Seven Wonders: A Novel
Written by Ben Mezrich
3.5/5
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About this audiobook
When the reclusive mathematician Jeremy Grady goes missing, it's up to his estranged brother Jack to find out why. His search leads him on a far-flung journey—from Brazil, India, Peru, and beyond—as he unravels the mystery that links the Seven Wonders of the World, and discovers that Jeremy may have hit upon something that's been concealed for centuries. With the help of scientist Sloane Costa, they discover a conspiracy to hide a road map to the Garden of Eden—and the truth behind a mythological ancient culture.
With a heart-pounding pace and panoramic backdrops, Seven Wonders is an electrifying read, and will be the first in a trilogy.
"It's a fast-moving thriller involving murder, conspiracy, historical mystery, and the Seven Wonders of the World. Is it enjoyable and imaginative? Hell, yeah." —Booklist
"Seven Wonders delivers a page-turning global adventure with the high stakes and hard-charging characters we expect from a Ben Mezrich story. An exciting, compulsive read that will please thriller fans and history buffs." —Matthew Pearl, New York Times bestselling author of The Dante Club and The Technologists
"Ben Mezrich's Seven Wonders is a terrific adventure, a wild quest around the world in the best Da Vinci Code tradition, in the company of an Indiana Jones-style scientist-hero who doesn't know the meaning of fear." —Joseph Finder, author of Paranoia and Suspicion
Ben Mezrich
Ben Mezrich graduated magna cum laude from Harvard. He has sold over ten million copies of his twenty-four published books, including the New York Times Bestsellers The Accidental Billionaires, which was adapted into the Academy Award–winning film The Social Network, and Bringing Down the House, which was the basis for the hit movie 21. His current bestseller The Antisocial Network is being adapted into the feature film Dumb Money. Ben has written and produced for the hit TV show Billions on Showtime, and he travels the world speaking to audiences of all ages about writing books and the adventures he has experienced from each of his stories. He lives in Boston with his wife, two kids, and two pugs.
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Reviews for Seven Wonders
41 ratings4 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5In the waning days of Superheroes in the world, there is only 1 superteam left. The Seven Wonders, look over their city of San Ventura, CA and they protect it from the last Super Villian; The Cowl and his sidekick; Blackbird. But then a normal guy starts getting powers and upsets the balance. Its pulpy genre fiction, police procedural, super fights, alien weaponry, good fun stuff. I like his take on the tropes of the superhero and how it affects the world at large. Fun read.I think one of the most impressive things about Christopher is his virtually full page of all of the world's superheroes that come to join in the climatic fight (cause its a genre story, you know there's a climatic fight). I'll give you just a taste, I want to read stories about all of these heros."They'd all come. It had taken two days, but all, all, had heeded Aurora's call. They came in groups; the Chicago Nightguard, United International, the Army of One, the Coven, the League of All-Stars, the Computer Council, the Manhattan Manhunters, , the Devils you Know...and solo protectors; Pangolin the Protector, Hammer and Sickle, Czar and Tzar and Star, Kalamari Karl, Senny Dreadful, Your Imaginary Pal (to name but a few)"8/10S: 6/30/18 - 7/12/18 (13 Days)
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I was a beta-reader for this book, and while as a rule superhero fiction isn't my thing, if all superhero fiction were like this, it would WAY be my thing. Can't wait to see the "proper" version.
And yes, I do make some exceptionally fine pizza. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Seven Wonders ReviewThe bottom line: Fun and punchy writing gets together with superheroes and a dynamic (if not somewhat stretchy) plot to produce some spectacular (and I don't use the word loosely) scenarios, but unfortunately lacking depth in certain key areas.If this story were a drink it was be a glowing, lime green liquid handed to you in a glass test tube that- after being quaffed- would give you the power to fly faster than a speeding bullet.If this book were an animal, it would be a chimera with ADD, one that turns and twists and morphs like mad as it bursts across the landscape.How to dress for this book: Oh, you know: glossy spandex, shiny boots, mask, cape.) I will give it 4 stars, but I really feel like it's more of 3.666 star book, somewhere on the line between good and very good.Seven Wonders has a lot going for it. It harnesses a take-no-prisoners plot (involving superheroes, cosmic power tools, tough-guy cops, and psychic alien threats) to a narrative a voice that both (1) pokes fun at the conventions of genre (ala Edlund's Tick comics but maybe with a shade more irony), and (2) that maintains a detached postmodern perspective while (3) never entirely losing the innocent wide-eyed wonder of simply being a fanboy. A great example of this blended style occurs near the end of the book when a small army of superheroes awaits contact with an alien force. Christopher delivers the goods, describing (with a sense of awe and hushed voice) the assorted heroes floating like an array of multicolored stars against the background of the cosmos, but also keeps on sneaker-shod foot rooted in satire by mentioning that one of the superheroes is named "The Man with a Gun in His Hand" (By the time you say that guy's name, he will have shot and killed you.)As mentioned far above, the plot itself dodges and weaves with nice energy. Unfortunately however the energy is not complimented with enough focus. Which is not to say that the story of The Seven Wonders is completely free of focus, but it never quite finds its way to a deeper groove, you know, the kind of groove that grounds us with the character and the moment.Is it the story of Tony Prosdocimi (one minor quibble- I have no idea how to pronounce this name. I would guess like: Pro-do-chimi -???) who mysteriously gains superpowers? It's kind of his story. Or is it the story of the mysterious supervision the Cowl and his sudden transformation. Yes, well sort of. Or is it the story of the Seven Wonders themselves? Not really, but almost! Is it the story of a robot gone haywire. Ummm- kind of....The answer to all the above is both "yes" and "no" and further complicated by the fact that certain main characters (trying go avoid too many spoilers here) keep changing personality and motives throughout the book. Whether this is an intentional attempt at stylized narrative or just a byproduct of frenetic plotting, it does the story and the reader no favors. I would have been happier if some of those elements had been better grounded.Despite these flaws, I do recommend The Seven Wonders, especially to comic book fans. It's a rockin' -fun ride with some memorable moments and does nice job delivering comic book kicks without and actual comic.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Seven Wonders, the world’s last great Superhero team and Ventura's only hope against the last Supervillian The Cowl. When Tony Prosdocimi wakes up one morning with powers his 1st act is to take down The Cowl and finds to his surprise the local hero's aren't that pleased.Hmm I think Christopher's style just isn't for me as this is a great modern superhero tale, with enough twists to keep plot moving, fun action sequences that just call out for a double edge, eye popping spread. It has some wonderful villains & heroes, tired cops and new kids on the block to keep everyone happy. Nor do you miss the visuals it fits perfectly into a novel format. It is neither sarcastically knowing it really just is fun but.. it just didn't grip me and it’s hard to identify why.I could point to fading in and out of characters which is a bit jarring, slight reliance on set pieces rather than the whole or the fact that I am not a fan of superhero comics but to be honest I just find it a bit slow. Maybe it is because I find it hard to connect with the characters and so care where it goes. Take for example The Cowl, I really liked his journey but then the story sweeps away from his POV and so his ending feels a bit too tidy, too quickly resolved. This happens a lot and then mix in unlikeable characters and some simple stock ones.. well it’s pretty but I am just not engaged, I think Christopher is interested in different things than I am and I am not hooked. Anyway I hesitatingly recommend it to superhero and speculative fiction fans.