The Anomaly: The Mind-Twisting Thriller with Over a Million Copies Sold - A Must-Read for Fans of SEVERANCE Paperback – 4 Aug. 2022

Non spoiler review -I was recommended this book by friend. I did find it a bit slow to start with multiple characters and storylines leading to a bit of confusion. After committing to a couple of longer reading sessions got me further into the book it paid off as it all suddenly came together.I'm amazed by the complexity the author set up, the multiple scenarios that then unfold and the intriguing questions this posits. It is quite unlike any other book, well written and quite enchanting.Give it a go, it is a remarkable book and one you will reccomend.

Hands up if you thought this was a thriller and ended up with your brain twisted up like a pretzel? Firstly, I'd like to say that Adriana Hunter's translation is exemplary. This cannot have been an easy text to work with. Herve Le Tellier is clearly a highly intelligent dude who has done extensive research. I highlighted many quotes and passages for further reflection and felt that this was certainly a fine work of literary fiction. A great deal of the book is spent exploring the characters. Each chapter is almost like a little short story within itself. The characters' backgrounds are extremely diverse, which makes for an intriguing read. I don't wish to give any spoilers but suffice it to say, the scientific stuff slowed down the narrative considerably and left me feeling like a thicko. If you understand it, then I imagine it's all very exciting. I loved the clear parallels with a former President. I did enjoy the book but it absolutely was not what I was expecting and I left it having more questions than answers. Maybe that's the point. I think 'The Anomaly' would make a good book club choice due to the potential for some riveting discussion. And if someone could explain the final page to me, that would be great!

I'll start ny saying this was undeniably a page turner - I couldn't wait to find out more and I read the book in about 6 hours. It certainly was food for thought in terms of existence and reminded me of the aliens playing marbles with our, and other universes inside each marble, so to suggest that we're all a simulation but the consequences of being so are no different to if we believe we are alive, or to believe they are different because there is no reality to affect so why bother, is an interesting concept and I think that is the singular thing that may have you thinking long after finishing the book, however the concent itself left alot to be desired for me. The individual stories were interesting by themselves and I did wonder at the start if this was a book of mini stories until the threads began joining them together, however there were too many of them. I, like others here, had difficulty remembering who they were everytime their story was picked back up later in the book, although a couple of characters were easier to remember than others. What I found disappointing was how easily 'government' integrated them into society. It was almost no questions asked and I just found that unbelievable considering how we were led to believe the American president was the 'the' American president. The fact that the Chinese plane only got a brief mention a couple of times was also disappointing. I was left empty in that and thought what was the point in mentioning it with no exploration, and it was at this point that i began to get bored with the book and my interest was no longer a gripping page turner but a 'I just have to finish this now' thought. As for the ending, I know some people enjoy a book that leaves the reader to formulate their own conclusion, but even though I read what I thought that last inverted pyramid of words was saying, it left me feeling like I'd wasted those 6 hours of my life for nothing which is unfortunate as I personally feel so much more was required to make it a more plausible and so thought-provoking read.

The Anomaly is a gripping science fiction thriller. On 10th March 2021, the Paris to New York flight runs into a massive unpredicted tornado. The passengers are subjected to terrifying turbulence, and huge hailstones large enough to leave marks on the reinforced glass batter the aircraft. The pilot wrestles the plane through the most violent and sudden storm of the last ten years and and out the other side to land safely. And then, exactly 110 days later, the same pilot wrestles the same plane with the same passengers out of the same storm, much to the consternation of air traffic control.The story follows a number of these passengers, both the ones who landed in March and their duplicates who landed in June. The different ways they cope with their doubles makes for a fascinating read. How would you react if you were confronted by yourself, by someone who knows everything that ever happened to you, every whim, every desire, every thought, even the dark ones? Who gets to live your life?It's an intriguing idea, brilliantly executed. The different characters are so distinct that although there are quite a few of them, it's never confusing. And all are equally interesting, from the literary author consigned to translating books about teenage vampires, to the little girl with a pet frog called Betty. The Anomaly is a compelling and thought-provoking page turner.

Whilst readable and thought-provoking, very far from hardcore sci-fi. The writing style is variable, between 'obsessive, introspective French relationships' to 'thriller-like' passages. From my perspective, very light on 'why' and ultimately failed to resolve anything, with a 'make up your own explanation' of an ending. I don't feel inclined to seek out other works by the same author.