Rating: 
Summary: solid conclusion to the trilogy
Review: First: read NEUROMANCER, and COUNT ZERO, also by Gibson. Then: read MONA LISA OVERDRIVE. Read the three books in that order, and without reading other books intermittently. Actually, consider them one large novel. This will increase your comprehension and enjoyment of these books, which have come to be called The Sprawl Trilogy.MLO mainly follows the same pattern as COUNT ZERO. Several different characters are notable: Bobby Newmark, aka Count Zero, who is jacked into cyberspace. Kumiko, daughter of a Yakuza, supposedly protected in London. Sally Shears, aka Molly, who may attempt to kill or kidnap Angie Mitchell, a star of Internet simulation programs, and various other bit players. Of course there is Mona, an illegitimate human, since she exists without an ID number in the digital age. Mona is almost a street person, a nonentity, but she looks much like Angie Mitchell. Sinister persons have plans for Mona and Angie: they plot (apparently) to kidnap one and kill the other. Cyberspace cowboys, Yakuza, Londoner thugs, and weird freakish types populate the plot, with The Finn from COUNT ZERO playing a minor role in this novel as well. Gibson, as always, manages to make the various plots converge at the end. Gibson's world is futuristic, both fantastic and somewhat scientifically plausible, dystopic and frightening. London is trapped in a time warp. Japan is shiny and ultra-modern. Cleveland is a dump. The Sprawl is forbidding, amazing, huge, and imposing. Cyberspace is where everyone wants to be. In MONA LISA OVERDRIVE, he mainly succeeds at delivering his vision and an entertaining plot. Kudos to Gibson for creating this amazing fictional universe; this is his forte. I found the novel's ending somewhat confusing and unsatisfying. Don't let me dissuade you! MONA LISA OVERDRIVE is a fine novel and a successful conclusion to The Sprawl Trilogy; however, if you're new to Gibson, start with BURNING CHROME (short stories) or NEUROMANCER. ken32
Rating:
Summary: solid conclusion to the trilogy
Review: First: read NEUROMANCER, and COUNT ZERO, also by Gibson. Then: read MONA LISA OVERDRIVE. Read the three books in that order, and without reading other books intermittently. Actually, consider them one large novel. This will increase your comprehension and enjoyment of these books, which have come to be called The Sprawl Trilogy. MLO mainly follows the same pattern as COUNT ZERO. Several different characters are notable: Bobby Newmark, aka Count Zero, who is jacked into cyberspace. Kumiko, daughter of a Yakuza, supposedly protected in London. Sally Shears, aka Molly, who may attempt to kill or kidnap Angie Mitchell, a star of Internet simulation programs, and various other bit players. Of course there is Mona, an illegitimate human, since she exists without an ID number in the digital age. Mona is almost a street person, a nonentity, but she looks much like Angie Mitchell. Sinister persons have plans for Mona and Angie: they plot (apparently) to kidnap one and kill the other. Cyberspace cowboys, Yakuza, Londoner thugs, and weird freakish types populate the plot, with The Finn from COUNT ZERO playing a minor role in this novel as well. Gibson, as always, manages to make the various plots converge at the end. Gibson's world is futuristic, both fantastic and somewhat scientifically plausible, dystopic and frightening. London is trapped in a time warp. Japan is shiny and ultra-modern. Cleveland is a dump. The Sprawl is forbidding, amazing, huge, and imposing. Cyberspace is where everyone wants to be. In MONA LISA OVERDRIVE, he mainly succeeds at delivering his vision and an entertaining plot. Kudos to Gibson for creating this amazing fictional universe; this is his forte. I found the novel's ending somewhat confusing and unsatisfying. Don't let me dissuade you! MONA LISA OVERDRIVE is a fine novel and a successful conclusion to The Sprawl Trilogy; however, if you're new to Gibson, start with BURNING CHROME (short stories) or NEUROMANCER. ken32
Rating: 
Summary: Neuromancer Underdrive
Review: Gibson has both developed and regressed in this piece, which appears far from the noirish heights of Neuromancer, and yet somehow more mature. Mona Lisa Overdrive is a complex book, which tracks the overlapping stories of five characters, using neat chapter-size sections for each. He develops each character with startling skill, no mean feat for the man who filled Neuromancer's 300 pages with a host of electrifying descriptions, while failing to expand his main character's background beyond several brief paragraphs. The storyline, as per usual, is inane. The book is a cyberspace-Mafia thriller with Gibson's typical conspiratorial edge, and an ending that was meant to be profound - particularly to followers of the trilogy - but misses the spot. But it isn't the storyline which drives a Gibson novel, as any hardened fan will know. Gibson's true talent is growing his nebulous future world into new dimensions - this time into Japanese organized crime and the American 'urban refugee' scenario - and applying to it his extraordinary style; prose that has its roots in 30s detective fiction, yet, in my opinion, far exceeds the questionable efforts of Raymond Chandler and company. And this is where Gibson has failed this time around, inasmuch as he is capable of failing in the stylistic arena. Though in many ways it is a remarkable evolution from his uni-character, monologous works of the past, Overdrive is texturally thin. Unfortunately, Gibson shines mainly in his style, and so while he has stepped forward with this book, he has left many of his readers behind.
Rating: 
Summary: Neuromancer, and then some
Review: Gibson has done it again. Every element that made Neuromancer a hit is present. The hard-nosed Molly, now know as Sally Shears, returns to supply all the action one could ever want. There is the familiar merging of two A.I.s. But the clincher here is that Gibson presents a slough of characters who's stories are intricately woven together. Each character allows us experience aspect of a tainted society. There's Angie, the pop-star of the sim-stim world, Mona, an orphan-turned-stripper, Slick, the mechanic tortured by the past he can't remember, as well as many more. Each character deals with there similiar problems in a unique way that presents their point of view and character. Gibson's writing abilities have definately matured, and he takes us to the next level with Mona Lisa Overdrive.
Rating:
Summary: Simply my favorite fiction, ever.
Review: Gibson's writing is gritty urban poetry. Every phrase is polished, shaped. This is THX writing. Science fiction doesn't get any better than this.
Rating:
Summary: Every pop icon should be wary....
Review: I could see exactly how Angie Mitchell is today's Britney and Janet Jackson or any other pop star. But the story, action and complete contrast to the other characters, who are just as real and human as Angie (if not more) is what makes this a masterpiece. Just as easily can we imagine the squeamish response from a pop star about smelling fish, can we see the landscape of trash and refuse that is Dog solitude as it's lonely residents feel trouble in a big car rolling towards them. And remember never to just snort the stuff.
Rating:
Summary: This book rocks. True Gibson artwork.
Review: I could seriously not put this book down. I read Neuromancer, which I thought was an awesome book, and I read Count Zero, which was good but sort of boring. Mona Lisa Overdrive however was a true masterpiece true to Gibson. The environment, so dark and un-organic paints a dark picture in your mind that is so real and tangible in a way. Cyberspace and the computer-driven networked world also played so much of a part in this simply amazing imaginary world. When it matches with the characters so nicely you can't discount the book because it's so enthralling. I loved this book and I know a lot of others that did too (although most of them tell me it's a cult following to like Gibson's work).
Rating:
Summary: Excellent conclusion to the "Sprawl" series
Review: I enjoyed "Mona Lisa Overdrive" and "Count Zero" more than "Neuromancer" but the reason is that I read "Neuromancer" before "Burning Chrome" (Gibson's collection of short stories) and the other two after "BC". It makes a big difference because "BC" gives you a lot of necessary background. "MLO" is almost better than "CZ". The introduction of some new characters to go with the story of Angela Mitchell and The Count worked well, I thought. I liked the relationship bewteen Molly and Kumiko too. I think it's time I re-read "Neuromancer" to get a second perspective on it.
Rating:
Summary: Picture this...
Review: I had never seen Count Zero in the stores, so I thought this one was the sequel to Neuromancer instead of the 3rd. I followed it okay, and enjoyed it too, but definitely felt like I was on the outside looking in, always playing catch up. So, read the first two first, then this one, and enjoy! Much more of this one takes place in the real world than Neuromancer, so I found it much easier to "see" what was going on. And since it's not so caught up in the gadgetry, the characters come through more fully.
Rating:
Summary: Typical Gibson attitude-laden action
Review: I would have appreciated being told that without reading Neuromancer and/or count zero , I would have struggled my way through this book only to be left feeling a little lost and confused at it's conclusion . So I read the other two books and even though some aspects were confusing , that's a minor fault of an otherwise 'cool' book . I enjoyed being caught up in the angst and frustration of Slick Henry in his Factory amongst the desolate Dog Solitude . I kept flicking forward to catch the next mention of Sally or Molly . Among the supposed tuffgirls in the genre , I think that she wins it by a mile . How can you go wrong with someone athletic , intelligent , directed and with a kick ass attitude . Mona Lisa became a tad irritating and tiresome after a while . Does everything in her life need comparison to her mentor's advice ? Does she have to be in awe of everything that's new ( imagine how amazed her expression must have been when she was born -wow , air! ) ? Maybe I liked Molly too much . Colin's a nifty concept which reminded me of the days when I played marathon five-setters with my imaginary tennis opponent hidden in the brick wall . I won't forget including the count , Gentry , Cherry , Petal , Swain , Eddy , Prior and the rest of the future-minded cast . For some reason , I was able to picture this world without Gibson having explaining it to the grain patterns of each oak cabinet ( ala Tollkien ) . If you're expecting personal conflict and in -depth character development , forget about reading this book . It's all about action and the mechanics and politics of the matrix, the sprawl and whatever new-fangled device Gibson dreamed up .
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