Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I must admit I am only half way through the book, having spent the last two and a half hours thus engaged . I have some remarks. First off, I believe that Erik M. Larson may be riding on the coattails of another Erik Larson. When I searched for the latter, pairing it with White City and Thunderstruck, this book came up also, suggesting that the same author wrote both. Far far from it. In fact at the bottom of the Amazon review page I see beneath their tag suggestions. All of these refer to Erik Larson's work. Nothing in this book is historical, true, placed in Chicago, is thrilling, has anything to do with the Columbian Exposition of the early 1900s or is about a serial killer. So if you got caught unawares, Amazon was in no hurry to correct that misapprehension as long as it sold more books for them. After just finishing three of Erik Larson's books, so disparate the levels of writing, I felt that I was reading the work of a high school junior. Everything was so contrived. The author's use of italicized Korean words was obvious and heavy handed" In fact his use of italicize was very annoying. All of it screamed out "I know something you don't know," Just write, use words to knit your story not stick out like a huge sore thumb. I have bet myself that I know the plot and knew it within the first forty pages. If I am wrong, I will surely retract some of my statement but most of it will still stand. It is written for a fast read with a slightly catchy story promised but will fade quickly from thought. Whereas the real Erik Larson has provoked in me the desire to want more both of his work and of the subjects written about, this book gives me nothing to think about. We'll see what he delivers.