book review : Contest by Mathew Reilly (again)

Contest is the first book that Mathew Reilly ever wrote, and it was a failure. He self-published it after every major publisher in Sydney rejected it. Hence, only 1000 copies of 'Contest' was sold worldwide. The one that i read was the rewritten version, after he got successful with his other books.

Contest is about a surgeon, Dr. Stephen Swain, who was chosen to represent Earth in an interplanetary contest, held in earth, the New York Public Library to be precise. He had no warning about this contest. The rules are simple: kill or be killed. 6 other contestants also participate, each from a different planet, each seeking to win. The last one standing in the library wins ultimate glory for himself and his race. So Dr. Swain is forced to navigate the library with his daughter, avoiding the other contestants who are all better than him physically. His only weapon is his superior intellect. But even if he survives, he might not make it out alive......

My favorite character in the book is Dr. Stephen Swain. He is smart, and very calm. He does not panic in difficult situations, and works his way out of sticky situations, enabling him to survive many of the dangers in the book. He also does not crack under pressure, and has good reactions.

Of all of Mathew Reilly's books, Contest is easily the fastest. Mathew Reilly writes this 400+ page book about a time span of about 2-3 hours, not even 5. Every page of the book is filled with danger and action, as Dr. Swain tried to survive the deadly contest. As Mathew Reilly says, "it is like a sports car stripped down to its raw components : engine, wheels, frame. No fancy paintwork. No fancy upholstery. Just raw, non-stop energy".