The Atlantis Gene (The Origin Mystery #1) by A.G. Riddle

Title: The Atlantis Gene
Series: The Origin Mystery #1
Author: A.G. Riddle
Genre: Thriller/Science Fiction

Maturity Level: 13+
Some mildly graphic scenes of violence, but an okay read for an advanced teen reader
Overall Rating:

My Quickie Synopsis: The secrets of the origin of modern day humans are closer than ever to being revealed, but the world may be unprepared for the consequences of that knowledge. David Vale, an international intelligence agent, and Dr. Kate Warner, a lead genetic researcher, must pair up to defeat a centuries old organization before they doom humanity.

Enjoyment Factor:
I was teetering between the 2 star and 3 star mark, but I gave in to the three stars because this really is a very entertaining read. However, it's a very exhausting read. The chapters jump so fast back and forth to different locales and different characters that it'll make your head spin.

Trying to navigate the story was quite an undertaking!

It takes some getting used to, but it does make sense in terms of what Mr. Riddle presented as the plot line. I'm not entirely sure whether I want to read the second book, simply because The Atlantis Gene wiped me out. I feel tired after completing it, and I'm not sure how soon I want to zap my energy again.



Technical Rating:
Character Building:
The main heroes are explored adequately, but I think overall, character building came across as fragmented due to the constant shifting of focus. For a while, I didn't even have a clear image of what the main characters even looked like because they don't have memorable descriptions. It's not the worst offense in the world, but it is something that Mr. Riddle can address.

Plot Strength:
Again, the constant shifting is a problem here. The plot is fine, but it can be hard to follow at first because there's really no clear sense of what the story is actually about. You can't just pick up this story without reading the book cover first because it takes a while for the book to start coming together.

Sincerity:
The Atlantis Gene is a well thought out conspiracy theory story from an author who clearly did a lot of research. Some of the plot elements are a little far-fetched, but that's what you get with over-the-top super action-packed thrillers most of the time. But, everything is plausible within the world Mr. Riddle built.

Editing:
No one can fault Mr. Riddle when it comes to the editing of his grammatical structures, however, I think that editing should have included the flow of the overall story.

Pacing:
The pacing in the story is choppy at best. It strives to be so fast-paced, that at times the plot trips over itself.

My Icing on Top:
On the bright side, I think that the plot is intriguing enough, which in the end, counts for a lot. I'm not going to say that I think it's entirely original; conspiracies surrounding origin and the like have been around for quite some time, and I can't say that I'm entirely "WOW"ed by the theory presented. But I didn't drop the book. Mr. Riddle provides a story that is compelling in its own right and he does explore some thought-provoking aspects of humanity. This is his first book, so perhaps the story-line will come together more for him in his following books.

Check out my informal review on Goodreads!

Happy reading!

-K