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I'm not sure how it's possible, but Robin Cook has written 32 novels, and clearly is well known, but CELL is the first book of his I've read. This book seems very relevant to current times. Everyone is addicted to their smartphones. Technology is rapidly changing our way of life, sometimes for the good, sometimes for the bad. CELL takes place in the near future when a medical app has been created that can truly substitute for a doctor. Dr. George Wilson wakes one morning to find his fiancée, Kasey, dead beside him. He discovers that she had been part of the beta test for this iDoc app. Then other patients, all part of the beta test, also die. And Dr. Wilson becomes suspicious of this technological advance that should be saving lives, but isn't.
I'm a sucker for a good conspiracy theory especially one where the government is conspiring against the people. Plus, there's the added layer of questioning our reliance on technology. And the new Affordable Care Act is a hot button topic. The book asks a lot of intriguing questions about these issues. What if there were an iDoc app? What if medical knowledge and treatment was as easy to access as Facebook? CELL asks some interesting questions, and entertains at the same time. Cook even dedicated the book to the "democratization of medicine" which in itself is an intriguing concept.
Cook has a way of really bringing his characters to life by telling the reader about their idiosyncrasies, whether they relate to the story or not. I liked that at times, but also found that it slowed the story down sometimes too. Cook has a simple, approachable writing style that feels comfortable and engaging, as well as short chapters, and all that lends itself to a fast-paced story. On the other hand, although the story is a good one, it's also rather predictable. Finally, there is sometimes just too much exposition. But I think the book was intended primarily as an entertainment and it there succeeds. In short, the book is fun and fast-paced, even if the writing is less than stellar.
§ Paris Abell is blogger and writer who works as a lawyer in New York City.
Reviewed by Paris Abell, May 2014
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