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Misspent Youth cover art

Misspent Youth

Written by: Peter F. Hamilton
Narrated by: Steven Crossley
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Publisher's Summary

It's 2040. After decades of research, scientists of the European Union believe that they have at last conquered humankind's most pernicious foe: old age. For the first time, technology holds out the promise of not merely slowing the aging process but actually reversing it. The first subject for treatment is 78-year-old philanthropist Jeff Baker. After 18 months in a rejuvenation tank, Jeff emerges looking like a 20-year-old. And the change is more than skin deep. From his hair cells down to his DNA, Jeff is 20 - with a breadth of life experience.

But while possessing the wisdom of a septuagenarian at age 20 is one thing, raging testosterone is another, as Jeff soon discovers. Suddenly his oldest friends seem, well, old. Jeff's trophy wife looks better than she ever did. His teenage son, Tim, is more like a younger brother. And Tim's nubile girlfriend is a conquest too tempting to resist. Jeff's rejuvenated libido wreaks havoc on the lives of his friends and family, straining his relationship with Tim to the breaking point. It's as if youth is a drug, and Jeff is wasted on it. But if so, it's an addiction he has no interest in kicking.

©2002 Peter F. Hamilton (P)2016 Tantor

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Vaguely interesting concept

In 2040, the UK is part of a techno-fascist EU where near-total surveillance, poverty, and unemployment are rampant. Meanwhile, the inventor of the "data cube"--a kind of limitless computer storage device that is only vaguely explained--receives rejuvenation therapy as part of a political ploy to keep the rich and oblivious elite in power. His newfound youth lead him to spend most of his time having mindless sex while his Europol bodyguards try to ignore the screams of passion. The book actually takes place from the perspective of his son, which adds a further layer of confusion. The result is a bizarre mix of an all-too-probable dystopian vision of the near future with a cringeworthy teenage sex romp. The book is filled with hateful characters with whom you can never really identify, making the dystopian backdrop rather surreal and unconvincing. The story is also suffused with a sort of naive idealism about the future of the Internet, which I appreciate but has become very dated. The narrator does a great job trying to present the story but the vague, hamfisted writing leads this book to fall flat. I stuck it through to the end though and it's not bad, but it's certainly not one of Hamilton's best.

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uninspired teenage boy drivel

Just packed full of endless dialogue between teenage boys commenting on teenage girls and their bodies. Kinda creepy. Even if you hunt for the science fiction elements to focus on you'll find them dull uninspired stereotypes adorning a completely lackluster world. This was free but I still want my money back.

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1 person found this helpful