Customer Reviews1.Somewhere in the middle, May 31, 2006
By Craig (Ohio)
From the reviews I've read on here, it seems like this is a "love it or hate it" novel, with strong arguments from both sides. What I found is that it's an average thriller, one not nearly up to the standards of the amazing show from which it's taken.
The plot has been covered already, so I'll skip it. What I will say is that Jack Bauer comes across much better as a TV character, at least when compared to this novel. His actions here are similar to what he does on TV each week, but there just doesn't seem to be any complexity to his character. Same goes for others who appear in this novel, none of whom are in any way fleshed out.
Since this takes place in the '90s, it takes a while to get over hearing names like Tony, Nina, and George Mason without thinking, "Wait a second, aren't they dead?" The majority of CTU staff appear rarely, and those not familiar with the show will likely have no idea of these characters' motivations. As for Kelly, an introduced boss at CTU, he's pretty uninteresting.
The story isn't a bad one, and it at least fits the model of the show. However, the characters fall flat and the pacing drags at parts. Recommended only for 24 fans, and even then I'll warn that it's not a great book.
2.Good interpretation of "24", January 11, 2006
By Jason A. Miller (New York, New York USA)
The first two "24" novels don't really have a whole lot in common. Marc Cerasini's "Operation Hell Gate" separated Jack Bauer from CTU and had him chasing down a multinational terrorist plot in New York City. John Whitman's "Veto Power" is a more overtly political thriller, with Jack spending the entire book in and around Los Angeles, arguing with the President, and interacting much more with CTU.
I do question whether or not there's an editor to this series. In Cerasini's book, 9/11 hadn't happened yet. In Whitman's book, the events of Cerasini's book are said to be "recent", and yet 9/11 has happened a long time ago; Homeland Security and the Patriot Act are established facts in Whitman's world. Also, although it's set in time just before "24: Season 1" (the U.S. President in the book, a thinly veiled George W. Bush clone, worries about "Senator Palmer rising in the polls"), Jack hasn't left his wife or had the affair with Nina yet.
All right, so I'm nitpicking continuity where there is none established. I enjoyed reading "Veto Power". "24", although a show made by Republicans, has always maintained a strong tone of bipartisan cynicism. President Palmer, a minority Democrat, has to watch Fox News Channel for up to the minute information because his entire Administration is out to betray him and won't tell him what's going on; the Republican Vice President in later seasons is an ineffective ninny. "Veto Power" walks the same line by showing both sides (represented by a slithery Attorney General, and a California senator with a shady past) willing to break the law to achieve their goals.
The real reason to read "Veto Power" is the same as the real season to watch "24" -- Jack Bauer. As on TV, Jack here takes huge risks, gets into a lot of gunfights, and somehow manages to prove sneering boss Ryan Chappelle wrong at the very last minute. Whitman spends a lot of time writing Bauer's thoughts, and we see a lot of introspection and insecurity. This might make Jack seem weak, but it's a necessary part of the book. The TV show can reveal Jack's inner workings through subtle reaction shots and one lone crying episode, but the book has over 300 pages to fill and the simplest way to do that is to tell us what Jack is thinking at all times.
I'm sure there are a lot of technical errors in this book; I'll leave discussion of that to the experts. Here's the worst error I found: Chappelle, in his one paragraph of character development, remembers growing up in Detroit and watching the basketball exploits of Bill Laimbeer. Except that Whitman spells the name totally wrong: "Lambier". That error, like getting a gun's attributes wrong, should never have been made.
3.24 - Great for Fans and New Comers, December 4, 2005
By Sissalou "sissalou" (SAINT CLAIR, MI USA)
The purpose of this review is not to rehash the plot which is ably done by the editorials above, but rather to give my opinion whether or not this book is worth its asking price. In this case, yes, buy this book, 24 Declassified: Veto Power.
This 24 story by John Whitman is well written. The story is fast paced and exciting. Whitman makes the reader feel just like he is watching a 24 TV episode. For 24 fans, you will enjoy this book. Even the layout of the book is reminiscent of the television show: the chapter numbers are the 24 hours countdown and each chapter starts with the familiar words, "The following takes place between the hours of X and X Eastern Daylight Time" (etc) with the action following a timed sequence. People who have never watched a 24 episode will also enjoy this book as an intense, stand-alone thriller; you don't have to be a previous 24 fan to find the book entertaining.
So you know, I am not a 24 TV fan. I've seen maybe three episodes, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book by John Whitman and the other 24 series book "Operation Hell Gate" by Marc Cerasini. Both authors do a fine job. I look forward to reading more books by each of them. I thoroughly enojed Cerasini's book (the first in the series) and thought that his writing would be a hard act to follow. Not so. Whitman does a remarkable job. I was impressed that both books are a great 24 experience.
John Whitman is the author of numerous books and projects, including the "Star Wars: Galaxy of Fear" series, Zorro and the Witch's Curse, and, most recently, the trading cards for "24 Day 3." He is a 4th-degree black belt and defensive tactics instructor in Krav Maga, the official hand-to-hand combat system of the Israeli military, has trained in protective services and defensive tactics in both the United States and in Israel, and has served as an instructor of U.S. law enforcement
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