© 2012 Book Chatter | Book Chatter

12-21
By Dustin Thomason
(The Dial Press, Hardcover, 9780385341400, August 7, 2012, 336pp.)

The Short of It:

A quick, adventurous read that takes you from the sprawling metropolis of Los Angeles to the ruins of an ancient Mayan civilization.

The Rest of It:

After a patient exhibits signs of FFI (fatal familial insomnia), Dr. Michaela Thane enlists the help of prion expert, Gabriel Stanton. With a disease this rare, the question to ask is, “How did it get here?” In his quest to find the answer, Stanton brings in Chel Manu, a Mayan expert, to translate what the patient has shared with them thus far and when Chel is presented with a Maya codex, she begins to think that the two incidents may be related.

With the title and all, I was eager to read this book as I love anything that has to do with the end of the world but it wasn’t quite what I expected it to be. I pictured a riveting medical thriller with people dying everywhere and doctors and scientists running all over hell to find a cure. There were elements of that but on a much quieter scale. What I found contained between these pages was in fact, a beginning to a screenplay as I could see it in my head played out on the big screen.

The framework was all there and the story interesting, but I felt as if the momentum seemed to stop as soon as I was getting into it. Plus, I didn’t find the Mayan connection to be all that interesting even though it had everything to do with the significance of the title and the end of the Mayan Long Count calendar and in turn, the end of civilization as we know it.

However, the medical bits were well written and did pull me in. I definitely wanted to know more about Stanton. Maybe a bit more about his personal life? Oh, and I wanted more drama. I am a Southern California gal and the fact that it was set in Los Angeles was a huge turn-on, but Los Angeles in the midst of a pandemic? Hello! That has crazy written all over it and what I got was a bit too tame.

If you are looking for a quick read and like medical thrillers that are on the quiet side (no blood or gore or oozing snot), then you might enjoy this one.

Enter the giveaway for a chance to win your own copy! Details below.

To view Dustin’s other TLC tour stops, click here.

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

This giveaway is for one copy of 12-21 and is open to the US & Canada only (no PO boxes). A winner will be chosen randomly by me. The book will come directly from the publisher. Only one entry per person. Giveaway closes on Sunday, September 2, 2012 (pacific). I will contact the winner.

To enter the giveaway, please click here.

Source: Review and giveaway copy provided by the publisher via TLC Book Tours.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

It’s still warm here, but the light in the early mornings and late afternoons has that trademark glow that signifies that fall is on the way. I love it. I’ve pulled out the candles and I am starting to think about football and chili. It’s my favorite time of the year and I milk it for what it’s worth. Pumpkin lattes, hearty soups, one dish casseroles. Love them all.

That said, we are having salad tonight. Yep, I went to get a pot roast but when it’s 86 degrees out, salad is what you end up with. However, it will include grilled chicken so there will be some BBQ’ing too. Might as well make the most of this nice weather.

Reading? This has not been a good reading weekend for me. I completed a time management course at work and it’s taught me to eliminate all gathering places except for one. Do you know what a gathering place is? It’s that spot on your counter or your desk that accumulates the “junk” or other items that are important, but for whatever reason are not important enough to deal with right at that moment. Well, I spent most of yesterday and today taking care of them and it feels great, but it didn’t leave me much time to read. I will be curling up with The Dog Stars later this evening though just to finish it up.

We are falling into a routine now with school and all of the other activities that my kids are involved in. I start school next week but I may drop the class. The short story class that I signed up for is a lot more work online, that what you get in the face-to-face class. I saw the syllabus and the cost of the textbook and now it’s making me rethink my decision to take it. I get to take classes at the university where I work at a greatly reduced rate, so I try to get one here and there (just for fun) but I may not have the time for this one.

Speaking of school, The Boy was moved to honors English. The Boy. The non-reader. Well, he had to read the summer reading book in one weekend and I am proud to say he did it. With annotations, too. Maybe this will be good for him.

Movies? I am always watching movies from home and this weekend was no exception. We saw The Thing (new one) and When Harry Met Sally. The Thing wasn’t all that great. I liked the original much better even though this one is supposedly the prequel. They were just too similar.

Okay, I am off to read for a bit while the chicken marinates. Hope you are enjoying your Sunday!

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