Customer Reviews

Shimmer

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"Come sit down by me; I've got a great story to tell you." That's what I imagine Eric Barnes' debut novel, Shimmer, would say if it could talk. The book was just friendly, I don't quite know how else to explain it; it was by turns exciting, thought provoking, and unusual and always enjoyable. The story follows Robbie Case, the CEO of a tech company that has figured out how to maximize server capacity and data processing. The company is wildly successful, with sales and revenues growing by bounds every day. The problem is that the whole company is based on a lie. Case is selling hardware to his customers that doesn't really do anything while he is secretly moving all of the data, which is meant to be processed his hardware, around a series of secret server farmsand satelittes , hidden around the world. He is lying to his customers; he is lying to his employees; but, mostly, he is lying to himself. He is lying to himself about his his capability to maintain the lies, about the true value of the company and the people he works with, and about what will ultimately be fulfilling and rewarding to him.

Barnes has achieved something unusual with his debut novel, a story that works on multiple levels, either as a quick, mindless read or a good thriller or as a more subtle, study of human interaction and connection. I won't pretend that I am computer savy enough to understand the tech pieces of the story but Barnes doesn't hit you over the head with computer jargon so much that you feel like you're reading a Computer for Dummies book. He gives you just enough to make the story seem believable. Barnes' use of language to create a breakneck pace and frentic aura for the tech company and the people who work there is just right. I found myself reading the early chapters more quickly than usual and with an urgency, all because of the deft prose. All of this would serve any good summer read well. But, if you read a little closer and study the characters Barnes creates, you will find a more subtle examination of unconnected and lonely people, all lieing to themselves in various ways to overcome self loathing and doubt. They are all pouring their lives into the company, feeding their greed or hunger for power as a substitute for human connection. One of the most interesting elements of Barnes' new novel is the give and take between his hero, Case, and Case's evil cousin. The two almost seem to create one, whole criminal; they are drawn to one another and, at the same time, repulsed by one another. Barnes has gotten this relationship just right, reflecting real world co-dependent, criminal pairs.

The light criticism I have is for the ending, which felt a little rushed and a little forced, tied up to prettily in a colorful bow. I didn't think nor did I want to see the story end quite so well for Case and his dark half cousin. And, to get there, Barnes seems to work a little too hard and gloss over a few too many details. But the ending didn't ruin the overall reading experience for the book.

Recommended! This was a solid, enjoyable read. You can take it at whatever level you feel like when you pick it up. It was just that friendly.

An incredible book! Bravo Mr. Barnes! I was lucky enough to receive this book as an "Early Reviewer" for Librarything.com. For being an "uncorrected proof," I found nothing, absolutely nothing wrong. The story flowed, the intrigue grabbing hold, I enjoyed it immensely. Mr. Barnes' descriptions of the complexities involved in this story were incredible. He made it really easy to understand the inner workings of a vastly large corporation. I loved it and would recommend it.

When I first picked up SHIMMER by Eric Barnes, I had a feeling that I might not be the ideal audience for it. SHIMMER is a unique novel in that I would describe it as a "techno thriller." In the past, I used to read a lot of suspense/thriller books; but lately I seem to gravitate more towards historical fiction and women's fiction. It's not that I have anything against thrillers, it's just that they aren't my first book of choice anymore. And, while I definitely enjoyed (and appreciated) SHIMMER, I'm thinking that maybe I should have passed it on for Booking Pap Pap to read and review. I just don't quite know how to review it -- so all I can do is share some of my thoughts about this novel.

Having said all that, I don't want it to sound like I didn't like this book because I definitely did enjoy reading it. There were times when I was reading SHIMMER when I couldn't put it down. I think a lot of credit goes to the author Eric Barnes for creating so much suspense. This isn't one of those books where there is a lot of action. In fact, almost the entire story takes place in Core Communications Office building. However, I could actually feel myself become shaky and nervous along with Robbie as he faced possible exposure to his secrets. This book really did make me feel like I was on a roller-coaster ride. The story was fast-paced and the characters' actions were at times frantic. It was a very suspenseful read!

As mentioned in the book description, this story is based on a high-tech company that was basically operating a Ponzi scheme. I'm going to be honest and say that I am one of the least technologically minded people out there -- I basically shut down at the first mention of computer terms. And while I wasn't really interested in all the computer lingo and understanding how the company worked, I did think the scheme sounded feasible; and I didn't have any problems comprehending what Robbie was doing with his company. So if you are like me and feel a little overwhelmed by the idea behind this book, don't let that deter you from reading it.

I thought Mr. Barnes did a really good job of developing the characters. The majority of the book was written in Robbie's first person voice so the reader really gets inside his mind. Since Robbie had been keeping so many secrets for so long, he was definitely starting to fall apart; and the stress because so many people were dependent on him really came through on every page. I also appreciated how Mr. Barnes threw in very brief chapters about a few of the executive employees which he wrote in third person. These sections let the readers know more about Robbie's co-workers as well as giving them an inkling that Robbie's secrets weren't all that "secret."

Robbie was an extremely interesting and yet a highly flawed character. So often in these types of books, these characters seem to be one-dimensional. That wasn't the case in SHIMMER. I thought the author did a fantastic job of developing Robbie and giving the reader information about his youth. His insecurities, his fear of intimacy, and his guilt were definitely the result of many things that happened in his past. I found Robbie to be a fascinating character but I didn't always like him. What I did find strange, though, was that despite all of Robbie's deception, I found myself liking him and even rooting for his successes!

I don't want to give anything away about the ending, but I think I can't write a review of this book without mentioning it. I thought the ending made the book for me! As my emotions went back and forth about Robbie depending on his actions -- sometimes I liked him and other times I couldn't stand him -- I thought I had him figured out by the end of the book. Suffice it to say that I was a little surprised with how the author ended this story, but I thought it was perfect for this book and these characters.

First few pages - I didn't know what to make of it, but by around p.50 I was hooked and could hardly put it down. The book is something of a John Grisham of computer world! The premise is quite incredible and original. The protagonist comes through as rather appealing and human. I didn't care for paid sex interludes, though - they seemed less worthy of the rest of the book. On the whole - a wonderful read. I wish I were more technically savvy: I had to consult my son, a computer specialist, to understand a few things, but it only increased my interest.

Robbie Case is the head of Core, a multi-million dollar company that he unwittingly founds with his cousin Trevor. Dealing in selling blue boxes full of high technology that greatly improves the speed and flow of information, he's walking around with the secret that none of it works. Each sale and success story brings Core closer to collapse- which could happen at anytime- making Robbie Case a rich man, even as it bankrupts everyone around him who has worked for and believed in Core for the three years since its inception. Robbie only sleeps two hours per night and and spends the rest of his time overseeing Core while trying to save it and the people who work for him from its ultimate demise. Robbie keeps track of the elaborate lie that runs Core with a program that he especially designed called Shimmer, but time is running out and someone is onto Robbie. The race is on to find out who knows his secrets and when that happens there is a big price that he and everyone well have to pay for his lies.

It took me awhile to get into this story. The beginning chapters are a set up of the technology and the company, and I only had the barest grasp of what was going on. As the outline of how it all worked presented itself, and the novel shifted to examine the human element I became more absorbed in Robbie and his cousin Trevor's distinct personalities, and why each of them would embark on such a risky proposition as the one in which they were involved. Robbie particularly gambles and the only collateral that he has against telling such a monstrous lie is that he has always believed that hard work is the solution to every problem. I'm not really sure that I was ever convinced of Robbie's theory of hard work motivating him to perpetuate such a lie and a gamble with people's livelihoods, and even if that were true the reasoning is beyond flawed, but it was enough to move along the story.

The narrative of the novel alternates between Robbie's own first person perspective and third person mini-chapters outlining the doubts that each member of his senior staff is experiencing about the company. Each of them is highly qualified for their position, intelligent and at the top of their game. Robbie's staff have different reasons for having committed so much of their lives to Core, usually to the detriment of their personal lives, and each is dangerously close to being able to put their finger on the undefinable thing that is wrong with the bog picture. No one understand how the blue box technology works. Barnes does a terrific job of maintaining the suspense and I was on pins and needles throughout my reading, wondering if the house of cards was going to come tumbling down due to inside forces or to the simultaneous threats coming from outside the company.

Robbie Case is a deeply flawed character- stemming from both his childhood and his strange personality mix of hubris and naivete. Some of the novel started getting a little bit repetitive to me as he goes through the same motions while trying to figure out a solution that will help the company and release him from the burden that he has been carrying. Though I found what Robbie did to be reprehensible I really wanted him to be able to figure things out for the sake of the people that worked at Core.

If you have advanced knowledge of computers and business acumen then it would be very easy to get into this one on the perils of not integrity- or the lack thereof- in big business. The how's it going to end aspect really keeps the book moving along and it manages to stay interesting even though the entire thing takes place inside the same office building. There are some truly gripping scenes when the blue boxes that Core manufactures come under attack. This was definitely a suspenseful read.

Once I started reading Shimmer, I could not put it down. I highly reccomend it.

A great read from Eric Barnes. Shimmer is stylistically current and full to over-flowing with engaging characters. The tight plot keeps the pages turning and the reader wanting more from this fine debut novelist. Three cheers!

Shimmer is a fast-paced read that takes on corporate America with wit and depth. If you're looking for a well-written techno-thriller with some teeth--this is your book.

I read this in less than a week (and it has been a very busy week). The twenty & thirty somethings running the corporation are interesting, although I would have liked a little more character development in the beginning. Robbie Case is trying to beat the clock, the corporate SWAT team and a competitor with their product. His sales manager is a terror, but sells sells sells. Can they keep up with the demand?

Each chapter seems to represent the viewpoint of one of the main characters. The dialogue is direct and sharp, which is what you would expect from very busy people. Robbie, at times, seems to be on the verge of a breakdown, or buckling under the pressure. Then again, he seems to want the pressure and enjoy it.

This read like a thriller, but with the lies behind the product, the company, and the IPO, it was a little close to what we've been reading in the newspapers and hearing on the evening news. Greed and corruption. Keep reading to see if they have to pay the piper in the end. I would recommend this book to techie friends and maybe at another time to those who worked on Wall Street, especially those who lost jobs due to Madoff's schemes.

Synopsis:

The book opens at the top of a Midtown skyscraper in NYC at 6 am on Monday in the middle of the weekly senior staff meeting of one of Wall Street's technology darlings, Core Communications. Through the banter, Barnes shows the relationships between and among most of the book's main characters and CEO Robbie Case. Clearly, Robbie is regarded as a genius among geniuses, with vision and incredible technical skills such that even those who have worked with him every day for the past 3 years and have participated in the company's growth hold Robbie apart. Understandably so since Robbie's guidance, savvy and tech skills transformed Core Communications into a company with the size and culture reminiscent of Google - a $20 billion dollar company offering technology unmatched by any other. Core Communications offers a way to maximize server capacity and data processing through its secret "Blue Boxes". The market appears to put no limit to Core Communication's potential growth and revenues. No one understands exactly how the Blue Boxes work and it turns out that neither does Robbie Case. Instead, Robbie has based Core's technology on a lie and through this combination Ponzi scheme and shell game, Robbie has been able to keep up the charade. Robbie barely sleeps as he works feverishly to come up with a way to create the necessary technology that can save his company. To suppress his tension and fear, Robbie increasingly relies on anonymous sex and alcohol. While the employees keep going, waiting for the time that they can cash in on their stock options, Robbie is anxiously waiting for the company's collapse.

Review:

Other reviewers have mentioned that Shimmer seems particularly relevant for these times with the headlines of corporate fraud by Bernie Madoff. Though headlines of corporate fraud are not new, Shimmer does strike me as an unusual and interesting read because of the degree of business details incorporated in the story.

I enjoyed reading how Core Communications handled stock options in a company so young and successful that its early employees and nearly all employees are multimillionaires. I don't know anyone that worked at Google or Microsoft in the early days but I imagine that the anticipation, anxiety, and fixation with the time that first employees are allowed to exercise and sell their stock options, this period of "grace" would be all consuming and much like Eric Barnes's description.

I'm not particularly technologically savvy, so I had to pause and write out the explanation behind Core's unique service. I'm not sure whether it's service is viable or not - but that lack of knowledge didn't impact my appreciation and enjoyment of the book.

If you're waiting for a mindcandy technothriller in the Michael Crichton style, this book doesn't have the violence and gore of those books. Instead, enjoy the tension that comes with the unravelling of the financial fraud. Don't be fooled by the lack of violence - Shimmer is an absorbing action thriller.

Publisher: Unbridled Books (June 30, 2009), p288.
Courtesy of Unbridled Books.