Review: Mindfront by Dave Becker

Mindfront
written by Dave Becker
published by Dave Becker

find it here: (affiliate links) Barnes & Noble, Amazon, iBooks, Goodreads

Why did I pick this book: The author asked if I could review this book. (I received a copy of this book for review purposes.)

Did I enjoy this book: The premise was very cool – I mean, epic new brain mapping technology that can cure schizophrenia?  How cool is that?  Then people started dying.  The FBI and the CIA and some sort of South American Cartel with a penchant for cerebral board games spent way, WAY too many pages chasing the protagonist down and then letting him escape at the last moment.  I started rooting for Marty to just give up and get caught about three quarters of the way through.  It got hard to figure out what was actually happening, and though I’m certain Becker did it deliberately, I found it a bit too convoluted.  Add to that a metric ton of passive voice, some icky comma usage, and way, way, WAY too many details about the layout of Washington, DC, and you’ve got this book – an awesome story in need of some serious streamlining.

Would I recommend it: The science nerd in me says yes, but the grammar nerd says not yet.

Will I read it again: Mmm, no.  But I still think it’s really cool.

About the book – from Goodreads: After uncovering a universal code in the brain waves of all living things that could revolutionize psychology, Martin Keller wakes one morning to find himself covered in blood, surrounded by his butchered family. Convinced he’s being framed by a diabolical organization set on stealing or sabotaging his work, he dodges a multi-agency manhunt that pursues him from the seediest corners of DC to the highest offices of government. Struggling to stay alive and find his family’s killer, Marty soon finds himself lost in a maze of conspiracies and paranoia, and eventually begins to doubt his own sanity. How can he find the truth when he doesn’t know what’s real?