Saucer a Disappointing Read

Sometimes you pick up a novel that is hard to put down. That is an amazing feeling. Unfortunately, Stephen Coonts' novel Saucer was not a page turner. I purchased the novel at a local used book store a few months ago. It quickly became designated as the novel which is situated on the night stand beside your bed. You read it, but very slowly. Most nights I spent more time nodding off than reading.

I did really enjoy the premise of the novel. The idea of discovering a saucer in the ground as opposed to flying in the sky was refreshing. However, the political conflicts that develop after the saucer's discovery failed to excite me. The characters were stiff and extremely flat in their development. For me, good storytelling usually leaves me thinking about the main character in my everyday life for awhile. How would he/she react in this situation? What would he/she say in response to that statement? But with Saucer's main character, Rip Cantrell, all I could recall was how much he liked to eat.

I have to admit that I wanted to finish the novel. But it seemed more like a chore than a pleasurable activity. I have not read any of the author's other novels, and you can be guaranteed it will not be the sequel, Saucer: The Conquest.