SOJALS rating:

Awful (1/5)

I first read this on the 25th June 2003.

In the near future, The amazing technology of "microding" has swept the world. "Microding" allows one to reshape one's body, to choose to look like Madonna, Superman or some animal out of legend.

Timothy Wandel is rather surprised to find that his old school friend is the boss of the company that leads the world in Microding. He's even more surprised to be given a job and to be drawn into the centre of this major business.

Some people go too far of course. The hammerheads were once people but after microding they have become the human analogues of hammerhead sharks. Not only have their bodies changed, but the shark personality has overwhelmed their humanity and now they owe allegiance only to their even more mutated masters who swim in the ocean depths.

The hammerheads are running amok kidnapping, murdering and transforming citizens. The frequency and frenzy of their attacks are increasing.

Now Timothy is caught up in the attempts to end the menace of these monsters once and for all.

The novel reads rather oddly at the beginning, perhaps a little clumsily. The events leading to Timothy's first meeting with Johnny Stevens were contrived and unconvincing.

On the subject of unlikely, the beautiful Ray-Lee with her "Let me call one of my father's old friends" certainly scales the heights. I found this whole Ray-Lee stuff somewhat confusing. Why is she in this relationship? Why are her actions and responses frequently so odd? I confess I can no longer remember if there was any explanation for any of this.

However, the tribulations of Ullrich and Corrigan are really quite excellently done and the book leaves something of an impact. I won't easily forget the hammerheads.