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23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
24:NY, December 14, 2005
This review is from: Operation Hell Gate (24 Declassified) (Mass Market Paperback)
"Declassified: Hell Gate" takes us back in time to before the first season of "24", and tells some early stories about CTU. Make no mistake, Jack Bauer is still Jack. The TV series relies heavily on Kiefer Sutherland, and the books -- at least Tom Clancy alum Marc Cerasini's effort -- captures him believably on paper.
Most of the Season 1 CTU supporting cast, everyone except George Mason, shows up in supporting roles here. The bulk of the story, however, takes place in Brooklyn and Queens, with Jack chasing down a few overlapping terrorist plots prior to 9/11. The NYC settings are well used. You get the sense from Cerasini's writing that, minus a few days of second unit filming with Kiefer Sutherland, this entire story could still be filmed in Burbank. On the other hand, Cerasini captures mid-1990s' New York City well, with several interesting locations off the beaten path, and a large supporting cast of immigrants and ethnic New Yorkers.
The "real-time" format is also retained for the book. There are fewer cheats here than on TV, every character is able to get from Point A to Point B in sprawling Los Angeles in less than 20 minutes, and William Devane can change from orange prisoner garb into a neatly pressed $5,000 suit in 4 minutes and 20 seconds. In the book, fewer things happen, and characters vanish for whole chapters (hours) at a time. Most chapters are between 8 and 12 pages long, and that covers the whole hour. You can believe all this stuff happens in a day.
The potential for a bad TV tie-in novel is really, really high. Walk into any chain bookstore and head to the sci-fi section; you'll usually see two bookcases full of TV tie-ins. Some of those books are innovative and praiseworthy; many others are not worth the low-cost paper they're printed on. The recent tie-in to the TV hit "Lost" is the equivalent of Kim Bauer getting trapped in the woods and menaced by a cougar. So compared to that, at least, this first "24" novel is a good way of passing time in between one season's finale in May and the next season's debut the following January.
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Getting It Dead On!, October 19, 2005
This review is from: Operation Hell Gate (24 Declassified) (Mass Market Paperback)
It's just a coincidence, of course, that this book appeared at the very moment that there was disturbing news about an actual threat America now faces, and on which Cerasini's first 24 novelization centers.
No, I won't tell you what that is. What I will tell you is that he has distilled the essence of the TV series onto the printed page. The characters, the conspiracies, the conflicts and the betrayals, are all there -- Cerasini has them dead on. Even more important, he has the RHYTHM of 24 dead on, not just in the time stamps but in the pulse of events. If you feel your heart beating faster as you read OPERATION HELL GATE, that's because the author has done his job. There's never a dull moment, but the suspense and excitement have as much to do with the characters -- including those new to this novel -- as with the action itself.
Cerasini is no stranger to the world of 24. Three years ago, he wrote 24: THE HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE'S FINDINGS AT CTU. An audacious mockumentary based on the first season on the show, its release was mistimed and thus many of you may have missed it. Buy it now. And buy OPERATION HELL GATE. You're in for a great ride -- and a ride with some real thought behind it, too.
--John J. Pierce (author of Imagination and Evolution, the best history of science fiction).
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
What can I say...This book is worth its weight in gold!, January 8, 2006
This review is from: Operation Hell Gate (24 Declassified) (Mass Market Paperback)
I won't analyze this book's plot or character development, I will simply say; if you are a 24 fan, this book and the other currently out, Veto Power, are awesome.
They read like the show develops. Every cliffhanger is answered minutes later, rather than having to wait for a week. I read both of these back to back in about 10 hours of reading time over a two day span.
They are excellent. I have pre-ordered the other 2 coming out this year.
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