The Prodigy Project [Paperback]

Doug Flanders MD (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 10, 2010

When the seeds of death are sown into the very blueprints of life, no one is safe... Someone is trying to resurrect ancient viruses hidden deep within the human genetic code to create a biological weapon so specific that it can target an individual -- or an entire race. When two young prodigies discover their "medical research" is being used to build this weapon, they seek outside help to destroy it and to flee China. Help comes in the unlikely guise of Jon Gunderson-doctor, bio-weapons expert, and devoted family man whose unsuspecting wife and nine children have unwittingly accompanied him on yet another assignment. Once the truth comes to light, the Gundersons will have to set aside their differences if they hope to rescue the prodigies and escape with their lives. The fate of the world hangs in the balance as the bittersweet dynamics of a large but loving family take center stage against the backdrop of China's breathtaking landscapes.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

With twelve children and three grandsons, author Doug Flanders is well acquainted with non-stop adventure. He draws on 15 years experience as an Army Reservist and 18 years as a practicing physician to craft his medical thrillers. The Flanders family makes their home in Tyler, Texas.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Prescott Publishing (November 10, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0982626924
• ISBN-13: 978-0982626924
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,824,909 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Doug Flanders (1967-) was born and raised in San Antonio, TX. He attended Dallas Baptist University, but after two years gave up a full scholarship to marry the love of his life, Jennifer (Cowan) Flanders (1965-), also an author (Love Your Husband/Love Yourself). A year later they had their first child and Doug started medical school at UT Southwestern in Dallas. By the time Doug graduated he had two more children and was voted most likely to have a dozen kids by his classmates. Not wanting to disappoint, he and Jennifer went on to have nine more! With twelve children and three grandchildren around, the two writers have plenty of inspiration, but are typically short on time. In addition to his unique family situation, Doug draws on fifteen years in the Army Reserves and eighteen years as a physician to craft his medical thrillers. "The Prodigy Project" is the first in a series of adventures featuring the rather large Gunderson family as they traverse the globe fighting bio-terrorism.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Read January 3, 2011

By MKaighn

Format:Paperback

I felt this book was slow to get started despite some interesting plot introductions. However, my advice to readers is to hang in and get to the "good stuff". Interesting, believable plot. Indentifable characters. A book you can totally share with your book loving teenagers.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fast Paced Thriller November 2, 2011

By Denise McFarland

Format:Paperback

The Prodigy Project by Doug Flanders was an excellent, fast-paced Christian thriller. It follows Jon Gunderson, his wife, and nine children throughout an edge-of-your-seat adventure in the US and China. I am always excited when a new Christian suspense author comes on the scene, because it is a genre I so love and enjoy, and Doug Flanders definitely fits the bill. The plot twist at the end was the perfect surprise ending.

I only wish he had spent a little more time exploring the DNA retrovirus angle - it seemed like it would be the main plot of the book, but it turned out to be a very small subplot that was barely discussed. Overall, this was an amazing book that I thoroughly enjoyed. I surely hope this is part one of a series, because I'd love to revisit the Gunderson family and find out what happens next! I highly recommend this book. Definitely a new author to watch.

I was provided a copy of this book by BookCrash in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars The Prodigy Project September 16, 2011

By Danyelle0423

Format:Paperback

Jon Gunderson, a forty year old father of nine, is a doctor and a spy. He is called to bring his family to China where someone is trying to make the ultimate biological weapon. The weapon is endogenous retroviruses, ancient viruses buried deep within our genetic code. They're so specific that they can target one person or hundreds of people without having others affected.
So, when Jon Gunderson brings his family as a cover to stop this bio-weapons attempt, naturally things go wrong and Jon is forced to go head-to-head to rescue his family and family friends before things get way out of hand.
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Having read a lot of debut novels, I've learned not to expect much. Not because they're all terrible or anything like that. Just that new authors don't really know their strengths and weaknesses very well yet, so though the books aren't disastrous, they're not as good as they could be.
This book however is different. Doug Flanders is a great author for a debut book. I was in awe of how well this book was written and was glad it came in the mail as I began reading. I think it helps that he has twelve kids and a wife to proofread. In fact, without that astronomical amount of family members available, this book have been a total disaster.
This book has a lot going on in it, making it very difficult to successfully pull off and make believable. Though the amount of trouble the Gunderson family is put through is realistic, I'm not completely sure that the type of trouble was believable. But all I know is the Hollywood version of these stories and am not an expert in any means. However, Mr. Flanders made the slightly unbelievable storyline enjoyable and something completely plausible in real life....
The story however, doesn't focus on the endogenous retroviruses as much as the back cover makes you believe. Which you don't really notice until after you've flipped the last page. It's not a bad thing that they're not in there so much, I just wish that the back cover had advertised some of the other action moments in the book, because now I don't know what to give away and what to keep a secret.
Like I said prior, Doug Flanders had over a dozen people giving constructive criticism and encouragement and I agree with him when he says that the book is better because of it. The book truly is a much better book because of his many children and their opinions.
Doug Flanders also draws on his 33 years as a physician to craft this medical thriller and it shows. Me wanting to be in the medical field, I learned a lot that I'm sure I'll be able to use later.
There was a lot of science talk in the book that was mercifully defined to make it easier to read. Though, it was difficult to follow, it enhanced the experience of the book.
Overall, it's not really a light read with the subject and the amount of action in the book. It is however perfect for a spy loving book or perfect for the action lover in all of us.
I give it four out of five.

This book was graciously given to me from Book Crash and Prescott Publishing for this honest review. Read more ›

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Family Spy Novel April 7, 2011

By LJN

Format:Paperback

I can't say The Prodigy Project is another Clive Cussler, but it was an overall good read.
A spy novel for the family, written by a family, should be classified in a category with Spy Kids. This book was mediocre suspenseful and contained some good action. It does have some humorous parts to break up some of the suspense. Imagine taking a family of 9 children on a spy mission without them knowing. I am not sure if this is the author's debut novel, but if it is, I think he will be able to turn out some really good stories. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good family spy novel.

I received this book in a LibrayThing.com Giveaway

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun Action Techno-Thriller December 3, 2010

By Maury Goode

Format:Paperback

Medical Doctor, homeschool dad of 9 kids, international spy, biological weapons expert. Wow, what a mix for one character! Doug Flanders pulls off this mix masterfully in his book, The Prodigy Project. I loved this book! It has a creative/unique story line with multiple surprise plot twists. It has it all: action, techno-thriller, cataclysmic schemes, mystery, family struggles, laughs, love and forgiveness. This is a family friendly story but is also a page turning realistic action novel. Read the Prologue & you'll be hooked!

4.0 out of 5 stars A good read February 20, 2012

By PhillipCole

Format:Paperback

The Prodigy Project by Doug Flanders is about a man that is recruited, he thinks, to be a battlefield anesthetist, but is actually going to be trained to combat biological terrorists. The new job he gets has to be kept secret from his family, which is difficult because they are a close knit family. Through out the book, he does do his job, but he also learns more about his family, and about himself. It is a good mix of strategy/science fiction/family/faith rolled into one book.

The Prodigy Project is well written, and I had a hard time putting it down. Many times, I would come back to it shortly after closing it because I didn't want to wait to see what happened next. Doug Flanders wove the story together very well, it took place in several areas of the world, and at different times, but they all fit, and came together at the end.

There were many plot twists, and I could predict a few of them, but there were more that I didn't see coming. The characters involved in the story came across as people I could expect to meet (if I ran in those circles). There were no stereotypical bad guys that spilled their plans and left the hero alone so that he had time to escape. There wasn't anything that I would classify as over the top; it was something that I found pretty believable.

Faith played a big part in the actions of the main characters, though it did not get mentioned a whole lot. It was there, and was referenced more as the end neared. That may be the only fault I would mention, I think the characters' faith could have been expanded more than it was.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Prodigy Project. I received it from BookCrash.com in exchange for this review, but that had no impact on how much I liked it.