The Book of Q

Title: The Book of Q
Author: Jonathan Rabb
Read: July 1, 2014

Summary: Father Ian Pearse leads a scholar's life within the Vatican walls, intent on ferreting out the textual complexities of Saint Ambrose's letters. But when a fellow priest gives him an ancient prayer that seems to hint at unspeakable heresy, and then mysteriously disappears, Pearse is forced from contemplation into action. The prayer is a fuse that will ignite a centuries-old conspiracy to establish a radical new church on the ruins of Catholicism, leading back to the ancient sect of Manichaeism, which held that man is equal to God and questioned the validity of Catholicism's central tenet: the Divine Resurrection. The Manichaeans are alive and well, as Pearse discovers, and have a disturbing tendency to turn up in the most unexpected of places--including the papal throne. And they have much, much bigger plans. It's up to Pearse to decipher the scroll and to follow its trail to the fountainhead of Manichaean truth. His journey will take him from an ancient Greek monastery to the scarred and bloody landscape of Bosnia, where a secret from his own past threatens to undermine his quest and his struggle to stay one step ahead of the Manichaean conspirators.
Unfortunately, so clumsily and pedantically does Rabb introduce the history behind the scroll, and so completely does he shortchange the reader when it comes to deciphering its secrets, that only the most patient and forgiving of fans will arrive at the novel's end without the sneaking sensation that this has all been a tempest in a teacup. Abstruseness is no crime, as any Umberto Eco fan will tell you. Dullness, however, is.

If you're looking for a rollickingly clever thriller that combines ancient religious politics, a mysterious power that threatens the stability of the Catholic church, and a tour of a vibrantly detailed Rome, The Story of Q isn't it. If you're looking for a thoughtful exploration of the soul-searing paradox that arises when a priest is forced to doubt the authenticity of the Resurrection, The Story of Q isn't it, either. For the former, you can't go wrong with Dan Brown's gloriously over-the-top Angels & Demons; for the latter, check out The Gospel of Judas, Simon Mawer's quietly powerful take on ancient history and contemporary mores. --Kelly Flynn goodreads

Review: I've debated reviewing this book because I disliked it so much but I read it (even though it was like pulling teeth) and I told y'all I was going to in my monthly goals so I might as well mention it. Here we go...

First and foremost, to compare this book to anything Dan Brown's every written is the greatest insult ever imagined. I know a lot of people dislike Brown, and while I'm not one of them, I can at least understand where they are coming from. But if they were to read this book compared to his Da Vinci Code or Angels & Demons, they would probably view him as a literary god. The only thing this book has in common with anything Brown has ever written is that there is a religious conspiracy that involves the Vatican. That's it. This book was poorly written not to mention that this conspiracy wasn't even believable (which I think some of Brown's are with a stretch of the imagination.) It was very hard for me to get my head around the fact that these religious zealots hid the evidence for their beliefs so well that they couldn't even find it themselves. WTF? I also had a very hard time getting through the preachy, dry religious mumbo jumbo that didn't make sense and was very biased.

The only redeeming factor of this book was the period in Bosnia, some of the characters (especially Ivo) and when those two things came together, which may have been a total 50 pages of this book. If the author would have focused more on that rather than overly descriptive, unnecessary religious filler, he may have succeeded in writing an average novel. Alas, he did not and I was not satisfied. Hmpf.

The Burgess Boys

 Title: The Burgess Boys
Author: Elizabeth Strout
Read: April 30, 2014

Summary: Haunted by the freak accident that killed their father when they were children, Jim and Bob Burgess escaped from their Maine hometown of Shirley Falls for New York City as soon as they possibly could. Jim, a sleek, successful corporate lawyer, has belittled his bighearted brother their whole lives, and Bob, a Legal Aid attorney who idolizes Jim, has always taken it in stride. But their long-standing dynamic is upended when their sister, Susan—the Burgess sibling who stayed behind—urgently calls them home. Her lonely teenage son, Zach, has gotten himself into a world of trouble, and Susan desperately needs their help. And so the Burgess brothers return to the landscape of their childhood, where the long-buried tensions that have shaped and shadowed their relationship begin to surface in unexpected ways that will change them forever.

With a rare combination of brilliant storytelling, exquisite prose, and remarkable insight into character, Elizabeth Strout has brought to life two deeply human protagonists whose struggles and triumphs will resonate with readers long after they turn the final page. Tender, tough-minded, loving, and deeply illuminating about the ties that bind us to family and home, The Burgess Boys is Elizabeth Strout’s newest and perhaps most astonishing work of literary art. goodreads

Review: This book was a huge disappointment and I did not expect it to be what it was. First and foremost, I hated the Burgess family. Bob could have been redeeming and maybe in the end, Zach, but as a whole, they are not very good people. Jim Burgess is the absolute worst! He he mean to everyone around him and very self-involved. Susan is worthless. She's a horrible mom and completely oblivious to the person she has raised; poor Zach. You can understand why he did what he did. More on that later. Even Jim's wife is less than likable. No bueno.

Then we get to the story. I thought the story would focus more on the "freak accident" and how it affected the family but I was way wrong. Yes, it was mentioned a few times but it doesn't really affect any of the grown up kids other than the fact that they all blame themselves. Maybe Strout could have led us to believe that this was the reason they were all so screwed up, but if that was her goal, she failed miserably.

The story is actually about the Somali population in the small Maine town the Burgesses grew up in and how the community doesn't accept them. It turns out, Zach decided to throw a pig's head into a mosque. This event brings the Burgess brothers home because they are supposed to clean up the mess he has made. I found myself not caring what happened to any of the characters. I didn't care if Zach got in trouble or how his uncles helped him. I just didn't care about the characters and was unimpressed with the story line.

And finally, WTF was the deal with the prologue?!?! What was the point of it? It's some sort of metafiction but completely useless. We could always focus on the last line of the prologue which is "Nobody ever knows anyone." This could be a theme throughout the entire book but it wasn't well done if that was the point.

The reason this book got 2/5 instead of 1/5 is because the writing was well done and the book made sense. I finished it and it wasn't painful to read (just not very interesting.) I didn't like the story or the characters, and had a hard time getting through it, but as a writer, Stout is not bad. Which is probably a insult because she is a Pulitzer Prize winner, but this book just crashed and burned for me.

Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and my Harrowing Escape

Title: Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and my Harrowing Escape
Author: Jenna Miscavige Hill with Lisa Pulitzer
Read: April 10, 2014

Summary: Jenna Miscavige Hill was raised to obey. As the niece of the Church of Scientology's leader David Miscavige, she grew up at the center of this highly controversial and powerful organization. But at twenty-one, Jenna made a daring break, risking everything she had ever known and loved to leave Scientology once and for all. Now she speaks out about her life, the Church, and her dramatic escape, going deep inside a religion that, for decades, has been the subject of fierce debate and speculation worldwide.

Piercing the veil of secrecy that has long shrouded the world of Scientology, this insider reveals unprecedented firsthand knowledge of the religion, its obscure rituals, and its mysterious leader—David Miscavige. From her prolonged separation from her parents as a small child to being indoctrinated to serve the greater good of the Church, from her lack of personal freedoms to the organization's emphasis on celebrity recruitment, Jenna goes behind the scenes of Scientology's oppressive and alienating culture, detailing an environment rooted in control in which the most devoted followers often face the harshest punishments when they fall out of line. Addressing some of the Church's most notorious practices in startling detail, she also describes a childhood of isolation and neglect—a childhood that, painful as it was, prepared her for a tough life in the Church's most devoted order, the Sea Org.

Despite this hardship, it is only when her family approaches dissolution and her world begins to unravel that she is finally able to see the patterns of stifling conformity and psychological control that have ruled her life. Faced with a heartbreaking choice, she mounts a courageous escape, but not before being put through the ultimate test of family, faith, and love. At once captivating and disturbing, Beyond Belief is an eye-opening exploration of the limits of religion and the lengths to which one woman went to break free. goodreads

Reviewer's note: I do not believe in Scientology. I didn't before this book and I sure as hell don't after this book. This review is biased because of that. I refer to things in this "religion" as weird, crazy, and absolutely nuts at time. I'm a Wog. If you are a Scientologist, I don't recommend reading this. I promise, it is not for you!

Review: Things I knew about Scientology before reading this book:

1. Tom Cruise is a Scientologist.
2. Tom Cruise is a weirdo.
3. Celebrities pay a lot of money to be Scientologists.
4. It is a 'religion.'
5. There are some scandals revolving around it but I'm not entirely sure what they are.

Needless to say, I didn't know much but was extremely interested in getting a sneak peek into this way of life. Similar to how I'm weirdly interested in Warren Jeffs and all of his creepy crazy beliefs. This book sounded like just the thing to satisfy those weird interests.

Unfortunately, I was wrong. This book was very difficult to get through. Yes, I learned a lot more about Scientology and it's beliefs but I was more interested in the true story of someone who has been through it.  This story is told through the eyes of Jenna who experienced all of these weird things and the girl is definitely not a writer. An editor somewhere should have helped her out. Any editor. At any time. Anything!!!

This book was very boring. Jenna goes into explicit details about the crazy requirements of Scientology and how she maneuvered her way through them. Unfortunately, the story focuses more on the aspects of the "religion" and the different things they were required to do rather than Jenna's feelings and experiences with them. Yes, she describes these things (most of the time repeatedly in various sections of the books) as she goes through them but its very dry and she sounds like a robot going through it rather than a little girl. The various details about the auditing and levels were very detailed and intricate and I could see why she would include them in order to explain some of it but it was so far gone on the crazy train it just became extraneous.

I did enjoy getting to see how Jenna became disillusioned with the religion and broke free. It's completely understandable to me that it took her so long to do so. We have to remember that she was brainwashed essentially, and removed from the outside world. This crazy was her reality and she didn't know any better. I give her credit for starting to question things as soon as she got a little more info and I understand how it took her so long to get out.

One of the final issues I have with this book was that in the title, Jenna refers to her "harrowing escape." Um, I may have missed the harrowing escape part of the story. Her husband and her left on their own free will, everyone knew, and the scientologists even packed up their stuff and delivered it to them. I kept waiting for them to get caught, dragged back to the religion, and then have to really escape. That never happened. A little misleading if you ask me...

If you want a detailed description of some of the aspects of Scientology, this book is for you. If you want to see brainwashing in action, this book is for you. If you want to connect with a person and her experiences through her story, this book is not really for you. If you are interested in more of the secret inner-workings of Scientology, this book is not really for you. If you don't like very dry, badly written stories, this book is not really for you. What I'm trying to say is, this book wasn't really for me.

On the bright side, I did learn why Suri Cruise is such an odd child. Scientologists believe that children are fully formed adults just put into a child's body so they treat them like tiny adults. If you know anything about psychology, you know this is false and very damaging to a child. Suri Cruise finally makes a little bit of sense. Poor kid.

The Dinner

Title: The Dinner
Author: Herman Koch
Read: January 12, 2014

Summary: Over one meal, two families struggle with the hardest decision of their lives. On an Amsterdam summer evening, two couples are united by their sons, aged 15, their horrific joint deed. Behind banal polite discourse in a restaurant, knives are sharpened, friendship disintegrates. How far will adults go to protect those they love? goodreads

Review: This book was not what I was expecting. I didn't have an idea of what the "horrific joint deed" was but I thought the story would focus more on that rather than the narrator's (Paul) extreme disdain for everything. I felt like the whole book was just him bitching about his brother, his brother's kids, his old job, mental illness, hoity toity restaurants, the weather. Any and everything. We get it Paul, you're a miserable person. He was my first problem with this book.

Next, let's talk about that "horrific joint deed" shall we? I'm not going to spoil it but I was surprisingly disgusted by this part of the book. I say surprisingly because I have read the gruesomest (word? probably not) of the gruesome and have not even thought twice about it. But for some reason, the details of what these kids did really disgusted me and permanently changed my view of them. Not coming back from that one!

This book has been compared to Jillian Flynn's Gone Girl which is probably the most perplexing part of this whole book. How? I don't get it and I don't see it. I thought Gone Girl was well done and while it had it's dark moments, they made sense and added to the story. None of that was going on here. I don't get it. Can someone explain this to me?

The only reason I didn't give this book a 1/5 is because the moral of the story was legit. Every parent's worst fear is that their child will do something that they can't come back from. It's scary to think of the consequences teenagers can get for doing stupid things and not thinking about their actions but at the same time, we can't let behaviors like that go unpunished. I understood the difficulty these two sets of parents had in choosing how to handle this situation and while I don't necessarily agree with their tactics (it's not all about you, Serge), I think it is hard to judge them unless you have been in their shoes.

Overall, the book was a disappointment. It went off on tangents that I didn't enjoy and most of the characters are despicable. But hey, if that's your thing, read this book!

The Atlantis Code

*Sorry for the technical difficulties around here lately. It seems posts keep appearing and disappearing when they shouldn't. I think blogger hates me. But at least you got a sneak peek for what's to come :)


Title: The Atlantis Code
Author: Charles Brokaw
Read: January 11, 2014
Series: Thomas Lourds #1

Summary: A thrill-seeking Harvard linguistics professor and an ultrasecret branch of the Catholic Church go head-to-head in a race to uncover the secrets of the lost city of Atlantis. The ruins of the technologically-advanced, eerily-enigmatic ancient civilization promise their discoverer fame, fortune, and power… but hold earth-shattering secrets about the origin of man.

While world-famous linguist and archaeologist, Thomas Lourds, is shooting a film that dramatizes his flamboyant life and scientific achievements, satellites spot impossibly ancient ruins along the Spanish coast.  Lourds knows exactly what it means: the Lost Continent of Atlantis has been found.  The race is on, and Lourds' challengers will do anything to get there first.

Whoever controls the Lost Continent will control the world. goodreads

Review: First off, I hate the name Lourds for the main character. It sounds like a ridiculous last name (coming from a girl with 9 letters in her maiden name) and even dumber first name (which is how it's used throughout the book.) Does this have anything to do with the story or my enjoyment of the book? No. But it irked me and I'm voicing my irkedness. Moving on.

This book just didn't do it for me. I love conspiracy theories and really enjoyed the premise of Da Vinci Code so I was hoping for something like that with this. I think Atlantis is such a cool idea and I want it to exist but the concept of this whole story just didn't seem conceivable to me. Not to say that I believe in the Da Vinci Code's premise, but it was at least believable and could be backed up by certain facts. This just felt to fantastical which made it hard to connect with.

I also didn't connect with any of the characters. I didn't feel like they were developed very well. Natasha was a bad ass all the way through but it seemed like she had a death wish at times. I definitely did not get the attraction to Lourds and thought the sex scene/relationships were extremely awkward. Leslie had potential at the beginning of the book but then she just became jealous and whiny. Not helpful. I thought Gary was pretty cool and added something to the journey rather than took away from it.

I'm sure there are better books on Atlantis out there, and I for one would like to read them, but this is not one I would recommend.

Deadlocked

Title: Deadlocked
Author: Charlaine Harris
Read: December 16, 2013
Series: Sookie Stackhouse #12

Summary: A young girl has died at a vampire party - and it looks as though her lover, Eric, might be responsible. Eric swears he didn't do it, the police don't believe him, and even Sookie isn't so sure. Nor is she inclined to take his word for it, not having caught him enjoying the victim's blood minutes before she was killed.

But something strange is going on. Why had Sookie been asked to come to the fateful party a few minutes early - just to catch Eric in the act? And why had the victim spiked her own blood before approaching Eric? Was it simply because she wanted to be irresistible, or was it something more sinister?

Sookie will have to find out ... but it's the worst moment to investigate, as her Fae family are having troubles of their own and Sookie is, inevitably, drawn in. And there is one last complication. The cluviel dor her grandmother left her. It will grant her one wish, which could fulfil Sookie's heart's desire. The only problem is, she still doesn't know what - or who - her heart truly desires ... goodreads

Review: Ok. I'm so over this series. I just feel like Charlaine Harris has dropped the ball. The only reason I'm reading still is because I'm already 12 in and I think there is only one more. I'm at the point though, where I don't care what happens. I still think Sookie is an interesting character/person and I really like the premise of the series but if Charlaine's heart isn't in it anymore, she should just quit. The last few books have felt like filler to get to the end. I'm ready for the end! Just bring it on already and wrap it all up! I'm also getting annoyed with how Sookie can't seem to stay out of trouble. I know some of the premise of the books is that trouble finds her but you would think by now the poor girl would have wised up. Sadly, that's not the case.

I'm sorry this is not a very in depth review but there wasn't much happening in this book. I've gotten to the point where I don't care what happens to Sookie and I don't care which vampire she ends up with. Ideally, I think she needs Sam but no one asks me. Despite my negative feels about this book, you can bet your ass I'm reading the last one. Did I mention I also own all 12? That means I'll also be purchasing the last one. I"m a freak.

Halo

Title: Halo
Author: Alexandra Adornetto
Read: November 16, 2013
Series: Halo #1

Summary: Three angels – Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, the youngest and most human – are sent by Heaven to bring good to a world falling under the influence of darkness. They work hard to conceal their luminous glow, superhuman powers, and, most dangerous of all, their wings, all the while avoiding all human attachments.

Then Bethany meets Xavier Woods, and neither of them is able to resist the attraction between them. Gabriel and Ivy do everything in their power to intervene, but the bond between Xavier and Bethany seems too strong.

The angel’s mission is urgent, and dark forces are threatening. Will love ruin Bethany or save her? goodreads

Review: When I went to Goodreads to get the summary info for this review, the first thing I noticed was that all of the reviews gave this book a 1 out of 5. All of them. What? How the hell did this book end up on my nook with reviews like that? The only options are: I downloaded it for free when I first got my nook and was non-discriminatory about free books (now I know better...) OR it made it's way onto Listopia and I just blindly downloaded based on that. Either way, I'm ashamed for having this in my possession.

The book started out okay. I'm open to the idea of angels on earth and the battle between good and evil. I really enjoyed Lauren Kate's Fallen series which has a similar premise. Unfortunately, this book does not hold a candle to the Fallen series. I strongly disliked Bethany (or Beth to her human friends.) She was overly naive even though she was well versed in all academic subjects. She made stupid decisions that should not have been possible if she was really the type of angel they made her out to be. Then, lo and behold, her stupid decisions affect everyone and screw everything up.

The two highlights as far as characterizations go were Jake and the Woods family. Jake is obviously evil incarnate but he is fun and interesting and much more dreamy than the over-protective, obsessive, goody two-shoes Xavier. In all seriousness though, Xavier's family was the highlight of the book for me. I loved the description of this family with 6 kids and a dinner with them. The mom is surrounded by chaos but manages it and stays calm throughout, just like any mom with a lot of kids has to learn to do. I enjoyed the descriptions of the children who were all at different ages and stages but forced to interact with each other. I loved it all! Best part of the book. I will give honorable mention to the cover though. It's pretty and ethereal.

This book was just lacking for me. I didn't hate it but I sure didn't enjoy it. I didn't care what happened to any of the characters and it felt like the story just drifted along. There were a lot of inconsistencies as far as story line goes. Like she is an angel but she sins like a human? I feel like that was random and convenient. There is at least one more book in this series that I will not be reading. If you are really into the angel/demon thing, check out Kate's Fallen from above.

Four Past Midnight Mini-review #4

Here it is! The final mini-review and the wrap up for Four Past Midnight!

Review for The Langoliers
Review for Secret Window, Secret Garden
Review for The Library Policeman

Title: Four Past Midnight
Author: Stephen King
Date Read: October 17, 2013

The Sun Dog

Summary: In The Sun Dog, the concluding novella in Stephen King's best-selling Four Past Midnight, the source of terror is a simple Polaroid camera owned by a 15-year-old boy in the small town of Castle Rock, Maine. No matter where Kevin Delevan aims the camera, it produces a photograph of an enormous, ugly, vicious looking dog. In each successive picture, the menacing creature draws nearer to the flat surface of the Polaroid film as if it intends to break through. When old Pop Merrill, the town's sharpest trader, gets wind of this phenomenon, he envisions a way to profit from it—but the Sun Dog, a beast that shouldn't exist at all, turns out to be a very dangerous investment. goodreads

Review: This was my least favorite story in the book. It may be because I was distracted by other things but it felt like it took a long time for me to get through this one. I didn't really connect with any of the (three) characters. I thought Pop's trips to the "mad hatters" were random and didn't add to the story line. A couple of times I thought to myself (and made notes of it), "I'm not scared and I don't really care what the dog ends up doing." I think that is a bad sign. Once again, this may have been more due to me being to distracted to connect with the book but overall, not my cup of tea.

You can look back through the mini reviews here, here, and here. In the end, I rated the book as a whole, a 3/5. I really enjoyed some of the stories while other left me just feeling meh (like the one above.) Like I mentioned in the first review for this book, all of these stories seem to center around reality vs. imaginary (it's all just in your head.) At some point, each of the main characters questions what reality is and whether what is happening to them can actually be happening. Unfortunately for each of the characters, it really is happening but if it wasn't it wouldn't be King now would it? I'm still a life long King fanatic but the more suspenseful/scary the story, the more I enjoy it.

Glamour

Title: Glamour
Author: Penelope Fletcher
Series: Rae Wilder #1
Date Read: November 2, 2013

Summary: Rae Wilder has problems.... Supernatural creatures swarm the earth, and humanity is on the brink of extinction. Stalked by a handsome fairy who claims she is like him, demonkind, Rae thinks maybe it was a mistake breaking the rules by going over the Wall into demon territory. Plunged into a world of dark magics, fierce creatures, and ritual sacrifice, she is charged with a guarding a magical amulet. The changes to her mind and body are startling, but rather than accept her purpose she struggles against who she is destined to be. Throw in a big lust for a vampire who can't keep his hands off her, and life starts to get complicated. Rae is forced to make the ultimate choice: to live and die human, or embrace her birth-right and wield magics that could turn her into something wicked, a force of nature nothing can control. goodreads

Review: I'm pretty sure this was a free book from Barnes and Noble because I can't figure out how else it would get on my nook (you may notice this happens a lot... maybe I should try to keep track better.) First thoughts-- the cover. Oooooh pretty! The colors are wonderful and very pleasing to the eyes. Unfortunately, that's about where my praise stops. I wish the cover had anything to do with how good the book is because in that case, this book would have been better.

Initially, I was drawn in. A lot happens in the first few pages and Rae seems like an interesting character who obviously knows very little about the world around her. I guess that being that oblivious could be endearing if she used the info she found out to complete the puzzle but she just doesn't. It's like she asks random questions but they are never fully answered. I understand this is the first in the series but the majority of the questions and background info was not covered which means this cannot be a stand alone book (which I think every book should be, regardless of if it's in a series or not. Otherwise, the next book is really just a continuation of the story in the first rather than adding to it. I digress.) This book also felt very rushed. Not only did very few questions get answered but all of the action happened in about a day. That's a lot of info and a hell of a 24 hours for one person.

Now, my real issue with the book. The stupid insta-love, all boys are obsessed with the main character because she's beautiful, love triangle thing. I HATE THIS STORY LINE!!! I'm looking at you Twilight! Yes, Rae initially seems like a bad ass and I'm sure the fairy things makes her attractive but everyone she meets falls madly, deeply in love with her. I respect that she doesn't just go with Breandan's plan of destiny for her but by doing so she creates a love triangle with a vampire and a fairy. WTF? I was not happy with this.

Like I said, I thought this book had potential. I liked parts of Rae's personality and the premise of her being in a school to learn to fight demons. But nothing was fleshed out enough to make a complete story. My advice to this author, slow down and answer the initial questions in the first book then add more questions and info in the following ones. Not that I will read them but I'm just trying to help.

The Troop

Title: The Troop
Author: Nick Cutter
Date Read: October 5, 2013
ARC from Netgalley

Summary: Lord of the Flies meets The Ruins in this frightening novel written in the bestselling traditions of Stephen King and Scott Smith.

Boy Scouts live by the motto “Be Prepared.” However, nothing can prepare this group of young boys and their scoutmaster for what they encounter on a small, deserted island, as they settle down for a weekend of campfires, merit badges, and survival lessons.

Everything changes when a haggard stranger in tattered clothing appears out of nowhere and collapses on the campers’ doorstep. Before the night is through, this stranger will end up infecting one of the troop’s own with a bioengineered horror that’s straight out of their worst nightmares. Now stranded on the island with no communication to the outside world, the troop learns to battle much more than the elements, as they are pitted against something nature never intended…and eventually each other.

“Lean and crisp and over-the-top....Disquieting, disturbing,” says Scott Smith, author of The Ruins and A Simple Plan, The Troop is a visceral burn of a read that combines boldly drawn characters with a fantastically rendered narrative—a terrifying story you’ll never forget. goodreads

Review: Disgusting. Gross. Revolting. Nauseating. Sickening. Phenomenal writing. Those are the words that come to my mind when I think of this book. I've never read anything by Cutter before, but prior to saying anything else about this book, let me give credit where credit is due. Cutter is an exceptional writer. It is only because of this that I felt the first five feelings of this review. Cutter is able to describe in such detail, that you can feel your skin crawling and it actually makes you sick to your stomach to read. And hungry! (Have to read the book to get that reference.)

When I read the summary for this book on Netgalley, I focused on the words Lord of the Flies and Stephen King. Two things I'm a fan of, so I requested it. I probably should have focused more on The Ruins part of the summary because I was not prepared for the graphic detail and goriness that was waiting for me in the pages of this book. I love horror movies and books but I'm the person who prefers the psychological thrillers to the gore. Give me Paranormal Activity over Saw any day of the week! That being said, this was not the book for me. It was too gory. Too gory by a long shot. There were points when I almost couldn't pick it back up because it so was physically painful for me to read. I think this is a personal thing and does not describe the book as a whole. If you are into the gore, and have a strong stomach, I would recommend this book to you in an instant. The character development and the writing is top notch. If you are not one who enjoys disgustingly vivid descriptions, stay away.

Now, onto the actual substance of the book. This story focuses on a troop of adolescents and I thought the characterizations were very well done. It seemed like the boys were all very different from each other but the author addressed a lot of the personality traits that people start to see emerge in adolescence. The cool thing about this story was that these traits started to emerge rapidly due to the stressors surrounding them. Some of the boys succumbed to the evil that was already living inside of them, some succumbed to the psychological strain that was imposed on them, and some succumbed to the evil that was done to them by others. They all had their weaknesses and strengths and the author did a good job of exposing them. I also really enjoyed the format which consisted of flashbacks, news stories, reports, interviews, and present happenings. Cutter gave a nod to King's horror novel Carrie and the format of that story and this one parallels that a lot. I rated this book a 2/5 because while it was painful to get through and I would never read it again, I think the writing, characterization, and story line were well done which earns it more than a 1.