INTO THE 13^th POWER, The Most Dangerous Journey of All

Wright's manuscript is genuinely entertaining and well written overall.  He has a firm grasp over language, making use of a variety of literary devices, and presents dialogue in a realistic way.  The writing in this manuscript is strikingly visual, as Wright carefully outlines the details of the various settings in his story.  This is an example of a book with commercial appeal without sacrificing elements of good writing.

 

Overall, the plot is interesting and complex, yet not hard to follow.  Wright has an ability to create believable characters that readers can invest themselves in.  He is good at setting up characters in their respective environments, giving each major character a nice moment when the nuances of their personalities are revealed.  Wright's characters are not simple cliché sketches of people; he seems to have a personal sense of each individual's life which he successfully imparts to his readers.

 

This is especially true of characters such as Ray Crawford and his family, as well as Janis Mackey.  Wright not only lays out the history of each character, he shows the process of thinking as well.  As each chapter opens from a different point of view of a different character, the narrative assumes the tone of that person's thinking.  For instance, the tone of Lisa Crawford's chapters is noticeably a little bit more bitter and on edge than Kate Crawford's chapters, which show a tone of both strength and vulnerability.  These shifts in tone add to the complete effect of creating a believable character.  This allows readers to connect to characters whether they be good or bad, and care what happens to them as the story progresses.

 

In this light, Wright successfully creates a combination of suspense and personal interest for his readers.  Just as the past of each character is slowly revealed, the plot and present storyline is also revealed at a gradual pace, creating an appropriate amount of suspense to propel the reader forward.  Surprises in the plot also keeps reader interest, as the connections among characters become suddenly clear, such as when Wright reveals that Kate Crawford's pimp "Willy" is actually Willy Herrera, son of villain Miguel Herrera.

 

There are moments in the writing itself that are quite beautiful.  It seems surprising to find poetic lines in a science-fiction novel, yet Wright works them into his descriptions very well and in a natural way.  For example, when describing cracked glass, Wright likens it to a "garden spider's web, almost beautifully broken" (p.13).  Moments like these work well in the manuscript.

 

At times, the sections describing the science of the experiments to discover the 13th power are difficult to understand.  This is mainly because the language becomes unfamiliar, especially with the scientific terms that are spoken of among the characters.  However, personally, this does not hinder my understanding of the plot or what is going on.  Therefore, as long as the author is aware that all his readers may not fully grasp the science, I do not think that this is a problem. .