Rating: 
Summary: Paradigm shift...
Review: I first read this when I was young and stupid, and my reaction was something along the lines of 'Yeah, yeah. Next,' and little else. And, for a long while, that was how I left it, even when I began to reread the novels on a whim -- I mean, for crying out loud, let's face it. The 'description' of the plot on the back cover leaves a lot to be desired. So does the cover, for that matter. Thus it was only recently, when persuaded by my sister to give it another chance, that I at last discovered just how good this novel is. Nearly everything in here is perfect. The alien 'menace,' the Kreel, are not seen on the TV series, but David brings them to life with a gleeful enthusiasm, painting them in a humorous light at first that makes them a little difficult to take seriously. As the book goes on, however, we see that these aliens aren't just your typical ignorant phaser-toting race, and things begin to take on a darker tone as one particular Kreel begins to lay his plans. I'm sure we're all aware here of the general populace's famously publicized despisal of Wesley Crusher, something to which I never personally subscribed. David doesn't seem to, either, and he uses this book to show us a very different side of Wesley. When he learns that a close friend is dying of a brutally painful, irreversible disease, Wesley begins his own 'search for the cure,' refusing to believe that it's hopeless. I know that many of us out there who have lost loved ones to cancer or other incurable diseases know just how it feels. But Wesley's search degenerates into an obsessive compulsion, robbing him of much more than sleep as he pours more and more of himself into what others see as a hopeless cause. All of you out there who sneer at this character because he's so perfect, so smart, all of you need to read this book. Wesley literally begins to come apart at the seams. It was in this characterization that I felt Peter David touched the threshold of brilliance. The final scene, where Picard gently confronts Wesley about his role in the affairs that have unfolded, is nothing short of incredible. You can see the thread of Wesley's sanity unravelling almost before your eyes, and his exchange with Picard leads to a breakdown the likes of which you have never seen. Overwhelmingly emotional, and very tenderly handled by David, who finishes off this marvelous effort with one last wink in the reader's direction. Absolutely outstanding.
Rating:
Summary: Paradigm shift...
Review: I first read this when I was young and stupid, and my reaction was something along the lines of 'Yeah, yeah. Next,' and little else. And, for a long while, that was how I left it, even when I began to reread the novels on a whim -- I mean, for crying out loud, let's face it. The 'description' of the plot on the back cover leaves a lot to be desired. So does the cover, for that matter. Thus it was only recently, when persuaded by my sister to give it another chance, that I at last discovered just how good this novel is. Nearly everything in here is perfect. The alien 'menace,' the Kreel, are not seen on the TV series, but David brings them to life with a gleeful enthusiasm, painting them in a humorous light at first that makes them a little difficult to take seriously. As the book goes on, however, we see that these aliens aren't just your typical ignorant phaser-toting race, and things begin to take on a darker tone as one particular Kreel begins to lay his plans. I'm sure we're all aware here of the general populace's famously publicized despisal of Wesley Crusher, something to which I never personally subscribed. David doesn't seem to, either, and he uses this book to show us a very different side of Wesley. When he learns that a close friend is dying of a brutally painful, irreversible disease, Wesley begins his own 'search for the cure,' refusing to believe that it's hopeless. I know that many of us out there who have lost loved ones to cancer or other incurable diseases know just how it feels. But Wesley's search degenerates into an obsessive compulsion, robbing him of much more than sleep as he pours more and more of himself into what others see as a hopeless cause. All of you out there who sneer at this character because he's so perfect, so smart, all of you need to read this book. Wesley literally begins to come apart at the seams. It was in this characterization that I felt Peter David touched the threshold of brilliance. The final scene, where Picard gently confronts Wesley about his role in the affairs that have unfolded, is nothing short of incredible. You can see the thread of Wesley's sanity unravelling almost before your eyes, and his exchange with Picard leads to a breakdown the likes of which you have never seen. Overwhelmingly emotional, and very tenderly handled by David, who finishes off this marvelous effort with one last wink in the reader's direction. Absolutely outstanding.
Rating: 
Summary: An excellent read with a somewhat weak ending.
Review: I was fully expecting to give this book a five star rating; it was one of the most enjoyable reads of all the Next Generation books I've yet read. Unfortunately, the ending was rather weak, and somewhat out of sync with the rest of the story; a story as lighthearted as this one shouldn't have had such a downer of an ending. But the ending wasn't terrible; it just didn't live up to the rest of the story, and cost it one star. It's still an excellent story, even with a less-than stellar ending.
In general, this story was somewhat reminiscent in style of some of the best of the Original Series episodes, like "Trouble With Tribbles", "A Piece Of The Action", and "Shore Leave", in which a significant amount of humor is added to the mix, without sacrificing any of the action or drama of the storyline. The plot moves well, is not implausible, and the characterizations are handled with a deft touch. A very enjoyable book.
Rating:
Summary: Not his best book but still very entertaining!
Review: I'm not sure what USSHawley was saying about TNG and DS9 being at different times, they are both in the same time frame (on the show anyway). At any rate, Peter David pumps out a book that doesn't quite live up to his standards but it still quite entertaining. He explores Wesley Crusher and the friends that Crusher would inevitably make and lose while on the ship and gaining perspective into Crusher's life has intrigued most Trek fans. I won't say this one is a "must buy," I reserve that for Imzadi, Qinlaw, Qsquared, and Vendetta. However, if you're looking for a very good book, that isn't quite "great" you can't go wrong with Strike Zone.
Rating: 
Summary: Decent, but hard to take seriously
Review: I've read reviews that say this was intended as a humor story, and Trek certainly has some gems in that category... But I still had problems taking this book seriously even as a humor story. My problem is that it's obvious that the author didn't know the characters very well yet at this point. While Peter David has brought to us some of the absolute best titles in Trek literature, this was his first attempt at it, and it shows. It seems that he took the "bible" descriptions of the characters and charicatured them, to the point sometimes of being just plain silly. No need to talk about the plot since that's done in other reviews. It was interesting, but the end was yet again a charicature of some Trek episodes, bringing a silly and overdone anticlimax to what could have been a rather formidable force. I'm a collector, and one day I will read every Trek title put out by Pocket Books. If you're like me, then read this and enjoy it as much as you can. If you're looking for quality Trek storytelling, this may be one worth passing over.
Rating:
Summary: Decent, but hard to take seriously
Review: I've read reviews that say this was intended as a humor story, and Trek certainly has some gems in that category... But I still had problems taking this book seriously even as a humor story. My problem is that it's obvious that the author didn't know the characters very well yet at this point. While Peter David has brought to us some of the absolute best titles in Trek literature, this was his first attempt at it, and it shows. It seems that he took the "bible" descriptions of the characters and charicatured them, to the point sometimes of being just plain silly. No need to talk about the plot since that's done in other reviews. It was interesting, but the end was yet again a charicature of some Trek episodes, bringing a silly and overdone anticlimax to what could have been a rather formidable force. I'm a collector, and one day I will read every Trek title put out by Pocket Books. If you're like me, then read this and enjoy it as much as you can. If you're looking for quality Trek storytelling, this may be one worth passing over.
Rating:
Summary: STNG #5 - Survivors - A very good beginning for Peter David!
Review: Keeping in mind that this was Peter David's first venture into the Star Trek universe, I thought this was a very good beginning for him. This is of course when one considers the prolific nature of how many Star Trek books this outstanding author has written. Peter David's style of writing, from this very first STNG novel of his to his latest, has always been quite fluid with superb plot detail and as always, a healthy amount of humor which other Star Trek novels sometimes lack. While I agree with other reviewers in that the conclusion to this novel is a bit off when compared to the rest of it, overall, this novel gave Star Trek readers but the first taste of many extraordinary adventures in Gene Roddenberry's universe by this author! The premise: This is also where Peter David first introduces the Kreel, a warlike race that he has briefly visited many times since. Here, the Kreel have happened upon powerful alien weapons and they decide to use these weapons on their blood enemies, everybody's favorite enemy, the Klingons. Captain Picard and the Enterprise are called in to hopefully mediate a truce between these two bitter enemies and hopefully discover the nature of the powerful weapons discovered by the Kreel. What follows, is as I said above, an excellent first adventure in the twenty fourth century by one of Star Trek's premier authors, Peter David. I highly recommend this novel to any and all fans of Star Trek and the Star Trek novels for you will certainly not be disappointed by this fine trek offering. {ssintrepid}
Rating:
Summary: STNG #5 - Survivors - A very good beginning for Peter David!
Review: Keeping in mind that this was Peter David's first venture into the Star Trek universe, I thought this was a very good beginning for him. This is of course when one considers the prolific nature of how many Star Trek books this outstanding author has written. Peter David's style of writing, from this very first STNG novel of his to his latest, has always been quite fluid with superb plot detail and as always, a healthy amount of humor which other Star Trek novels sometimes lack. While I agree with other reviewers in that the conclusion to this novel is a bit off when compared to the rest of it, overall, this novel gave Star Trek readers but the first taste of many extraordinary adventures in Gene Roddenberry's universe by this author! The premise: This is also where Peter David first introduces the Kreel, a warlike race that he has briefly visited many times since. Here, the Kreel have happened upon powerful alien weapons and they decide to use these weapons on their blood enemies, everybody's favorite enemy, the Klingons. Captain Picard and the Enterprise are called in to hopefully mediate a truce between these two bitter enemies and hopefully discover the nature of the powerful weapons discovered by the Kreel. What follows, is as I said above, an excellent first adventure in the twenty fourth century by one of Star Trek's premier authors, Peter David. I highly recommend this novel to any and all fans of Star Trek and the Star Trek novels for you will certainly not be disappointed by this fine trek offering. {ssintrepid}
Rating:
Summary: Early TNG interpretation of a Star Trek staple.
Review: Lesser races gaining retribution on their one time oppressors is a recurring theme in Star Trek. It is even the basis of the DS9 series. Strike Zone predates DS9 by many years both in real life and in the Star Trek universe. Being in a different time frame than the original series, this TNG story could utilize the Klingon storyline in a fuller, more satisfying way. Good book for Klingon fans.
Rating:
Summary: Lots of Fun
Review: Of the all Star Trek novels I have read, this stands as one of my personal favorites. The other really good ones are also by Peter David, 'Vendetta' and 'Q-in-Law', the former being the Borg movie they should have made instead of that piece of trash, First Contact. Strike Zone deals very simply with the Federation rushing to settle a dispute between the Klingons and a new race known as the Kreel. For over a century the Kreel have been nipping at the heels of the Klingons, who see them as parasites. Except now the Kreel have found a stockpile of fearsome weapons and are now taking it to the Klingons. The Enterprise is ordered to intercede and act as mediators between the two waring nations before the rip themselves apart. David has an uncanny grasp of the Next Generation characters and presents them as we enjoy them most. Picard is the stolid no-nonsense captain, Riker the dashing hero with a quick wit, Data as the often perplexed android. It also presents Next Generation's least liked character, Wesley Crusher, in a vulnerable light. Speaking for myself, I liked the character and it was the writers' fault that Wil Weaten became a casualty of the series. Strike Zone is decidedly light reading, and rarely serious. It also does something rare in anything Trek-the characters change, especially Wesley Crusher, and not the same person they were at the beginning of the story.
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