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Saturday, May 12, 2018

REVIEW: Obscura by Joe Hart @amazonpub #thomasandmercer #joehart #allthebookreviews

Obscura
by Joe Hart

Thanks to Amazon Publishing / Thomas & Mercer for these copies in return for our honest reviews.
Psychological thriller with a touch of sci-fi! A tad outside Jessica and I's normal reads.


Publisher:  Thomas & Mercer / Amazon Publishing
Publish Date:  May 8, 2018
Paperback
352 Pages
Standalone
Genres:  Psychological Thriller, Science Fiction

Goodreads Synopsis:

She’s felt it before…the fear of losing control. And it’s happening again.

In the near future, an aggressive and terrifying new form of dementia is affecting victims of all ages. The cause is unknown, and the symptoms are disturbing. Dr. Gillian Ryan is on the cutting edge of research and desperately determined to find a cure. She’s already lost her husband to the disease, and now her young daughter is slowly succumbing as well. After losing her funding, she is given the unique opportunity to expand her research. She will travel with a NASA team to a space station where the crew has been stricken with symptoms of a similar inexplicable psychosis—memory loss, trances, and violent, uncontrollable impulses.

Crippled by a secret addiction and suffering from creeping paranoia, Gillian finds her journey becoming a nightmare as unexplainable and violent events plague the mission. With her grip weakening on reality, she starts to doubt her own innocence. And she’s beginning to question so much more—like the true nature of the mission, the motivations of the crew, and every deadly new secret space has to offer.

Merging thrilling science-fiction adventure with mind-bending psychological suspense, Wall Street Journal bestselling author Joe Hart explores both the vast mysteries of outer space and the even darker unknown that lies within ourselves.

My Review:


While I loved the concept behind the book, it didn't quite work for me as much as I had hoped that it would.  A mother desperate to find a cure for a new form of dementia that has taken her husband and is threatening to take her only child as well.  She gets the opportunity to go into space to help NASA with the implication she can further her studies for a cure and then be funded for life after her mission has been completed.  How far would you go for your child?  What happens when the mission isn't at all what you thought it was going to be?

One thing I've learned from reading some science fiction is that you do NOT want to go to Mars! 🤣  Seems bad shit always happens there.  No matter where you go though, you can never escape your demons and anything can be an addiction.  

It took me about 90 pages in before things got really interesting for me.  It kept a steady pace from there and will work well for those who love a little sci-fi added into the mix of a thriller.  

★★★

Jessica's Review:


I'm not known to dip into the sci-fi realm often, but I'm working on expanding those horizons! OBSCURA caught my attention because it's still a thriller, so it's not TOO far out of my comfort zone. For readers that love science fiction and the concepts of going to Mars will probably love this one!
Dr. Gillian Ryan is at the forefront of a new cutting edge research to try and cure an aggressive new form of dementia. Her husband lost his battle with the disease and her daughter is beginning to show symptoms. After her funding is cut, she is offered a unique opportunity from NASA. If she completes her mission with them, then she will be funded for life to find a cure.
Her mission? She must travel to a space station and try to cure a new but similar disease that has taken over the team. I will say, the concept of being stuck in space with people suffering from a psychosis including memory loss, hallucinations, and violent impulses sounds terrifying. Gillian is slowly being taken over by paranoia and her secret addiction as she tries to find a cure for this new disease. She can't help but wonder if there are hidden motives and agendas. Why is she really there?
I loved this concept. It was creepy and unsettling with the backdrop of space, but I feel like a couple things fell a little short. Like I said, I think I wasn't the perfect reader for this (I don't venture into sci-fi often), but those that are fascinated with space thrillers, this is one you'll want on your TBR!
I give this 3/5 stars!

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