inSyte by Greg Kiser - Review

inSyte is a really great novel about man's reliance on technology and what happens when that takes the place of human interaction. This is a fast-paced novel that really does grab a reader's attention!

Book Summary:

inSyte is a paranormal-thriller - equal parts Chrichton, Clancy and King. It’s Tampa Bay and the year is 2020. Ex-Navy SEAL Mitch Double Downing discovers how to tap into the internet with his mind. His new inSyte provides transparent access to the sum of all human knowledge recorded since hieroglyphics. More than mere information – Mitch can see into men’s hearts and be all places at all times (easy in an ‘always on’ surveillance society with fourth generation tweets). Sort of like God. But inSyte has ideas of its own as the software exposes a politician’s “divine” plan that will unwittingly slaughter millions of people. Is killing the man the only way to prevent Armageddon? The politician’s daughter would probably disagree. And she happens to be the love of Mitch’s life. Losing Kate would be too much collateral damage. At the center of the conflict is a wolf-like killer who will stop at nothing to murder the ex-Navy SEAL. And Mitch must come to grips with inSyte’s dark side – a dominating addiction that soon controls his thoughts and places him on a steep slide to self destruction.

My Thoughts:

At first glance this book seemed like a stretch for me. I have just recently gotten into the paranormal genre and so this was another opportunity for me to branch out into a genre that I don't have a lot of experience with. The cover caught my attention immediately, I thought it was a great choice for this book.

I absolutely fell right in with the main character, Mitch. I think he really is a strong main character and is easy to visualize. The other characters in the novel follow suit, and this really is a strong point of the book. It is not difficult for readers to follow and identify with all of the characters, they are well-developed.

My favorite part of this book is the idea that technology keeps growing until it takes over and while at first there is no apparent downside, it becomes clear and evident by the end of the book that it isn't as great as Mitch first believed. There is a serious underlying message here for the human race...sometimes advancements cannot take the place of basic human interaction no matter how appealing it may seem.

My favorite, and least-favorite character of the book is Cheslov...I really enjoyed learning how the author chose his name, and boy was he a compelling character. Anyone who uses a school of sharks off the coast of Florida to dispose of his corpses is going to draw some attention.

I highly recommend this bold thriller...I think it is the perfect combination of on-the-edge-of-your-seat fiction with a serious side regarding our technological future. Kudos to the author, this is a great book!