[Preface about my reviews: I do not write reviews that give away the story, telling you the premise of the book and possibly becoming a “spoiler alert.” I figure that if you want to know more about books these days, you can click on the various “Look Inside” features booksellers offer and read enough of it to get a feel for the writing. You can also go to the author’s website and see if they have a “Sneak Peek” section of the work. You can even read other reviews that reveal more. I also rate my books on two different scales. My Star-Rating Scale is posted below. The other is the rating system used in the movie industry (G, PG, PG-13, etc.). I feel this rating too is a much needed element in reviews today and helps the reader know “who” should be reading what when it comes to children and young adults.]
Victor: The Reloaded Edition is a rewrite of the original book by the same title (Victor). I believe the book would fall into the speculative fiction category because of the topics (cloning), and the time in which the story takes place (sometime after the year 2021, reference on page 35). However, there are elements of it being a "thriller" as well throughout the book. It starts out more informative, with the author taking us into the minds of the main players and describing Sunlight City (Think Las Vegas meets Detroit). It's an island in the South Pacific (a thousand miles west of Los Angeles, reference on page 262), with people called "Granters" running the good side of the island--of which Hiragawa is one--and gang members living in the DMZ. The action does pick up, and the book gains momentum to the end. It also has elements of spiritual warfare, too, especially with the Josef Hiragawa character.
The book reminded me some of Kirk Outerbridge's "Eternity Falls" with elements of "This Present Darkness" by Frank Peretti, but definitely veered into the Spec Fiction realm with the storyline: A woman named Mona Macheski is on the run. She's being hunted by Victor, Sunlight City's most feared assassin, and the hired gun of Hiragawa for her knowledge on cloning. However, Victor starts having issues. Headaches at first, then memory lapses, hindering his ability to track down Mona. So, Hiragawa sends a second assassin, Omega, after her. She's a target for what she knows...and what she possesses. If she gets away, Hiragawa's plans for eternal life and political domination will be destroyed. Enter David Johansen, one of Sunlight City's cops. A gang-member turned Christian turned cop, David gets sucked into the drama because of his relationships and helps protect Mona as best he can.
Overall, there were several twists and turns that kept the story moving, and it has a good ending. On my scale (see below), I rate this 4-stars. I think you’ll like it, regardless of genre. I also rate it PG-13 for violence and subject matter.
I received a copy of the book for the purpose of an honest review.
My Scale:
5 stars – It doesn’t matter what genre you read, this book is a must read! It’s all about “story.” You won’t regret it.
4 stars – This may not be your genre, per se, but I feel confident you’ll enjoy it, nevertheless.
3 stars – This book will be a good read if this genre is one you really like. If it is not “your genre,” then your final thoughts may vary, but I don’t disparage it in any way.
2 stars – This book had potential, but fell short, in my humble opinion. Genre or no, it was all about the writing and the story, or the lack thereof.
1 star – If you buy it, read it, and spend any of your time on it, do not blame me. You were forewarned.
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