Nic D'Alessandro

O2 is a medical and action thriller. It is a compulsive read and a remarkably well-planned story.

The story revolves around Dylan Malloy who discovers his asthma is not as straightforward as he thought – it is a debilitating disease.

As a teenager and flying simulator enthusiast, he has had more than his fair share of personal life knocks.

Dylan’s story about his early life is not immediately told. It comes to the reader gradually through flashbacks. I had no problems following the flashbacks. It increased to the need to keep reading.

Getting a ride across the Nullabor with an old, philosophical truckie is the start of a new attitude to life.

Dylan finds an IT job in the remote north of Western Australia. He’s good at his job and well-liked but still a loner until a lady engineer, Allie, befriends him and pushes him to seek medical advice.

Dylan discovers he has Cystic Fibrosis and needs a lung transplant. However, he fears flying, and with the vast distances of Western Australia, it is his only option.

But with his ‘little friend’, an oxygen bottle, he must face his fears.

At this point, both Dylan and the reader hold their breath as the story takes a heart-stopping turn.

The Australian outback with its vivid colours, heat and colourful characters provides the backdrop to an intense story.

The tension at the end of the book is certainly screen worthy.

O2 is the first in a series about Dylan Malloy and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for him.

The characters are true to life, and I especially loved ‘Pothole’ the friendly truckie. The development of Dylan’s character is particularly well depicted as the reader becomes more invested in his future.

My rating 4*

A DONATION FROM EACH PAPERBACK AND EBOOK WILL BE DONATED TO CYSTIC FIBROSIS AUSTRALIA (A REGISTERED CHARITY) TO FUND SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE WITH CYSTIC FIBROSIS AND MEDICAL RESEARCH.

Author bio

I don’t usually include an author bio in my reviews but in this case, I think it is essential to appreciate this author’s credentials.

Nic D'Alessandro: Born and bred on an island state, I write about the land, sea, sky and people. I’m fascinated by the human condition, crazy on anything that floats or flies, and passionate about the beauty and value of true wilderness.

I’m into writing character-based dramas, thrillers with depth, and stories that dig deep into what it means to be human. I enjoy a meaty theme or two, and I subtly weave contemporary issues into my books when it suits.

When I’m not writing, I earn a living as an education consultant, specialist in the aviation industry, and aerial and landscape photographer. In previous lives I’ve been a senior manager in the public sector and an educational leader in the university sector.

In my spare time I’m a keen sailor and I take to the sky in aircraft whenever I can. I obtained my pilot licence at age seventeen, and later celebrated my forties by building a full-size 737 flight simulator in my garage.

I live in Tasmania, Australia with my wife, and extended family.… (altro)

Our story starts in Australia with its huge distances of which rely on air travel to get to wherever you are going if you want to get there within a day or so, travelling by road can take up to a week sometimes.
One problem, our main character Dylan, has a fear of flying which makes life difficult. This from a teenager who was ‘hooked’ on computer generated flight simulators and who wanted to become an airline pilot. This is what happens when his mother is killed in an aviation accident.
Getting right away from things he gets a job in a remote part of Australia and it is there that it is discovered he has Cystic Fibrosis and becomes very close to his new best friend an oxygen bottle while waiting for a lung transplant. A transplant finally becomes available and he is bullied by workmates into flying (the ONLY choice available) and the oxygen tank turns out to be a life saver in a lot more ways than one.
A very good read.… (altro)

Meh didn't really engage me and I wasn't convinced by the plot line. Companies and people in my experience are not normally that generous with their time. Perhaps just not my sort of story it was told competently enough, although the few flashback sequences were annoying especially the flashback from within another - but at least it was clearly indicated.

Dylan doesn't realise he's more than usually ill until his not-girlfriend 'we're mates' bullies him into going to a specialist. Australia being the country it is the only sensible option is to fly but Dylan doesn't because he has traumatic memories from his childhood. Eventually he has to face his fears.… (altro)