Adrenaline

by John B. Olson and Ana Huang

Book Overview

Set in the not-so-distant future, Adrenaline introduces James Parker, a biochemistry grad student who discovers a cure for muscular dystrophy, the disease confining him to a wheelchair. However, the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0764228196
• ISBN13: 9780764228193
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
• Length: 348 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.6" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Medical science fiction

This thriller had non-stop action and an unforgettable hero suffering from multiple sclerosis. Parker's brilliant mind is contrasted by his weakened body, making the reader admire him for his abilities and sympathize with him as the underdog. Clues unfold piece by piece in the drama around Parker's accidental discovery of a possible cure for MS. Olson deftly braids various plot threads together and apart as the story progresses, joining everything together at the end for a satisfying and realistic conclusion. There is constant danger in every chapter and exciting scenes that kept me up all night finishing this book. The title is very appropriate. The geek speak is at a minimum. I had no troubles understanding the scientific background of the storyline. This is an excellent contemporary take on Jekyll and Hyde, with a splash of medical science fiction and an intense portrayal of the protagonists' emotional and spiritual struggles with "wholeness." It is a plot-driven book, but the characters leap off the page and come to life. I would recommend this book to any teenager, boy or girl, in my youth group, and any adult suspense fan.

A pulse-pounding medical thriller that never slows down

Adrenaline is a doubly appropriate name for John B. Olson's first solo novel, for not only does adrenaline hold an integral place in the medical foundation of the plot, the novel itself rushes from first page to last at an adrenaline-pumping pace. The action gets a little repetitive from time to time, but it never slows down. I have to admit that I did have a little trouble settling down into this fictional world of Olson's making. On the one hand, you have a modern-day medical thriller involving the search for a cure to a dread disease. On the other hand, you have a character haunted, either figuratively or literally (you don't know early on) by a mysterious and possibly quasi-human Dark Man, and the streets of this world are sometimes populated by almost surreal drug users of a slightly fantastic nature. Thus, the story resides somewhat uncomfortably in a modern, scientific setting; perhaps this was intentional on the part of the author - it did, after all, force me to think more deeply about these characters and the story unfolding before my eager eyes. James Parker is a much-heralded graduate student in biochemistry. He is desperately seeking a cure for muscular dystrophy, a disease that not only he, but his sister also, suffers from. Already confined to a wheelchair, James figures he has about four years left to fight, but his sister Jenny is already in the final throes of the disease. Finally, James seems to be on the brink of a breakthrough, as a certain chemical derivative of adrenaline has induced motion in his MC-afflicted test mice. In the throes of hopeful joy, he heroically barrels into a crowd of Glass-heads (drug addicts) threatening a young woman outside the chemistry building, and the mysterious character of Darcy Williams enters his life. Darcy is a difficult character to decipher early on; she is incredibly paranoid, seeing agents of a mysterious Dark Man all around her, refusing to let anyone know where she lives, and keeping all manner of secrets from those who would befriend her. She begins to help Parker with his experiments, bringing along, somewhat reluctantly, a young suitor of hers named Jason. There is a lot of romantic tension between Parker and Darcy from the beginning, one that builds into a lot of "does he like me? - does she like me?" material -almost too much, actually. Confident that he has discovered a cure but knowing his sister Jenny will never live long enough to benefit from it as it plods its way through years of testing and approval, James violates everything he knows is right and medically ethical and begins testing the drug on himself (despite the fact that the drug caused incidents of extreme aggression in his test mice). It has quite an effect on him, initially setting him on fire internally, causing spasms of immense agony, and similar nasty side effects. It also, however, begins working. In short order, he regains the ability to walk; eventually, he acquires a degree of unnatural

Heart-pumping Action

James Parker is in a race against death.Confined to a wheelchair with muscular dystrophy, biochemistry grad student, James Parker, found a cure for this crippling disease. Yet, it would have taken years for the drug to go through the tedious and expensive testing required for government approval. James and his sister Jenny didn't have that kind of time. In an act born of desperation and determination, James took his "cure"; a drug he named Adrenaline 355. After observing the amazing results this drug produced in his lab mice, he felt there was enough data to consider this compound his last and only chance to overcome the disease. However, when some bizarre side effects surfaced in his lab animals, James had to decide if saving his own life was worth jeopardizing the lives of others.Against the backdrop of the excitement of a major medical breakthrough, there was the softer and more tender side of love. James Parker's life became linked with Darcy Williams, another grad student. Together they shared the thrill of Parker's discovery and the terror of the possible complications. Darcy also had some secrets in her past, which were crippling her in an emotional way. Will James's love for her be the cure she needs?John B. Olson has written a stimulating story that throbs with excitement. The author has a degree in biochemistry and his knowledge in this area allowed him to write with accuracy and detail. Readers will be able to glimpse life and victory from Parker's wheelchair. The author has created a different kind of hero; one that is produced from the ashes of despair. The issue of science versus sacrifice is brought to life and examined in the actions of the characters. Readers will be challenged in their thinking and also eager to reach the final pages.Adrenaline pulsates with heart-pumping action and a story line that stimulates the senses.JoyceCourtesy of "Love Romances"

Great Book For Preteens Too

I am a twelve year old kid and I love adventure books. My mom had just read a book by one of her favorite authors and said I needed to read it. I read it and I loved it. It's a great book with adventure, exitement, suspense, mystery, great character descriptions, and some romance.(Personly, the romance wasn't my favorite part, but I'm a 12 year old. What do you expect?)It is about a man with muscular dystrophy and his sister has it too. He discovers a cure with the help of a friend. Thats where things went downwards for him and his friend.(I had better not tell you to much, or that would spoil the book, wouldn't it?) Overall, it was a great book(and I love this author), and I would highly recommend this and his two other books to other preteens.

Best Book Read Since "The Fifth Man" !

Romance? Intrigue? Futuristic? Adventure? I guess I would best say an exciting adventure with an intertwining plot of romance, intrigue and a touch of unreality. There's something for everyone. I can see its appeal to teenagers, young adults and even us oldsters with good cardiovascular systems. Olson's characters are so real I find myself feeling like I almost know them. They have both deficits and credits to their accounts. How the characters handle them is an intricate part of the story. Even characters almost incidental to the story have haunting qualities. Perhaps it's my 65 years showing, but my favorite parts of the book have to be the tiny peeks into family life. Such love, fun and joy! I've know several real people with Muscular Dystrophy. I have a strong empathy for them and read every news story I can find about medical advances which will help their plight. The cure conceived by Parker is pure fantasy but I look forward to the day when genetic engineering will work better on the mice - and then the humans. The plotting of the book is superb. As in "Oxygen" and "The Fifth Man", there is more excitement in one chapter than in many entire books. If "Oxygen" made you breathless and "The Fifth Man" left you exhausted, "Adrenaline" will give you atrial fibrillations. I believe John B. Olson, Randall Ingermanson and Ted Dekker are three of the best young fiction writers around. These guys can write!!