Top critical review
3.0 out of 5 starsOkay thriller that could have been great
August 5, 2018
This book is about an attack on the cyberspace infrastructure of the United States - the Internet. Written by James Patterson, an author well-known for his thrillers, and former President Bill Clinton, the story, in a broad brush summary, is about a massive plot to disable the US by deleting all electronic files and sending it into the “Dark Ages,” the code word for rendering the US a crippled, paralyzed, and primitive zone of chaos.
A virus is discovered that will cause this chaos to occur in record time. The story revolves around trying to find the code word that will disable the virus.
The President is missing is not exactly accurate, but it’s what the world believes. The President has actually decamped to a secure, secret place where he amasses a team of experts to try to stop the virus in its tracks. This is a uniquely hands-on President, it seems.
The story is compelling and in our times completely believable, including discovering a traitor inside the White House. However , the President tends to deliver periodic and lengthy polemics about the state of the world, which are thinly veiled attacks on our current administration. I will say this: I’m not a fan at all if the current administration and its policies. However, I think the fictional President’s tirades are unnecessary. They add nothing to the story and in fact detract from it, which is why I give this darn good ride of a story only three stars. You can pretty much tell what part of the story James Patterson wrote and what part Bill Clinton wrote. The distinction is that obvious.
Nevertheless, if one overlooks the political digressions, this is an excellent tale.