Review 725: In Ascension

In Ascension by Martin MacInnes
My rating: 3.25 of 5 stars

I'm a bit on the fence about this book. Some parts I enjoyed, while other parts I was bored and couldn't care less. The book starts with Leigh as a swimmer and diver who gets a spot on a research vessel to explore this extremely deep trench just discovered. It’s the deepest trench ever found. While exploring it odd things happen, mostly to the people who went diving.

Later, Leigh now is working on a research project to develop food from what was recovered in that deep trench exploration. So many details about work and her boss. But the past keeps getting brought up, her sister and her grew up with an abusive father. Now her mother is sick, and her sister thinks she should visit, but now Leigh is working in America, another country and it’s hard to get away. Then she gets high security clearance, and it becomes nearly impossible to leave without jeopardizing her job.

Leigh’s work with the recovered algae becomes integral to a project for space exploration that has to do with an ancient object that passed by Earth. She becomes part of a team training to go out into space, grueling training, in that no one expects will come into use. Until it does, the last chance team is the one sent into space.

The book is told in several parts. Somehow throughout everything nearly none of the characters are developed. There's so much oddness in the book, as well as some intriguing bits too.