Set in the not-so-distant future, Adrenaline introduces James Parker, a biochemistry grad student who discovers a cure for muscular dystrophy, the disease confining him to a wheelchair. However, the cure that began as his salvation appears to have bizarre side effects that open the door to an existence he never imagined. Darcy Williams, an attractive, intelligent, and delightfully quirky fellow grad student joins forces with James, but it is clear she is haunted by a dark secret. When they publish James’s findings, their campus community is turned upside down by something they had never anticipated. Will discovery of the truth be too devastating to face? From the award-winning author of Oxygen.
John B. Olson is a novelist who lives with his wife Amy and two children in the San Francisco Bay Area. John earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and did postdoctoral research at the University of California at San Francisco. His books have won several awards, including a Christy Award, a Christy finalist, a Silver Angel award, and placement on the New York Public Librarys Books for the Teen Age.
I enjoyed "Adrenaline" but found myself frequently mentally yelling at the characters. They kept arriving at assumptions that made absolutely no sense to me. Also leaving the room right before the other person clarified what they had been saying. I found their inability to communicate with each other just a bit too much for my suspension of disbelief. Despite that all, I did enjoy the book. I was eager to discover the identity of the villain and to see how the relationships would progress.
I kept losing the logic threads through this book and details seemed incongruous. That being said, the story moved at a quick pace with lots of unexpected (and some expected) twists and turns. I genuinely liked the hero and the other main characters were likeable. The supporting cast were entertaining as well.
Great summer read. The only complaint I had about the book is the number of times the author said, "Who are you?" Everyone asked that question of someone at some time.
Medical thriller. Interesting look at ethics, but very confusing at times regarding present vs. past. Lots of manipulation so you can't figure out who is good and who isn't.