3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A worthy tale in the CTUniverse., February 26, 2007
This review is from: 24 Declassified: Cat's Claw (Mass Market Paperback)
I am a bit skeptical about the "Expanded Universe"-type fiction from TV series. Much of it is glorified fan fiction, with the stellar stories being few and far between. Fortunately, "Cat's Claw" falls into the latter category. I was super-impressed how well Whitman kept the flavor, format, and series continuity, all the while adding a worthy tale in the CTUniverse.
Before reading these books, keep in mind they happen between the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and Day 1 of the series. So don't expect Chloe or Morris, who were introduced later on. This is the prequel days, when Jack worked under Chris Henderson (I'd love to see more of him in these books), and the CTU was run by Chappelle--remember him?
Although I liked this book, it contains one mistake, one inside joke, and one flaw. The mistake is that the disease comes from lusophonic Brazil, but it is called "Uña de Gato" which is Spanish. This is a common mistake, but an eyesore for a lusophile.
The joke is the page 240 reference to "Alias," the series main rival in the early days. Since she is out of work, maybe Jennifer Garner can swing a position on the "24" movie. Hey--it worked for Robocop.
The flaw of the book is twofold knot. First, the format. It attempts to follow the manner of the TV series by chopping the chapters in to the small time-fractions. For a teleplay this is quite effective; for a book, this is like riding on fifty miles of potholes. Thus this format kills the flow and continuity.
Second, the structure. Although the plot works in crescendo, the chapters run diminuendo--as I read, I was treated to smaller and smaller chapters. Of course this is necessary, due to using space to set up the situation and non-cannon characters. But it was done overmuch: chapter 1 is 14 pages long, while chapter 24 is a measly 3 pages. In a sense, this approach enhances the actions, as we rush roller-coaster to the end. But it blurs the increasing action and tension. Coupling this with the pervious problem, the time-fraction, the read is even bumpier. It was hard on the eyes, and therefore, a dagger to the mind.
I'm not sure that the format can be changed--this is, after all, "24." The structure, however, can be tweaked, so that we roll, and do not jerk, to a stop.
Despite these flaws, I recommend this book for the entre-season fix, and when the reruns won't do. Whitman, keep on writing!
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great addition to the declassified series!, January 7, 2007
A Kid's Review
This review is from: 24 Declassified: Cat's Claw (Mass Market Paperback)
Cat's Claw is the 4th book in the 24: Declassified series and is starting to close in on season 1 in the 24 timeline. The story starts with Jack and his now-teenage daughter, Kim, at a protest of the G8 summit being held in LA. Christopher Henderson, notorious villain of season 5, is one of the main CTU personnel in this story, and still Jack's friend. So, it's pretty cool to see their working relation in a time before Henderson's turn to the dark side. The story shows plenty of foreshadowing in good subtle ways. We see more of Jack and Teri's marriage troubles and the fleshing out of Jack's personal troubles. There are some great Jack Bauer moments in the story, and there are some great plot twists, too. 24 fans should enjoy the new prequel story. I still can't wait for the rest of the series to be released. Jack Bauer still rules!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Had potential, March 3, 2008
This review is from: 24 Declassified: Cat's Claw (Mass Market Paperback)
You know, I was really into this book for a while. For the first half I was enjoying it- the writing was not great- but it was decent enuff. But then something happened. Something I can only describe as the author getting bored writing the story. All the cool things that could've happened and SHOULD have happened were just ended abruptly. It's been a while since I've read this but I believe in one part Jack is being held at CTU and is not allowed to leave. We then cut to some other scene and then in the next chaper, Jack is driving away from CTU and the only explination we get is, "escaping from CTU was easy enough." THAT'S IT! I wouldn't reccomend this book.
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