The Rundown
James Weems is an extreme germophobe and with good cause: he can sense microbes. In Ezembe, author Jeffrey L. Morris explores James’ journey from hiding his ability as a child, to its debilitating effect on his adult life, to finally learning to understand and communicate with his microflora. What James doesn’t know, is that he isn’t alone in this ability. Those who inherit the particular genes–through paternal mitochondrial DNA–are mentored and groomed to be jealous custodians of the secrets of the universe revealed to them by bacteria and viruses.
James’ mother, Karen, a biomedical researcher, and another colleague she lets in on the secret, are initially skeptical of James’ claims, but the mounting evidence convinces them. As they study James, and he uses his abilities to diagnose others, he comes onto the radar of those who wish to protect the secrets of Ezembe, an ancient African demon said to govern the ability.
There’s enough accurate biology included to spin an almost-plausible story, and the intriguing plot draws the reader in, partly out of curiosity to see if and how the author will pull this off. While there are many threads of information woven throughout to let the reader accept the phenomenon, it’s difficult to completely and wholeheartedly buy into the story. That may be more due to the lack of credible characters than to plot failings.
One-dimensional characters with little depth made it hard to suspend disbelief. Karen, giggled, gasped, and fretted her way through the book, never coming across as a competent professional with a Ph.D. and M.D. James goes through major life-changes and upheaval quickly and with little internal conflict, emotion, or struggle. The only obvious conflict comes between Karen’s colleague Pat and program administrator Bob. Shown through Pat’s petty, sarcastic remarks and Bob’s oblivion result in inconsequential conflict between two unappealing and unbelievable characters.
A parallel story of two Nigerian boys that share James’ gift winds through the story and eventually collides into James’ world. This could have been the most captivating part of the story, but again, because of a lack of depth, their presence seems merely a convenient way to end the story.
Ezembe is has the potential to be a great, thought-provoking novel, but it never quite gets there. The lack of three-dimensional characters able to more fully explore the questions raised, results in a good, but not a great or memorable book.
The Recommendation
Ezembe has unique story concept with a lot of potential. Those who enjoy medical science-fiction and don’t mind a touch of the supernatural will find it interesting. The story is intriguing enough to keep the reader turning pages, but the ending doesn’t quite live up to the promise, more due to the flat characters than the plot.
The Rating
3.5 Stars (out of 5): Pretty good. For the right audience, this could be great. Sure, there were some issues, but it was still worth the read.
The Pros & Cons
Pros: PlotCons: Character Developement, Suspension of Disbelief
