the chemist

I've never read Stephenie Meyer before, and I don't think I've seen any of the various movies and television programs (?) made from her earlier, sexy vampire books. I think I have that right, the Twilight phenomenon seemed to have taken over the world for 10 or so years, and weren't they all young and make-outey? Like a bitey 90210 or something?* Whatever. The Chemist is not that.

I picked up a hardcover copy of The Chemist at, you guessed it, a used book sale at the library. I don't remember if it was my library or one of the libraries I visited at work. I think it was the latter. This book, published about 10 years ago, is a spy thriller. The main protagonist, a molecular biologist, referred to as a chemist for short, has had to learn to become self-sufficient in order to protect herself, and in the years she's had to live this way, she's developed a skill set that will really be put to the test when the threat escalates. That's the premise of this one. It does read a lot like a movie script. I'm not sure what it is about some writers, but the it may be something about scene setting, and brevity or efficiency of the prose that keeps the story moving forward? I may have said this about Andy Weir, or at least I was thinking it, but that maybe because he and Meyer have had movies made from their books.

The main protagonist is a great character, who takes advantage of the fact that adversaries will underestimate her, because she's a woman, because of her small stature, and because they don't understand what she can do with her skills. She uses this to maximum advantage, and it always satisfying to see someone laugh her off, and then get beat. It was also fun to watch this character grow outside her comfort zone as the pressures of what she is up against grow, and develop in ways she wasn't anticipating. This was a fun read.

 

* Didn't see that either.