Skip to main content

A Review of "Mind Virus"

Introduction

I am very pleased to announce that I have finished the exciting award-winning thriller Mind Virus by author Charles Kowalski. I stumbled across this book on a forum that listed favored books for ninety-nine cents on Kindle. Upon searching for the novel, I discovered that I was too late for the sale, and the price was increased to $5.99 (whether by the author or by some other means, I don't know). However, after reading the preview, I decided that I simply had to invest in it. And what a good decision that was!


My Rating: ★★★★

Synopsis: "Robin Fox, peace-loving professor of world religions, wants only to leave his dark past as a military interrogator behind him. But when an unknown suspect tries to disperse a deadly virus in downtown Washington, Fox is unwillingly drawn back into the shadowy world of intelligence.

The FBI and CIA automatically suspect Islamic terrorists, but Fox digs deeper to discover the far more frightening truth: a global conspiracy to eradicate all religion from the face of the earth.
From Washington to Jerusalem, from Rome to London, Fox must use all his skills to stop devastating attacks on the world's holiest sites on their holiest days." (via Goodreads)


Thoughts and Comments

Pros
  • This was the first book in quite a long while that I could not put down. I picked it up on the morning of the 24th and I finished it the night of the 25th. The story was captivating, engaging, and easy to follow. I would definitely recommend it to someone who enjoys a quick read.
  • The main character is very amiable and well-developed. There is a clear growth in thoughts and personality in him as the novel progresses.
  • The author definitely did his homework. The novel makes references to an abundance of different religions and ideologies, and Kowalski proves time and time again to know what he's talking about, especially in Middle Eastern applications.
  • Throughout the novel, there are several thought-provoking questions that any reader identifying with a religion (or lack thereof) would be interested in considering. It provides arguments that stimulate the beliefs of both those who believe in a higher power and those who do not.
  • The writing was clear and concise. Aside from religious terminology, there was no jargon or slang that the average reader would have to look up in order to understand. The language was simple and inviting--again, good for a quick read.

Cons

  • It was slightly difficult to understand where the bias lies within the author, especially towards the beginning. There are some lines in the narrative (and not in, say, the dialogue of any of the characters) that could possibly raise a few Christian eyebrows. On the other hand, the antagonistic group in the novel solely consists of radical antitheists, so ultimately, it's up in the air. However, I wouldn't let this small warning prevent anyone from reading the novel, as the lines that could possibly offend someone are few and far between.
  • I found a few grammatical issues that could have been easily caught by further professional editing. Of course, no novel should be expected to be absolutely perfect in that area, but there are a few things that just seemed sloppy (i.e. spaces in the middle of words; letters attached from the end of one word to the beginning of the next, etc.) As a disclaimer, though, I'll also acknowledge that these specific examples could have been a formatting issue on the Kindle, and are nonexistent in printed versions of the book.
  • The side characters don't seem to be very developed, save for the sole love interest of the main character. A couple of them appear to be there simply to make the main character seem morally superior rather than appearing for any other intended purpose.



Conclusion

All in all, Mind Virus was very good! Usually, thrillers don't really interest me, but I definitely don't regret picking this one up! Fans of religious debates and biological warfare should absolutely check this one out (as well as anyone majoring in biochemistry!) because of the main themes in the novel. Mr. Kowalski, I appreciate the hard work that you put into this novel, and I hope to see more from you in the future!


Goodreads Link: See here

Amazon Link: See here

Riffle Link: See here

This fulfills my "Scientific Romance" subgenre of the Science Fiction genre!

Follow us on Facebook!
Follow us on Twitter!
Follow us on Riffle!

Comments

  1. Sound like a good read. I'd be interested in reading this book for sure. Great review too.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Review of "Letters to Helen"

Introduction Letters to Helen is a historical fiction romantic drama written by author Kayt Roth, who was kind enough to send me a free .mobi file of the novel in exchange for an honest review. I love, love, love historical fiction, and I was SO excited when I accepted to review Letters to Helen  because I knew from the synopsis that it would be good--and, thankfully, I was right! My Rating:  ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Synopsis: "Engaged to a handsome doctor and content with her future, Mattie's life seems to have fallen neatly into place. The only thing that's missing is her best friend Helen, who is away at college. Despite her plans, fate has other ideas, and Mattie's happy ending is suddenly ripped away by a letter from her fiancĂ©'s mistress. Reeling with hurt and unexpectedly single, Mattie must start anew, with Helen there to pick up the pieces. But an incident with Helen's fiancĂ© drives a wedge in between them, forcing Mattie to make one of the hardest de...

A Review of "Tales of a Paperboy"

Introduction As always, let me first put the disclaimer that I received a free .mobi file of Tales of a Paperboy from author Andrew J. Mair in exchange for an honest review. Readers, I am so delighted that this book was the book that marked my return to reviewing. It was a beautifully heartwarming Christmas story that really replenished a "Christmas Spirit" in me that I haven't felt in quite a few years, and I'm so thrilled that I was able to read it so close to the holidays. My Rating:   ★ ★ ★ ★ Synopsis: "Following the death of his mother, fourteen-year-old Daniel Morgan moves from Texas to Utah to live with his grandma and new step-grandfather while his dad pursues a job out of state. Encouraged by his father, Daniel reluctantly starts his first job as a paperboy. Lonely and lost in an unfamiliar environment and with the holiday approaching, Daniel finds comfort and hope in the sound of local church bells.  Through his grandparents and the retired families li...

A Review of "New Wave"

I received the novel New Wave by Jennifer Ann Shore as a free .mobi file in exchange for an honest review. I will first say that I went into this novel a bit warily, as it's a young adult novel with dystopian themes, and I'm not typically a fan of that sort of thing--but I'm pleased to say that New Wave was thoroughly entertaining, with an action-filled plot that carried me through the surf of the book. My Rating:  ★ ★ ★ ★ Synopsis: "When seventeen-year-old Mol is caught committing a crime, she kicks and screams her way into a dull existence of servitude in the Authority, the suffocating patriarchal regime that oversees The Network of Islands. Her penance makes her restless, and she soon finds an outlet to direct her attention -- the young Commander who is at the root of her unhappiness." (via Goodreads) Thoughts and Comments Pros The uniqueness of the names in the novel was a nice touch that added to the otherworldliness of the setting...