. Getting into the mind of the fighting man is a fearsome task, turning it into a great story is even harder. Bay has done both.

Rating:
Summary: buy something else
Review: I went to hear the author plug the book at a local bookstore, left early, but bought the book because it was cheap and I was curious. It wasn't even worth the $7.50. The plot is unclear (tho it is basically a good one) because the author's style of narrative and dialogue is murky. Page-long paragraphs of dialogue without quote marks make it very tricky to follow what's being said by whom. The role of the characters in the plot is frequently vague. And a lot of the book is just corny. As an aside, as a sometimes reader of the author's op-ed columns, and having read his biography, I'm pretty sure he inflates his qualifications in the field of intelligence/foreign affairs.

Rating:
Summary: great story
Review: Mr. Bay's foreign policy and intelligence expertise shines in this book. The story is quick and the topic makes it timely reading for anyone interested in current world events. The plot is "real world" in its complexity, but very interestingly ties together an engaging story. I highly recommend the book.

Rating:
Summary: A Winner
Review: The Wrong Side of Brightness is a timely and captivating tale that is written clearly and concisely. Bay's extensive military experience and worldly perspective is evident in his writing. I'm anxiously awaiting his next work.