Characters in The Babel Effect are developed very well, with Hecht giving us equal reasons to love them and get frustrated with them. As the chief protagonist, Ryan's arc is particularly expanded - going first from reluctantly endorsing the project to actively (and recklessly) doing everything he can to get Jess back. The other members of the think-tank each have their moment, but for the most part stay in the background. One of them, Dagan, accompanies Ryan to Europe as he retraces Jess' steps; the two of them share an awkward and heartbreaking moment, and could be one of the better moments of unrequited love and chivalry I've seen in a book in a long time.

As though I can't praise this book enough, one thing that really stood out for me was Hecht's use of very natural dialog among characters. While some books have their people deliver lines so clipped and perfect you'd think it was all rehearsed, The Babel Effect gives us: 

"Your wife - what was she working on? Recently, I mean? I don't know much about your research methods - please don't take this the wrong way - like how closely you two collaborate or how independently you work."

"It…varies," Ryan said. "I'd say we…we work closely, but we don't work in lockstep. Also, being gone, I - I've…Again, I'd have to think about it." 

It's not limited to the dialog - Hecht's descriptions of everything from the wholesale slaughter and starvation in Africa to bedroom curtains flowing gently in the Boston wind are hypnotic in their magic and stomach-churning realism. Whether it's a fight in a lofty penthouse, or a desire for genocide in an aging, unrepentant Nazi, Hecht makes the titular Babel effect spring from words on pages into believable actions from believable characters. 

For a concept and approach as lofty as the premise of The Babel Effect, Hecht errs in introducing a plethora of characters in the first few chapters - not only Ryan and Jess, but every member of their think-tank, their pharmaceutical sponsor, fellow researchers from another institute, the list goes on. It's distracting and slightly overwhelming, and I found myself tuning out until the story started moving forward. The antagonist - the Big Bad, if you will - is revealed in the closing pages, and while it took me by surprise, his identity was quite obvious in retrospect. He had been mentioned plenty of times in the book without ever being seen, and a more astute reader might feel disappointed that Hecht dropped too many hints leading up to his unmasking. 

Overall, The Babel Effect is a fascinating, moving read that touches on many things, some so deep in our psyche that we're unaware of them - what makes us care for our loved ones and what makes us dehumanize "others" to the point where violence is an acceptable (maybe even natural) action. Hecht brings the right amount of (real, hard) science and action to keep the story flowing and throbbing, and even manages to include a priest who is not a) a child molester, b) a charlatan, c) fallen, d) an egomaniac, or e) a hypocrite.

Amazing.