Deception Point

 Deception Point

Name: Chng Zhi Wei

Class: K3A

School No.: 09079

Book Title: Deception Point

Author: Dan Brown

Setting: The story is mainly set in one of NASA’s base in the Arctic Circle, where the main character, Rachel Sexton and the other scientists has done research on a meteorite found in the Milne Ice Shelf. Bits of the story is set in Washington D.C,  where Rachel’s father, Senator Sedgewick Sexton, a presidential candidate, tries to win the public’s trust by dishonest means in order to be elected as president.

Summary: Intelligence Analyst, Rachel Sexton isn’t prepared for what’s coming when she is sent by U.S. president, Zachary Herney, along with four civilian scientist -Michael Tolland, an oceanographer, Corky Marlinson, an astrophysicist, Norah Mangor, a glaciologist and Wailee Ming, a palaeontologist to verify the authenticity of a meteorite found by NASA (National Aeronautics Space Agency) deep within the Milne Ice Shelf in the Arctic Circle. Meanwhile, her scheming father, Senator Sedgewick Sexton, a presidential candidate who is more popular than the president himself, tries to tarnish NASA’s name by exposing NASA’s over-spending to the public. Suddenly, Rachel finds herself caught in a dangerous plot where she is hunted down by hired killers, betrayed by her own father ,who is aggressively determined to bring down the president’s campaign and  somehow realises that NASA is actually hiding something .

Characters:

Rachel Sexton

The main protagonist of the story. She works as a ‘gister’ for NRO (National Reconnaissance Office) and she is the daughter of Senator Sedgewick Sexton.  She is sent to the Arctic Circle to verify the authenticity of the meteorite found by NASA. Later in the story, she is betrayed by her own father and William Pickering, the director of NRO.  She is described as a woman who is in her mid-thirties, often fiery-tempered and thinks scornfully of her irresponsible father.

Michael Tolland

A famous oceanographer and television celebrity-scientist. He is also one of the civilians sent to the Arctic Circle. In the book, Tolland is described as a good-looking and knowledgeable person who then develops a romantic relationship with Rachel. He has a deceased wife, Celia Birch, who inspired him to become an oceanographer.

Corky Marlinson

A world-renowned astrophysicist, who is also called in to authenticate the meteorite found by NASA.  Though a brilliant scientist, Marlinson is somewhat eccentric and prefers to joke rather than being serious. He is often teased by fellow scientist, Norah Mangor as still ‘immature’ and has a squeaky voice.

Senator Sedgewick Sexton

Father of Rachel Sexton. An overzealous presidential candidate who is desperately determined to bring the president’s campaign down in order to be elected as president. He is willing to betray and sacrifice his own daughter for personal gains. In the story, it is also known that Senator Sexton conspire with the Space Frontier Foundation in order to bring NASA down.

Majorie Tench

Sarcastic senior advisor to President Zachary Herney. She is described as politically dangerous and is capable of threatening.

Gabrielle Ashe

Senator Sexton’s aide. When she started working for him, she is very anxious to please him and is willing to do extreme favours for him. But later when she realises his true colours, she turns against him and cooperates with Rachel Sexton. They are then managing to stop his evil plan.