Tom Knox: The Lost Goddess

Well, I don't know where to start.

I actually can't be sure what I think of this book. It's obviously interested enough if I managed to finish it. And it raises some interesting and troubling questions, without actually aiming to make you conform to the answer. But that only happens at the end.

In the meantime, you go through an action packed thriller that didn't manage to pull me into the story. Although it did manage to broaden my geographical and historical horizons. Sometimes in a more gory and troubling manner than I would have wanted.

Quite a lot of story describes the regime of Khmer Rouge and Cambodian bloody history. This part made me realize my historical knowledge of the 1960s to 2000. is seriously lacking. Because I don't remember learning about the Khmer Rouge which could be termed as smart because it's too tragic (and traumatic) for teenage years if you ask me. I don't see how it could be described in any historical book without coming across as a horrible tragedy, contained in one country and performed by its people on its people.
But I don't want to go into that - the history of our world is full of tragedies (which always makes me think of the movie The Fifth Element where Milla J. watches the history of our world and considers humans not worth saving).

I realize I haven't really said much about the book. :)
I should warn you that some parts are not for sensitive people or those with a weak stomach and good imagination. Because at some parts I kept thinking to myself, please, this can't be true. Although, I'm afraid it probably is (was). Which brings me back to the fact that this was an educational read and one that made me realize how little we know of the world outside the cocoon of our lives.

Unfortunately, I could understand the character of Chemda the best. Both Jake (the photographer) and Julia (the archeologist) weren't people I could connect with or understand their motivation. But I'm not holding that against the book because the experience was eye opening and the premise of guilt/the leap in mankind's thinking/and the god module was a very interesting one. More so than many I've come across lately.
But it still feels it could have been better intertwined in the story, because after finishing it, I felt like the parts were disjointed in my head.

Still, in my opinion, it is a book worth reading.
Especially if you consider my reviews are usually short and I obviously had a lot to say about this one. :)