Reviews

De Codex by Douglas Preston

docmon2025's review against another edition

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3.0

The Codex was an enjoyable adventure of survival through the jungles of Honduras. The author, Douglas Preston, certainly put his characters through everything imaginable during their travels. Not many surprises as far as plot goes, and yet the climax was still pretty exciting. Not bad for something to listen to on your commute.
SPOILER ALERT! Read no further if you want to remain free of any knowledge of the story.
The main disappointment I had with The Codex was with the character of Sally. In an effort to create a character that was combative and strong, Preston made Sally stereotypically feminist beyond what I found believable, given that her character's role as an "ethno-pharmacologist." Through her work, she had to have encountered people of many cultures, and if she had not accepted the differences among them, she certainly would have had to acknowledge them. And yet she acted so insulted when the old man from the jungles of Honduras displayed views of women typical for his traditional culture. His comments were usually made in fun, but she always became terribly insulted. I found it a bit ridiculous. Yes, perhaps at 29, she's still young enough (yes, that's young!) to be a bit idealistic. But it came across more of an ignorance of where the man was coming from. I didn't find her hostility believable.

elizhow's review against another edition

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4.0

This was a fast-paced and fun read and was my first Douglas Preston book. Adventure and treasure hunting with a family I grew to like.

mariannethelibrarianne's review against another edition

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4.0

I thought I could guess how it would end, and there were enough twists and curves that I was off-base. I always like being surprised at the ending.

vishalvaidya's review against another edition

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medium-paced

3.5

kimminy's review against another edition

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adventurous tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

moserke's review against another edition

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2.0

plot was decent but the writing was pretty choppy. OK book for relative lazy reading but not a triumph of writing.

shoshanaf's review against another edition

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5.0

Good read a like for Fans of Dan Brown although there are less puzzles and more of following a hidden trail.

ashleyb4's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

4.0

gruezelda_reads's review against another edition

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2.0

A pretty straightforward, run-of-the-mill, airport-newsstand thriller. A fast and entertaining read but very predictable. Despite the name of this book, the codex itself seems to be not very vital to the plot, which is a little bit of a shame I think.

reachlee's review against another edition

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4.0

in a perfect world this would be read before Tyrannosaur Canyon. Three brothers are on a search in the South American jubgles for buried treasure. Actually, the buried treasure is their family's personal wealth...their eccentric, adventurer father is making them work for their inheritance, so to speak.

It was another fun read.