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Invasion
With his finger on the pulse of the latest medical technology, Robin Cook preys on our deepest fears with uncanny skill. Now, in his most provocative thriller to date, he explores a sudden outbreak of strange new symptoms that defy diagnosis. The cause is unknown - and unknowable - because it is unlike anything mankind has ever seen...
432 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
186 people are currently reading
2647 people want to read
About the author
Robin Cook
181 books5,098 followersLibrarian Note: Not to be confused with British novelist Robin Cook a pseudonym of Robert William Arthur Cook.
Dr. Robin Cook (born May 4, 1940 in New York City, New York) is an American doctor / novelist who writes about medicine, biotechnology, and topics affecting public health.
He is best known for being the author who created the medical-thriller genre by combining medical writing with the thriller genre of writing. His books have been bestsellers on the "New York Times" Bestseller List with several at #1. A number of his books have also been featured in Reader's Digest. Many were also featured in the Literary Guild. Many have been made into motion pictures.
Cook is a graduate of Wesleyan University and Columbia University School of Medicine. He finished his postgraduate medical training at Harvard that included general surgery and ophthalmology. He divides his time between homes in Florida, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts where he lives with his wife Jean. He is currently on leave from the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. He has successfully combined medical fact with fiction to produce a succession of bestselling books. Cook's medical thrillers are designed, in part, to make the public aware of both the technological possibilities of modern medicine and the ensuing ethical conundrums.
Cook got a taste of the larger world when the Cousteau Society recruited him to run its blood - gas lab in the South of France while he was in medical school. Intrigued by diving, he later called on a connection he made through Jacques Cousteau to become an aquanaut with the US Navy Sealab when he was drafted in the 60's. During his navy career he served on a nuclear submarine for a seventy-five day stay underwater where he wrote his first book! [1]
Cook was a private member of the Woodrow Wilson Center's Board of Trustees, appointed to a six-year term by the President George W. Bush.[2]
[edit] Doctor / Novelist
Dr. Cook's profession as a doctor has provided him with ideas and background for many of his novels. In each of his novels, he strives to write about the issues at the forefront of current medical practice.
To date, he has explored issues such as organ donation, genetic engineering,fertility treatment, medical research funding, managed care, medical malpractice, drug research, drug pricing, specialty hospitals, stem cells, and organ transplantation.[3]
Dr. Cook has been remarked to have an uncanny ability to anticipate national controversy. In an interview with Dr.Cook, Stephen McDonald talked to him about his novel Shock; Cook admits the timing of Shock was fortuitous. "I suppose that you could say that it's the most like Coma in that it deals with an issue that everybody seems to be concerned about," he says, "I wrote this book to address the stem cell issue, which the public really doesn't know much about. Besides entertaining readers, my main goal is to get people interested in some of these issues, because it's the public that ultimately really should decide which way we ought to go in something as that has enormous potential for treating disease and disability but touches up against the ethically problematic abortion issue."[4]
Keeping his lab coat handy helps him turn our fear of doctors into bestsellers. "I joke that if my books stop selling, I can always fall back on brain surgery," he says. "But I am still very interested in being a doctor. If I had to do it over again, I would still study medicine. I think of myself more as a doctor who writes, rather than a writer who happens to be a doctor." After 35 books,he has come up with a diagnosis to explain why his medical thrillers remain so popular. "The main reason is, we all realize we are at risk. We're all going to be patients sometime," he says. "You can write about great white sharks or haunted houses, and you can say I'm not going into the ocean or I'm not going in haunted houses, but you can't say you're n
Dr. Robin Cook (born May 4, 1940 in New York City, New York) is an American doctor / novelist who writes about medicine, biotechnology, and topics affecting public health.
He is best known for being the author who created the medical-thriller genre by combining medical writing with the thriller genre of writing. His books have been bestsellers on the "New York Times" Bestseller List with several at #1. A number of his books have also been featured in Reader's Digest. Many were also featured in the Literary Guild. Many have been made into motion pictures.
Cook is a graduate of Wesleyan University and Columbia University School of Medicine. He finished his postgraduate medical training at Harvard that included general surgery and ophthalmology. He divides his time between homes in Florida, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts where he lives with his wife Jean. He is currently on leave from the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. He has successfully combined medical fact with fiction to produce a succession of bestselling books. Cook's medical thrillers are designed, in part, to make the public aware of both the technological possibilities of modern medicine and the ensuing ethical conundrums.
Cook got a taste of the larger world when the Cousteau Society recruited him to run its blood - gas lab in the South of France while he was in medical school. Intrigued by diving, he later called on a connection he made through Jacques Cousteau to become an aquanaut with the US Navy Sealab when he was drafted in the 60's. During his navy career he served on a nuclear submarine for a seventy-five day stay underwater where he wrote his first book! [1]
Cook was a private member of the Woodrow Wilson Center's Board of Trustees, appointed to a six-year term by the President George W. Bush.[2]
[edit] Doctor / Novelist
Dr. Cook's profession as a doctor has provided him with ideas and background for many of his novels. In each of his novels, he strives to write about the issues at the forefront of current medical practice.
To date, he has explored issues such as organ donation, genetic engineering,fertility treatment, medical research funding, managed care, medical malpractice, drug research, drug pricing, specialty hospitals, stem cells, and organ transplantation.[3]
Dr. Cook has been remarked to have an uncanny ability to anticipate national controversy. In an interview with Dr.Cook, Stephen McDonald talked to him about his novel Shock; Cook admits the timing of Shock was fortuitous. "I suppose that you could say that it's the most like Coma in that it deals with an issue that everybody seems to be concerned about," he says, "I wrote this book to address the stem cell issue, which the public really doesn't know much about. Besides entertaining readers, my main goal is to get people interested in some of these issues, because it's the public that ultimately really should decide which way we ought to go in something as that has enormous potential for treating disease and disability but touches up against the ethically problematic abortion issue."[4]
Keeping his lab coat handy helps him turn our fear of doctors into bestsellers. "I joke that if my books stop selling, I can always fall back on brain surgery," he says. "But I am still very interested in being a doctor. If I had to do it over again, I would still study medicine. I think of myself more as a doctor who writes, rather than a writer who happens to be a doctor." After 35 books,he has come up with a diagnosis to explain why his medical thrillers remain so popular. "The main reason is, we all realize we are at risk. We're all going to be patients sometime," he says. "You can write about great white sharks or haunted houses, and you can say I'm not going into the ocean or I'm not going in haunted houses, but you can't say you're n
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 289 reviews
November 28, 2020
This could have made for a bad Hollywood science fiction movie script.It reminded me a bit of The War of the Worlds by H.G.Wells and also resembles some Michael Crichton books.
A mysterious disease from outer space strikes down earthlings.But many of the victims actually feel euphoric after recovering and start talking about saving the planet.
A virus had been planted millions of years ago,in mankind's genetic code and whoever picks the numerous black discs gets flu like symptoms,blah blah blah...
As is usual with Robin Cook,lots of characters.All of them feel interchangable.Characterization is not his strength.
I'll probably not read any more Robin Cook books after this one.Disposable and forgettable.Read it because it had been lying on my shelf for years.
2.5 stars,rounded down.
A mysterious disease from outer space strikes down earthlings.But many of the victims actually feel euphoric after recovering and start talking about saving the planet.
A virus had been planted millions of years ago,in mankind's genetic code and whoever picks the numerous black discs gets flu like symptoms,blah blah blah...
As is usual with Robin Cook,lots of characters.All of them feel interchangable.Characterization is not his strength.
I'll probably not read any more Robin Cook books after this one.Disposable and forgettable.Read it because it had been lying on my shelf for years.
2.5 stars,rounded down.
January 9, 2022
Así si hombre, así sí !!!
Las cosas claritas desde el principio, CienciaFicción tó junto, no como en el anterior que "leí" (audiolibro también éste) que no tuvo muy claro por donde tirar y ... en fin, que al final lo fastidió un pelín ...
Aquí la cosa está clarísima desde el principio y hace lo que esperas, entretenerte y engancharte hasta que acabas el libro.
Olé !
Las cosas claritas desde el principio, CienciaFicción tó junto, no como en el anterior que "leí" (audiolibro también éste) que no tuvo muy claro por donde tirar y ... en fin, que al final lo fastidió un pelín ...
Aquí la cosa está clarísima desde el principio y hace lo que esperas, entretenerte y engancharte hasta que acabas el libro.
Olé !
May 9, 2011
They are microscopic, and turn humans into smiling, easy going save-the-planet ecologists less worried about greed and wealth than health and survival. So, may I ask, what is wrong with this? Why try to exterminate them? I wondered this all the way through the book.
Gotta be the first time I rooted for the invaders.
Robin, er, MR. COOK, since we are no longer on such good terms, writes in the preface he wrote this on spec for a television miniseries. I am glad I read that. This allowed me to expect less than usual.
I used to like his novels. They were fun airplane/beach reads. Then he became a factory—like Clive Cussler and so many others—cranking them out two or three a year—probably written by child workers in Uzbekistan.
I picked this book up at my regular flea market guy. The book offered me exactly what I put into it: $.50 worth.
I missed the miniseries, if it was ever made. If so, it was probably awful or it would have been shoved off onto the SyFy channel, which is the burying ground for cheesy television movies.
In fairness, I completed the book because I wanted to see if my hero aliens would finally win and conquer this dirty planet. Just once I didn’t want a singular lone human working in a cabin in the woods to buck all odds and save the planet while everyone else gets seduced into the alien lifestyle.
Did I mention: the alien/humans sort of mutate into lizards? Don’t worry, I didn’t give anything away… and I am quite down with this. Mutate away baby!
Gotta be the first time I rooted for the invaders.
Robin, er, MR. COOK, since we are no longer on such good terms, writes in the preface he wrote this on spec for a television miniseries. I am glad I read that. This allowed me to expect less than usual.
I used to like his novels. They were fun airplane/beach reads. Then he became a factory—like Clive Cussler and so many others—cranking them out two or three a year—probably written by child workers in Uzbekistan.
I picked this book up at my regular flea market guy. The book offered me exactly what I put into it: $.50 worth.
I missed the miniseries, if it was ever made. If so, it was probably awful or it would have been shoved off onto the SyFy channel, which is the burying ground for cheesy television movies.
In fairness, I completed the book because I wanted to see if my hero aliens would finally win and conquer this dirty planet. Just once I didn’t want a singular lone human working in a cabin in the woods to buck all odds and save the planet while everyone else gets seduced into the alien lifestyle.
Did I mention: the alien/humans sort of mutate into lizards? Don’t worry, I didn’t give anything away… and I am quite down with this. Mutate away baby!
April 16, 2018
Una vez leí un artículo no recuerdo si era de un escritor o un lector, dónde decía que crear buenos personajes puede salvar una mala trama, obviamente lo ideal es una buena trama con buenos personajes, pero una buena trama podía venirse abajo con malos personajes. No sé cuán cierto sea esto, pero en este libro se puede aplicar eso. Una trama que podría ser entretenida, si bien no la gran cosa, pero sí entretenida, que se viene abajo por personajes que no tienen alma. En ningún momento pude sentir algo por los personajes, es como si todos fuesen lo mismo, a excepción de Harlan y en algunos momentos Jonathan (creo que dos o, exagerando, tres veces en toda la novela) y obviamente Beau por ser una especie de villano, y que incluso para ser un personaje que nos tendría que inspirar terror termina siendo bastante ridículo.
Los diálogos en su mayoría son malos y esto hace que todo ese intento por hacernos pensar en lo que le estamos haciendo al medio ambiente nos importe un carajo, y sí, si bien en mi opinión no lo logra ni por asomó, Robin Cook intenta hacernos recapacitar sobre la importancia del medio ambiente escribiendo su propia versión de "El día que paralizaron la Tierra".
Quizás algún día le de otra oportunidad a Robin Cook porque tengo entendido que esta no es su mejor novela, pero, por el momento, debo decir que quede bastante decepcionado teniendo en cuenta la fama que tiene este autor.
Los diálogos en su mayoría son malos y esto hace que todo ese intento por hacernos pensar en lo que le estamos haciendo al medio ambiente nos importe un carajo, y sí, si bien en mi opinión no lo logra ni por asomó, Robin Cook intenta hacernos recapacitar sobre la importancia del medio ambiente escribiendo su propia versión de "El día que paralizaron la Tierra".
Quizás algún día le de otra oportunidad a Robin Cook porque tengo entendido que esta no es su mejor novela, pero, por el momento, debo decir que quede bastante decepcionado teniendo en cuenta la fama que tiene este autor.
September 8, 2020
Wow, so much stupidity in this book. I haven't read any other Robin Cook books, and I think this is going to be the first and the last unless someone can somehow convince me that one of his other books is much, much better. So much ridiculousness. Such as a senior in college preparing to go to med school who has worked at a hospital for 3 years, on being told to look for an infectious disease asks, "What do you mean, 'infectious'?"
Let that question sink in. A college student, premed, who has worked for years in a hospital, has to ask what "infectious" means. The answer is, "Capable of being spread from person to person."
And when you put this conversation in context of what is happening in the book at the time, any possible justifications for this exchange are removed.
This is just one example of many such instances of ridiculous writing. I set it aside multiple times, but as I was in the car for a 10-hour drive and my other books were in the trunk, I finished it.
All in all, I would probably give 1.5 stars because there was a slight amount of intensity at one point, but I didn't care about any of the characters, the plot was beyond ridiculous but could have been saved by good writing if there had been any.
Let that question sink in. A college student, premed, who has worked for years in a hospital, has to ask what "infectious" means. The answer is, "Capable of being spread from person to person."
And when you put this conversation in context of what is happening in the book at the time, any possible justifications for this exchange are removed.
This is just one example of many such instances of ridiculous writing. I set it aside multiple times, but as I was in the car for a 10-hour drive and my other books were in the trunk, I finished it.
All in all, I would probably give 1.5 stars because there was a slight amount of intensity at one point, but I didn't care about any of the characters, the plot was beyond ridiculous but could have been saved by good writing if there had been any.
July 1, 2022
It held my interest, although much of it was pretty predictable. You can tell Cook had read or watched Invasion of the Body Snatchers and War of the Worlds before he wrote it. It was a little too predictable in that fashion but it scratched the itch.
October 3, 2017
Not too believable but readable... I will give it 2 star.
January 30, 2022
It's a little bit "body snatchers" and a little bit "tommyknockers" and I did some big eye-rolling in places, but still a quick fun read.
Very tattered paperback, picked up from the Friends of the Library gimme shelves. I'll send it back so someone else can laugh and roll their eyes over it.
Very tattered paperback, picked up from the Friends of the Library gimme shelves. I'll send it back so someone else can laugh and roll their eyes over it.
June 27, 2020
2020 Pop Sugar Reading Challenge-A medical thriller
I was not looking forward to this prompt for what I think are obvious reasons (those reading in the future check the date, those reading 40 years from now, ask your parents). But, I really liked this book. I haven't read a thriller in a while, so I was quite on the edge of my seat. Kind of like Invasion of the Body Snatchers meets I am Legend.
I was not looking forward to this prompt for what I think are obvious reasons (those reading in the future check the date, those reading 40 years from now, ask your parents). But, I really liked this book. I haven't read a thriller in a while, so I was quite on the edge of my seat. Kind of like Invasion of the Body Snatchers meets I am Legend.
December 5, 2009
Although Robin Cook has written many books, this is the first I have ever read.
The cover says it was made into a TV movie and somehow I missed the movie as well, but after reading the book, I would like to see the movie.
A meteor falls to the earth, landing in a plume of dust and debris. This smooth, black, disk-like meteor suddenly extends an arm and collects samples of the earth to verify that it has indeed landed on the right planet. Once this is confirmed, the plan is put into action.
As an unsuspecting Beau spots an unusual small, round, black disk and picks it up to further inspect it, he suddenly drops it and proclaims it "stung" him. Within hours, a virus is turned loose one the inhabitants of earth...a virus that is destined to change earth-life as we know it.
I liked this book, although there were enough medical/technical terms to irratate me, but also convince me that Robin Cook know medicine enough to make the story more plausible.
The cover says it was made into a TV movie and somehow I missed the movie as well, but after reading the book, I would like to see the movie.
A meteor falls to the earth, landing in a plume of dust and debris. This smooth, black, disk-like meteor suddenly extends an arm and collects samples of the earth to verify that it has indeed landed on the right planet. Once this is confirmed, the plan is put into action.
As an unsuspecting Beau spots an unusual small, round, black disk and picks it up to further inspect it, he suddenly drops it and proclaims it "stung" him. Within hours, a virus is turned loose one the inhabitants of earth...a virus that is destined to change earth-life as we know it.
I liked this book, although there were enough medical/technical terms to irratate me, but also convince me that Robin Cook know medicine enough to make the story more plausible.
July 15, 2013
Well, it's been a long time since I've read Robin Cook's books. I used to devour these types of books many years ago, but now the appeal seems to have gone. This is not to say that this is a bad book - it's not - it is actually a quick read and entertaining. It just lacks something for me.
What I did like about this book was the originality of the aliens. These guys were microscopic which is a new one for me. I also liked the group of people who combined their efforts to thwart the alien invasion. This is where the book picks up a little bit too much medical jargon, but again, that's OK.
The book did read like a made for television book. The chapters had that episodic feel to them. But that's not a bad thing - it makes this book a perfect summer read for the beach, pool, or cabin. It's easy to put down and pick up again.
What I did like about this book was the originality of the aliens. These guys were microscopic which is a new one for me. I also liked the group of people who combined their efforts to thwart the alien invasion. This is where the book picks up a little bit too much medical jargon, but again, that's OK.
The book did read like a made for television book. The chapters had that episodic feel to them. But that's not a bad thing - it makes this book a perfect summer read for the beach, pool, or cabin. It's easy to put down and pick up again.
April 28, 2018
I picked up this book because it was a bargain, and Robin Cook has a reputation as a successful writer. This is not a typical Robin Cook medical thriller, though. This is Cook's foray into science fiction. There is still a bit of medical thriller in it, but the "invasion," of course, is alien life.
The book begins in a college town with a power surge that wipes out TVs, radios, and VCR's. Remember, this was written in 1997. This literally made me think of "The Twilight Zone." (cliche') I could hear the theme music playing in my head.
Then, an abundance of black discs start showing up. The black discs don't seem like actual rocks or even man-made items because they were sent here to infect humans with an alien virus. Beau Stark, one of the main characters, claims to be "stung" by the object. Later that day, he becomes deathly ill with a violent flu-like virus. The doctors can't cure him, yet they cannot pinpoint anything wrong, either. Hours later, he is not only cured, but full of energy and a different personality.
In fairly short order, the entire earth is being dominated by an alien life form who, of all things, care about the environment. People can communicate without speaking due to a collective consciousness, they smile all the time, and the life forms have typical "alien" characteristics such as glowing eyes, mind control, super-human strength, and eventually, blue lizard-like skin. They are also building a space station preparing for the rest of the aliens to arrive. While I was reading, I couldn't help but think of Stephanie Meyer's novel The Host, which I didn't actually enjoy.
To save the world, a group of six who have not been infected, will need to figure out exactly what the alien virus is and how to stop it.
Sounds like a bad TV movie, right? The beginning was fine, but as the novel wore on, it was difficult to get through it. The characters are never fully developed; they are more like caricatures. It was difficult to relate to any of them. They weren't very likable.
The book contains scientific geek-speak that is mostly meant either to make the author look smart, or to make the reader think there is something terrible important going on that a layman can't comprehend. I don't expect science fiction to be completely feasible, but I do expect a clever plot, dynamic characters, and a compelling plot. For a bargain book, I guess I liked it, but had I paid full price, umm, not so much. Disappointing, Robin Cook. I expected more.
The book begins in a college town with a power surge that wipes out TVs, radios, and VCR's. Remember, this was written in 1997. This literally made me think of "The Twilight Zone." (cliche') I could hear the theme music playing in my head.
Then, an abundance of black discs start showing up. The black discs don't seem like actual rocks or even man-made items because they were sent here to infect humans with an alien virus. Beau Stark, one of the main characters, claims to be "stung" by the object. Later that day, he becomes deathly ill with a violent flu-like virus. The doctors can't cure him, yet they cannot pinpoint anything wrong, either. Hours later, he is not only cured, but full of energy and a different personality.
In fairly short order, the entire earth is being dominated by an alien life form who, of all things, care about the environment. People can communicate without speaking due to a collective consciousness, they smile all the time, and the life forms have typical "alien" characteristics such as glowing eyes, mind control, super-human strength, and eventually, blue lizard-like skin. They are also building a space station preparing for the rest of the aliens to arrive. While I was reading, I couldn't help but think of Stephanie Meyer's novel The Host, which I didn't actually enjoy.
To save the world, a group of six who have not been infected, will need to figure out exactly what the alien virus is and how to stop it.
Sounds like a bad TV movie, right? The beginning was fine, but as the novel wore on, it was difficult to get through it. The characters are never fully developed; they are more like caricatures. It was difficult to relate to any of them. They weren't very likable.
The book contains scientific geek-speak that is mostly meant either to make the author look smart, or to make the reader think there is something terrible important going on that a layman can't comprehend. I don't expect science fiction to be completely feasible, but I do expect a clever plot, dynamic characters, and a compelling plot. For a bargain book, I guess I liked it, but had I paid full price, umm, not so much. Disappointing, Robin Cook. I expected more.
December 17, 2007
A weak offering by Cook, who never bothers to really develop characters anyway, this implausible tale moves pretty fast and is incredibly predictable. Moreover, the ending (which I will not reveal) is perhaps MORE stupid than the amusing/comedic "defeat" of the aliens in "Evolution" (the movie with Duchovny and that guy from the 7-up commercials, whassisname, Orlando Jones,) where they use Selsun Blue to knock out the blubbery alien mass. At least in "Evolution," the ending is plausible. I won't spoil the "victory strategy" in "Invasion" for any potential readers, but I can guarantee, one reads it and thinks, "not only is this stupid, it isn't even logically consistent."
On an editor's note, the frequent typos made me want to get out a red pen and fix things, including the changed spelling of some characters' names and inconsistent use of quotation marks. That I can't blame on Cook.
On an editor's note, the frequent typos made me want to get out a red pen and fix things, including the changed spelling of some characters' names and inconsistent use of quotation marks. That I can't blame on Cook.
January 17, 2012
Storyline aside, I can't stand the way Robin Cook writes. His sentence structure is painfully clunky, he chooses to omit contractions in dialog in the weirdest places, and he actually uses exclamation points in narrative. I also felt that the storytelling was immature - not what I expected from such a prolific author. And honestly...the end wrapped up a little too quickly and neatly for me. Not a fan.
May 27, 2014
This book was well written and entertaining. I enjoyed the storyline and think the characters were developed well enough. If you like something with a scifi feel and plot to include aliens..... then this book will be right up your alley. Little bit of a cheesy ending but that's okay I like cheesy ends.
Enjoy your read :)
Enjoy your read :)
August 28, 2009
Excellent; Unlike usual medical suspense novels, this time its aliens taking over the Earth through a virus passed on by small black discs; a small group works to develop a cure.
March 25, 2018
Personal Response: To be honest, I want to work in the medical field some day! After reading , it helped me understand a lot of the content that was given throughout the book and explained how one man's journey through the medical field, persuaded him into becoming an Emergency Room doctor. This book also displayed many heart pounders and made you grip anything around you, just to show how incredible the book was!
Plot: The book starts out in the cold, dark skys of outer space. An Alien Virus arrives on Earth contained in a tiny black disk. Those who pick up the disk are infected by the virus which spreads rapidly with flu like symptoms. The first human to pick up the disk and be infected is Beau Stark, which is the main character, and soon to be medical doctor in one of the most populated cities in America. This outgoing 21-year-old young man acquires the virus by giving him the flu like symptoms but within a few hours he is not only free of the symptoms, but also infused with new energy and power. His girlfriend Cassie notices major personality changes and an obsession with environment. The man who was all for banning big dogs in the city suddenly acquires one and proceeds to infest it. The virus apparently infects all life forms on earth. Meanwhile, the first invasion & infestation having succeeded the disk sends a signal, inviting millions more disks to come. Those who handle the disks receive a sting, soon followed by flu-like symptoms and ending in what could be called "zombie assimilation" into an alien collective consciousness with Beau being the leader. Cassie however shares her fears of Beau's changing personality with their mutual friend and her ex boyfriend Pitt, who is a medical student and concerned after witnessing a sudden upsurge in deaths of people suffering from the chronic diseases such as diabetes, He takes Cassie to meet his senior trainer, Dr. Sheila who is also concerned about the preventable and unexplained deaths and surging number of flu cases. Soon after the plague eventually wipes out half of the town Beau and his friends are left to save the town!
Characterization: The Character I'm choosing is Cassie. I chose Cassie because of her outgoing bravery throughout the book . Cassie met Beau while in medical school and all they wanted to do was save lives on an everyday basis in their small town of a couple hundreds. Beau one of the main characters who does not let anyone stopping him from reaching his journey decides that their is a problem in their town and he soon begins going to work at the hospital. Along with work he brought Cassie. Little did she know that she was going to be one of her friends on the front cover of the news papers fighting a plague with her friends. Cassie becomes brave as soon as the first couple victims are coming in. She knows that something is not right with this disease. So from just wanting to be an everyday doctor saving lives, she becomes a scientist in the labs and has to endure a brave sense of bravery throughout her journey in order to stay alive.
Recommendations: should definitely be recommended to someone that loves a good medical thriller. Also a person that wants to join the medical workforce after high school. There is brief swearing and a whole lot of vulgar surgery readings. Lastly I would recommend this book to anyone that loves a good book and never wants to put their book down!
Plot: The book starts out in the cold, dark skys of outer space. An Alien Virus arrives on Earth contained in a tiny black disk. Those who pick up the disk are infected by the virus which spreads rapidly with flu like symptoms. The first human to pick up the disk and be infected is Beau Stark, which is the main character, and soon to be medical doctor in one of the most populated cities in America. This outgoing 21-year-old young man acquires the virus by giving him the flu like symptoms but within a few hours he is not only free of the symptoms, but also infused with new energy and power. His girlfriend Cassie notices major personality changes and an obsession with environment. The man who was all for banning big dogs in the city suddenly acquires one and proceeds to infest it. The virus apparently infects all life forms on earth. Meanwhile, the first invasion & infestation having succeeded the disk sends a signal, inviting millions more disks to come. Those who handle the disks receive a sting, soon followed by flu-like symptoms and ending in what could be called "zombie assimilation" into an alien collective consciousness with Beau being the leader. Cassie however shares her fears of Beau's changing personality with their mutual friend and her ex boyfriend Pitt, who is a medical student and concerned after witnessing a sudden upsurge in deaths of people suffering from the chronic diseases such as diabetes, He takes Cassie to meet his senior trainer, Dr. Sheila who is also concerned about the preventable and unexplained deaths and surging number of flu cases. Soon after the plague eventually wipes out half of the town Beau and his friends are left to save the town!
Characterization: The Character I'm choosing is Cassie. I chose Cassie because of her outgoing bravery throughout the book . Cassie met Beau while in medical school and all they wanted to do was save lives on an everyday basis in their small town of a couple hundreds. Beau one of the main characters who does not let anyone stopping him from reaching his journey decides that their is a problem in their town and he soon begins going to work at the hospital. Along with work he brought Cassie. Little did she know that she was going to be one of her friends on the front cover of the news papers fighting a plague with her friends. Cassie becomes brave as soon as the first couple victims are coming in. She knows that something is not right with this disease. So from just wanting to be an everyday doctor saving lives, she becomes a scientist in the labs and has to endure a brave sense of bravery throughout her journey in order to stay alive.
Recommendations: should definitely be recommended to someone that loves a good medical thriller. Also a person that wants to join the medical workforce after high school. There is brief swearing and a whole lot of vulgar surgery readings. Lastly I would recommend this book to anyone that loves a good book and never wants to put their book down!
August 2, 2020
After a night of shooting stars, strange small impermeable metal discs are found scattered about. If you pick one up, you receive a small sting. This is followed later by mild flu-like symptoms (unless you have a pre-existing medical condition and then you die). When you recover, you seem to be a better version of yourself – interested in fixing the environment, ending wars, and making sure everyone around you also gets stung by a disc.
The small discs are alien spacecraft carrying a virus like particle that activates some of the ‘non-coding’ DNA in the genome of many living organisms. Implanted millions of years ago, this is the first time there is a life form evolved enough to interest the aliens, which are not just determined to take over individuals’ bodies but the whole of earth by opening an interdimensional door.
OK, it’s a bit corny, and being written in 1997, also a bit dated. But I enjoyed it. It’s a decent pandemic read about a pandemic caused not by rogue laboratories but by far advanced life forms. And Yay! Science saves the day ….
The small discs are alien spacecraft carrying a virus like particle that activates some of the ‘non-coding’ DNA in the genome of many living organisms. Implanted millions of years ago, this is the first time there is a life form evolved enough to interest the aliens, which are not just determined to take over individuals’ bodies but the whole of earth by opening an interdimensional door.
OK, it’s a bit corny, and being written in 1997, also a bit dated. But I enjoyed it. It’s a decent pandemic read about a pandemic caused not by rogue laboratories but by far advanced life forms. And Yay! Science saves the day ….
March 5, 2023
Also ich muss sagen am Anfang viel mir es schwer bei den Personen durchzusehen wer wer ist. Bin schwer in die Story reingekommen. Es gibt sehr sehr viel Personenwechsel den man erst später manchmal mitbekommt und deswegen verwirrt ist.
ABER. Nachdem man das gescheckt hat hat man das Buch gut fließend lesen können. Ab der Mitte wurde es spannend und am Ende auch nochmal sehr. Jedoch muss ich trotzdem sagen das es nicht so meins war einfach nicht mein Genre.
Ich sag nur „Außerirdisch“ spielt eine Rolle das sollte man vorher denke ich unbedingt wissen
Daher 3⭐️- war okay aber muss man nicht unbedingt lesen :)
ABER. Nachdem man das gescheckt hat hat man das Buch gut fließend lesen können. Ab der Mitte wurde es spannend und am Ende auch nochmal sehr. Jedoch muss ich trotzdem sagen das es nicht so meins war einfach nicht mein Genre.
Ich sag nur „Außerirdisch“ spielt eine Rolle das sollte man vorher denke ich unbedingt wissen
Daher 3⭐️- war okay aber muss man nicht unbedingt lesen :)
April 17, 2025
Robin Cook’s books are like junk food—but healthy junk food like the kind you find in a grocery store’s organic aisle. They are the adult equivalent of Goosebumps books with added medical knowledge. I’m always thoroughly engaged and I find any plot holes to be ridiculously funny! Invasion was a thoroughly enjoyable read that prompted some personal reflection. If you need some airport fiction you may want to pick this up!
September 15, 2024
Niet slecht maar ook niet dendered. De prose was nogal houterig maar ik weet niet of dit aan Cook of de Nederlandse vertaling ligt. Het hele "genenpoel zuiveren" aspect wordt met weinig diepgang behandeld.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 7, 2022
Just found the lost X-Files episode, "Pet Rocks Rule." They're here already.
April 26, 2025
I could write the same review over and over again, but I never grow tired of Cook's writing.
It's a sort of confort food in book form, even when aliens are involved.
It's a sort of confort food in book form, even when aliens are involved.
December 24, 2020
The plot was really silly, the characters underdeveloped and the story rather predictable. Not my favourite Robin Cook book but it was fast moving, had some tense moments and was easy to read
April 6, 2024
Musím uznať, že veľmi prijemná a zaujímavá knižka, aj cez to, že je to jeho prvá lekársko-scifi kniha.
August 30, 2024
Any alien invasion is a reason for concern. Although their intentions had some merit, the costs seem to be too high. Humans didn't seem to have any choices and the final goal was not entirely clear.
March 1, 2021
Ik vond het een moeilijk boek om te lezen maar wel een zeer mooi verhaal. Het was zeker spannend en je wilt blijven lezen!
October 1, 2023
Tam eski tip macera kitaplarındandı. Robin Cook’un belirgin tarzını tam yansıtan cinstendi. Elbette bir Koma gibi başyapıt değildi benim için ama yazarın son çıkanlarından kat kat iyiydi. Uzun zamandır okumamıştım bu yazardan ve cidden iyi geldi. İsminden de anlaşılacağı gibi uzaylı istilasıyla karşılaşan insanlığın yine bir grup kahraman sayesinde kurtulması konusu, evet çok klişe çünkü bu tür senaryoları artık çok okuduk ya da izledik. Sonunda The War of The Worlds ya da World War Z tarzı bir son bekliyordum. World War Z tarzı çıktı. Olsun yine de keyifle okudum. Tıbbi gerilimin babası olan yazar tam tarzında işlemişti konuyu. Evet bazı yerler şu anki birikimimizle saçma geliyor ama 1997 de yayınlanan kitabın tam zamanının dokusuna sahip olduğunu söyleyebilirim. Macera ve gerilim severlerin, özellikle Robin Cook severlerin kesinlikle seveceği bir kitap. Yazarın iyi kitaplarından biri. Keyifli okumalar...
May 12, 2017
Mom knows I have enjoyed Cook's books in the past, so she saved this one for me after buying it for herself at a used book sale. She wanted me to have something to read at night while I was visiting, but I was always so tired by the end of each day that I never made much progress in the story until I got home a few days ago.
It's gripping, it's fast-paced and fairly easy to read, not being stuffed too full of tons of technical information. But it also felt a bit predictable, and I was often confused by the constant shift from one character to the other in the narration. I needed most of the book before I could sort out who was who and not have to spend a few minutes trying to remember each person as they reappeared.
So what are those little black discs that are suddenly appearing everywhere? Why are so many people getting flu-like symptoms? Some people die horribly, others recover after just a couple of days, and feel better than they ever had. But are they normal? What will Cassy do about her boyfriend Beau, who had the 'honor' of being the first to get sick?
Moral of the story as far as I'm concerned ~~ If you see a weirdly appealing little black thing that seemed to appear out of nowhere, DO NOT TOUCH IT!
It's gripping, it's fast-paced and fairly easy to read, not being stuffed too full of tons of technical information. But it also felt a bit predictable, and I was often confused by the constant shift from one character to the other in the narration. I needed most of the book before I could sort out who was who and not have to spend a few minutes trying to remember each person as they reappeared.
So what are those little black discs that are suddenly appearing everywhere? Why are so many people getting flu-like symptoms? Some people die horribly, others recover after just a couple of days, and feel better than they ever had. But are they normal? What will Cassy do about her boyfriend Beau, who had the 'honor' of being the first to get sick?
Moral of the story as far as I'm concerned ~~ If you see a weirdly appealing little black thing that seemed to appear out of nowhere, DO NOT TOUCH IT!
August 5, 2008
***SPOILERS AHEAD*** I had high hopes for this book. I like Dr. Cook's work, mostly because of the combination of medical accuracy and female protagonists. However, this one, like Acceptable Risk, has a real disaster of an ending. The setup is reasonably original, a virus-based alien collective taking over humans. The suspense is well-maintained, and in spite of having more major characters than most of his books, Dr. Cook does a good job of differentiating them so that there is no confusion about who's who. Unfortunately, in the run up to the ending, as the few unconquered humans fight to prevent the aliens from opening an interdimensional portal that will allow them to complete their ecologically motivated conquest, Dr. Cook bumps his nose on a science fiction classic. The aliens are defeated by--get this--rhinovirus. The common cold. War of the Worlds, anyone? Still, a decent read, and a pleasant sci-fi offering from one of the great medical thriller authors.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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