P. J. Lazos

There is a fascinating genre of fiction whose basis is a world-changing invention that is brought to public attention through the efforts of a plucky lone inventor against the machinations of Established Interests. This affords authors a very broad palette with which to work. The least of these sorts of stories are mere conspiracy theory silliness. The better ones place the characters upon a larger canvas to make interesting and useful observations about society. “Oil and Water” falls into the latter group.
In these sorts of stories it is best to not pay much attention to the wonderful magic doo-hickey—all that is required is that it be sort-of feasible. The important point is that it be a societal game-changer in some way, challenging a well-established powerful group. “Oil and Water” uses the invention of a machine that converts trash into oil, cheaply and efficiently, as the basis for its game-changing technology.
The strongest parts of “Oil and Water” are the characterizations and the well-paced flow of the narrative. The characters are nicely formed, engaging, and actually grow and change through the course of the novel. There are some point-of-view jumps that are a bit disconcerting at first, but the author managed to keep my interest until it all became clear to me. There are some thoughtful discussions about what this sort of technology might mean to society—and not just the obvious changes.
Having said that, there are a few rough edges, at least to me. Others may find them endearing. The eco-issue infodumps are interesting, but sometimes verge on becoming too preachy. One of the protagonists is a genius-child who has a mystical link to wisdom, a plot device that I’m not fond of. Along similar lines, there is the occasional overemphasis on the mystical—also something I’m not fond of.
All in all, this is a well-written piece of work that makes for an entertaining and informative read.
Why 4 stars instead of 5? To me, 3 stars indicates something worth reading, 4 stars indicates that a book that has something special going for it in addition to being a good read, and 5 stars is reserved for books with a richness and depth that totally blow me away (eg. "Dune" or "Lord of the Rings").
DISCLAIMER : I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review as part of Mystery Thriller Week.… (lisätietoja)