Divergence

This book was a struggle to finish - I kept hoping for some kind of conclusion or something to tie all the ends together. The description listed it as 'original' which I took to mean that it was either a stand-alone story or the first of a series to come, but it seemed more like a shakey sequel. It had so many areas where the story assumed that the reader had prior knowledge of characters' backgrouds and important events that I lost count of how many times I went back to the flyleaf, back cover and Overstock website to see if I had inadvertently missed the first book of the set.... When I finally convinced myself that I had not overlooked a precursor, I struggled on to the end, still hoping that there would be some conclusion or a hint of a sequel. Unfortunately not; it seemed to just cut off at the end of the final chapter. I was left hanging, confused as to where and how the story started and where in the universe it was going. Perhaps there will be a 'prequel to the sequel' that will let the reader know how it all began.... It read rather like a low-budget 'C' movie with bad acting, half-developed charactors and an unsupported plot. In fact, the story really doesn't develope at all beyond what the description says - once you read the description, you pretty much have the entire book...a lot of words and pages going nowhere. I'll be taking this book to the used book store to trade in (I normally keep all my books!)