Edwards,+Ashley

A Discovery to Make or Break NASA

** Dan Brown ** -Born June 22nd, 1964 in Exeter, New Hampshire -Best known for controversial novel, //The Da Vinci Code (2003)// //-//Also wrote //Angels and Demons (2000), The Lost Symbol (2009),// and //Digital Fortress (1998)// //-//Novels have been translated into over 40 languages and sold (as of 2009) over 80 million copies -//Deception Point// published in 2001.

**Plot Overview** //Deception Point// begins when intelligence analyst Rachel Sexton is called to meet the president of the United States for an urgent meeting. Sexton fears the meeting has much more to do with her father’s political campaign to gain the presidency in the upcoming election than her work as an analyst. President Zach Herney informs Rachel that NASA has made a discovery that will forever change the way humans regard space and completely destroy her father’s campaign, which is based almost entirely on cutting NASA’s funding. A bewildered Rachel is flown to the arctic where she finds a meteorite buried deep within the ice. The meteorite has distinct bug-like imprints that could only have come from space. NASA had just found solid proof of extraterrestrial life. Rachel and her colleague Michael Tolland quickly find discrepancies with the data proving the meteorite actually was from space, find their lives in danger, and in a political position that will forever affect the fate of US space exploration.

**Brown’s Style**

 Dan Brown is known for his controversial writing, and //Deception Point // is no exception. First and foremost, the reader realizes Brown does his homework. The research in //Deception Point // is fantastic; everything from an in dept analysis of sea creatures to space to the ins and outs of the political world. His writing is fictional but he writes so clearly and with so much information one feels as if the events could be entirely plausible. Full of action and suspense, Brown never dwells on unnecessary details or mundane facts. The characters are all believable with their own individual quirks and, usually, a vast background on their field of study. The main character in //Deception Point // is unarguably Rachel Sexton; however, Brown utilizes his third person omniscient to focus occasionally in on Gabrielle Ashe. Ashe's actions and thoughts reveal the sexual scandals in Rachel's father’s political campaign and Sedgewick's selfish and deceiving nature. Sedgewick Sexton and the current president Zach Herney serve as foils to one another from their polar opposite personalities to their names suggesting approachability on one end and a conceited sex scandal on the other. Brown leaves no stone unturned at his action packed yet shocking conclusion. Every bioluminescent plankton suddenly makes sense once the perpetrator is revealed. Dan Brown never needs figurative language or extensive metaphors to get his points across. There is so much action in a Brown novel laced with suspense and affection for the protagonists the focus is on the plot the clever and witty writing is just an added bonus.

**Ashley's Review** //Deception Point// is an action packed thriller that will have the reader on the edge of their seat. Brown uses a brilliant blend of politics, science, action and moral dilemmas to keep the reader completely engaged. With his third person narration, one is not sure who to believe or who is really behind the NASA deception, which if found out, would destroy the entire organization, thus, Herney would lose his oval office. Sexton has the pressure of saving NASA on her shoulders, finding out the truth of alleged extraterrestrial “evidence”, and destroying her father’s entire campaign while running from assassins. With a plot line so thick only Dan Brown could have come up with it, //Deception Point// is highly recommended.

​ ** Cr i tic Reviews ** “Integrating behind-the-scenes look at insidious Washington political power-brokering with cutting edge high-tech research as well as abstruse scientific facts//, Deception Point// is a perfectly paced, inventive and gripping whodunit.” -Curled up with a Good Book

“Dan Brown writes a rocket-fast thriller with enough twists and surprises to keep even the most seasoned readers guessing. This and impeccable research make Deception Point an outstanding read." -Vince Flynn

“Brown's fascination with intricate science serves him well here, as he skillfully weds earth sciences and high-tech weapons systems to a complex story of political ambition and intrigue." -Michael Grollman
 * Works Cited**

Brown, Dan. //Deception Point//. New York: Washington Square Press, 2001. Print.

Flynn, Vince. “//Deception Point Reviews//.” Rev. of //Deception Point//, by Dan Brown. Danbrownbooks.com. Danbrownbooks.com, Web. 24 May 2010. <[]>.

Grollman, Michael. “//Deception Point//.” Rev. of //Deception Point//, by Dan Brown. Book Page. Book Page, 2001. Web. May 24, 2010. <[]>.

Srinivas, Rashmi. Rev. of //Deception Point//, by Dan Brown. //Curled Up with a Good Book//. 2003. Web. 24 May 2010. <[]>.