Crazy has no memory and feels no fear. Dangerous and unpredictable, he's locked away in SafeHaven, a psychiatric hospital, where he spends the long days watching Wheel of Fortune and wondering what the outside world smells like. When a mysterious visitor arrives and offers him a way out Crazy doesn't hesitate to accept. But outside the hospital Crazy is faced with a world on the brink of nuclear annihilation, and finds himself relocated to Neuro Inc., a secretive corporation with strange government ties. When he discovers evidence of human experimentation he escapes with a syringe, the contents of which are unknown to him but precious to Neuro. Cornered and with a complete disregard for the results, Crazy makes himself indispensable by injecting the substance into his leg. As the substance enters his bloodstream, though, his eyes are opened to a world beyond human experience, where fear is a tool and the shadows hide the source of mankind's nightmares. Struggling to understand his new abilities, Crazy allies himself with the company he fled and begins peeling back the layers of his past, the brewing war between worlds, how he can stop it - and what he did to start it.
With Crazy, Robinson, whose trademarked pacing and inventive plots have been highly praised by bestselling authors like Jonathan Maberry, Scott Sigler and James Rollins, treats readers to a wildly imaginative, frenetically paced thriller exploring the origins of fear.
I've read most of Mr. Robinson's books and have loved them all. His Last Hunter series holds a very special place in my heart for a variety of reasons. Island 731, however, always held the highest position on his thriller list for it's dark, gritty feel...and sense of dread. How interesting that a book about creatures dubbed the 'Dread" would take it's place as my Number One favorite book of Robinson's thrillers. But it does. Easily.
First of all, the character of Crazy is, hands down, the most intriguing of Robinson's creations, in my opinion. A man without memory or fear from the start of the book. How on earth can an author take a character like that and possible make him likeable? Human even? But Robinson does it and he does it with style. As a matter of fact, Crazy becomes even more interesting as a human the further certain changes in his body go (trying to avoid spoilers there). Plus, he's funny (of course, R.C. Bray's narration might have had something to do with that as well).
But how amazing this story is goes beyond the character of Crazy, or his co-stars in this book. The story itself is just...altogether genius. Not only is it an incredible story with some crazy cool (and brilliant) layers (explanations for ghosts, the Mothman, and monsters of old are given and it makes total sense), but it can't help but make the reader ponder the mystery of fear in all its forms. Ponder how many nuances of our lives are governed by fear. And ponder ways to allow fear to work for us, instead of hindering us in our daily lives. Fear, in many ways, has driven humanity and its advancement far more than ambition ever could, and this story helps to expose the dreaded emotion to the light of day in such a way that it becomes much more palpable...and ultimately, controllable.
Bravo, Mr. Robinson. My favorite of your books so far!
Reading updates
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Started reading
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12 May, 2015:
Finished reading
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12 May, 2015:
Reviewed