Tome Time - Sex on the Moon by Ben Mezrich

Started August8th, finished August 14th.  312 pages.

I borrowed this one from the local library after heating the author interviewed.  Much was made of his writing the books behind 21 and The Social Network.  I quite enjoyed 21 but can't say it shook me in any way.  I still haven't seen The Social Network.  This book sounded more up my street.

It is the story of a NASA intern who steals a quantity of Moon Rocks.  Now the title should have been a giveaway.  It's gratuitous to say the least.  In the interview the author had defended this saying it wasn't his idea.  Maybe not mate but you still used it.  His style of writing is very sensational.  Even when the story isn't really that exciting.  I couldn't gel with his style.  It didn't help that one chapter never flowed to the next there was always a jump in time and often tone between the end of one and the start of the next.

THERE ARE SPOILERS BELOW, rollover to view.

I think the author wants us to sympathise with the subject of the book.  I couldn't.  No, not even his fear for his life and his pretty awful upbringing made me empathise with him.  He's a pretty shitty character really.  Builds his future on his wife's work.  Cheats on wife.  States how he presents a false face to everyone he meets at NASA because he wants to be someone else.  Abuses everyone's trust at NASA who are giving him chances a lot of people would kill for.  Claims it's all for love.  Packs in his teaching of other inmates in prison because he's had 'his heart broken'.  Destroys a man's life work.  This man is a self centred romanticist with a nasty lack of conscience.  The real clincher is the lack of remorse I find between the pages.  I'd describe him as a total French roof.

END OF SPOILERS

Don't believe the hype on the cover.  Be put off by the unnecessary gratuitousness of the title.  Look the story of Thad Ryan Roberts up on t'interwebs if you have an interest.  The part of how they pulled off the heist is not going to make a very tense film.  They'll need lots of ominous soundtrack.

2 out of 5 pawprints

Next - Doctor Who and the Daleks by David Whittaker