My Book Reviews of Raising Abel: An International Thriller
J.M. Northup
5.0 out of 5 stars
Entertaining and thrilling, while thought-provoking and deep!
Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2014 – Verified Purchase
This novel just moved me! Not only was it intelligent and entertaining, it was though-provoking as to what it truly meant to be human. The hatred and violence of the fanatical believer was truly troubling because it depicted human nature at it’s worst, but in an honest way. I loved this story and definitely recommend it to everyone. The expression of tolerance and the rights we all have to exist is profoundly presented and I found it hard to put this book down!
Raising Abel by W. Michael GearMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
* Deep & Emotional *
I’ve always been drawn to prehistory and Neanderthal / Cro-Magnon… well, everything, really. Add to that my love of genetics and genealogy – Um, I think you just found this book!
The Gears masterfully take a sci-fi mystery and weave it with a crime thriller in such a beautiful way. It is deep and dark, but moving – it literally haunted me. The story stays with me even almost a decade after reading it, it is that good!
What I liked was the questioning of what it means to be human. I like that it reminds us that no one and no thing can truly fit into a box. We are all dynamic and special. I love that the Gears remind us that nothing is linear. We are a continuation and a compilations of our past. There’s no “missing link” because we are all connected in ways we have yet to figure out.
What I didn’t like… playing God. There are many concerns with gene-manipulation and whether or not we should try to bring back something that has gone extinct. I think that is the most relevant aspect of horror in this story – the human desire to be God and yet, not realize what, who, or where we actually are in the universe overall.
I definitely recommend this book. It is powerful, entrancing, entertaining, and thought-provoking. It appeals to an array of readers because it crosses so many genres while giving so much to its audience. Excellent book!!!
