Thomas Locke has done it again… which is a feat worth
mentioning because he has done so by crossing genre lines. Trial Run fits into the genre of Thriller proper but can be further
categorized as techno- and psychological making this only the second I’ve read
of this exact kind (the other being Skin by Ted Dekker). But if you’re familiar
with the movie Inception, you’re
familiar with the genre of Locke’s latest book.
*This is an analytical review; for plot overview please read
the book description or other reviews. My goal here is to help you understand
in which ways you will be influenced by this book (in addition to offering a
few suggestions at a literary level).
This book presents the world as one in which external forces will always attempt to
divide & conquer the good, loving, and true… but of course the good,
loving, and true is more powerful (if only they face the evil head on). Indeed,
a purpose-filled fate pulls us forward and although we don’t exactly know what
the purpose is…we can trust that the
transcendent “fate” is one which has the good, loving, and true as its end. If
fate is the main theme, its supporting themes are love, forgiveness, community
(teamwork), and inevitability. I list inevitability as a distinct subtheme
because there is only one instance in which the characters question fate and
attempt their own path… in other words: not only is there a fate guiding
circumstances, but the characters simply accept fate as inevitable… there is no
libertarian questioning here. Readers might be surprised to find several cases
of romantic tension in the book, but they will be happy to discover that it is
never forced (and to my literary critic mind, happy to find that all things
aren’t tied up tidy with bows).
The book takes place in a contemporary world in the
collegiate, scientific, and government settings and introduces us to a wide
array of characters. In fact it’s hard to determine who the “main” character is—which
is something I am glad to struggle with! There is no primary character which
allows us readers to hear the stories of individuals as they fit into the whole
and to be an outside observer… seeing ourselves in parts of the individual and
being able to evaluate them in relation to the whole; consequently allowing us
to do the same with our own persons. The character profiles aren’t exactly
stock, but some of their relationships are unfortunately. There is, in my
opinion, a character who plays the Deus ex Machina (if I can say that at all
when the book is nearly based on the motif!); but it’s done in such a way that
I didn’t realize until the book was over. That, I believe, is an excellent use
of the plot device. The plot itself is rather curious. There is no overtly
noticeable plot structure, and yet I wanted
to read and read more. The best way I can describe the plot is “filling in the
blanks.” The book presents so many questions all the way through that you
continually want to know. It does
this through both assumption and introduction, or both dropping you in the
middle of the story without the assumed facts to bolster your understanding and
by presenting new events and ideas that are certain to play a role later (and
maybe already have! If we only knew the answers).
I think that, literarily, Locke needs to work on variety of
sentence structure. During one instance, we are supposed to feel the calm
tranquility of love and communion, but his sentences are so short that I read
it like a rushed tryst. It seemed like once he started a flow of sentences,
most of them followed that pattern for paragraphs & pages at a time.
Included in this, Lock often resorted to the construction: “Not so much
_______________ as _______________” which became pretty annoying. I think the construction
is a good one for giving nuance and for heightening the moment, but it was
certainly overused.
This book is written for thriller/sci-fi fans, and I think
it offers them purpose… even if the
purpose itself is still unknown. There is a reason, and a good one, that this
technology is extant. There is a reason, and a good one, that we as humans feel
peril and want a resolution. In comparison to Locke’s first book Emissary, it is similarly well-written
(using a few stock elements), but ultimately engaging. In comparison to Skin, I much preferred the ending of Trial
Run, if ending it could be called since this is the first in a series to come,
but the tension of Skin is more
poignant than in Trial Run.
I offer this book 8/10 stars, or 4/5 and recommend it to
fans of the movie Inception who
appreciate a bit of romance along the way.
I received an Advanced Reading Copy of this book from the
Publisher for review; my thoughts are my own.
This review is crosslisted on Amazon and Goodreads.
