I came across this book through a fun kind of coincidence. My aunt read about it and thought the author, Matt Richtel, might be the grandson of one of her late husband Herb's good friends. While we were chatting on the phone, I googled Richtel and read her his bio. The details seemed to fit, and it turned out he was having a reading at a store in Fresno where my aunt lives. She called me after attending the reading, excited to share with me his comments on the writing/editing process. She was also happy that he shared with her an entertaining dinner he had with Herb in Las Vegas.
So, about the book. Hooked: A Thriller About Love and Other Addictions
follows Nat Idle, a medical journalist, after he survives an explosion at an internet cafe. He struggles to solve the mystery and stay alive. I normally don't go in for thrillers, mysteries and suspense as I've mentioned before, and this book proved to illustrate the point why. I wanted to get to the end, solve the mystery, know what the hell is going on! And sometimes, it's not okay to sit around and do nothing but read a book until you're done with it. I'm categorizing this book as a beach read for this reason. It was a quick read and sucked me in and kept me interested until the end.
One of the themes is our addiction to technology and how it's changed our lives and ability to connect. I found it fascinating and so accurate. Richtel also managed to explain why a stimulant (Ritalin) helps with ADD -- something I never could grasp before.
Comments