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Departure
A wild propulsive adventure full of hairpin twists, Departure weaves together power, ambition, fate, memory, and love. The world's past and future rests in the hands of five unwitting strangers. En route to London from New York, Flight 305 suddenly loses power and crash-lands in the English countryside, plunging a group of strangers into a mysterious adventure that will have repercussions for all of humankind. Struggling to stay alive, the survivors soon realize that the world they've crashed in is very different from the one they left. But where are they? Why are they here? And how will they get back home? Five passengers seem to hold clues about what's really going on: writer Harper Lane, venture capitalist Nick Stone, German genetic researcher Sabrina Schröder, computer scientist Yul Tan, and Grayson Shaw, the son of a billionaire philanthropist.
As more facts about the crash emerge, it becomes clear that some in this group know more than they're letting on, answers that will lead Harper and Nick to uncover a far-reaching conspiracy involving their own lives. As they begin to piece together the truth, they discover they have the power to change the future and the past-to save our world... or end it.
As more facts about the crash emerge, it becomes clear that some in this group know more than they're letting on, answers that will lead Harper and Nick to uncover a far-reaching conspiracy involving their own lives. As they begin to piece together the truth, they discover they have the power to change the future and the past-to save our world... or end it.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 4, 2014
3559 people are currently reading
12075 people want to read
About the author
A.G. Riddle
22 books5,749 followersA.G. Riddle spent ten years starting internet companies before retiring to pursue his true passion: writing fiction.
His debut novel, The Atlantis Gene, is the first book in The Origin Mystery, the trilogy that has sold a million copies in the US, is being translated into 19 languages, and is in development at CBS Films to be a major motion picture. The trilogy will be in bookstores (in hardcover and paperback) around the world in 2015.
His recently released fourth novel, Departure, follows the survivors of a flight that takes off in 2014 and crash-lands in a changed world. The hardcover will be published by HarperCollins in the fall of 2015, and 20th Century Fox is developing the novel for a feature film.
Riddle grew up in a small town in the US (Boiling Springs, North Carolina) and graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill. During his sophomore year of college, he started his first company with a childhood friend. He currently lives in Florida with his wife, who endures his various idiosyncrasies in return for being the first to read his new novels.
No matter where he is, or what's going on, he tries his best to set aside time every day to answer emails and messages from readers. You can reach him at: ag@agriddle.com
** For a sneak peek at new novels, free stories, and more, join the email list at:
www.agriddle.com/email
If you don't want to miss any Riddle news, you can:
Like the A.G. Riddle Facebook page:
facebook.com/agriddle
Follow A.G. Riddle on Twitter:
twitter.com/riddlist
For more, please visit:
AGRiddle.com
* * *
His debut novel, The Atlantis Gene, is the first book in The Origin Mystery, the trilogy that has sold a million copies in the US, is being translated into 19 languages, and is in development at CBS Films to be a major motion picture. The trilogy will be in bookstores (in hardcover and paperback) around the world in 2015.
His recently released fourth novel, Departure, follows the survivors of a flight that takes off in 2014 and crash-lands in a changed world. The hardcover will be published by HarperCollins in the fall of 2015, and 20th Century Fox is developing the novel for a feature film.
Riddle grew up in a small town in the US (Boiling Springs, North Carolina) and graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill. During his sophomore year of college, he started his first company with a childhood friend. He currently lives in Florida with his wife, who endures his various idiosyncrasies in return for being the first to read his new novels.
No matter where he is, or what's going on, he tries his best to set aside time every day to answer emails and messages from readers. You can reach him at: ag@agriddle.com
** For a sneak peek at new novels, free stories, and more, join the email list at:
www.agriddle.com/email
If you don't want to miss any Riddle news, you can:
Like the A.G. Riddle Facebook page:
facebook.com/agriddle
Follow A.G. Riddle on Twitter:
twitter.com/riddlist
For more, please visit:
AGRiddle.com
* * *
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,681 reviews
September 21, 2023
It seems I’m involved in a conspiracy that spans space and time and a conflict whose outcome will determine humanity’s fate in two separate universes.Oh, is that all? Flight 305 from New York to London runs into a little space-time turbulence and finds itself, or a piece of itself, anyway, in an English lake. Help should be along shortly, right…um, right? The passenger list included five people of interest. Venture capitalist and take charge sort Nick Stone has done nicely in tech and is en route to meet with some folks who are looking for him to invest in their projects. Harper Lane is a ghost-writer of biographies. She is facing a knotty question about her career direction, to take on the bio of a very high profile businessman and philanthropist or attend to her heart’s true writing passion, an original adventure series. Can’t do both. Theirs are the alternating viewpoints we have throughout Departure. The other three are Grayson Shaw, son of a billionaire, who seems determined to make everyone loath him with his persistently boorish behavior. How he got that way, as the King of Siam might say, is a puzzlement. Sabrina Schroder is a German genetics researcher, a doctor with a less than warm and fuzzy crypt-side manner, and Yul Tan (or you won’t) is that mysterious Asian guy who not only kept banging away at his laptop through the abbreviated flight, but who is at it still. What’s up with that? There are plenty of LOST-type goings-on in the opening, but we soon get an inkling of the predicament that underlies everything and that is when the story gets going for real. And who are those guys in the latest Haz-mat couture being dropped off by airships and why are they pointing weapons at us?
A.G. Riddle - from PBS
A.G. Riddle is one of those rarest of the rare, a very successful self-publisher. His trilogy, The Origin Mystery has, according to his site, sold over a million copies and has been optioned for film. Riddle used to be involved with starting internet companies. Not sure what that means, but he was able to quit his day job and devote himself full-time to writing, so I guess it worked out well for him. It is not hard to see Nick as a magnified version of the author. Departure was, likewise, a self-pub. It came out on January 1, 2014 and did well enough that a major publisher made an offer.
Departure is a turbo-charged maze of a sci-fi action/adventure tale that will keep you flipping the pages, wanting to find out what happens next. There is plenty of high tech, some of which seemed a bit gratuitous. And there is even some substance, with a focus is on the importance of decisions.
I wonder what the world would be like if we could all glimpse our future before every major decision. Maybe that’s what stories are for: so we can learn from people living similar lives, with similar troubles.Yeah, sounds a bit teenaged to me too, and this is not the only example of such fourth-wall breakage about writing. But it is fleeting. The book is actually very much about decisions, turning points in which the future is determined. Harper may be looking at a tough career choice, but it has implications that might affect the future of the human race. A butterfly effect of Mothra-like dimensions, but without the adorable twins.
There are a few mysteries to be sorted out, for the first half of the book anyway. What was Yul Tan so into on his computer? And if it’s a game, where can I get it? Where can Grayson find more alcohol? When will Nick and Harper get a room? Can the future of humanity be saved? And can you please explain quantum entanglement?
Yes, there is eye-rolling over-simplification, and character names that sometimes sound like they came from pulp novels of a bygone age. There are some absurdly large, Akashi Kaikyō Bridge level, (or for us Yanks, Verrazano-Narrows Bridge level) suspensions of disbelief that one must endure in reading this book. I will not specify them here, but am putting them in a spoiler-protected portion of the EXTRA STUFF section. Your eyes will roll, and if they don’t, they really, really should. Skip on by those and try not to let them interfere with the story. These items have nothing to do with time travel, but more with land use and international politics. But there are always complexities and minds to be bent when it comes to explaining movement and communication across timelines. Riddle offers a particularly nifty take on the communication piece. Kudos for that.
It is no stumper figuring out what AG Riddle is up to, keeping you strapped into your seats, breathlessly turning pages. Departure may take leave of its rational senses a fair bit, (not unlike Dan Brown offerings) but, nonetheless, it is a fast-paced, engaging sci-fi thriller that will impair your ability to make your travel connections. And if it prompts you to think a tiny bit more about the decisions you make in your life all the better. Having secured booking with a major publisher, and a film option to boot, Departure is about to take off and I expect you will enjoy the ride.
Published – January 1, 2014 (self) - October 20, 2015 (Harper)
Review first posted – September 11, 2015
=============================EXTRA STUFF
Links to the author’s personal, Twitter, Tumblr, and FB pages
CHECK OUT THIS ARTICLE!!! - Direct relevance as science plays catch-up with science fiction - from NY Times - 10/21/15
Pods. Although the sort of system Riddle posits is akin to the pneumatic tube notion being supported by Elon Musk , among others, the look Riddle described for the vehicles seemed to me more like that from this article from AllPics4U.com
A NY Times piece from May 19, 2016 on tech akin to the pods employed in this futuristic scenario - Can a 700 M.P.H. Train in a Tube Be for Real? - by Allison Arieff
I did wonder up above about Quantum Entanglement – Here are a couple of pieces that try to explain this very real form of weirdness
-----Wiki
-----ScienceDaily.com
-----Livescience.comt
Spoilerish eye-rollers. I am not entirely certain that the items noted here qualify as actual spoilers, but why take the chance?
February 13, 2015
By page 15, I was well and truly sick of Nick fucking Stone.
It didn't get much better from there.
Warning for some slight cursing.
I picked this book up because physics is my jam and I really like stories about a ragtag bunch of people having to learn to rely on each other to survive. (Also the cover is absolutely amazing.)
This is not that book.
This is "I'm going to pretend this book is harder science fiction than it actually is for no reason and also, rather than everyone learning to rely on each other in a cohesive team unit, everyone has to learn to rely on Nick Stone because ~ohhhhh that dashing, clever, real-live action hero Nick Stone ohhhhh~"
Now, I never watched Lost. I have no idea if this is a ripoff like some other reviews mentioned. I just know the author didn't seem to have any idea how real people worked. The romance made no sense (which becomes especially egregious toward the climax of the book). The survivors were treated like and acted like that flock of seagulls in the Finding Nemo movie, like barely present props the author had little idea how to use effectively so instead they just kind of wander around in a lost and confused crowd repeating everything everyone else says. The main group of characters aren't much better. Harper, the other viewpoint character, I forgot was a viewpoint character at points because the majority of her early sections were taken up admiring what a Smart and Take Charge fellow that Nick Stone was. Her parts read more as an opportunity to observe the wonder that was Nick Stone from another angle than an actual viable storytelling section. Whenever Nick Stone was around, the collective competence level of everyone else in the vicinity took a nosedive, because apparently no one in this book could take a shit without Nick Stone there to hold their hand. Especially not if those characters were female.
IE: When the only medically trained character in the book needs a non-medically trained character to tell them how to do triage my suspension of disbelief shatters, I'm sorry. And, yes, lab doctors don't generally have to deal with emergency situations or patient treatment. They forget things from medical school. It happens. You know what people don't forget? The basic principles of triage. Just because you don't remember the color coding system doesn't mean you forget how triage is supposed to work. It's right there in the name. It's not hard.
But, nope, here comes Nick Stone. Saving the day with common sense and narrative bias.
To be fair, though, the book picks up a lot in the middle. This is mostly because Nick is off on his own so the other characters are forced to actually do things and exist separate from the narrative's baby boy (Harper's sections go way up in quality here), and the author is clearly more comfortable with heavy action scenes.
Those parts were actually pretty good.
Another problem with the book is that it tries to be more than it is. It wants to be deeper and smarter and edgier and harder hitting than it even comes close to. It's not. This book is a quick, easy read. The language is simple, it tells and doesn't get tangled up in showing, and the pages go by fast. Like potato chips. It's shallow. Entertaining in places, but shallow. There are no real earth-shattering questions or thoughts presented in these pages, nothing really to chew over. Which is fine. Some books aren't. Entertainment is a fine goal. I would have liked this book a lot more if that had been the author's intention; my enjoyment would have probably held out if I'd been free to read it like a summer action flick. But the author so obviously wants it to be something else that they pretty much shot themselves in the foot.
Then comes the ending, in which the genre takes an abrupt 180 into a very weird romance novel for the last fifty pages and drags on and on and on and on and on and....
You get the point.
To summarize: Did not like this book. There were points that were all right, and it could have been way better than it was, but the characters are shallow and wooden, the writing isn't up to par for what the author intends, and while the plot is interesting at points it could have done with significantly more ironing. I forced myself to finish this because I paid money for it, and I wish I'd paid attention to the more negative reviews.
It didn't get much better from there.
Warning for some slight cursing.
I picked this book up because physics is my jam and I really like stories about a ragtag bunch of people having to learn to rely on each other to survive. (Also the cover is absolutely amazing.)
This is not that book.
This is "I'm going to pretend this book is harder science fiction than it actually is for no reason and also, rather than everyone learning to rely on each other in a cohesive team unit, everyone has to learn to rely on Nick Stone because ~ohhhhh that dashing, clever, real-live action hero Nick Stone ohhhhh~"
Now, I never watched Lost. I have no idea if this is a ripoff like some other reviews mentioned. I just know the author didn't seem to have any idea how real people worked. The romance made no sense (which becomes especially egregious toward the climax of the book). The survivors were treated like and acted like that flock of seagulls in the Finding Nemo movie, like barely present props the author had little idea how to use effectively so instead they just kind of wander around in a lost and confused crowd repeating everything everyone else says. The main group of characters aren't much better. Harper, the other viewpoint character, I forgot was a viewpoint character at points because the majority of her early sections were taken up admiring what a Smart and Take Charge fellow that Nick Stone was. Her parts read more as an opportunity to observe the wonder that was Nick Stone from another angle than an actual viable storytelling section. Whenever Nick Stone was around, the collective competence level of everyone else in the vicinity took a nosedive, because apparently no one in this book could take a shit without Nick Stone there to hold their hand. Especially not if those characters were female.
IE: When the only medically trained character in the book needs a non-medically trained character to tell them how to do triage my suspension of disbelief shatters, I'm sorry. And, yes, lab doctors don't generally have to deal with emergency situations or patient treatment. They forget things from medical school. It happens. You know what people don't forget? The basic principles of triage. Just because you don't remember the color coding system doesn't mean you forget how triage is supposed to work. It's right there in the name. It's not hard.
But, nope, here comes Nick Stone. Saving the day with common sense and narrative bias.
To be fair, though, the book picks up a lot in the middle. This is mostly because Nick is off on his own so the other characters are forced to actually do things and exist separate from the narrative's baby boy (Harper's sections go way up in quality here), and the author is clearly more comfortable with heavy action scenes.
Those parts were actually pretty good.
Another problem with the book is that it tries to be more than it is. It wants to be deeper and smarter and edgier and harder hitting than it even comes close to. It's not. This book is a quick, easy read. The language is simple, it tells and doesn't get tangled up in showing, and the pages go by fast. Like potato chips. It's shallow. Entertaining in places, but shallow. There are no real earth-shattering questions or thoughts presented in these pages, nothing really to chew over. Which is fine. Some books aren't. Entertainment is a fine goal. I would have liked this book a lot more if that had been the author's intention; my enjoyment would have probably held out if I'd been free to read it like a summer action flick. But the author so obviously wants it to be something else that they pretty much shot themselves in the foot.
Then comes the ending, in which the genre takes an abrupt 180 into a very weird romance novel for the last fifty pages and drags on and on and on and on and on and....
You get the point.
To summarize: Did not like this book. There were points that were all right, and it could have been way better than it was, but the characters are shallow and wooden, the writing isn't up to par for what the author intends, and while the plot is interesting at points it could have done with significantly more ironing. I forced myself to finish this because I paid money for it, and I wish I'd paid attention to the more negative reviews.
December 21, 2014
Dear God this man is clever. As a fan of The Origin Mystery, I downloaded this book the second I found out it existed. And Riddle did not disappoint. The plot was fun, the characters interesting and relatable, and in his usual fashion, the science was complex but understandable and realistic. It really does make you think: how does it go from here? Loved every second. Totally recommend.
March 25, 2023
I don't exactly know how to feel about this book or its implications. It's propulsive and exciting reading on one hand, and a manifesto for changes I regard as religious in their scope and ambition on another; I do not believe in the essential goodness of Humanity or imagine we are capable of such changes a Riddle proposes on any time scale that will save us from Doom. The idea of medical immortality scares me witless because only the lowest, vilest scum will have it, and that can never, ever end well.
So I'm left with a story that, while interesting and excitingly told, leaves me in despair even deeper than confronting my mortality after the strokes engendered. There is no hope for Humankind, or we'd've stopped the scum-sucking bastards who've doomed us all (themselves included) before time ran out. So dance while you can, but accept that Death awaits the whole lot of us, a not very pleasant one, and not so long in the future; shiny lovely stories notwithstanding.
So I'm left with a story that, while interesting and excitingly told, leaves me in despair even deeper than confronting my mortality after the strokes engendered. There is no hope for Humankind, or we'd've stopped the scum-sucking bastards who've doomed us all (themselves included) before time ran out. So dance while you can, but accept that Death awaits the whole lot of us, a not very pleasant one, and not so long in the future; shiny lovely stories notwithstanding.
April 24, 2021
Four smart stars ★★★★ for Departure-- Five for the first half, three for the second.
This novel started out gangbusters, just like the TV show LOST, with action, drama, tragedy, oh-so-many questions, and people you love to hate. I was angry, hungry, cold, exhausted, scared and infuriated right alongside Nick, Harper, Sabrina and rest of the stranded Flight 305 gang. It was exhilarating and torturous.
The first half flew by. I HAD TO KNOW what was going on, how they were going to get out of their predicament, and who was behind it all!
And then it got complicated. Too complicated for my tastes. And Nick as The Hero got annoying. Too annoying to be believed. The explanations kept coming and suddenly I was no longer on the best roller coaster ever. I wanted to be back where the fun and the wondering was, where my stomach was doing somersaults over the possibilities of the freaky unknown. Instead I was finding out everyone on the planet is pretty much a selfish dick and humanity is doomed if someone doesn't stop the madness. I could have done with a few more questions and unexplained weirdness throwing me off balance, if that makes sense. (Yes, yes, I wanted it to make less sense, to embrace the freaky questions and let them hang out there, making us uncomfortable.)
Still quite the worthy read, as everyone who loves Riddle's work is sure to agree. If you're already a fan of A.G. Riddle, this one will likely satisfy.
This novel started out gangbusters, just like the TV show LOST, with action, drama, tragedy, oh-so-many questions, and people you love to hate. I was angry, hungry, cold, exhausted, scared and infuriated right alongside Nick, Harper, Sabrina and rest of the stranded Flight 305 gang. It was exhilarating and torturous.
The first half flew by. I HAD TO KNOW what was going on, how they were going to get out of their predicament, and who was behind it all!
And then it got complicated. Too complicated for my tastes. And Nick as The Hero got annoying. Too annoying to be believed. The explanations kept coming and suddenly I was no longer on the best roller coaster ever. I wanted to be back where the fun and the wondering was, where my stomach was doing somersaults over the possibilities of the freaky unknown. Instead I was finding out everyone on the planet is pretty much a selfish dick and humanity is doomed if someone doesn't stop the madness. I could have done with a few more questions and unexplained weirdness throwing me off balance, if that makes sense. (Yes, yes, I wanted it to make less sense, to embrace the freaky questions and let them hang out there, making us uncomfortable.)
Still quite the worthy read, as everyone who loves Riddle's work is sure to agree. If you're already a fan of A.G. Riddle, this one will likely satisfy.
November 19, 2015
With over a million copies sold and about 85% of reviewers giving this 4 to 5 stars, I was expecting something much better. At the minimum, I was hoping for a mindless page-turner for the masses. The book did start out as a page-turner, but I'm surprised the masses gave it such high marks in the end. Did they turn off their brains when the got about halfway through and decide to just accept whatever the author threw at them? Sometimes I can do that, but it's harder to do so when reading with a group.
The premise is that a plane crashes and finds itself in the future. It turns out that the reason this particular plane is in the future is because of who is on board the plane. The first part of the book is one of survival and discovery for the living passengers. This part was interesting enough, but it last half of the book that just didn't work. Our heroine seems to mainly do and believe whatever anyone tells her to do. But when she finally makes a choice for herself, I wanted to defenestrate the book because the sacrifice she makes is based entirely on a couple of tentative hunches ... and I didn't find it at all believable. In fact, the actions and decisions of most of the characters didn't logically square with any of us reading this as a group.
I read a lot of time travel books and I expect the most popular ones to appeal to my sense of logic. This one was full of big ideas: damming the Mediterranean to make a new country, immortals, world fast transit, resetting time, a space station of plague escapees, etc. But I can't like a book when the big ideas and characters' logic aren't congruent. The more I think about this book, the lower the star rating goes.
The premise is that a plane crashes and finds itself in the future. It turns out that the reason this particular plane is in the future is because of who is on board the plane. The first part of the book is one of survival and discovery for the living passengers. This part was interesting enough, but it last half of the book that just didn't work. Our heroine seems to mainly do and believe whatever anyone tells her to do. But when she finally makes a choice for herself, I wanted to defenestrate the book because the sacrifice she makes is based entirely on a couple of tentative hunches ... and I didn't find it at all believable. In fact, the actions and decisions of most of the characters didn't logically square with any of us reading this as a group.
I read a lot of time travel books and I expect the most popular ones to appeal to my sense of logic. This one was full of big ideas: damming the Mediterranean to make a new country, immortals, world fast transit, resetting time, a space station of plague escapees, etc. But I can't like a book when the big ideas and characters' logic aren't congruent. The more I think about this book, the lower the star rating goes.
July 23, 2017
I like this book very much! It's exactly my kind of genre, it has everything I want in a book. It's futuristic, adventuristic, it has mystery, opponent sides, a bit of romance (cause love runs the world :p) and a . For me this is what makes this book awesome and enjoyable.
I like Nick but I didn't really like Harper, she's kinda dull, or is it because I don't like people incapable of making a decision, i don't know.
If you're looking for a good summer read I recommend this :)
I like Nick but I didn't really like Harper, she's kinda dull, or is it because I don't like people incapable of making a decision, i don't know.
If you're looking for a good summer read I recommend this :)
February 9, 2015
This is the last book I'll read simply because it's "free to members of Amazon Prime" and "rated highly by a bunch of meatheads I don't know".
March 25, 2020
This soooo reminded me of the time when reading Dan Brown was fun for me. That was quite a while ago. Oh how time has passed...
Like an action flick in theatre - you go in, semi-shutting off your brain, ready to be “entertained” and that’s it. And you won’t be disappointed that it’s light on all fronts. Hey but it’s quick!
Like an action flick in theatre - you go in, semi-shutting off your brain, ready to be “entertained” and that’s it. And you won’t be disappointed that it’s light on all fronts. Hey but it’s quick!
August 6, 2015
3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/08/06/a...
I was actually first introduced to Departure as an audio title (given how often I browse for interesting new titles to listen to, it was pretty hard to miss how often it popped up on the popular science fiction and fantasy audiobook lists). What I didn’t know, was that the book itself was originally self-published. The news of its success must have caught on though, because I just learned recently too that HarperCollins has bought it and will be re-releasing it later this year. Runaway hits like that often have a way of catching my attention, so my curiosity probably got the better of me when I decided to check this one out.
The story begins with the crash of a passenger plane on route to London from New York. Flight 305 ends up somewhere in the English countryside, its fuselage split in two. In spite of this, there are actually quite a few survivors, most of them from first class because their half of the plane went into the trees while the tail section went into a nearby lake. As the survivors treat the wounded and fight to save as many lives as they can, they soon realize that they have crashed into a very different world. Rescue might be a long time coming. If ever.
There’s not much more I say about the story without spoiling it, but suffice to say, the Lost vibes are strong with this one. If you enjoy mind-bending sci-fi thrillers with a slight touch of creepy mystery, you should give this one a look. On the other hand, if you were looking forward to more of a survival adventure, you’ll probably want to alter your expectations like I did. As someone with a fear of flying, I was really nervous and bracing myself for a heart-pounding intro, but what I ended up getting was barely a notch above suspenseful. After the first quarter of this book, the emphasis also rapidly shifts to the bigger conspiracy.
The focus mainly falls on five passengers: Harper Lane writes biographies for a living, but her real dream is to writer her own series of adventure novels one day; Nick Stone is an American businessman, on his way to a meeting with The Gibraltar Project to discuss the building of a dam in the Mediterranean; Sabrina Schröder is a German medical scientist, making her the best choice to care for the wounded crash victims even though most of her experience was in a lab; Yul Tan, a Chinese-American computer scientist, has just developed a quantum internet capable of transmitting more data farther and faster than anything seen before; Grayson Shaw, son of a billionaire philanthropist, is struggling with alcohol problems after finding out some news about his father.
Unbeknownst to any of them, these five characters are all connected in some way and may hold the clues to the reason why their plane crashed, not to mention an answer to where they’ve ended up. The details are gradually revealed as the events unravel, and it was a captivating journey to discover the truth – even in spite of the many confusing moments along the way. To be honest, this book ventured a little too far into hard sci-fi territory for me to feel truly comfortable, and even though I was able to follow the plot just fine, a lot of the themes that came up later in the book are just not topics I find interesting. Be that as it may, I didn’t actually dislike this book; I found most of the story very enjoyable in fact, and even liked how it ended (as opposed to how I felt about Lost!) but it’s difficult to ignore the technology aspects that I personally couldn’t get into.
As for my thoughts that are specific to the audio version, I’m always happy listening to multi-narrator books and I thought both Nicola Barber and Scott Aiello delivered excellent performances. They portrayed Harper and Nick respectively, and voiced their own characters’ dialogue even when they were in the other character’s perspectives, giving this audiobook a quasi full-cast feel without it actually being a full-cast production. With their natural performances, the two narrators also made a lot of the dialogue sound a lot less awkward than the way it probably looked on paper.
In truth, I don’t think I would have fared as well reading the print version of this, given the propensity for my eyes to glaze over when they come upon pages of technobabble, especially when they have to do with subjects like the quantum theories of time travel. My brain has a better time when this stuff is read to me, so I was quite happy with my decision to listen to Departure in audio format. This is a book I might have enjoyed more if it had been the survival adventure I expected, but all told it’s a pretty solid book with a story that will no doubt appeal more to sci-fi thriller fans who also enjoy some conspiracy with their mystery.
I was actually first introduced to Departure as an audio title (given how often I browse for interesting new titles to listen to, it was pretty hard to miss how often it popped up on the popular science fiction and fantasy audiobook lists). What I didn’t know, was that the book itself was originally self-published. The news of its success must have caught on though, because I just learned recently too that HarperCollins has bought it and will be re-releasing it later this year. Runaway hits like that often have a way of catching my attention, so my curiosity probably got the better of me when I decided to check this one out.
The story begins with the crash of a passenger plane on route to London from New York. Flight 305 ends up somewhere in the English countryside, its fuselage split in two. In spite of this, there are actually quite a few survivors, most of them from first class because their half of the plane went into the trees while the tail section went into a nearby lake. As the survivors treat the wounded and fight to save as many lives as they can, they soon realize that they have crashed into a very different world. Rescue might be a long time coming. If ever.
There’s not much more I say about the story without spoiling it, but suffice to say, the Lost vibes are strong with this one. If you enjoy mind-bending sci-fi thrillers with a slight touch of creepy mystery, you should give this one a look. On the other hand, if you were looking forward to more of a survival adventure, you’ll probably want to alter your expectations like I did. As someone with a fear of flying, I was really nervous and bracing myself for a heart-pounding intro, but what I ended up getting was barely a notch above suspenseful. After the first quarter of this book, the emphasis also rapidly shifts to the bigger conspiracy.
The focus mainly falls on five passengers: Harper Lane writes biographies for a living, but her real dream is to writer her own series of adventure novels one day; Nick Stone is an American businessman, on his way to a meeting with The Gibraltar Project to discuss the building of a dam in the Mediterranean; Sabrina Schröder is a German medical scientist, making her the best choice to care for the wounded crash victims even though most of her experience was in a lab; Yul Tan, a Chinese-American computer scientist, has just developed a quantum internet capable of transmitting more data farther and faster than anything seen before; Grayson Shaw, son of a billionaire philanthropist, is struggling with alcohol problems after finding out some news about his father.
Unbeknownst to any of them, these five characters are all connected in some way and may hold the clues to the reason why their plane crashed, not to mention an answer to where they’ve ended up. The details are gradually revealed as the events unravel, and it was a captivating journey to discover the truth – even in spite of the many confusing moments along the way. To be honest, this book ventured a little too far into hard sci-fi territory for me to feel truly comfortable, and even though I was able to follow the plot just fine, a lot of the themes that came up later in the book are just not topics I find interesting. Be that as it may, I didn’t actually dislike this book; I found most of the story very enjoyable in fact, and even liked how it ended (as opposed to how I felt about Lost!) but it’s difficult to ignore the technology aspects that I personally couldn’t get into.
As for my thoughts that are specific to the audio version, I’m always happy listening to multi-narrator books and I thought both Nicola Barber and Scott Aiello delivered excellent performances. They portrayed Harper and Nick respectively, and voiced their own characters’ dialogue even when they were in the other character’s perspectives, giving this audiobook a quasi full-cast feel without it actually being a full-cast production. With their natural performances, the two narrators also made a lot of the dialogue sound a lot less awkward than the way it probably looked on paper.
In truth, I don’t think I would have fared as well reading the print version of this, given the propensity for my eyes to glaze over when they come upon pages of technobabble, especially when they have to do with subjects like the quantum theories of time travel. My brain has a better time when this stuff is read to me, so I was quite happy with my decision to listen to Departure in audio format. This is a book I might have enjoyed more if it had been the survival adventure I expected, but all told it’s a pretty solid book with a story that will no doubt appeal more to sci-fi thriller fans who also enjoy some conspiracy with their mystery.
January 2, 2016
A mixture of an apocalyptic science fiction, it was engaging, enthralling and breathtaking. It follows dual narratives in Harper and Nick. Both young, vibrant but with Nick being less inclined to share the personal aspects of his life prior to boarding. Harper is a young, aspiring author who is contemplating the direction her career is taking. Their attraction is undeniable, and along with Sabrina who is now posing as a medic for injured victims, Grayson who is little more than a drunken wealthy heir and Yul who refuses to be separated from his laptop, the group of unlikely heroes will need to ensure the safety of the group.
It's a woven story of intrigue and survival, wrapped up in an incredible science fiction storyline. Readers are thrown into the storyline just moments before the flight plummets from the sky, where Nick takes charge and finds himself sitting next to Harper, preparing her to brace for impact. Two strangers, brought together through unfortunate circumstance. Or was it.
Trying to rally survivors on the ground, it soon becomes apparent that the world they now set to explore is foreign to their own when a rescue attempt fails to arrive. I loved the dynamic between Harper and Nick. Nick was secretive, but Harper didn't pry nor did she allow herself to fall for a stranger or depend upon him. She was independent, tough and although Nick seemed to be in control of the camp of survivors, I loved her quiet determination to see herself as more than just another survivor but a woman who would rescue herself.
Without giving away the true nature of the storyline, the concept was bizarre but incredibly engrossing. I loved how each of the five main characters' lives entwined, although it seems only Sabrina and Yul may have had a former partnership before boarding when Harper catches them both in heated, whispered debates. Reminiscent of the television series Lost, Departure is more than just a fight for survival. The science fiction element has created an intricate and stunning storyline that will have readers enthralled until the final page is turned. My only complaint is that the ending felt unresolved somewhat.
A. G Riddle has crafted an engaging and enthralling read that will leave readers riveted until the final page. A stunning mix of intrigue and wonderment by a natural born storyteller. An incredible read that needs a sequel desperately. I need more. Just brilliant.
http://www.divabooknerd.com/2016/01/d...
It's a woven story of intrigue and survival, wrapped up in an incredible science fiction storyline. Readers are thrown into the storyline just moments before the flight plummets from the sky, where Nick takes charge and finds himself sitting next to Harper, preparing her to brace for impact. Two strangers, brought together through unfortunate circumstance. Or was it.
Trying to rally survivors on the ground, it soon becomes apparent that the world they now set to explore is foreign to their own when a rescue attempt fails to arrive. I loved the dynamic between Harper and Nick. Nick was secretive, but Harper didn't pry nor did she allow herself to fall for a stranger or depend upon him. She was independent, tough and although Nick seemed to be in control of the camp of survivors, I loved her quiet determination to see herself as more than just another survivor but a woman who would rescue herself.
Without giving away the true nature of the storyline, the concept was bizarre but incredibly engrossing. I loved how each of the five main characters' lives entwined, although it seems only Sabrina and Yul may have had a former partnership before boarding when Harper catches them both in heated, whispered debates. Reminiscent of the television series Lost, Departure is more than just a fight for survival. The science fiction element has created an intricate and stunning storyline that will have readers enthralled until the final page is turned. My only complaint is that the ending felt unresolved somewhat.
A. G Riddle has crafted an engaging and enthralling read that will leave readers riveted until the final page. A stunning mix of intrigue and wonderment by a natural born storyteller. An incredible read that needs a sequel desperately. I need more. Just brilliant.
http://www.divabooknerd.com/2016/01/d...
February 26, 2015
How can a book start so good and then turn into total crap?
I got a free sample first, and it was so good that I bought it. The beginning reminded me of the tv show Lost. But then something happened. I feel cheated. This seems to be two different books put together thanks to technology!
As soon as the main characters discover they are in the future, the story becomes a bunch of explanations about time travel and some conspiracy.
Did I really need all the quantum crap about time traveling? Nope.
Seriously, I want my money back.
At some point Harper asked, "we are in the future, aren't we?" just like that is an everyday possibility. You know, the media shows us news everyday of time traveling so it was just normal for Harper to assume that's where she is.
I'm so furious I paid for this shit.
I can't, I just can't keep reading this crap. DNF at 56%.
Via http://onlectus.blogspot.com/2015/02/...
I got a free sample first, and it was so good that I bought it. The beginning reminded me of the tv show Lost. But then something happened. I feel cheated. This seems to be two different books put together thanks to technology!
As soon as the main characters discover they are in the future, the story becomes a bunch of explanations about time travel and some conspiracy.
Did I really need all the quantum crap about time traveling? Nope.
Seriously, I want my money back.
At some point Harper asked, "we are in the future, aren't we?" just like that is an everyday possibility. You know, the media shows us news everyday of time traveling so it was just normal for Harper to assume that's where she is.
I'm so furious I paid for this shit.
I can't, I just can't keep reading this crap. DNF at 56%.
Via http://onlectus.blogspot.com/2015/02/...
January 15, 2015
The concept of this book was great. Time travel. Conspiracy theories. Learning from mistakes. Second chance at life.
This fell short for me because there were parts that were action packed and flowed smoothly. So smoothly it's like the author ran out of mojo to transition to the next major scene and filled in the "buffers" with too many facts on the "how" this would work.
This fell short for me because there were parts that were action packed and flowed smoothly. So smoothly it's like the author ran out of mojo to transition to the next major scene and filled in the "buffers" with too many facts on the "how" this would work.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 29, 2015
I loved the beginning of this book. Then I think it got a bit silly & confusing at the end. It could be I was tired when I was reading the last third. Had a lot of work on with my own novels. Can't tell you the last time I watched TV. So I would have given it a 3 but have given it a 4 because it could be me.
I listened on Audible to A.J. Riddles' first book & didn't love the writing. The Atlantis Gene was a huge hit though for this indie author. So who am I to judge.
This book is with a publisher. I wonder why he bothered? Anyway, his writing has really improved or the editing & he certainly has a fantastic imagination. It was just the ending I didn't think he nailed. Give it s try, though, if you like the sound of it.
I listened on Audible to A.J. Riddles' first book & didn't love the writing. The Atlantis Gene was a huge hit though for this indie author. So who am I to judge.
This book is with a publisher. I wonder why he bothered? Anyway, his writing has really improved or the editing & he certainly has a fantastic imagination. It was just the ending I didn't think he nailed. Give it s try, though, if you like the sound of it.
March 26, 2019
Incredibile uno SciFi decente. No, aspetta è ovvio che sia così visto che non è un Urania.
È davvero interessante comunque e ti prende subito. Viaggio nel futuro, spazio (anche se siamo sulla Terra) e navicelle spaziali. Ingredienti perfetti per uno SciFi. ✈👽🌟🚀🌌🌍
È davvero interessante comunque e ti prende subito. Viaggio nel futuro, spazio (anche se siamo sulla Terra) e navicelle spaziali. Ingredienti perfetti per uno SciFi. ✈👽🌟🚀🌌🌍
July 26, 2015
This was nothing like I expected! To tell the truth, I didn't know what to expect when I started it but what I got was an amazing experience.
I'm not going to get into the plot in case I inadvertently spoil something so I'll just get right into what I thought.
Harper is such an amazing Heroine. I loved that she was a writer!! Flight 305 is her first time in first class, which is where she meets Nick. I loved her voice and her thoughts. Despite being terrified when the crash happens, she still does whats needed with no hesitation. I loved her strength and her inherent niceness.
Nick was so mysterious at the start. We didn't get a sense of what he did for a living and I thought he was maybe military. He was so strong, brave and dependable the whole way through the story. I really liked his character and was thrilled to see him show his feelings for Harper!
Plot wise I found it to be so captivating and intriguing. The plane crashes and no one comes to the passengers rescue, which is weird, add in a barren place with very little life, a rebuilt Stone Henge and a London that's abandoned and you have the makings of a phenomenal book, and it was! I started reading (well listening) and I couldn't stop. There is so many twists and turns that you will be turning the pages as fast as you can to see what happens.
Anyway, I absolutely loved everything about this book. Both the plot and the characters were well written and developed. From it's intrinsic and intriguing plot to it's wonderfully written story, Departure is a must read. If this book is any indication of his work, then I can not wait to read more by him. Amazing.
I listened to the audio and it was fantastic. Both narrators did a brilliant job with the story. They gave it their all and it showed. They drew me into the story and made me a part of it. As I was listening to it, it played out like a movie in my head and I loved it. Highly recommend.
I'm not going to get into the plot in case I inadvertently spoil something so I'll just get right into what I thought.
Harper is such an amazing Heroine. I loved that she was a writer!! Flight 305 is her first time in first class, which is where she meets Nick. I loved her voice and her thoughts. Despite being terrified when the crash happens, she still does whats needed with no hesitation. I loved her strength and her inherent niceness.
Nick was so mysterious at the start. We didn't get a sense of what he did for a living and I thought he was maybe military. He was so strong, brave and dependable the whole way through the story. I really liked his character and was thrilled to see him show his feelings for Harper!
Plot wise I found it to be so captivating and intriguing. The plane crashes and no one comes to the passengers rescue, which is weird, add in a barren place with very little life, a rebuilt Stone Henge and a London that's abandoned and you have the makings of a phenomenal book, and it was! I started reading (well listening) and I couldn't stop. There is so many twists and turns that you will be turning the pages as fast as you can to see what happens.
Anyway, I absolutely loved everything about this book. Both the plot and the characters were well written and developed. From it's intrinsic and intriguing plot to it's wonderfully written story, Departure is a must read. If this book is any indication of his work, then I can not wait to read more by him. Amazing.
I listened to the audio and it was fantastic. Both narrators did a brilliant job with the story. They gave it their all and it showed. They drew me into the story and made me a part of it. As I was listening to it, it played out like a movie in my head and I loved it. Highly recommend.
February 3, 2017
První kniha v roce 2017 a hned zklamání? To se docela děsím toho, co mě letos čeká.
Mělo to poměrně pomalý začátek, kdy člověk neví nic jiného, než že spadli. Pak se konečně něco dozvíme a začne to být aspoň trochu zajímavé. Jenomže cokoliv zajímavého je zabito koncem, který je nudný, zdlouhavý a utopicky otravný.
Ani tomu moc nepřidávají hlavní postavy. Harper a Nick jsou totálně na pád letadlo. Vlastně z těch pěti, co to dotáhnou do konce, je snesitelný pouze jeden.
Mělo to poměrně pomalý začátek, kdy člověk neví nic jiného, než že spadli. Pak se konečně něco dozvíme a začne to být aspoň trochu zajímavé. Jenomže cokoliv zajímavého je zabito koncem, který je nudný, zdlouhavý a utopicky otravný.
Ani tomu moc nepřidávají hlavní postavy. Harper a Nick jsou totálně na pád letadlo. Vlastně z těch pěti, co to dotáhnou do konce, je snesitelný pouze jeden.
April 12, 2015
This is a cautionary tale in trusting stellar Amazon reviews. It's a competent but generally mediocre sci-fi story. Relies too much on artificial suspense ("There's no time to explain"). Characters are flat as cardboard. Pages and pages of tedious "let me explain the mystery" monologues. Cheeseball ending.
February 7, 2015
Meh. That is how I would describe this book. It's not poorly written, it's just not at all compelling. When it started, all I could think of was that someone had written a book about Lost. As in, I've seen this before. At least it did branch out into a different direction, but if you're going to play with time travel, go the distance. Instead we get a chapter of 'ooh, I know quantum physics and now I'm going to make you all read about what I know about quantum physics,' even though the actual physics of it all has absolutely no relevance to the rest of the story. Conceited writing alert.
Harper and Nick are supposed to be soul mates, but lack any chemistry or reason to be together. The Titans' civil war future makes no sense. I seriously doubt they'd be willing to sacrifice themselves in a battle without a guaranteed victory. Nor would they have given up a single colonist's life if their sole intention was to repopulate the planet. Just too many contradictions to make the pieces fit together.
So, yeah... Meh.
Harper and Nick are supposed to be soul mates, but lack any chemistry or reason to be together. The Titans' civil war future makes no sense. I seriously doubt they'd be willing to sacrifice themselves in a battle without a guaranteed victory. Nor would they have given up a single colonist's life if their sole intention was to repopulate the planet. Just too many contradictions to make the pieces fit together.
So, yeah... Meh.
February 23, 2015
I enjoyed this book.
Harper and Nick are two strangers who find themselves in a plane crash. The plane ends up in the English countryside in the future, and so begins the saga of discovering how they got there, why they were all on the plane, and WHO did this to them...
I enjoyed the plot however I found the writing to be a bit disjointed. On more than one occasion the author would refer to events or discussions that took place in the story, but were not actually explored in the book. It wasn't badly written, just a very different style which took a bit of getting used to.
I enjoyed the twists and turns and I liked the romance aspect between the two characters, and how it interplays between the two timelines.
The characters I found were not developed very much, and at times when I let my guard down I sometimes forgot who the chapter was focused on. I felt the author didn't give each of them their own style. If that makes sense?
Anyway I would have given it more stars if these aspects didn't annoy me so much, but I certainly enjoyed it overall!
Harper and Nick are two strangers who find themselves in a plane crash. The plane ends up in the English countryside in the future, and so begins the saga of discovering how they got there, why they were all on the plane, and WHO did this to them...
I enjoyed the plot however I found the writing to be a bit disjointed. On more than one occasion the author would refer to events or discussions that took place in the story, but were not actually explored in the book. It wasn't badly written, just a very different style which took a bit of getting used to.
I enjoyed the twists and turns and I liked the romance aspect between the two characters, and how it interplays between the two timelines.
The characters I found were not developed very much, and at times when I let my guard down I sometimes forgot who the chapter was focused on. I felt the author didn't give each of them their own style. If that makes sense?
Anyway I would have given it more stars if these aspects didn't annoy me so much, but I certainly enjoyed it overall!
December 29, 2014
3 stars - OK read, but not necessarily something I would recommend.
Plane crashes and time travel automatically make me think of the TV show, "Lost", and the beginning of the book definitely had a similar feel, including similarities between the heroes of the book (Nick and Harper) and Lost's Jack and Kate. The book takes a different turn, however, when the "Others" appear to be from the future. Unfortunately, this is also when I started to lose interest, as both the story line and character development become simplistic. I simply wanted it to be over so I could find out the ending without really caring how it turned out.
Plane crashes and time travel automatically make me think of the TV show, "Lost", and the beginning of the book definitely had a similar feel, including similarities between the heroes of the book (Nick and Harper) and Lost's Jack and Kate. The book takes a different turn, however, when the "Others" appear to be from the future. Unfortunately, this is also when I started to lose interest, as both the story line and character development become simplistic. I simply wanted it to be over so I could find out the ending without really caring how it turned out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 17, 2015
A book written in present tense will almost always get a default of one star from me because I utterly despise it when books are written in present tense. In the vast majority of cases, a book written in present tense is a book that is utterly unreadable to me because it pisses me off and annoys me far too much. It's a constant irritant while I'm trying to relax and enjoy a story. F that noise. F it long, and F it hard.
Hurray for refunds, I'm taking my money back from this author, anyone that writes in present tense doesn't deserve it. I'll go buy a book that's actually readable with it, thank you very much.
Hurray for refunds, I'm taking my money back from this author, anyone that writes in present tense doesn't deserve it. I'll go buy a book that's actually readable with it, thank you very much.
December 8, 2014
A Sci-First Time Travel What-If
It's all about the decisions you make in your life. The forces of nature that directs and fortify those same decisions. This book does that. It shows you two time lines and the consequences to those decisions that Nick and Harper made and why. After I finished reading the book I felt compelled to write this review. The ending made me feel good. I'm glad I read the book. I believe you will too. Enjoy.
It's all about the decisions you make in your life. The forces of nature that directs and fortify those same decisions. This book does that. It shows you two time lines and the consequences to those decisions that Nick and Harper made and why. After I finished reading the book I felt compelled to write this review. The ending made me feel good. I'm glad I read the book. I believe you will too. Enjoy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 11, 2018
In Departure ontdekken de overlevenden van een vliegtuigcrash dat ze in de toekomst zijn beland. En niet zonder reden. Wat volgt is een spannende verhaal, dat technisch sterk in elkaar zit. Het boek is geschreven uit twee perspectieven en die vullen elkaar goed aan. De personages zijn tof en je leeft met hen mee. De drie delen geven het boek keer op keer een onverwachte wending. De online extra’s zijn ook erg tof! Ik ga zeker meer boeken lezen van A.G. Riddle.
Mijn complete recensie vind je op Oog op de Toekomst.
Mijn complete recensie vind je op Oog op de Toekomst.
September 27, 2019
Another book involving quantum leaps and time travel - if you don't like these types of books, you might want to skip this. Personally, I like them, even though I think much of it is too far-fetched to be possible. This one was lots of fun, and of course, confusing at times. But it including a dystopian future, and even some romance, so what's not to like?
It also includes a lesson that makes a lot of sense; using technology to improve life won't necessarily work because people need to improve. Otherwise we will just use the technology to make bigger and faster mistakes.
It also includes a lesson that makes a lot of sense; using technology to improve life won't necessarily work because people need to improve. Otherwise we will just use the technology to make bigger and faster mistakes.
February 25, 2018
Borrowed from library:
A routine flight that gets hijacked to the future and crashes...
A fight for survival against nature and unknown "others"...
"Titans " who research has granted immortality...
Is time travel a possibility?
Read this to draw your own conclusions....
A routine flight that gets hijacked to the future and crashes...
A fight for survival against nature and unknown "others"...
"Titans " who research has granted immortality...
Is time travel a possibility?
Read this to draw your own conclusions....
December 7, 2014
Once loaded on my Kindle could not put it down! Not stop suspense and intrigue!
September 9, 2024
Really enjoyed this speculative fiction/time travel book by Riddle. I enjoyed his Lost in Time so much so thought I’d check out his backlist.
January 1, 2016
DISCLAIMER: I borrowed this book from the kindle library. Not so much by mistake, but because it was a feature I wanted to try out. Good choice for a reading selection.
This book, to me, is like Back to the Future meets LOST.
[Twice this week, I've needed that BTTF2 pic here]
In the beginning it was chaos. Action, event, action, event, person, person, event, what the heck was that?, person, event...
Told from the alternating POVs of Harper Lane, a British author, and Nick Stone, an investor in the tech industries. What starts out as a typical flight from New York to London, turns harrowing as their plane goes down. Not just goes down, but is ripped apart. (LOST vibes.) You find out through these two about the other passengers on the plane, what they're like, who stands up for who, who cares enough to help, and the rats left behind.
To make it weirder (again LOST) no first responders are showing to the wreck as expected. Things get only weird from there. Sabrina, a doctor, and Yul, a genius computer programmer, are whispering, and may have something to do with the crash. Nick is in search of not only where they are but when (ahhh...part two is Back to the Future time...), and Harper is at death's door dealing with in infection.
Now in here, part ii in the future, it sort of lost me. I mean, there was a lot of learning to do about the lands, about what happened back in 2014, what's happened to the citizens of 2174(? - sorry if that was the wrong year. will check that.) and what's going on with most of the survivors who are rapidly dying. It got confusing. Weird in some parts. So awesomely cool in others. Just a future that you think you want to visit until you find out what's going on.
Now, unlike LOST, there is a moment when the four--Harper, Nick, Sabrina, and Yul--get to go back and live in 2014. They get to be themselves, though strangers to each other. As though this wreck never happened, as though time just kept moving forward.
PART III is where this story grabbed me. Knowing what I learned from the other parts, and seeing how life might have been different, seeing how they are working towards the future...I LOVED THIS PIECE OF THE BOOK! It's here I didn't want the story to end.
So, read or not...Well, READ THIS if you want something of pop culture story telling. If you're looking for not the average read. If you want something different and creative in thought, and very well thought out and planned (only found one discrepancy, but I might have misunderstood it). Don't read if you are looking for romance, although there is a love story contained within. Don't if you want an easy read, because this requires some thought process to absorb all the information coming at you in some parts. DO if you want a change of pace.
OVERALL, it was a very good book. Worth a read.
This book, to me, is like Back to the Future meets LOST.
[Twice this week, I've needed that BTTF2 pic here]
In the beginning it was chaos. Action, event, action, event, person, person, event, what the heck was that?, person, event...
Told from the alternating POVs of Harper Lane, a British author, and Nick Stone, an investor in the tech industries. What starts out as a typical flight from New York to London, turns harrowing as their plane goes down. Not just goes down, but is ripped apart. (LOST vibes.) You find out through these two about the other passengers on the plane, what they're like, who stands up for who, who cares enough to help, and the rats left behind.
To make it weirder (again LOST) no first responders are showing to the wreck as expected. Things get only weird from there. Sabrina, a doctor, and Yul, a genius computer programmer, are whispering, and may have something to do with the crash. Nick is in search of not only where they are but when (ahhh...part two is Back to the Future time...), and Harper is at death's door dealing with in infection.
Now in here, part ii in the future, it sort of lost me. I mean, there was a lot of learning to do about the lands, about what happened back in 2014, what's happened to the citizens of 2174(? - sorry if that was the wrong year. will check that.) and what's going on with most of the survivors who are rapidly dying. It got confusing. Weird in some parts. So awesomely cool in others. Just a future that you think you want to visit until you find out what's going on.
Now, unlike LOST, there is a moment when the four--Harper, Nick, Sabrina, and Yul--get to go back and live in 2014. They get to be themselves, though strangers to each other. As though this wreck never happened, as though time just kept moving forward.
PART III is where this story grabbed me. Knowing what I learned from the other parts, and seeing how life might have been different, seeing how they are working towards the future...I LOVED THIS PIECE OF THE BOOK! It's here I didn't want the story to end.
So, read or not...Well, READ THIS if you want something of pop culture story telling. If you're looking for not the average read. If you want something different and creative in thought, and very well thought out and planned (only found one discrepancy, but I might have misunderstood it). Don't read if you are looking for romance, although there is a love story contained within. Don't if you want an easy read, because this requires some thought process to absorb all the information coming at you in some parts. DO if you want a change of pace.
OVERALL, it was a very good book. Worth a read.
January 10, 2015
I normally read what is called military science fiction whenever I read in the genre, but the blurb I read on this book sounded intriguing. A.G. Riddle’s “Departure” managed to grab my attention immediately. The story is about an airliner flight that took off in 2014 but crashed in a very different time and place. While some of the concepts the author introduces seems a bit difficult but his way of explaining them make it understandable.
The book makes the reader do some thinking. Should we strive for the future or just enjoy today? Should we face possible death to save others or just be thankful that we survived?
The author makes each character come alive as we read chapter by chapter indifferent voices. I want to know more about each character as they are introduced. I thought one of most interesting characters was Yul Tan, a Chinese-American computer scientist, who introduces us to an invention that does more than he ever imagined.
The way Riddle introduces concepts and characters so we want to continually know more reminds me of Michael Crichton. This is a book that most everyone would enjoy whether you enjoy science fiction or not. It is 318 pages long. I read this as an e-book on my Kindle (unlimited) app via my iPad.
The book makes the reader do some thinking. Should we strive for the future or just enjoy today? Should we face possible death to save others or just be thankful that we survived?
The author makes each character come alive as we read chapter by chapter indifferent voices. I want to know more about each character as they are introduced. I thought one of most interesting characters was Yul Tan, a Chinese-American computer scientist, who introduces us to an invention that does more than he ever imagined.
The way Riddle introduces concepts and characters so we want to continually know more reminds me of Michael Crichton. This is a book that most everyone would enjoy whether you enjoy science fiction or not. It is 318 pages long. I read this as an e-book on my Kindle (unlimited) app via my iPad.
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