Brainjack by Brian Falkner

Brainjack by Brian Falkner
ISBN: 978-1-921150-95-1
Walker Books Australia
(c) 2009 / 438 pages
Winner of the Sir Julius Vogel award for YA fiction

Deciding to test the YA waters myself (as a writer of fantastical stories), I thought I should read some YA first. I am glad I picked up Brian Falkner’s book. This is the first YA book I’ve finished, and basically couldn’t stop reading. It was the prologue that got me reading the book and deciding to purchase a copy. Here’s the first few lines: Right now, as you are reading this prologue, I am shifting through the contents of your computer. Yes, your computer. You. The one holding the book.

Brainjack is a cracker of a read for a YA book. It is intelligent and fast paced. It is a very plot focused book, but that’s not a bad thing. We meet young Sam who likes to hack into unhackable places. Wanting a couple of new laptops and Nuro-Connectors, Sam hacks into Telecomerica and gets arrested. Locked up, Sam wants out and finds out there is a computer in the library. It is locked down with several protection decides so hackers won’t have access to temptation. But Sam is no ordinary hacker. He’s a natural and a locked down computer has a work around.

Having broken into the computer he makes plans for an escape. He almost doesn’t make it. Hitting the city he jumps in a cab and discovers everything he’s been through from breaking into the White House for a convention and breaking out of jail was all part of a job interview. The CDD want Sam working for them.

A couple of months later, a cyber attack introduces them to a phantom on the Internet. The phantom takes out the cyber terrorists and then spammers the very next day. The phantom is taking out the things it believes to be wrong or bad and the CDD needs to find it and take it out. They are worried that the phantom might take out anything it sees as bad or a threat.

Soon enough a war breaks out between Nuro users and non-nuro users.

Set in the near future, this book tells a tale where being online is the main way of life. It’s engrossing with techno terms described in a way everyone would understand. The writing is straight to the point and runs smoothly from paragraph.


79%

Kiss me like you love me by Wednesday Lee Friday

Kiss me like you love me by Wednesday Lee Friday
Kobo ebook version (converted by reviewer)
StoneGarden.net Publishing (February 14, 2010)
# ISBN-10: 1600761615
# ISBN-13: 978-1600761614
246 pages


Wow. I'm a fan. this book takes an ordinary storyline and grips you right through to the last page. Wednesday writes so well that the words flew by and always in rhythm. The book is told in first person by different viewpoints and we get to see how this serial killer was made and what drives him to do what he does. Bringing the red, is the perfect description for a reader to completely understand what's happening to him. It's always 'their' fault.

I will need to get a paperback copy of this for my bookcase.

One would think, the story of a serial killer would be dull and ordinary, but Kiss me like you Love me is anything but. It's filled with interesting plots and background stories told in a way that draws you in. And you can't leave a chapter half way through like other books. No. You need to finish the chapter.

Get it. You'll like it.

Animal Behavior and other tales of Lycanthropy by Keith Gouveia

Animal Behavior and other tales of Lycanthropy.
Keith Gouveia
PUBLISHED BY COSCOM ENTERTAINMENT
ISBN 978-1-926712-42-0
Pages: 114
Review of eBook Edition


Table of Contents:
Introduction || The Beast of Garden Row || Lycanthropy || The Wolf Maiden || The Guardian || Dance of the Wolf || Voodoo Moon || Lady of the Forest || War Dog || Shadows of the Wolf || Animal Behavior || Mind, Body, and Soul

Lycanthropy, werewolves, my favorite horror genre arrived in my email box the other day. I converted it from PDF to epub and loaded it on my Kobo so I could read anywhere. The book is a nice collection of short stories and unlike many other collections, not all the stories were the same.

The collection starts off with a bang, a priest attends an exorcism only to find out the man is not possessed by a demon. The guardian had so much potential but for this reviewer the story failed. It would work better as a standalone novella or novel. A little rewriting and it would slip into the YA genre easily. Animal Behavior and Mind, Body and Soul, Dance of the wolf and Lady of the Forest really make this collection rock. Although for this reviewer, The Wolf Maiden is one of the best stories in this collection, though in saying that the human emotions displayed by the wolf were off-putting. Still, this story grabbed me and drew me in. it is the story of a wolf having lost its pups and she watches a young couple with a new born.

This is a short and fast paced book that will keep you engrossed in the characters and what they face. No two stories are the same and you’ll be pleased to have they collection on your shelf.

68%

Butcher Bird by Richard Kadrey

Butcher Bird by Richard Kadrey
(c)2007 Night Shade Books
ISBN: 978-1-59780-086-0
Second Printing
Trade Paperback 257 pages
US$14.95


Butcher Bird is an interesting book. The story is about a tattoo artist who, after being bitten by a demon, suddenly sees the world in a different light. The city of San Francisco is no longer the city he knows. Demons are attached to the back of humans, buildings aren’t where they should be, and some people are skinless. Oh, and there’s the Black Clerks. Their role is to keep the balance. The book revolves around heaven, hell, and different spheres of existence.

The story is told in sixty-one short chapters. Some chapters seem like they are only there to fill pages. A lot of the chapter I saw little reason for them being there. Other chapters are scattered throughout the book written in italic and they give a kind of history and explanation of the spheres and the black clerks. The descriptiveness is left pretty much blank, leaving a lot to the reader’s imagination. The lead character Spyder accepts the changes a little too easily and calmly. The chapters themselves are over edited – the length did not concern me – what did concern me was the lack of substance per chapter. Things just seem to happen. And it’s not until you’re past the halfway mark that you start to like the main character, Spyder. I don’t quite understand why he and Shrike ‘got it on’ at the beginning of the book, especially when he doesn’t know her and she has treated him rather unkindly.  

But, once you get used to the style and the characters the story does grow on you. Once you get past the first hundred pages the worlds Richard Kadrey builds are expertly constructed. And the end is a kicker. I especially like Lucifer, in this book he is an alright kind of guy (demon). He tortures souls in his free time buy, hell, I’d have a beer with him.  

The book did have some engaging battle scenes involving magic.
Favourite quote: Lust is all that’s amusing about talking meat.  

This is a specialist book, by that I mean it is not general novel that follows general guidelines. I doubt many readers will get into the story and lose themselves in Kadrey’s worlds and characters. 



67%

Origin by J.A. Konrath

Origin by J. A. Konrath
Publisher: self
This version: 23/11/2007
Epub version.

J. A. Konrath wrote nine books before finally getting published. He decided to release his earlier books as PDF downloads for free. I was looking for something to read on my Kobo Reader and thought I'd give him a try. I have read his blog many times and it is always fun and interesting, so it was time to try his books.

After I converted his book into epub format (which is used for reading on the Kobo, I settled down for a good dose of horror.

And I got it.

I love the idea behind this story (even though some things don't quite add up). The back stories half way through the book, I feel, weren't needed (apart from doctor Harker who lost her baby--but I also believe this was added just to keep the plot moving along. Only problem it was obvious and the doctor is never fully fleshed out, unlike three of the other characters). But overall, this book was a fun, fast read.

Bub is awesome and funny and tricky as he should be.
Andy and Sun are a good team, but she fell into his arms a little too easily. She was hard core and cold when they first met but a chapter later she was warming to him and thought he was cute.

The story revolves around the finding of Bub in 1906, and upon discovery the government built an underground bunker (super large) and found people to work in it. People they knew could keep their mouth shut. Not all did, and the government stepped in quickly. The Area 51 question is answered and so is an assassination. lol. Nicely Done.

Bub was found in a 'coffin' and in a coma. Now he has awoken. No one can understand his language, so the government finds a linguist, Andy, and brings him into the fold. Andy speaks every language imaginable. He speaks to Bub, and translates. English is new to Bub, and he masters English in one day. And goes to work.

Bub has amazing abilities and can perform (what appear to be) miracles, giving some of the team their greatest needs. But Bub has a plan, and he's put it into action.

This is what a horror should be and I don't understand why it wasn't picked up for publication in paperback form. Oh well. Lucky for me. I intend to download his other free books and make sure this wasn't a one-off.

85%

The Leaping by Tom Fletcher

The Leaping by Tom Fletcher
Published by: Quercus
439 pages (c) 2010
Review based on UK edition

I first heard about this book on a Facebook group, British Horror Novels. I heard it was about werewolves (a favourite of mine. My first novel was about werewolves--more lycanthropy of the mind than changing...until the end) and I was keen to try a British werewolf story as opposed to the US band I’ve been enjoying.

The leaping is an engrossing book, but I wouldn’t really class it as horror, though it does have all the lovely trappings of a horror novel: a Lord of Hell, werewolves, people attacked and eaten, blood, guts, intestines, a sinister game, ghosts and a violin. It also has: strong characters, drama, friendship, loss, heartbreak and torment.

The book is told in first person by two characters: Jack and Francis (although the book is opened by Erin, for reasons I can’t understand). They are friends that share a house with three others; Graham (your typical hardcore partier, Erin and Taylor (who become a couple). They all work in a call centre and hate their job and supervisor, a sicko by the name of Kenny (kudos on creating this character, he came off very well).

Francis is a complex character who worries about everything, mainly cancer and all the ways of catching it. His father has cancer of the throat and that compounds his fears. He has it, he is sure of that fact and he worries about his flatmates. Jack is your normal everyday guy with a fascination about the history or truth behind lore. Then he meets Jennifer. She is everything he’s wanted in a person. But unfortunately for him, she doesn’t believe in belonging to anyone or having one mate for life. She comes across as a new-age/hippy chick who believes in free love.

It takes a long time for the story to really get going. A very long time, like over 200 pages. But the build up and small hints really enhance the characters and give them a life and a reason for the actions performed. Graham needed a better send off (there wasn’t one, he was just dead). Think of Graham as the hunter with the axe in Little Red Riding Hood.

There are many characters in this book but it is fairly easy to keep track of them. I think only having two characters tell the story works wonders and keeps the reader interested. The many threads in this story is what keeps it going, but the main theme is the party that is thrown for Jack at Fell House—deep in the mountains. It is here that the story kicks into third gear. It’s the time of the Leaping. Werewolves abound. Jennifer kidnapped. Francis is bitten. Graham grabs the axe. The lord of Hell is here with his violin. The time is upon them. The night is long.

82%

 

Horns by Joe Hill

Horns by Joe Hill 

Hardcover: 384 pages 

Publisher: William Morrow; First edition. edition (February 16, 2010) 

Language: English 

ISBN-10: 0061147958 ISBN-13: 978-0061147951 

  Review based on US version ordered from Amazon. 

Ig is a tortured man. The only girl he has loved just dumped him. That night she is raped and murdered and everyone thinks he did it. And the only proof that could save him was destroyed in a fire. One year later, Ig is still suffering the loss of his teenage love. He’s moved in with the town skank, they don’t love each other—but what the hell. 

 Last night he went out on the piss and got totally slammed. He wakes up the next morning with no memory of what happened and a pair of horns on his head. The horns are awesome and horrifying at the same time and they have a special power of people who see them (which is everyone), people can’t help but tell him their deepest, darkest thoughts: what they think of him and what they want to do. 

 Some of the things he learns are deeply disturbing. 

I won’t mention them in this review, but they are good. As is part one of this book. It starts off at a fair clip, letting us get to know characters through interaction and Ig’s thoughts. They story is moving at a good clip and I can barely put it down. 

Then part on ends—suddenly—and we are thrust into Ig’a childhood. Bloody hell, talk about a screeching halt. Massive back story follows. Then we get back to the horned Ig. Excitement resumes but not with the same power as before. 

Throughout the story there are massive flashbacks that need decent section breaks or italics or something as I got lost a couple of times and found it very easy to put the book down. I kept hearing this was a revenge story, but not really. To me it come across as a thinly disguised love drama story. Nothing more. Nothing less. 49%. The movie was just as bad.