I like the way author Warren Fahy has begun Fragment. The book follows the scientists and crew of a scientific reality television show exploring remote places around the world on a boat. Rather than having a few main protagonists, the novel has a rather large collection of characters. Fahy’s successful use of 3rd person makes this large cast relatively easy to follow. He jumps between all the characters, providing clever and important insight into each of their current thoughts. But this is not overwhelming, as he clearly illustrates who will be more important to the story by the depth of his descriptions.
One of the main things I like about the way Fahy introduces the characters is how he ties his descriptions of them into the story line. He introduces the characters while the opening events are occurring, briefly explaining enough to give the reader an idea of the characters’ personalities. This mixture of direct and indirect characterization works well for this book. The background he gives about the characters does not distract from the events, but instead relates to why they are on the boat. Overall, I think that the way he follows the events and describes the characters adds to the story greatly. Fahy does not spend too much time before diving into the action and mystery that looks to make the rest of Fragment great.
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Wallis, Jean-Paul
ReplyDeleteMarch 11, 2011
Fragment by: Warren Fahy. Post 1
I completely agree with your explanation of the details of the characters, that was just what I was thinking about posting before I read your post. As well as the characters, I believe Fahy develops the setting with a lot of creativity and imagination that many novels lack. Fahy introduces the characters as separate, unique people coming from different backgrounds, and also introduces the setting similar to many other suspenseful or horror story-lines, but with new twists and intriguing ideas.
Also, I like the attributes of realism Fahy provides to both real and semi-unreal situations in the novel. I believe he sets out the whole concept of the “Reality TV Show” in the minds of the scientists on-board with the show, and the scientists at “WHOI” who view the show's events originally as a fad and hoax. I like the way this novel quickly dives into the interesting plot line with short but very adequate introductions to characters and places where the story is created. I am excited to read more and discuss on the blog about this book.
Fragment has a very unique feel because it blends your anxiety and excitement into one powerful emotion. Fahy gives you the basics right out of the shoot- There is an island that nobody has heard of, and the people who have seen it keep it a secret. Then Fahy fast forwards it almost 250 years. The story takes place around a reality television show designed to see the "most remote places in the world". The show holds little to no promise to their quote, as the ship the show takes place on travels to very popular destinations. What I liked about this book from the start was the reality of it all. Everyone on the crew of the ship hates the show except the select few who use the show to gain popularity. This creates very relatable tensions on the ship between the people who joined for the science and the people who just wanted to be on television. Fahy's characters are complex because of what happened before the reality show, and not during it. A detailed background is given for each of the main characters and why they entered the show, which helps the reader understand their motives. I have become quickly hooked on this novel and it is no lie that this book has been referred to as "Jurassic Park on Steroids"
ReplyDeleteWarren Fahy’s writing has continued to be intriguing and unique as I have read further into Fragment. One difference I have started seeing since my last post is that Fahy has begun to focus more on a few main characters to follow, instead of the large-cast style he introduced. The large group of characters remains intact (aside from the three who have already been killed off), but Fahy has wisely chosen to use a smaller group of characters as the main medium of moving along the plot.
ReplyDeleteI want to mention that despite the fact there are aspects of this book that make it fair to compare it to Jurassic Park, it is far different. (The Jurassic Park reference was on the book jacket and in Adrian’s blog.) Unlike Jurassic Park’s dialogue of, “Run! The T-Rex ate Phil,” Fahy clearly spent a great deal of time in the creation of his creatures. For example, he writes, “‘…It looks like Malpighian tubules like insects and spiders have. Look at how they all connect to the same region of the cloaca,’ said Andy.” This detail clearly shows how much research Fahy did to make this book stand out.
One other similar aspect of Fahy’s writing I have begun to enjoy is the way which he balances the action with the science. He keeps some straightforward science in the book as the scientists begin to learn about the creatures. But before these scenes begin to drag on too long, he adds in some action or intrigue that makes you want to read more. Additionally, Fahy spent quite some time juggling an additional group of characters who aren’t on the island. Using the same skills as the action, he made both plot-lines appeal to the reader. But just as I began to wonder why he was still going on about these other scientists, Fahy begins to bring the two plots together. Overall, Fahy has continued to write a solid book that keeps me wanting to read more.
Through the hundreds of pages I have read in this book, there has been a main theme that has stuck out to me. This theme would be man vs. wild, where in this case wild has the upper hand on man. A deliberate stress that Fahy puts in this book is the characters' extensive use of science, which began slowly with the biologist Glyn but later in the story was used extensively by other characters like Zero and Dante. These characters go into the uncharted Hender's Island with a smug sense of superiority, but Nell and the Crews' celebration was not long lived. In time, the crew of the innocent reality show encounters freaky mutations of animals that are both hostile and relentless. And soon the man beats wild mentality of the croon dwindles as multiple characters fall victim to the islands' wildlife and the mysterious 'monster' lurking in the island's innermost depths. However, the crew and their hardships spike the shows television ratings, so the moral question of keeping the show running or saving lives springs up. Fahy displays how the modern world treats human life masterfully, and how hopeless man is against nature without science.
ReplyDeleteA part in the novel that really struck out to me was the WHOI debate on genetic timers. For a while reading, I actually thought that I was reading an entirely different article, as if listening to a speech, rather than reading the novel Fahy has written. Until the change of setting, I zoned into a different style of reading through the speech, separate from a novel. Throughout the novel, Fahy continuously introduces new technologies and modernized methods that the scientists use which are extremely interesting. The integration of science Fahy produces is easily recognized as well-researched and developed. Although the entire plot of the novel is based on a pretty far-out reach, Fahy describes every sense and event as perfectly plausible.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I really enjoy Fahy's imaginative power. Included with scarce illustrations, Fahy portrays the separate evolved species of Henders Island very believable to the assumptions about the island. The new species are massively different from the rest of the world, while still retaining the basic concepts of life that both ecosystems evolved from.
As Shane pointed out, I also am intrigued by the sudden intertwining of the multiple plots. From the beginning, the separate plots seemed to present one plot as the main plot, while the other being almost a commentary. Now, the commentary plot is being directly driven into the main plot, creating a lot of suspense.
Ok, trying to stay away from the plot and to focus more on the aspects of the book, I must say the finish of this book is fantastic. Combining with mutiny, suspense, and a bunch of other thrill-implementing emotions, Fahy has concluded the novel very well. As I have read throughout the book, I have really enjoyed the creation, deletion, and the recreation of characters as some re-enter the novel near the end. I also like how he does not stop at just simple yet dangerous life on the island, but also includes intelligent beings. The way that he keeps on adding to the novel's science even to the very end is extremely exciting to read and keeps the reader on his or her toes.
ReplyDeleteIf this novel were a series (which it may, I have not yet looked into it), I would definitely want to continue. However, I also believe that I will look into more of Fahy's work, as he portrays this genre (one of my favorites) so imaginatively. Yet adhering to most, if not all, rules of science, even if they are tweaked a little bit to conform to the story, makes the novel much more exciting to read than one that completely sways from any aspect close to realism. I am glad that I was able to read this novel with Shane and Adrian for the blog this semester.
I am very glad I chose Fragment for independent reading. I must agree with JP that Fahy has kept this novel exciting all the way through and added excellent twists and turns. I too will definitely look into other books by Fahy. One of the important aspects that I feel made this book superb was the way that this strange setting and the creatures within it affect the course of the story and its characters. The way that Fahy crafted this world so carefully allowed him to use it to his advantage. Readers can relate to the characters because both are curious about what mysteries Henders Island holds within it. Similarly, the reader can react to the suspense and excitement with the characters as Fahy begins to reach the novel’s climax. I feel that this close relationship between the novel and the reader is what really allows this balance of suspense and science to succeed. Overall, I feel that Fragment would be a much lesser novel if Fahy had not so delicately kept science intact while constructing his brilliant thrill.
ReplyDeleteWhat I liked the most about this book was the "what if" factor. The complicated ecosystem of Hender's Island was pieced together little by little in a way that the reader is left very anxious. Shane brought up a key point and that was how the addition of science made this book {almost} believable. With science as the backbone of the story, Fahy could focus more on the reader appeal which was the thriller/ action portions of the novel. I found this very similiar to Romeo and Juliet- The intellectuals can enjoy the theory behind the Island and how it revolves around the characters while the groundlings can enjoy bloody deaths and a wide variety of cussing. Not a bad parallel to a book in Romeo and Juliet which lacks action and an addiction to the reader. (No offense to the acting community). Overall, the book could build on itself, and I felt many of the characters' actions were well placed. This book is a one of a kind and a CLASSIC for those trying to buy into a whole new form of evolutioion. As a final statement I must thank Shane for suggesting this book to me, for without his advice I don't know which lesser book I would have read.
ReplyDelete9.1/10. Great book because of the accesability for readers of high school age. Fahy made everything sound much less complicated than things really are.
ReplyDeleteReview of Fragment
ReplyDeleteI will say it as straightforward as possible: Fragment, by Warren Fahy, is a great novel. Fahy does a fantastic job of creating the world of Hender’s Island and drawing the reader straight in. One of the aspects that makes it work from the beginning is the very modern context. Fragment begins with scientists on a TV-show voyage around the world. The use of reality TV and other technologies makes the events of the story additionally believable from the start.
However, Fahy’s writing is really what makes the story work. Now that may sound a little odd coming from a book about an island that has taken a different evolutionary path from the rest of Earth. But Fragment is all about balance. Fahy balances the concrete scientific aspects of the book with action and thrills. He balances detailed description with clever dialogue. He balances different types of characters to create an ensemble that is entirely believable.
I enjoyed that Fragment is very consistent in its quality, but keeps the reader guessing as its twists and turns create great intrigue. I would recommend this book for lovers of many genres: sci-fi, mystery, action, realistic fiction, fantasy, horror. This book is definitely an all-time favorite of mine, and I guarantee it will entertain you. Overall, I felt Fragment was a well-written book that balanced suspense and science to keep me intrigued all the way. I would like to thank Warren Fahy for creating one of the most enjoyable Independent Reading assignments ever. Thus, I award Fragment the coveted 10/10.
P.S. The only bad thing I have to say about Fragment is that I think it has a bad cover. So far, multiple people have asked me if it is a dinosaur book. It is definitely NOT a dinosaur book. It is much, much more.
Review Of Fragment
ReplyDeleteJean-Paul Wallis
I would rate this novel a 9.2 out of 10. Starting out from two different plots, Warren Fahy introduces an unique, intriguing idea of a separate island apart from the rest of the world that has been evolving separately for millions of years. Warren Fahy keeps the reader on his/her toes and combines suspense with humor, thrill, and required imagination. To an audience of young adults to adults, this novel would be interesting and a fun read to anyone who likes science fiction, futuristic, or "somewhat fantasy but basically applies to science" novels. I am very glad to have read this novel for the blog.