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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
Is it possible for two teenagers to solve the greatest mysteries of mankind that have baffled scientists for centuries? It certainly is if those teens spring from the imagination of Marc Jacobs!
This epic adventure novel is a thriller from start to finish. Follow Logan & Emma across the globe (and beyond) as they unravel the clues and outrun government agents, good & bad.
I recommend The Coordinate to lovers of adventure, mystery, conspiracies, and more. I found the book to be incredibly entertaining. Don’t miss this one!
This epic adventure novel is a thriller from start to finish. Follow Logan & Emma across the globe (and beyond) as they unravel the clues and outrun government agents, good & bad.
I recommend The Coordinate to lovers of adventure, mystery, conspiracies, and more. I found the book to be incredibly entertaining. Don’t miss this one!
First, before I get into the actual book review, I would like to do a quick disclaimer. Conspiracy theories based around the idea that aliens built ancient architectural wonders and not the (often coded as POC in a modern perspective) ancient civilizations themselves are often the result of, at best, an unquestioned white colonialist bias and perspective. Not to mention the erroneous preconception that technology and culture are always getting better, instead of making leaps forwards and then dips and sometimes going backward, as is actually the case. The book I’m about to review does not challenge those white American/European notions of culture and archeology. On the other hand, it also does not commit to the idea of aliens OR humans building the ancient monuments involved in the story, choosing the leave the amount of building and influencing done by either party to the imagination of the reader. As such, it did good work avoiding many of the traps inherent to its “alien-related archeological mystery” setting. But it didn’t necessarily refute them either.
Now, on to the review.
The Coordinate was a good book, overall. It actually surprised me with how much it made me like its characters. The book starts with some stale tropes about the teen guy who likes *a girl* but she’s dating a jock, which didn’t endear me to the story. Then that same dude goes on to make a lot of the early deductions and flashes of genius in their school project, despite the fact that she is the one who was described as having an interest in cryptography, and I feared that the entire book would follow this irritating structure. But then the author swiftly turned the tables around, with Emma making great discoveries and taking the lead in their mystery, and a revelation about Chad that completely broke the old YA tropes and gave me hope for the rest of the book. From then on, Emma and Logan take turns solving the mystery, and the story hits a really great beat of suspense and drama and a race around the world.
I did have to suspend my disbelief twice, once because the book was being slightly wrong on a subject I’m very knowledgeable about, and the other time because a plot point was verging on the ridiculous. But it was never enough to make me want to stop reading. The book has that particular quality where the writing is just very good, regardless of story, and the author has managed to make the mystery interesting enough that the reader really wants to get to the end.
I particularly enjoyed the quick stint into the Vatican, and that last place they go at the end of the book. Most archeological mysteries do not take us into such a wide variety of places. Usually, a story that starts with an Inca temple doesn’t tend to bring us into roman catholic archives and little caves in Norway and American military bases. But in this book we visit all of those places, and the constant change of scenery keeps the story fresh, while giving a little something to everyone, no matter which type of conspiracy theory you like best.
I really want to see what the author has in store for us next.
The book officially comes out in June 2019, but the author has indicated that anyone who is interested in reading and reviewing an early copy can get in touch at http://marcjacobsauthor.com/contact/ . I encourage you all to do so if you like mystery and archeological quests.
Now, on to the review.
The Coordinate was a good book, overall. It actually surprised me with how much it made me like its characters. The book starts with some stale tropes about the teen guy who likes *a girl* but she’s dating a jock, which didn’t endear me to the story. Then that same dude goes on to make a lot of the early deductions and flashes of genius in their school project, despite the fact that she is the one who was described as having an interest in cryptography, and I feared that the entire book would follow this irritating structure. But then the author swiftly turned the tables around, with Emma making great discoveries and taking the lead in their mystery, and a revelation about Chad that completely broke the old YA tropes and gave me hope for the rest of the book. From then on, Emma and Logan take turns solving the mystery, and the story hits a really great beat of suspense and drama and a race around the world.
I did have to suspend my disbelief twice, once because the book was being slightly wrong on a subject I’m very knowledgeable about, and the other time because a plot point was verging on the ridiculous. But it was never enough to make me want to stop reading. The book has that particular quality where the writing is just very good, regardless of story, and the author has managed to make the mystery interesting enough that the reader really wants to get to the end.
I particularly enjoyed the quick stint into the Vatican, and that last place they go at the end of the book. Most archeological mysteries do not take us into such a wide variety of places. Usually, a story that starts with an Inca temple doesn’t tend to bring us into roman catholic archives and little caves in Norway and American military bases. But in this book we visit all of those places, and the constant change of scenery keeps the story fresh, while giving a little something to everyone, no matter which type of conspiracy theory you like best.
I really want to see what the author has in store for us next.
The book officially comes out in June 2019, but the author has indicated that anyone who is interested in reading and reviewing an early copy can get in touch at http://marcjacobsauthor.com/contact/ . I encourage you all to do so if you like mystery and archeological quests.
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
fast and fun, only complaint being that it has very YA vibes bordering on cringe at times
Really good fun.
This was a really cute, fun story. Loads of action, 2 extraordinarily clever children (they'd have to be, wouldn't have worked if they were not intelligent) loads of science, and some increasingly outrageous plot points, but it works. I liked it. Not entirely sure it should have been dragged out imto 2 books, but as I haven't read the second one yet, I'll reserve judgement.
This was a really cute, fun story. Loads of action, 2 extraordinarily clever children (they'd have to be, wouldn't have worked if they were not intelligent) loads of science, and some increasingly outrageous plot points, but it works. I liked it. Not entirely sure it should have been dragged out imto 2 books, but as I haven't read the second one yet, I'll reserve judgement.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Dnf. I listened to this.
I got quite a long way through but in the end I left them arsing around in Norway. It wasn't baaaad, it just hasn't captured me that much either.
In fairness I'm not the target age range. There's lots of good stuff here. Stuff I normally like and I do like it, but only a little bit. It's just not quite enough to see me through to the end.
The narrator isn't terrible but I think he'd be much better suited voicing older more mature main characters. That's not to say the MCs are immature but they are young, high school teenagers and narrator man sounds much, much older. I'm finding it hard to get behind them and I think this isn't helping.
Perhaps reading this might be better. Hmmm. Probably won't. But you never know.
I got quite a long way through but in the end I left them arsing around in Norway. It wasn't baaaad, it just hasn't captured me that much either.
In fairness I'm not the target age range. There's lots of good stuff here. Stuff I normally like and I do like it, but only a little bit. It's just not quite enough to see me through to the end.
The narrator isn't terrible but I think he'd be much better suited voicing older more mature main characters. That's not to say the MCs are immature but they are young, high school teenagers and narrator man sounds much, much older. I'm finding it hard to get behind them and I think this isn't helping.
Perhaps reading this might be better. Hmmm. Probably won't. But you never know.
Part 1 of what is essentially a YA Da Vinci Code. My major complaint is Logan and Emma are assigned to write a school paper together and end up solving the world’s most important mystery, while making major leaps of logic, technology and luck years after everyone else tried first. The ending of this book offers what could be a glimpse into why this was possible, but it’s also possible that didn’t happen and they’re just outstanding kids. The suspension of disbelief required is massive, and the omniscient third person narration was really tough to swallow.
I’ll give the author credit that there are no scene dissolves. He needs to walk us from A to Z and explain the journey, and we do get that, despite how appear thin it might appear at times.
Curious to see where it goes from here!
I’ll give the author credit that there are no scene dissolves. He needs to walk us from A to Z and explain the journey, and we do get that, despite how appear thin it might appear at times.
Curious to see where it goes from here!
A pretty good book with almost Dan Brown feel. It was 5 stars until the the part about computers and security. Rant start. It was so horrible to read that I had to speed run that part to not drop reading the book. It could have been anything else, its a fiction, make something completely new up instead of using buzzwords just to sound nice and it doesn’t even affect the main plot so it could have just been generalised or better yet to just ask any technically sane person. Sorry, rant over.
I am dropping the star just because of that as it really put me off. Other than that its a typical YA novel so expect some super amazing high school students that seem to be better than all the scientists etc etc but with some really interesting main plot but I think I might read the other novels in the series as the main plot sounds really fun.
I am dropping the star just because of that as it really put me off. Other than that its a typical YA novel so expect some super amazing high school students that seem to be better than all the scientists etc etc but with some really interesting main plot but I think I might read the other novels in the series as the main plot sounds really fun.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A school history project between two old friends turns into a competition spanning the globe as Logan and Emma work out an ancient mystery that has baffled scientists and archeologists for years.
Maybe like a Da Vinci Code for younger readers?
This was not for me.
I cannot believe two teenagers managed to solve this issue that the smartest geniuses, services, intelligences have been trying to crack for years haven’t? I know ‘suspension of belief’ and all that, but this took that a little too far.
I think Jacobs just wanted to show off how he excelled at Excel (yep I did that). And his knowledge of other languages where Emma just kept spouting Italian with no actual translation most of the time.
Sadly, there were just too many numbers and coordinates and letters for my attention not to wander when listening to the audiobook.
At least it was free.
Maybe like a Da Vinci Code for younger readers?
This was not for me.
I cannot believe two teenagers managed to solve this issue that the smartest geniuses, services, intelligences have been trying to crack for years haven’t? I know ‘suspension of belief’ and all that, but this took that a little too far.
I think Jacobs just wanted to show off how he excelled at Excel (yep I did that). And his knowledge of other languages where Emma just kept spouting Italian with no actual translation most of the time.
Sadly, there were just too many numbers and coordinates and letters for my attention not to wander when listening to the audiobook.
At least it was free.