I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes

Truly an enigmatic figure, the main character and narrator of I Am Pilgrim remains nameless for a good part of the story and it isn’t until much later that his true identity is revealed.  It’s espionage on a very deep level, hiding the identity of the main character even from the reader.  In a tale that bounds back and forth across the globe and time itself, follow this nameless man, this pilgrim, as he relives his past and draws from an incredibly deep pool of skills in order to save the world.









Fair warning.  The book opens up with a particularly clever murder and, if you’re looking forward to seeing how it unfolds and if it’s solved, you may need to wait awhile.  Starting with the murder, the story backtracks far into the protagonist’s personal history, showing how he came to be where we first find him: trying to solve a murder his book on impossible to solve/never solved cases may have helped to develop.  It’s almost funny how far the story diverges from the opening scene, not in a bad or tactless way but, in explaining the narrator’s history, you’re soon left trying to quickly recall how you got from a dead woman in a forensically spotless apartment to wherever you find yourself at that moment.  Ultimately, it’s this divergence and variety in information and storytelling that gives the story something fun and adds to its overall thrill.

An impressive aspect of this novel is that, for a good portion of the story, we have no clue what the narrator and main protagonist’s name is.  And it doesn’t matter.  This same scenario wouldn’t work in most other situations, as a large portion of the book is about his time working as a man who doesn’t exist in an agency that doesn’t exist, so the added level of mystery adds to the espionage nature of the book.  At points throughout you’ll realize you don’t know much about his true identity or name and that will only serve to add to the mystery of it.  The reader is side-by-side with the characters as the protagonist’s past is slowly revealed.  Given that his time as a spy plays a key role in the plot, it’s enthralling to go along with the rest of the world in not knowing who he is, until all of his fake identities are seen through and connected and his real identity is revealed.

I have an appreciation for my appreciation of this book.  Typically at the end of each chapter—sometimes multiple times within each—I was made to pause and think about the wider implications of what was being said, about my own life and views and how that might agree or disagree with others’. There are some moments of the book that are outright chilling, moments when I was struck with a sort of tunnel vision and what the book had just said was all that existed in my world.  Whether this was the intended goal, whether I empathized with something in the espoused ideology, or whether I’m just really easy to impress, I can’t say. However, by the end of the book I couldn’t even think to pause and shot through the final couple hundred pages.  On top of being well written, any book that can so adamantly make me think is one I can respect.

There’s always something exciting about espionage in fiction, as it has the luxury to focus on all the exciting moments and put aside the mundane.  Whether it’s how agents travel around the world, how thin the line between life and death appears, how often the world seems to be in peril, or the fact that it’s a thankless job that offers little to no reward, there’s something to be found that can captivate just about any reader.  Thanks to the saturation of secret government agency films in today’s media, I’d be surprised to find someone who hasn’t, if only for a moment, wondered about entering into such an organization. Something where you put yourself away in a cupboard for a later day, only thinking to protect something bigger than yourself.  The main character’s involvement in this hidden world is almost surreal.  A secret agency within a network of secret agencies.  As for the pilgrim himself, I can’t for the life of me place what it is about his history that makes it so captivating.  Could it be all the places he’s traveled or the reasons he traveled there?  The hardships of his life before and after entering the agency? How obscure and marred in secrecy everything is?  No matter how I look I just can’t find a clear reason.

The story knows how to keep you with it. Every story is bound to have a few moments of down time, which is often unavoidable in getting from one event to another organically. However, in the case of I Am Pilgrim, there is hardly a moment of pause, jumping from one exciting event to another without providing any time to breathe while, at the same time, allowing for a decline in action without losing any excitement in order for the reader to prepare themselves for the next drop.

Clearly, there is a lot of enjoyment to be found in I Am Pilgrim.

However, while it starts out as acceptable, thanks to a good bit of suspension of disbelief, at a certain point all of the coincidences become too much.  Yes, our narrator and lead character is one of, if not THE, best covert operatives to have ever lived, with a wealth of knowledge, connections, and money.  Even then, only so many coincidences can begin to pile up in a story—not all of which even center on him—before you have to say enough is enough.  It might be the danger of having a story that’s so lengthy and tightly packed, but that’s a risk that should be understood when such a project is undergone.  The worst part is all the coincidences aren’t even necessary to the story, only being useful to tie every last detail to one single storyline.  Yes, most of them had a reason, something to make you feel something more or to connect parts of the story but, again, too much.  The only thing I could think at the end was rather than coinciding plots why not concurring plots?

As a final note, I will admit that I was a bit disappointed by the manner in which the story was told.  As exciting as it was, the fact that the narrator was recalling all of these events, rather than actively living them, did give away the ending to a degree.

All in all, for a man with Hayes’ experience and background, this is an incredible first novel, as is expected.  I’d recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Hayes’ filmography, anyone with even so much as a passing interest in espionage, and anyone who enjoys a thrill ride that carries you from page one straight through to the end.

Rating: 4/5

Infected by Scott Sigler

America’s gone crazy.  A strange disease has begun affecting people, changing them from their normal, everyday selves, into mindless, irrational, paranoid killers.  Enter former-NFL linebacker hopeful “Scary” Perry Dawsey—a man built to inflict and withstand as much damage as possible—who wakes up one morning to multiple tiny, strange itching growths on his body.  He finds he can no longer ignore them as itching evolves into intense pain and he becomes battered by disembodied voices and extreme paranoia. And the anger, the violent rage he’s feared his whole life would come to him, one final gift from his abusive father.  As he struggles to remain in control, the disease spreads across America, causing increased pandemonium and paranoia.  That leaves a team lead by Margaret Montoya and Dew Phillips to discover what’s causing this bizarre new disease and to prevent any more damage. However, the disease is something different, something smart, with the odds of them stopping it completely ever shrinking.  And if it’s not stopped, it will alter the course of humanity forever.


If anything, I want this to be what you take away from this review:  Scott Sigler is an amazing storyteller.  Feel free to stop there and go read every single one of his books, along with the numerous other works he’s responsible for creating.

For those who want more than that, let’s get into it.  With a POV of revolving 3^rd person limited narration, you get to see so much of the world of the story while not being bored or overwhelmed.  Sigler constantly gives just enough information to keep you interested but never enough to push you back off the edge of your seat.  With nothing but words and paper, the scenes that he creates for the reader will never leave you wondering as to what’s going on, as a constantly exciting story unfolds before your eyes.    The level of detail Sigler uses creates a veritable movie in your mind.  That being said, with how immersed in the story you will become, there may be a couple sights you may wish weren’t so vivid.

Infected has an impressive cast of characters, all bringing something different to the story to varying degrees.  You have those on the side of the good guys, those trying to identify and stop the spread of the infections.  Next, you have the infected, those neither good nor bad.  Finally, you have the infection itself which, objectively, also falls into neither the good nor bad category, only striving to do what it was made to do.  The way the characters interact and coexist in this world feels so real, the quality of an excellent story.

The good guys are made up of a number of characters, the three most important being Dew Phillips, Margaret Montoya, and Murray Longsworth.  Both Murray and Dew work for the CIA, Murray as the Deputy Director and Dew as a leading operative, while Margaret works for the CDC so, with those as their respective employers, it’s clear they have an impressive background.  Dew is the main operative in charge of investigating the recent outbreak, dealing with investigating the actions and background of all those who became infected as well as those currently infected and acting out.  Margaret is the lead doctor involved in actually identifying the infection and discovering a way to stop it, both a challenging and gruesome task.  Murray is, for all intents and purposes, the one calling the shots for the entire government effort to combat the infection, though he may have to convince the president of certain actions now and then.

“Scary” Perry Dawsey is the infected who you’ll be spending the most time with.  Watch as the infection slowly turns from a tiny pimple into something much worse.  If it wasn’t for an unlucky knee injury playing college football he’d be living the life, making a killing as one of the greatest linebackers the NFL has ever seen.  Now he works at American Computer Solutions with, at best, an average car and an average living space, living an average life.  One Monday morning (because yes, of course it’s a Monday) he wakes up unaware that he’s been infected.  As the infection worsens, he begins to grow increasingly mentally unstable.  If a mentally unstable NFL linebacker doesn’t make for an intimidating character, I don’t know what does.  Oh, and did I mention he has some issues with his abusive father?

The infection itself was a character I was interested in seeing.  It’s not often that an infection, a non-human entity, is given a chance to give its perspective, so when it did I was hooked.  The best part about this character is that, though it is undoubtedly the main antagonistic force in the book, it isn’t bad.  It works to carry out what it exists to do, with no misgivings as to its actions or even an understanding of any issues of morality that might arise.  Being neither good nor bad, it just is.  That’s what’s truly terrifying about it as a character and about the book as a whole—disease has no sense of morality and it can’t be stopped by average human resistance.

While I’d like to rave about all the fantastic points of the story, I won’t.  Not because they’re not there, but because I want this book to be as good for you as it was for me the first time I read it.  And the second. And third. You get it.  With 400 pages, some might take a few days of reading to finish it but, if you’re a bibliophile with an open day, prepare yourself for a wild ride.

Though this book is several years old, I review it to ensure that it gets into the hands of any who love horror or sci-fi novels.  I can only that if you don’t read this book and you’ve had the opportunity to, it’s because you have some aversion to exception stories.  If you have even a slight attraction to the genres, this book should be a must for your reading list.  For both big and small fans of either genre, there’s enough to keep those immersed in them riveted, but not too much as too turn away those with only a slight interest.  Regardless, I hope the edge of your seat is comfy.  AND that you don’t have too many strange blemishes…

Rating: 5/5

Lexicon by Max Barry

In the secret world of the poets—humans that, through the power of language, have gained the ability of human compulsion—Max Berry delivers us Emily Ruff and Wil Jamieson.  The first narrative arc belongs to that of Emily, a sixteen year old girl making a living by hustling card games on the streets of San Francisco, able to analyze her marks to a frightening degree. Frightening enough that the poets have sought her out.  As her life quickly takes an unexpected turn, she finds herself at a private, and secret, school where she will learn all she needs in order to sway anyone to her will.  Every human has a unique ‘code,’ a sequence of four special words that allow the speaker access to their thoughts and will.  Through studying an individual, the poets are able to categorize them, determining just what specific order of words will unlock their mind.  This new world is a world of specific rules, rules that must never be broken and Emily, Emily has no small problems with following rules.  The second narrative arc follows that of Wil, a young man who finds himself thrown into a supposed poet war.  With no clue as to why he’s been dragged into this fight, the only information the reader is given is that Wil’s memory has been compromised and that something horrible happened in a place called Broken Hill, Australia.

In Max Berry’s Lexicon we are in a world, very much like our own, but within it lies a secret organization of poets, each member given the name of a famous poet to act as their code name.  “The pen is mightier than the sword.”  The adage about the superiority of language, of words, over any amount of force is expanded upon within this book.  More than mere wordsmiths, these poets have such vast knowledge over the human psyche that, with the right words, they can compel any human being to do whatever they wish them to do.

The two key phrases found throughout the book are “’Tower of Babel’ event” and “barewords,” with the latter causing the former.  Normal coercion requires that a poet analyze an individual’s personality to determine what precise sequence of four words it will take to be able to control the individual.  Being aware of this ability, many poets have built up defenses to protect themselves from other poets.  With the use of these barewords, none of that matters.  Merely looking at the word makes an individual susceptible to coercion and worse.  The best way to think of an uncontained bareword, in this case inscribed on a small object, is as if a nuclear reactor had melted down.  And with the complete release of a bareword is a Tower of Babel event, resulting in the destruction of all language.  Honestly, while it seems daunting, I would have liked if the book had gone into more detail here.

Emily has been living on the streets, using card games and her innate ability to analyze and understand people to make enough money to get by.  It was a character introduction that was neither good nor bad, but it was well constructed.  Once we get to her developing her abilities to become a poet and her use of those abilities, whether likeable or not, I appreciated Emily’s comparative difference to those that surrounded her, as well as other young protagonists in their own stories.  Since others around her succeeded where she did not, using abilities and other natural talents that she didn’t possess, she used the skills that she did possess to their fullest in order to fight against that imbalance.  That use of skills was excellent to see in place of the luck of many other main characters, characters who only manage to succeed because of coincidental events rather than their own planning and abilities.

Wil finds himself at the center of a war between poets, only knowing that something horrible has happened at Broken Hill.  Fresh off a plane he’s both kidnapped and protected by two strange men, who drag him towards a place he has no recollection of.  I can’t say whether Wil’s character seemed too whiny, or if it was the right amount of complaint coming from someone in his particular situation.  While I’d like to, I can’t talk too much about the progression of his character or I’d risk spoiling something for you.  It is through Wil’s character that many of the mysteries of the story are revealed, so in that I would call him more of a device than an actual character.  So while the writing behind him was strong, it was hard to shake the impression of him functioning as a tool rather than a person.

The story itself, the way that the narrative jumped back and forth between Emily and Wil, was highly enjoyable.  On one hand you have Emily who is able to learn about the world of the poets as she tries to find her place.  On the other you have Wil who is dragged in head first with little to no ability to act on his own.  The two stories both involve the unifying thread of the poets, yet while Emily finds herself in relative peace, Wil’s perspective of their world is pure chaos.  The world that Emily couldn’t see, yet Wil could, was enjoyable as a reader.  However, as mentioned above, Wil functioned more as device than person.  Had the two stories been separated, Emily’s story would have succeeded and made sense while Wil’s would not have.  And yes, that’s an unfair point to examine as this story is not two individual stories, but one made from intertwined arcs. 

This was a story where I caught myself off-guard by my own enjoyment.  As characters, neither Emily nor Wil excited me in any special way, but the story itself is what pulled me along.  The world that existed within the pages of Lexicon and the laws that governed it was one that I could definitely have no problem reading more into.  While the story focused primarily on Emily and Wil, there were also times went it delved more deeply into the world of the poets, specifically through the eyes of Yeats.  While I can’t give too much away, seeing things through his eyes would make for an exceptional story and, if you’re anything like me, you’ll definitely appreciate what Barry made in Yeats.

The story itself is both exciting and fresh, detached from the typical physical action packed story that make up many fictitious thrillers.  It’s a story where the good and bad guys alike rely on their words as much as their physical actions in order to drive the story.  A story where a word has the power to change the world.  Where words are the most powerful weapon.

In previous reviews I’ve mentioned events that I haven’t wanted to spoil.  In the case of Max Berry’s “Lexicon,” the ending is something else entirely.  Now, before the end there will definitely be readers who are able to predict what the ending holds.  However, whether you see the ending coming or not, you’ll definitely get a kick out of it.  If you fall into the first group or the second, the writing and storytelling that Berry utilizes to make the ending work as beautifully as it does is something to be admired.  That being said, when looking at the story as a whole, there were parts of Emily and Wil’s adventure that could have gone differently, even better, had Barry not been trying to arrive at the ending he did.  So it’s a hard thought on whether or not the end justifies the means.  Although, the way that Emily and Wil’s arcs are woven together is just breath-taking.

Lexicon is one of a growing number of conspiracy thrillers, so I would accordingly recommend this to any reader who takes pleasure in thrillers, mystery, or conspiracy.  That isn’t to leave out all those who enjoy science fiction and paranormal.  If you’re an avid reader, then this book is a must for your reading list!

Rating 4/5

Fade to Black by Tim McBain & L.T. Vargus

Jeff Grobnagger is just a normal guy who suffers from seizures.  While not visibly odd or alarming outside the normal, in reality, Jeff is transported to a strange realm, where he is finds himself reliving the same dream over and over again: arriving hanging upside down, being chased by a mysterious figure, and getting killed.  During one such seizure he wakes up and meets Glenn, a man who, through his own struggles, Jeff comes to find might have some connection to what’s happening to him.  While he initially blows him off, choosing to keep to his normal, introverted lifestyle, after almost being killed in real life, Jeff decides that working together might not be a bad idea. Jeff finds that his strange dreams might somehow be connected to the same astral projection obsessed cults that Glenn has been looking into to find his missing daughter.  What he uncovers will leave him questioning everything he knew about life, assuming he doesn't die in the process.

Fade to Black had a lot of potential.  It touched on genres that I like to read but, due to what I can only assume is lack of editing, experience, or both, it really fell short.

There are four key problems I found with the story.  The first three are mostly prevalent in the first half, occurring in the second half occasionally, while the fourth was prevalent throughout but mostly in the second half.  First, the transitions between ideas and events were weak to nonexistent.  Given that this story is told from first-person perspective, Jeff’s, the narrative is told in a very train-of-thought manner, and I don’t think the authors made a bad choice in that.  However, the transitions made the story very jarring, pulling me out of the story and making it hard for me to build up any steam.  I could mostly tell how events led to one another without clear transitions, but I shouldn’t have to stop and think about the how.  This problem is almost solely in the first half but, because of that, it draws even more attention to itself.

Second, and this one is minor, is that the sentences are a bit too simple at points.  Short and compact sentences are one thing, able to express a lot with a little, but the short sentences here would serve much better as compound or complex sentences, able to add to the flow of the story.  It’s not a huge problem, but it’s prevalent enough that they feel like ideas for sentences/paragraphs that were never finished.  This isn't an issue for most of the story, but because it can be found throughout the story, it has the same problem as the transition issues in that I kept being pulled out of the story.

Third, events in the beginning of the story happen way too fast.  Events crucial to the story happened out of nowhere and for reasons that weren't fully explained.  Many of these crucial events in the first fifty or so pages of the book are important to the story, yet were never fully integrated into the book and since they weren't explored or introduced fully enough, I had trouble believing in their authenticity.  It seemed like the authors were saying “here is some important information, accept that it’s important and lets move on.

The fourth and final key problem is that, at about the halfway mark in the book, there’s a notable shift in dialogue and theme that, at times, crosses into the territory of outlandish and inane.  I can appreciate what is being aimed for but, at the same time, the way it’s gone about seems almost a caricature of what was trying to be written.

The length is also an issue.  As this is part of a larger series, I can only wonder whether all this was originally part of a longer story that got split into multiple books, especially with the way this book ended, more an interruption than a cliff-hanger.  It almost seems like it should be Part I of a larger book.  The problems I listed above could have been easily fixed by increasing the size of the book.  It seemed as though the authors wanted to finish this in two hundred pages, when three hundred or so would allow for more impressive and consistent sentences, better transitions between sentences and paragraphs, and made the flow of events and ideas seem much more natural.  As for the twist(s) at the end, due to the lack of density in the story and Glenn’s MacGuffin status, they weren't that surprising.  It’s a problem to lose the story in the details, but without enough it feels like it’s incomplete. 

Glenn is an interesting character.  He was a bit of a clichéd “elder who has wisdom for younger main character” type of character, but I still liked him, or at least I wanted to like him.  He had a cheery personality, was a very warm person, and, though he seemed a bit manufactured and a bit of a MacGuffin, his problem in the story mixed well with the main conflict of the story, giving him an authentic reason to be helping Jeff. 

Ms. Babinaux is even more of a MacGuffin, serving only to provide information and move the story along, without much explanation behind her purpose.  (She is one of the events crucial to the story I mention in my third key problem)  There’s a difference between making a character mysterious and leaving them underdeveloped.  The few times her personality does show through you can tell she’s got a sarcastic, secretly-terrifyingly-angry sort of thing going on.  And then at the end of the story we’re essentially told to ignore the little development made on her character because she’s actually the opposite of how she seems.

Jeff’s flashback/recollections of events with Allie come as a bit out of place, suddenly appearing with no clear connection to the overarching story.  After the first two—these moments come without much transitions—they work with the story, but only because I became aware that these events were relevant.  She’s initially thrown in out of the blue.  I know that this story is told in a very train-of-thought manner, and I know that, in real life, that type of thinking can be very random, one thought not even tangentially related to another somehow triggering it.  But that’s harder to accept in a story.  Thinking about her and what his life was and what it’s become is a way to establish and build Jeff’s character for the reader.  It’s also, arguably, the most important facet of the entire book.  Given how this plays a much larger role in the overarching story, it shouldn't have a weak introduction.

Though I clearly have a number of problems with the book, I don’t hate it. While not what manifested itself in the book, the potential for a good story and good storytelling is there.  The story has potential and I'm curious to know what happens next.  However, since this book and its sequel were published in the same year, I don't see how any large corrections could've been made.  The time just wasn't there.  Maybe the corrections were made but, based on the information I have, it's not worth finding out.  Above all else, an editor would do wonders here. I’d say that anyone who’s read any of the Odd Thomas series by Dean Koontz and/or The Marbury Lens series  by Andrew Smith, and liked the theme, might like this. I recommend skipping this book, though keep an eye on the authors.  The potential is there.

Rating: 1/5

172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad

172 Hours on the Moon (or DARLAH) follows the standard moon-themed horror story—there’s a reason humanity never returned to our closest spatial neighbor. It’s a good reason, too. However, in order to regain access to an old research base known as DARLAH 2, we must return. 
This is the premise that precedes humanities return to the moon in this space horror. Hidden powers in the United States government clamor for a means to return to the moon and reclaim the old research base and any mysteries it holds.  To accomplish this, however, they need to garner public appeal so as to avoid suspicion as well as raise the proper funding. In order to rekindle the world’s passion for space exploration, these powers begin a lottery to select three teenagers, age fourteen to eighteen, to send into space.  For a fulfilling life, for escaping failed love, for fame and fortune.  These are the reasons that Mia, Midori, and Antione have decided to venture into space, hoping that by doing so, they can use this as a means to accomplish their goals.  Although they aren’t traveling alone, accompanied by fully trained and accomplished astronauts, what they find up there may just be worse than any could have imagined.

First and foremost, I really, really wanted to like this book.  It has everything a good YA book needs: fleshed out characters from diverse backgrounds; an interesting setting; (relative to Earth) dreams, goals, and troubles that are relatable to its audience; and its adherence to the genre.  “Even though it’s just YA,” he says, irritated at all those who say YA should be ignored after you turn 18, the horror in this book was phenomenal.

Mia, from Norway, is a rebellious teen whose parents sign her up for the lottery against her wishes.  After thinking about the opportunity, she decides to turn this experience into a platform to launch her and her band’s music career.

Antoine wants to travel to the moon to get [I’m so, so sorry] some space after his girlfriend breaks up with him to be with someone else.  And of course, he’s French, because what other nationality could a character so perfectly heartbroken be.  He gives off a bit of a stalker-y vibe, but other than that he’s a nice kid…

Midori is a fashionista who hopes to leave the repressive culture in Japan, fearing the life that she knows she will inevitably fall into as a female.   She believes that New York is where she can live the life she’s always dreamed of, and by traveling to the moon by way of NASA’s training camp, she will take her first step out of Japan for good.

They’re solid characters and, though they may have some minor flaws as far as stereotypical qualities go, Mia, Antoine, and Midori all bring something different to the story.  Taken together, they’re a good crew to follow along on this adventure.

Last but not least, we have what I’d like to refer to as, the special character.  With only minor appearances in the book, though detached from the main story, we’re given a senile old man named Oleg Himmelfarb.  Old Himmelfarb used to be a janitor at the facility that was in charge of creating DARLAH 2.  Working there he learned something and, while he may not remember much of his past now, or even where he lives, he still knows enough to be terrified of humanity’s return to the moon.   Though not highly involved in the story, his involvement is useful in bring a sense of danger to the readers’ attention early on, before any truly frightening scenes begin.  I would have liked to have had a couple more chapters with him as the central character.  Aside from him simply being a fun character, even another short chapter could have gone a long way in building suspense.

When the teens are still on Earth, Mia, Midori, and Antoine come across messages, codes, and warnings, all with one common link.  Don’t go. 

Despite the story’s slow approach to the actual horror aspects, I greatly enjoyed the contrast between the comparatively lengthier portion that proceeded the horror and the actual horror portion itself.  While the beginning of the story was relatively normal, setting the tone of the story much more as that of a drama/science fiction novel than that of horror/science fiction, it provided excellent buildup and foreshadowing.  I should also point out that this is less a mix of horror and science fiction, and more a horror story with science fiction elements.  As soon as the frightening events started occurring—I’ll leave this vague since spoilers are even worse when horror is involved—I became incredibly panicked, worrying about what would happen to Mia, Midori, and Antione.  To call the ending eerie would be an understatement.

However, 172 runs into the problem of having a lot happening but lacking the space to fully address it all.  While the characters are all interesting, due to constraints of size, they aren’t explored as much as they should be to add to the world of the story.  The diluted plot did a lot to take away from the legitimately terrifying moments in the book.   Harstad also skips over a several month long period of time, which would have been a great place to see relationships form and characters develop.  Even if it was only mentioned shortly, who doesn’t love a good montage?

Then we come to the plot holes…this is awkward.  There are some plot holes centered on events that occur to and around the three teenagers, some with the whole reason for going, some that I can’t even vaguely touch on without spoiling one of the key horror elements of this piece.  It’s difficult to talk about these events without spoiling anything, but suffice to say there are a few, the cause of which seem to be of the standard variety:  they’re there because the story needed to happen.  The plot holes in question, while a bit distracting, don’t hurt the story much and I can’t imagine the story without theses points.  Sure they could have been avoided with some explanation later on, but they’re minor and simple enough to overlook.

This is by no means a short book (at roughly 370 pages), yet I found myself finishing it faster than other books its size due to the speed at which I was pulled through, grasping at pages as I raced to see what would happen next.  A must read for any horror buffs, but expect to be frightened of crowds for the foreseeable future.  And the person currently sitting to your left.

Rating 4/5