My Review of Walter Rhein's and Don Wall's PAPERCLIP

Paperclip

by

Walter Rhein and Don Woll

Walter Rhein (author of The Reader of Acheron and The Literate Thief) two great dystopian novels in their own right, now provides Paperclip, co-authored with Don Woll. This, too, is a disturbing look at a dystopian future world. Two children, Carlie and Mickey, realize that they are not like other kids. No, they seem to be well aware of things, of events . . . things that no child — maybe no adult — should ever be aware of. It’s a nicely constructed story that hooked me right from the start. It’s a real political thriller, with elements of the paranormal and psychological mixed in to heighten the tension. This novel involves Nazis, and conspiracies at all levels of government, straight up the ladder to the highest levels of government power, and it’s quite chilling in the world Rhein and Woll have created. From what I understand, this novel is based on some real, horrific experiments conducted at one time in the name of medicine, science and insight into human nature and the human mind. The government is controlled by a “shadow government” that turned its back on other atrocities in its pursuit to build a new weapon of unbelievable power. It’s based on something called Operation Paperclip, which took place prior to World War I, in which certain scientists were also subjecting test “victims” — human guinea pigs — to doses of LSD. This is a scary, thoughtful, and well-paced novel with engaging characters whom we root for, and others who we’d like to see subjected to their own experiments. It’s a different sort of political and psychological thriller, and if you like a good dystopian novel, something original and unique from so many others, I highly recommend that you pick up a copy and give it a read. It will shock and disturb you, and perhaps leave you awake at night, thinking of the terrible consequences that could result from some such covert operations, and secret experiments that would make Doctors Frankenstein, Jekyll, Moreau, and the real-life Mengele cringe in horror.