The first you get from reading this book is that the author is smart. You can tell right from the get go because of the amount of detail that goes into the book. Between the political knowledge, the rich detail of the various settings that make it almost too easy to picture it in your head, to knowing that the author probably did immense research to put this book together. I will say that all of the detail was a little overwhelming in some areas and it doesn't necessarily make it a quick read.
But I encourage you to keep reading because under all of that detail is a story that people can relate to. You know when life gets a bit overwhelming and you think it would just be nice to start all over? Go somewhere nobody knows you, you have no history, and start all over. This is exactly what Michael toys with in the beginning of the book and how a trip overseas puts this into action after meeting, and falling in love with, Maria.
Without getting into detail, because it would absolutely ruin it for you, I will tell you that this book is an ambitious read that you'll enjoy. If you are interested in politics, international travel, or starting all over- this book is for you.
Sara's Organized Chaos
The notion of someone faking his own death to start a new
life caught my attention from the start. Why would someone go to this extreme?
What crisis would propel someone to risk throwing away everything that they had
worked so hard for? THE DIVE is very intense, in the sense that it is quick
paced and very visual--like a good movie. At the same time, the story feels
deeply personal because the reader is directly challenged to think like the main
characters.
A bit of literary slight of hand got me to buy into
the idea that Michael Charon was redeemable. The reader is thrown a curve.
Perhaps I should say, "curves"... a woman, that is.
The story
really takes on greater dimensionality with the introduction of Maria. She is a
writer that Michael meets by chance in Berlin, Germany. A romance blossoms as
they are thrown into some unusual situations involving political radicals. The
author did a heck of a job creating tension as Michael and Maria fall in love
and are plunged into perilous situations at the same time.
The
second half of the book is about Maria's efforts to rescue Michael from some
serious trouble he has gotten himself into. She is developed as a strong and
intelligent character. Women will find the character of Maria extremely
attractive. She is intelligent, crafty, strong-willed...and
beautiful.
From the midpoint on, the author switches to Maria's
perspective. This change-up gives THE DIVE a nice male-female balance. Beware:
just because you see things through Maria's eyes doesn't mean that the intensity
of this story subsides--quite the opposite! THE DIVE is not a simple romance.
Not even close.
In the end, I was left wanting more, with the
certain knowledge that this story had more ground to cover. The author has
thrown in the first 12 chapters of the sequel, BREAKING THE SURFACE as a teaser.
It worked because I want more.
Carolina Summers Book Reviews
The Dive is a GREAT book!
I will not go into details, as the other reviews do a fine job at that. I feel something must be wrong w/me, because I LOVED Michael. One of the other reviewers says he had no sympathy for Michael at first. For me, from the moment I started reading, I was wishing good things would happen to Michael, and I was glad to see him abandon his old life. I have always been intrigued by the idea of plotting ones own pseudocide. The Dive is Great book, and a must read! I am a FAN of Peter David Orr now!
As posted by Nikki on Amazon.com Book Reviews,
How can I explain what sort of book The Dive is? It is filled with tension, suspense and adventure, but is held together by romance. I got into the main characters from the start. I loved Michael and Maria, of course, but Randy, Grace and Benjamin were strong secondary characters that I enjoyed.
I think that your book's strongest point is that I found myself relating to Michael and Maria. Sometimes in a "scarily real" way.
Would I recommend The Dive to others? You bet!
Julie from New York, NY
Wow, after you let me read the first three chapters I was hooked for sure.
I liked the way the chapters are short and crisp as things go along. The pacing was excellent and my interest in the plot never waivered.
Yes, I would recommend it to anyone, although, I'm not sure that it is appropriate for younger teenagers ;) You provide the reader with quite a bit of romantic tension, If you know what I mean! Don't get me wrong, somehow you managed to make it seem like there was romantic content without being sleazy. You're a tease.
Sincerely,
Patty from Atlanta, GA.
What I loved the most about your book, Peter, was that it felt real. Honestly, I got so absorbed in Michael and Maria's world that often I forgot about the whole fiction thing.
I know from talking with you that you've been working on a sequel. I want it done now. I want more. Don't keep me waiting.
Sandy from Toronto, CA.
I'm impressed. The cover is very eye catching, even for a guy. Those must be the Pitons of St. Lucia in the background, yes? I googled that when I was reading your book. It gave me the initial feeling that The Dive was a romance novel. It turned out be much more than that.
You kept my interest by the insertion of political intrigue and by setting acts of terrorism as a backdrop for quite a bit of the "front and center" stuff. I was left with the feeling that there was a political and perhaps spiritual message lurking here somewhere, though you didn't clobber me over the head with it. It fit in naturally and was not forced.
Another of the things I found of interest in The Dive was the change of scenery. You start in New York, move on to Berlin, Germany, hop to Egypt, then back to New York and then to St. Lucia in the Caribbean. There was something crucial about each of these changes in venue that contributed to the essence of the plot. I've been to Berlin and I could see the places you described.
On that note, your descriptions of people and places is probably the best I've ever read. You've captured the little things. Your use of all of the senses is quite remarkable and adds to the overall feeling that this story could very well be real. Even your treatment of food comes across that way!
I give The Dive my highest rating, five out of five stars.
Joe from Miami, FL.
I must confess that the whole notion of someone faking his
own death to start a new life caught my attention from the start. Why would
someone go to this extreme? What internal or external crisis would propel a man
to risk throwing away everything he had worked so hard to achieve?
The
first chapter was very intense, in the sense that it was quick paced and very
visual--like the beginning of a movie. The author goes out of his way to make it
feel personal, directly challenging the reader to think along side of the main
character--to crawl inside his head.
For this reason, the first chapter
was profoundly disturbing. The writer painted a picture of a basically
unsympathetic, materialistic man, who, I disliked--an anti-hero. Yet, much of
why I disliked Michael Charon had to do with the fact that I was constantly
battling the notion that there was much about this guy's thought life that
struck me as real, as genuine. It hit close to home. Perhaps too close for
comfort. I was relating to certain aspects of this man's escapist, criminal
daydreaming. That bothered me immensely. It also sparked an intense curiosity
that kept me reading.
Without knowing it, the author had already drawn
me in to the central question of THE DIVE. After the fourth chapter, I flipped
back to the dedication on page two:
"To everyone who continues to
Fight the good fight, daring to
Struggle against the complacency
that comes with defining yourself
narrowly. The Dive is dedicated
to
every man and woman not yet
satisfied with his or her identity,
who
realizes that they are an
eternal work in progress."
At that moment
I realized that I now sympathized with Michael Charon completely. Somehow the
author had skillfully captured me, despite my initial resistance. This character
was essentially a criminal. Now I was convinced he was redeemable, maybe even
remarkable. By chapter eleven I was a full partner in Michael's quest for
identity. Moreover, I began asking myself how I defined myself.
The
author deployed a bit of literary slight of hand to get me to buy into the idea
that Michael Charon was redeemable. A curve was thrown my way. Perhaps I should
say: "curves." A woman, that is.
The story really takes on greater
dimensionality with the introduction of Maria Pressman. Maria is a writer who
Michael meets by chance while in Berlin, Germany. A romance blossoms as Michael
and Maria are thrown into some unusual situations involving the political
radicals that she has been researching for her latest book.
I don't want to
give away the rest of the book, but this much must be said: the author did a
heck of a job creating tension as Michael and Maria are plunged into perilous
situations. As billed, THE DIVE is indeed "a romance-laced, intrigue-driven
tale"--"The story of a man who goes to the extreme of faking his death in order
to start a new life... and the woman who saves him from himself."
The second
half of the book is about Maria's efforts to rescue Michael from some serious
trouble he has gotten himself into. She is developed as a strong and intelligent
character. Women will find the character of Maria Pressman extremely attractive.
She is intelligent, crafty, strong-willed and beautiful to boot.
From
the midpoint on, the author switches to Maria's perspective. It is this
refreshing change-up that gives THE DIVE a certain male-female balance. Though,
let me warn you: just because you see things through Maria's eyes doesn't mean
that the intensity of this story subsides--quite the opposite! THE DIVE is not a
simple romance. Not even close.
In the end, I was left wanting more,
with the certain knowledge that this story had more ground to cover. I smell a
sequel.
Michael from Nazareth, PA.
From the very first page,The Dive just sucks you in with its grand descritptions and makes you feel as if you are right there in the depths of the story right along with the characters. You asked me to read the first chapter and I couldn't stop there. I didn't stop until the last word of the manuscript. But I didn't want it to end. I believe my first words were, "When are you starting book two?" That's the sign of a good author- one who has you cupped in the palm of his hand eager to get to the end but never truly wanting to get to the last page, one who makes you feel like you are experiencing everything that each of the characters is thinking and feeling. It shouldn't surprise me from your mother's great bedtime stories and your father's wanderlust, your grandparents' love of history and details, well-rounded out by a professor's refining writing skills. The Dive is proof of all of that. Knowing you, it is not shocking that against all odds, Michael, the underdog, would stand up for what is right and put the bullies in their place not even regarding his own well-being. As you know, I always have a book in hand and have read quite extensively. Very few authors have the skill that you portray. Keep up the great work. Don't ever give up!
Andrea from Easton, PA
Hi Peter,
Just wanted to let you know I had time to sit down and read your book and I really enjoyed it. Thank you. Stay safe and take care.
Valencia from Charlotte, NC
A Thought Provoking Tale, August 3, 2007
I must confess...........As I entered the secretive life of
Michael Charon, I felt little compassion for this man. In fact, I really didn't
care for him. I began to ask myself if I could truly become absorbed in the
adventure of someone with whom I felt very little empathy. I struggled with the
beginning of the story, but as Michael's character evolved, I found myself
becoming quite sympathetic with him, and I eventually found myself "rooting" for
him.
The introduction of Maria Pressman lent a new perspective to
Michael Charon's character. I found her to be a strong, intelligent, and worthy
ally to Michael.
Michael's "demise" at the hands - or should I say,
teeth - of the sharks began an intense and exciting adventure of intrigue and
romance. The story became a real "page-turner" from that point on. I wanted (and
needed) to know how Michael staged his own "death" so convincingly, and I must
confess, it was very thought-provoking. If someone wanted to begin life anew, it
could be done. How many of us have entertained such thoughts at one time or
another?
I loved the book. It is that simple. Cudos to Peter Orr for a
refreshingly crafted story...........filled with twists and turns, romance,
excitement and marvelous characters.
Randall J. Durich
(As posted on Amazon.com reviews)