Darren Sugrue

I received this book from a giveaway by the author and was asked to give it a review once I finished it.

The Prediction
Darren Sugrue
Released: 1st June, 2013

Book Summary:

Nobody knows the day they’ll die... until now.

Mathematical genius Daniel Geller has developed a formula to predict a person’s date of death, only to have it rejected by the faculty at Trinity College. Totally devastated, he turns his back on the world he once loved.

Twelve years on, Daniel’s old professor John Redmond and his wife are coming to terms with the death of their ten-year-old son. Could Daniel's formula have predicated his death? Revisiting the thesis, the professor makes an astonishing discovery: out of the five fellow students whom Daniel used the formula on, one of them died on the exact date predicted by Daniel.

One more is due to die in six days: Daniel’s ex-lover Grace.

The professor draws Daniel back into the world of mathematics where he is suddenly faced with the dilemma of allowing someone he once loved to die to be one step closer to proving his thesis and enjoying a prestige he once dreamed of…

Set in the vibrant cities of Dublin and Amsterdam, The Prediction is a powerful story about coping with shattered dreams, the loss of a loved one, and an illustration of just how unpredictable the human heart can be.

What I like: The idea of the story was something I've thought about before, something that really truly intrigued me and I was not disappointed. Each character held their own and had their own distinct personalities, I didn't have to remember who was speaking because the dialogue gave me good indication with how they spoke. The cover also has a perfect tie-in to the whole story, something that pleased me when I finished the book. The interactions never seemed forced, and the tension in the book was something I could feel and it was a page turner that kept me reading. The few secrets in the book and one unexpected reveal of a past occurrence were handled very well. The book was anything but predictable at times, especially with the plot twist it has.

What I didn’t like: There was a lot of Character POV jumping in the book, but after several chapters I did get the hang of it but it was initially a bit of a challenge to keep up with. Rik, he also came off a bit strange at first especially when he seemed so willing to just let Grace move in, even despite her situation. It struck me as, well it struck me a bit odd especially when it's clear in the beginning that Grace doesn't really know him, though they are coworkers so there is some leniency there, but I was able to look past that and get the idea that perhaps Rik had liked Grace for a while and that maybe he was just really concerned for her.

Overall review: Daniel strikes me as a very intelligent man, maybe not so much in the beginning when he's introduced but once you learn of the thesis he made twelve years prior that was rejected and that it predicted the exact day of death for someone you get the idea that he is incredibly intelligent. Grace seems to be a woman who is both a hard worker and perhaps a bit stuck in the past on occasion, but this actually adds a bit of character to her, letting you know that she's still stuck somewhat in her past even though it's been twelve years since Daniel left her. Rik, although at times a character I didn't understand with the way he was, was definitely someone I came to enjoy in the book. Claire and John both had a rather good bit of character development during the second half of the book, something I was glad to see especially with their situation and I was happy with the both of them. When I first thought I had almost reached the end I was sad, and when I found the plot twist I was astounded and frankly couldn't believe my eyes when I read it. I really enjoyed this book much MUCH more than I had expected to when I first got it.

Recommend?: A definite recommendation, especially for those who enjoy something that is both realistic and has an interest in the idea of knowing the day we, or someone we know and love, will die. But really, I recommend to everyone because I ended up loving it.

Goodreads: 4.5/5 Amazon: 4.7/5 Barnes&Nobles: 4/5

My Rating: 4.8/5

Rated Material:
Cover=4.7
Story=4.8
Idea=4.7
Character=4.6

This review is also posted on my Tumblr and on Goodreads