Homegrown: The Terror Within

by: Cialan Haasnic

Published by: Bournos

Reviewed by Maria Elmvang

Homegrown is an extremely geeky novel, and I mean that in the best way possible. I’m a geek myself, so the math, cyber and biology aspects of it are right in my areas of interest. At the same time, it’s action-packed enough to grab the attention even of non-geeks, and paints a picture of a future that’s very dark indeed.

Maureen has recently been fired from her job, but the circumstances are suspicious. Were her teaching methods really inappropriate, or are the reasons more sinister than her boss will admit? Thankfully she’s not without a job for long. The NSA finds her paper on the “Theory of Everything” to be of great interest, and want to employ her to look for potential terrorist threats around the country – especially in light of an upcoming celebrity wedding somewhere in California.

After an emergency aircraft’s landing where the entire crew and all passengers have died after what appears to be a deliberate bio-attack, Maureen’s theory turns out to be even more vital than first expected, and her work becomes a race against time–to find out where the terrorists will strike next–in time to prevent it.

In style it reads as a mixture of Richard Preston’s, The Hot Zone, mixed with a dose of the TV-series “24,” as the bio-technic details and the search for terrorists compete for the reader’s attention. It took author Cialan Haasnic a while to set up the background to his story, and therefore the beginning moves somewhat slowly. Don’t let that deter you though, for once he takes off, it picks up with a vengeance, and I found myself struggling to read fast enough for my own liking.

People who want a happy ending – or even proper closure – should stay away, as Homegrown isn’t meant to stand on its own, but paves the way to a sinister sequel. However, if “Terminator 3”-style endings don’t bother you, I can only recommend that you read on – but beware: it’s a chilling ride.

Armchair Interviews says: If you like to thrilled and get chills, this might be the book for you.