Customer Reviews

Veto Power

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The 24 show is twisted into an unrecognizable pretzel in this middling thriller. I completely agree with the other bad reviews and warnings for 24 fans on this book. It's a fairly pedestrian, generic thriller as thrillers go but what's awful is it isn't 24. Whatever you think about Jack's worrying and agonizing in this book, "Kelly Sharpton" is the hero, hands down, not Jack Bauer. Was this guy a minor walk-on character from somewhere in season's past or did the author make him up? Whatever. I didn't sign up to read about that dude. I cracked the book open because of Jack.

It's sad to see Jack relegated to a boob for a lot of this book. Yeah, sure, he wins in the end, proves Ryan wrong, etc...but it's a heck of a long time to wait and a heck of a lot of pages to read to get there. Not like the show at all that let's you see Jack being a badass and heroic in every episode. And...(again, you have to be a fan to understand) that's the defining characteristic of the show.

There's an awful lot of "snarling" and eyes "popping open" and hearts beating against chests for what's being characterized as a well-written book. I also thought the evil ex-military white supremacist racist villains were...uh, cliche? (in concept and execution, yes). And also a missed opportunity to deal with more interesting threats in a geo-politically complicated world (Marc Cerasini's books are far superior to this one on all points--better written, better plotted, better villains, better grasp of the threats facing the U.S. and the world today. He's got Jack locked down, and is on target with what 24 should be. Vince Flynn's books are closer to the spirit of 24 than Veto Power--Flynn is consulting with the 24 writers this season.)

But back to Veto Power. It's interesting to see the Patriot Act characterized as some sort of time bomb that's a bigger threat to the U.S. than the enemies that have killed 3,000 of its citizens and wish to kill the rest. But forget the politics of whether you agree with the author's strident, constant, and less than subtle handling of his anti-Patriot Act theme. My question is: does that strike you as 24? Does 24 strike you as a show that lectures us all on how we need to worry about men like Jack Bauer and his threat to our freedoms? Do you think maybe this author thought he was writing a West Wing novel? There are certainly enough jarring and obvious (borderline juvenile) caricatures for Bush and Rove and Ashcroft (more of the author's agenda being shoved down my throat so awkwardly and obviously I had trouble getting through this book).

In sum: what I love about the 24 show is that Jack Bauer is heroic. As Joel Surnow said in an interview (Cigar Aficionado mag., check it out)--this is the only show on TV that deals with the war on terrorism in a heroic manner. I'm sorry to warn 24 fans that Jack is not heroic in this book. He's not Jack to me. It's a letdown to keep expecting Jack to take control and be the man he is in the show...but it just doesn't happen. I also miss Tony (a missed opportunity to really use him in this book) and the less said about this author's ridiculous depiction of the excellent character Nina, the better (but she isn't in it much, anyway. Most of the book features made up characters never seen in 24). Too bad. This book is a missed opportunity for a good 24 read.

Although I am a huge 24 fan, I was very disappointed with this book. This is not 24. First, there is too much vulgarity and profanity. I do not remember Operation Hell Gate being that way. Also, I was distracted by the writer's left-wing political views. Clearly, this is a person who opposes the Patriot Act, and the way we are fighting the war against terrorism. Can you really see this Kelly person being at CTU? Can you really see Senator Drexler being a "good guy" on a 24 episode? There were times when I felt like I was reading something by Michael Moore. Someone who thinks that the Patriot Act is the greater threat to our freedom, not people who want to kill us. The action was great, but when looking at the total picture, I would advise you not to buy/read this book. Marc Cerrsini has a new 24 novel coming out this Spring. He wrote Operation Hell Gate. I look forward to it.

I agree that this book wasn't very well written. As a thriller, it wasn't that bad of a book, but as an 'episode' of 24, it wasn't good at all. The characters may have been named Jack Bauer, Nina Meyers, Tony Almeida, etc., but they weren't at all the same as the TV characters. They might have been named Joe Smith and Mary Jones for all the resemblance they had to their TV counterparts, which is none. Also, some of the mistakes made in this book were just plain stupid (check the president's itinerary, people!), and Jack and CTU really came off looking bad more than once. Lastly, there was no conclusion or closure, no tying up of loose ends; it just.... ended. I've read "Hell Gate," and it was pretty good, and I'm looking forward to "Trojan Horse." I'm sure I'll be able to give it more than two stars.

If you are a fan of the show you will love the book series, however, the author of this book, John Whitman should fire his editor. At the end of the story the AG is talking to the President, and gives him some information that is later contradicted in the remaining pages. I do not want to tell you what that information is, as not to ruin it for others. I read it over and over again to see if I missed something. It was the editor that missed it. I won't say anymore. Just read it for yourself. I did enjoy the book, but this flaw at the end left me scratching my head.

As a fan of the TV show I looked forward to reading novels based on '24'. The first book I read (Operation Hell Gate) was a decent novel and it supplemented the down time between seasons. With respect to this book, however, I would agree with other comments that have been made - generic thriller, plot holes, confusing timing, poor character development, inconsistencies, and some editing errors.

I also have a personal gripe with this book (and others that are based on popular TV shows). Television is obviously regulated on what can be said and shown to viewers, and I wish authors would adhere to these same rules for the sake of consistency. For example, the language in this book is very graphic. Jack finds himself in the same stressful situations as seen on TV, yet in the novel he (and others) let the expletives fly. I found this to be very disappointing.

My gripe with this book is a couple of the sexist sentences ... On page 179, Nina says to Jack Bauer "You are going to want to make out with me when I show you this". A few such bits to me were so exasperating & just plain stupid that they distracted me from the otherwise good plot. I'm no militant femnist, but come on!

And I was also suprised to see former Detroit Piston's Bad Boy Bill Laimbeer's name misspelled. That's so easy to check.

I honestly can't understand the glowing reviews this book has gotten by self-reported fans of 24. I truly doubt the writer has actually seen the show himself. He does not have a grasp whatsoever on the characters. For example, the character of Nina Meyers, who was one of my favorite characters, even after she was exposed as a mole in the first season. He seems to be completely unaware of, or willfully disregard the fact tht CTU is a military organization and there are protocols that are followed. For that matter, the banter between agents does not ring true to the 24 that I know and love. Here are a few examples from the book:

-- on Page 179, Nina walks into the conference room where Jack and Kelly are discussing the situation and says "You're going to want to make out with me when I show you this." She then follows that up, after divulging her information, with "Am I not the sexiest woman alive at the moment?" What? Seriously, what? Nina was always a smart cookie, sharp as a tack and she wasn't blatant about flaunting her sexuality at work. Despite the fact that she had affairs with two co-workers, while she was at work, she demanded respect. That aspect of her character is wholly absent in this novel.

-- on Page 276 Nina is checking out an apartment of a suspect while the teenage building manager stands in the doorway and watches. She turns to him and asks "Aren't you going to ask me what this is all about?" to which he replies "You work for the government right?" and she says "Yes." He then asks if what she tells him could get him killed, to which she also replies "Yes." and he smartly refuses to get involved. So you're telling me that some teenage apartment manager is smarter than a trained agent who should have, and likely would have, told him to mind his own business had he asked? Not likely.

Besides his frequent use of language that is not used in 24 (the f-bombs got old really quickly), he introduces too many new characters for this to read true. Nina and Chapelle are the only characters who are present for nearly the whole novel. Jamie and Tony make an entrance 3/4 of the way in. You don't have to bring Kim into it to make it believable. Actually, the only positive thing I have to say about this novel as it pertains to 24 is that he *didn't* bring in Kim or Terri. This novel focused less on personal relationships and more on the plot. But that's where my positive feedback begins and ends.

This novel reads, at best, as a mediocre political thriller. 1/3 of the way through the book I could see where it was going and ultimately where it ended. The beauty of 24 is that there are many twists, and this just didn't have that many that were surprising or relevant. There were twists, but they were twists for twists sake and didn't actually alter the course of the plot. I think the authors political views were transparent as well, and while I may agree with some of them, I read these novels not to be beat over the head by current political events but as a means of being entertained. If I want relevant political commentary, this is not the author I would choose.

If you want a 24 novel that reads more fluidly and more like a season of 24, check out Operation Hell Gate by Mark Cerasini. Pass this one up, unless you're so absolutely desperate for a 24 fix that anything will do.

From the reviews I've read on here, it seems like this is a "love it or hate it" novel, with strong arguments from both sides. What I found is that it's an average thriller, one not nearly up to the standards of the amazing show from which it's taken.

The plot has been covered already, so I'll skip it. What I will say is that Jack Bauer comes across much better as a TV character, at least when compared to this novel. His actions here are similar to what he does on TV each week, but there just doesn't seem to be any complexity to his character. Same goes for others who appear in this novel, none of whom are in any way fleshed out.

Since this takes place in the '90s, it takes a while to get over hearing names like Tony, Nina, and George Mason without thinking, "Wait a second, aren't they dead?" The majority of CTU staff appear rarely, and those not familiar with the show will likely have no idea of these characters' motivations. As for Kelly, an introduced boss at CTU, he's pretty uninteresting.

The story isn't a bad one, and it at least fits the model of the show. However, the characters fall flat and the pacing drags at parts. Recommended only for 24 fans, and even then I'll warn that it's not a great book.

I, too, noticed Whitman's clear bias against the Patriot Act and Republicans, but I was able to shrug past that aspect and accept the book for what it was: an exciting adventure novel featuring the characters from my favorite TV show. I found it much better written than "Hell Gate" (which was still a pretty good book) and had HUGE plot twists that shocked me while making sense at the same time. Whitman does a great job of capturing character dialogue from the show and painting onto the pages of his novel (Ryan Chappelle reborn will make you roll your eyes all over again), and he also creates and develops new characters that the reader could imagine being in the show. I also loved how the bad guys were not stereotypical Middle Eastern radicals, but instead anti-federalist Americans who believe the government has too much power. I did notice a lot of profanity in "Veto Power" as well, but I got used to it after the first few chapters. I'm guessing it's a more realistic portrayal of government agents than on the show, which can't curse because it's on national TV.

This is a definite recommended read for '24' fans.

The purpose of this review is not to rehash the plot which is ably done by the editorials above, but rather to give my opinion whether or not this book is worth its asking price. In this case, yes, buy this book, 24 Declassified: Veto Power.

This 24 story by John Whitman is well written. The story is fast paced and exciting. Whitman makes the reader feel just like he is watching a 24 TV episode. For 24 fans, you will enjoy this book. Even the layout of the book is reminiscent of the television show: the chapter numbers are the 24 hours countdown and each chapter starts with the familiar words, "The following takes place between the hours of X and X Eastern Daylight Time" (etc) with the action following a timed sequence. People who have never watched a 24 episode will also enjoy this book as an intense, stand-alone thriller; you don't have to be a previous 24 fan to find the book entertaining.

So you know, I am not a 24 TV fan. I've seen maybe three episodes, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book by John Whitman and the other 24 series book "Operation Hell Gate" by Marc Cerasini. Both authors do a fine job. I look forward to reading more books by each of them. I thoroughly enojed Cerasini's book (the first in the series) and thought that his writing would be a hard act to follow. Not so. Whitman does a remarkable job. I was impressed that both books are a great 24 experience.