Utopia

By: Lincoln Child

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 18 hrs

Publisher's summary

Fasten your seat belts - the white-knuckle thrills at Utopia, the world’s most fantastic theme park, escalate to nightmare proportions in this intricately imagined techno-thriller by New York Times best-selling author Lincoln Child.

Rising out of the stony canyons of Nevada, Utopia is a world on the cutting edge of technology. A theme park attracting 65,000 visitors each day, its dazzling array of robots and futuristic holograms make it a worldwide sensation. But ominous mishaps are beginning to disrupt the once flawless technology. A friendly robot goes haywire, causing panic, and a popular roller coaster malfunctions, nearly killing a teenage rider. Dr. Andrew Warne, the brilliant computer engineer who designed much of the park’s robotics, is summoned from the East Coast to get things back on track.

On the day Warne arrives, however, Utopia is caught in the grip of something far more sinister. A group of ruthless criminals has infiltrated the park’s computerized infrastructure, giving them complete access to all of Utopia’s attractions and systems. Their communication begins with a simple and dire warning: If their demands are met, none of the 65,000 people in the park that day will ever know they were there; if not, chaos will descend, and every man, woman, and child will become a target.

As one of the brains behind Utopia, Warne finds himself thrust into a role he never imagined - trying to save the lives of thousands of innocent people. And as the minutes tick away, Warne’s struggle to outsmart his opponents grows ever more urgent, for his only daughter is among the unsuspecting crowds in the park.

Lincoln Child evokes the technological wonders of Utopia with such skill and precision it is hard to believe the park exists only in the chapters of this extraordinary book. Like Jurassic Park, Utopia sweeps listeners into a make-believe world of riveting suspense, technology, and adventure.

Utopia - where technology dazzles - and then turns deadly!

©2002 Lincoln Child (P)2002 Books on Tape, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Child proves he is capable of fireworks (literally) at the rousing conclusion." (Publishers Weekly)
"The blend of technological jargon and suspense results in a real thrill-a-minute read." (Booklist)

Another great book!!!

A great book well written, action packed. I did not want to put it down.

Great book by Lincoln Child

This book has everything you could want in an adventurous, semi sci-fi thriller. Masterfully narrated by Scott Brick.

Will make you forget you are driving

I am not a huge fan of thrillers, but decided this one had enough technology added in to keep me interested, and I am glad I got it. Great commute listening! I found myself constantly engaged, so much so that I had to be careful I wasn't just poking along on the highway. Some parts are a bit over-drawn out, and I had the bad egg figured out right from the start, but the descriptions of the park, wow...would love to go to an amusement park like that, without John Doe. The readers is fantastic. He does accents well and even does the female characters justice. First male reader I've heard who does do a consistently good job with female characters. Sometimes he forgets the accents while reading, but not enough to distract from the overall quality.

Fantastic!

I've been listening to audiobooks for years and there is no better narrator than Scott Brick. His character's voices are clearly distinguishable from one another, he never mispronounces words, he always get's the inflections right and uses the correct emphasis on the words. In addition to flawless narration, it seems he's very particular about the quality of the book he chooses to narrate, like a superstar actor who has his pick of roles. This book is no exception. It is well written and exciting. It's a great listen!

It never goes off the tracks!

Where does Utopia rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Top 20, easily. Grabbed me ( although I have to admit that I am a fan of Scott Brick and Lincoln Child, so I am somewhat of a captive audience.)

The story is both plausible at it's core, and unfolds with reason. Scott does a superb job of bringing it to life.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Utopia?

Descriptions of the inner workings of the amusements are detailed enough without being trite. Enjoyed that aspect. Like getting a behind the scenes tour of Universal Studios etc.

What does Scott Brick bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Characters evolved realistically and were consistent.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The revelations about the high class englishman.

Any additional comments?

This is a true thriller, with enoght twists, turns and character moments to keep any fan of the genre connected. I recommend it.

Very Well Done

The author went to a lot of trouble to make this thriller as belivable as possible. The technical facts are, for the most part, correct. The characters behave as real people forced into these terrible events would behave. The story is very exciting and the bad guys are very bad indeed. In my opinion this is a much better book than any of those written by Dan Brown.

Scott Brick

Does anyone else find Scott Brick overly dramatic? Every sentence is laden and breathless, whether needed or not. Works well when the action ramps up, but otherwise is silly. He reminds me of the 1950's over-actor, Jeff Chandler.

The story's OK, not the best, but a good diversion and the amusement park's rides sound wonderful.

Another thrilling book from a wonderful author

Would you consider the audio edition of Utopia to be better than the print version?

Absolutely! You can't go wrong with Scott Brick narrating. He is so good with voices, accents and just the right inflections at the right time.

What did you like best about this story?

It was a unique twist on the thriller genre. Who would have thought an amusement park would be an exciting venue for high technology mayhem? Fun and exciting.

What about Scott Brick’s performance did you like?

He is the best. I'm never disappointed when Scott Brick narrates.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There were many of these moments, but I think my favorite was when the robot dog saved the day.

Any additional comments?

I love all of the Lincoln Child (and Child/Preston) novels. I had never read this one, so I was delighted that Audible had it available on audio. Perhaps the only negative and why I gave it 4 stars, was that it was a bit too long. Also, there were a few things that were never explained at the end, like what motivated the leader of the bad guys, as it appeared there was a revenge motive that was never explained adequately. Also, what wasn't clear is what happened to one of the main characters at the end, who helped to save the park? Did he die or recover? Was he remembered for his bravery?

Fantastic, but did I miss something....?

If you could sum up Utopia in three words, what would they be?

Exciting, characters, Disney

What was one of the most memorable moments of Utopia?

Wrapped it up nicely. but.....Poole?

What about Scott Brick’s performance did you like?

Outstanding as always! The final reason for opting to buy!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No - wanted to make it last!

Any additional comments?

PLEASE - did I miss what happened to "Poole" after collapsing, after firing the decisive shot??
Maybe my dogs were barking at the UPS guy!

Scary and addictive

Where does Utopia rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is one of those books that you want to listen to again - after you get over the scare from the first time.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

absolutely scary, engaging and fascinating.

Have you listened to any of Scott Brick’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Scott Brick is an exceptional reader. His performances pull you in before you know it. If the book is also amazing, you are a captive.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I could not stop.