I received a free copy of the ARC, Reversion, from Goodreads First Reads.

Initial review:
So far so good. A few awkward writing elements (like the onomatopoeia), but, overall, an interesting read. I love the diversity of characters, and the medical/science references and lingo. (Reading this book also reminds of how much I really, really miss lab work. *sigh*)

Final review:
I was well on my way to giving this book a rating of 4 to 4.5 stars. And then, near the end, things took a turn for the worst. Not that anything was wrong with the plot per se, but one line really ruined it for me. This book would definitely be Rated R, with all the blood and gore (from medical procedures and violent carnage) and the profanity (my personal pet peeve). After all, it is a medical/science thriller. So, be warned.

The characters are pretty interesting; some of them really worked on my nerves, which was expected because of the type of people they are. I guess you could say I was most invested in Gunnar, the child with Batten disease that Tessa (one of the main protagonists) is trying to help, and his mother. The others are questionable, ethically.

The storyline is pretty intricate and well developed. It's told in third person but shifts its focus to different characters from Cristo (a lab worker--one of Tessa's colleague) at the beginning, and then primarily alternates between Sameer (a medical doctor--another of Tessa's colleagues), Tessa, and Vargas (the cruel, egotistical director of the Palacio hospital where Tessa and her colleagues treat Gunnar and the main setting of the story). Still, much about certain characters (their thoughts, feelings, ambitions, secrets, etc.) is left unsaid until the end when all is revealed, or, at least, most is.

Even though many of the story's developments seemed predictable (to me, at least), some of the details are not, which kept it interesting. It also kept me an attentive reader, riding waves of curiosity, anger, frustration, agony, and, finally, relief. ...or is there true relief? Should there be a calm after the storm? After so much loss? Are all the problems solved? (For instance, what about the drug lord? The boy?) Not really.

Because of my mixed feelings, I decided not to rate this book. Instead, I leave it to others to decide what they think of it on their own, without too much encouragement. And...who knows...the uncorrected proof I received may have gone through a number of changes before its final copy emerges--one of which may omit the line I feel is unpardonable.

Book Review & Giveaway: After reading and reviewing Petroplague, I was delighted when Amy Rogers let me know she has a new novel coming out, Reversion. I was even more delighted when she offered a copy for a giveaway. With a background in microbiology and biochemistry, Amy Rogers knows her science so it’s probably not a surprise that she’s chosen to write thrillers with a strong scientific thread. That does not, however, mean that you’ll be bored – not by a long shot. In fact, her expertise lends such verisimilitude to her stories that you may want to lock yourself into an environmentally safe bubble. If you like the types of thrillers Michael Crichton writes, let’s just say that Amy Rogers is going to give him a run for his money! Read the rest of my review & enter our giveaway at http://popcornreads.com/?p=7834. ( )

Although I compare, favorably, Amy Roger's last novel, PETROPLAGUE, to Michael Crichton's novels, I cannot compare her current novel, REVERSION, to that same author. That's because REVERSION does not seem to be far-out science fiction. While PETROPLAGUE and REVERSION are both written with the authenticity that an actual scientist author brings to them, REVERSION is not only a science but, also, a medical thriller. And the medicine, especially if you know anything about kidney failure, seems real. (I'd say "is real," but our scientist comes up with more than one cure for the incurable and performs as a medical doctor in the absence of the real thing.)

Tessa is our scientist. She is working on a cure for the disease that killed her own child. A seven-year-old boy needs her cure, but she cannot administer it in the U.S. Therefore, the child is receiving the experimental treatment at a hospital in Mexico.

Unfortunately, the hospital's owner deals with illegal drugs and the cartels he gets them from. Nothing good can come from those relationships, and tension builds from that--but not only that. There are also rabid animals let loose from their cages. And unethical doctors. And people becoming uncontrollably viscous for unknown reasons.

I'm glad I read this book before I read any reviews, and I suggest you do the same. While I am careful not to say too much, I think others do. Give yourself the pleasure of discovering this book rather than anticipating everything that's going to happen.

This review is of an uncorrected proof of REVERSION provided by Science Thrillers Media. ( )