Wicker

by Kevin Guilfoile | Mystery & Thrillers |
ISBN: 0718148282 Global Overview for this book
Registered by Oldgirl58 of Chermside, Queensland Australia on 1/31/2008
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Journal Entry 1 by Oldgirl58 from Chermside, Queensland Australia on Thursday, January 31, 2008
When his teenage daughter is killed, and no one is arrested for the crime, Dr. Davis Moore does the unthinkable: he clones the unidentified murderer from the genetic evidence and has the child adopted by an unsuspecting couple, the Finns, who name him Justin. With his partner as Justin's pediatrician, Moore is able to follow the child's development, hoping to eventually identify the killer through their similarities. But that's not as easy as it sounds.

In addition to the suspense and tension created by the various scenarios (all interconnected, but often with conflicting motivations), there is a medical and philosophical thread that even the most jaded reader will find fascinating (and here, I guess, is where I'm supposed to say that the story is "ripped from today's headlines!!!").

But the science isn't overwhelming. Just enough information is given to keep things interesting and clear. And that's only the beginning -- the meat of Wicker concerns eighteen years of aftermath.

Fittingly, the most fully developed character is the one for whom Wicker encompasses his life from before its beginning: Justin Finn, Boy Clone. Showing his development (physical, mental, emotional) throughout his childhood could have been no easy task (although making him precocious does take away the need to present truly childlike thoughts), but Guilfoile pulls it off with confidence, making Justin even more fascinating than the "villain" (and I always have a soft spot for those guys).

Watching Justin's thoughts advance so quickly that he even becomes aware of how he should behave at a given age -- and wondering which side the author is going to take on the nature/nurture debate -- was really what kept me enthralled throughout Wicker; I didn't really care all that much about the parents and doctors, though their actions were mostly responsible for the plot advancement. Even Guilfoile doesn't seem to care as much about them as he does the others. For example, the tragedies that befall Moore are not given nearly enough weight for their importance. We're told that he is distraught, but, other than the cloning itself, I never saw any evidence of this from Moore himself. Even when the second death occurs -- which, cumulatively, would have broken any average man -- Moore just goes on like always.

That said, there is a lot to recommend Wicker, not the least of which is his depiction of a video game called Shadow World, that sound utterly addictive. And his clever method of having characters swear without populating the book with gratuitous oaths. However, in trying to find the morally and philosophically "correct" ending, Guilfoile comes up with one that is overcomplicated and less satisfying than the rest of the book deserves. But, just like a terrific meal topped off by a mediocre dessert, it's still an event to remember and discuss long after the experience has ended.

I found this book hard to get into

Journal Entry 2 by Oldgirl58 at Bridge in Blenheim, Marlborough New Zealand on Monday, June 16, 2008

Released 15 yrs ago (6/16/2008 UTC) at Bridge in Blenheim, Marlborough New Zealand

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Left on the steps under the bridge over the Taylor River near the cruise line

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