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| Plot Summary of GermLine |
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St. Martin's, Dec 2002, 27.95, 416 pp.
ISBN: 076530094X
In California, Dr. Kevin Kincaid accompanied by his wife Helen and their twin children visit his Uncle Dermot, an eccentric scientist. Dermot asks Kevin to work with him on a special DNA project. Before the nephew can understand what is being offered, he receives an emergency call from the San Francisco hospital he practices medicine in. When he returns to his uncle's estate, he sees fire trucks and other emergency vehicles. Worse he sees two children baby bags as his twins and his uncle died in a fire and though her body was not found so had his spouse.
A decade later, Kevin is the leading researcher into "GermLine" gene therapy and he is close to a major breakthrough after years of experiment and failure. He believes he now has the needed vector to enable the introduction of new genes into the germ cells of an unborn that will eliminate genetic disease. However, different groups compete to control who benefits from Kincaid's findings or want the research ended. All the rivals are ruthless and willing to kill to achieve their objective.
This cerebral medical thriller is so cutting edge, the story line reads more like a complex intellectual science fiction. The plot requires deep concentration to understand the nuances of germline DNA research, but author Dr. Nelson Erlick cleverly interweaves explanations inside the plot, i.e., news conference. Though the latter half of the novel turns into more of an action conspiracy thriller as competitors skirmish over control, fans of a sharp future state of the art tale will want to peruse this keen novel.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of GermLine |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 10%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%
Tone of story
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
Time/era of story:
- near future
Medical Thriller
Yes
Medical Plotlets:
- bio manip. to get new abilities
Spying/Terrorism Thriller
Yes
Cloak & Dagger Plotlets:
- stopping a saboteur/spy
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- scientist
Age:
- 40's-50's
How much violence does he/she use?
- just the right amount
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Genius (really!)
Physique
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- an organization
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- power
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- California
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths?
- 2
Amount of dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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