The Device by Patrick Skelton
Written by: Patrick Skelton
Narrated by: Kurt Feldner
Length: 7 hrs and 40 mins
Format: Unabridged
Release Date:10-04-13
Publisher: Patrick Skelton
The Device by Patrick Skelton seemed like an intriguing sci-fi story so I couldn’t resist reading it. A mysterious device, a troubled man on a quest to uncover the secrets of his past and a chilling discovery that might change the world. What’s not to like? It’s an interesting premise and the author largely delivers.
The main protagonist – John Timmons is a young man that deals with depression after the death of his fiancé. It’s the way that he deals with grief that’s the problem. He buries himself in his work during the day and self-medicates, keeping to himself in a lonely mountain cabin every night.
John doesn’t suspect how much is going to change when during a hike in the woods he stumbles upon a weird looking device with unknown purpose and origin. On top of that his new neighbor seems to be keeping some sort of secret that’s making him uneasy. The nice girl from work – Lisa is on his mind too, to make things even more complicated.
I have to say that I expected more science in the mix. Turns out that the device itself isn’t all that important element of the story which was quite interesting so I didn’t mind that much. There is some science involved but it’s not complicated stuff which I guess makes the book suitable for people just dipping their toes in the sci-fi genre. I found it to be more of a mystery with the main focus being the characters’ development and personal struggles. There were some themes giving the reader food for thought, like a dysfunctional son-father relationship, environmental issues, letting things go and moving on.
I liked the first-person point of view of the narrative. It made the story feel more personal and introspective. It had twists and turns that kept me guessing until the ending which was though-provoking and satisfying. I would have liked a little bit more science in the fiction, how the device came to be, etc., but the story works this way too.
The narration was equally pleasant. Kurt Feldner was a perfect fit for John and delivered a very entertaining performance of the other characters. The voice differentiation was well done, didn’t distract from the plot and was well acted. I would say Mr. Feldner made a not-so-bad book better with his performance.
In short, if you like a good mystery, likable and interesting characters and some sci-fi in the mix, The Device is surely a fun read.
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