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Twice Shy #1
Twice Shy
A computerized horse-betting system falls into Jonathan Derry's hands--and unless he returns it to the rightful owners, the odds of his survival are slim to none.
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1981
238 people are currently reading
2875 people want to read
About the author
Dick Francis
535 books1,251 followersDick Francis, CBE, FRSL (born Richard Stanley Francis) was a popular British horse racing crime writer and retired jockey.
Dick Francis worked on his books with his wife, Mary, before her death. Dick considered his wife to be his co-writer - as he is quoted in the book, "The Dick Francis Companion", released in 2003:
"Mary and I worked as a team. ... I have often said that I would have been happy to have both our names on the cover. Mary's family always called me Richard due to having another Dick in the family. I am Richard, Mary was Mary, and Dick Francis was the two of us together."
Praise for Dick Francis: 'As a jockey, Dick Francis was unbeatable when he got into his stride. The same is true of his crime writing' Daily Mirror '
Dick Francis's fiction has a secret ingredient - his inimitable knack of grabbing the reader's attention on page one and holding it tight until the very end' Sunday Telegraph '
Dick Francis was one of the most successful post-war National Hunt jockeys. The winner of over 350 races, he was champion jockey in 1953/1954 and rode for HM Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, most famously on Devon Loch in the 1956 Grand National.
On his retirement from the saddle, he published his autobiography, The Sport of Queens, before going on to write forty-three bestselling novels, a volume of short stories (Field of 13), and the biography of Lester Piggott.
During his lifetime Dick Francis received many awards, amongst them the prestigious Crime Writers' Association's Cartier Diamond Dagger for his outstanding contribution to the genre, and three 'best novel' Edgar Allan Poe awards from The Mystery Writers of America. In 1996 he was named by them as Grand Master for a lifetime's achievement. In 1998 he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and was awarded a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List of 2000. Dick Francis died in February 2010, at the age of eighty-nine, but he remains one of the greatest thriller writers of all time.
Series:
* Sid Halley Mystery
* Kit Fielding Mystery
Dick Francis worked on his books with his wife, Mary, before her death. Dick considered his wife to be his co-writer - as he is quoted in the book, "The Dick Francis Companion", released in 2003:
"Mary and I worked as a team. ... I have often said that I would have been happy to have both our names on the cover. Mary's family always called me Richard due to having another Dick in the family. I am Richard, Mary was Mary, and Dick Francis was the two of us together."
Praise for Dick Francis: 'As a jockey, Dick Francis was unbeatable when he got into his stride. The same is true of his crime writing' Daily Mirror '
Dick Francis's fiction has a secret ingredient - his inimitable knack of grabbing the reader's attention on page one and holding it tight until the very end' Sunday Telegraph '
Dick Francis was one of the most successful post-war National Hunt jockeys. The winner of over 350 races, he was champion jockey in 1953/1954 and rode for HM Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, most famously on Devon Loch in the 1956 Grand National.
On his retirement from the saddle, he published his autobiography, The Sport of Queens, before going on to write forty-three bestselling novels, a volume of short stories (Field of 13), and the biography of Lester Piggott.
During his lifetime Dick Francis received many awards, amongst them the prestigious Crime Writers' Association's Cartier Diamond Dagger for his outstanding contribution to the genre, and three 'best novel' Edgar Allan Poe awards from The Mystery Writers of America. In 1996 he was named by them as Grand Master for a lifetime's achievement. In 1998 he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and was awarded a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List of 2000. Dick Francis died in February 2010, at the age of eighty-nine, but he remains one of the greatest thriller writers of all time.
Series:
* Sid Halley Mystery
* Kit Fielding Mystery
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 273 reviews
January 20, 2019
Twice Shy is a somewhat unusual novel. As a practical matter, it really consists of two short novels that share a pair of villains but which have different main protagonists. The two stories are set fourteen years apart, and the first is set in the early 1980s. The lead character here is Jonathan Derry, a young physics teacher who is also a crack shot who once had hopes of competing in the Olympics.
Jonathan is trapped in a loveless marriage that is failing because his wife desperately wants to have children but is unable to do so. He's at loose ends when a friend gives him three cassette tapes. But instead of the music he expects to find, he discovers that the cassettes contain computer programs. The programs constitute a horse betting system that, when used properly, could make a person a fortune.
The first part of the book is obviously set in the very early days of personal computing when PCs had very little internal memory and when even the operating system had to be loaded into the computer before you could use it. Francis spends a great deal of time explaining all of this, but it's all very dated. I imagine this was fascinating, at least to some people, when the book was first published in 1982, but thirty-seven years later, it tends to take the reader out of the story, at least a bit.
Once Derry comes into possession of the tapes, he finds himself in considerable danger because some ruthless and unscrupulous people know about the tapes and want them for themselves. Some bad things happen and then fourteen years pass out of the sight of the reader. When the story resumes, our new lead is Jonathan's younger brother, William Derry, a horse trainer. It turns out that the nasty people from the first half of the book are still hot on the trail of the computer tapes and now William is in their sights. More bad things will happen and the question is whether either of the Derry brothers can survive.
Even leaving aside the business about the outdated computers, this is not one of my favorite Dick Francis novels. It's serviceable enough, but neither the plot nor the characters seemed up to Francis's usual standards, and the idea that the bad guys would still be on the hunt for these computer tapes fourteen years down the road seemed a stretch. Given the advances in computers over that period of time, one would certainly think that the system contained on the tapes would be obsolete, assuming that you could even still find a computer to run them on, and I had trouble buying into the characters' motivations. An okay read, but not a great one.
Jonathan is trapped in a loveless marriage that is failing because his wife desperately wants to have children but is unable to do so. He's at loose ends when a friend gives him three cassette tapes. But instead of the music he expects to find, he discovers that the cassettes contain computer programs. The programs constitute a horse betting system that, when used properly, could make a person a fortune.
The first part of the book is obviously set in the very early days of personal computing when PCs had very little internal memory and when even the operating system had to be loaded into the computer before you could use it. Francis spends a great deal of time explaining all of this, but it's all very dated. I imagine this was fascinating, at least to some people, when the book was first published in 1982, but thirty-seven years later, it tends to take the reader out of the story, at least a bit.
Once Derry comes into possession of the tapes, he finds himself in considerable danger because some ruthless and unscrupulous people know about the tapes and want them for themselves. Some bad things happen and then fourteen years pass out of the sight of the reader. When the story resumes, our new lead is Jonathan's younger brother, William Derry, a horse trainer. It turns out that the nasty people from the first half of the book are still hot on the trail of the computer tapes and now William is in their sights. More bad things will happen and the question is whether either of the Derry brothers can survive.
Even leaving aside the business about the outdated computers, this is not one of my favorite Dick Francis novels. It's serviceable enough, but neither the plot nor the characters seemed up to Francis's usual standards, and the idea that the bad guys would still be on the hunt for these computer tapes fourteen years down the road seemed a stretch. Given the advances in computers over that period of time, one would certainly think that the system contained on the tapes would be obsolete, assuming that you could even still find a computer to run them on, and I had trouble buying into the characters' motivations. An okay read, but not a great one.
October 30, 2015
Twice Shy may not be the fastest thoroughbred in Dick Francis' stable of thrillers, but it is still more than able to carry the reader on an edge-of-the-seat race to the finish line.
The main setting is still the racetrack, but within this frame of reference the author is branching out into other areas of interest. For me, being more than familiar with the kind of books Francis writes (variations on a successful formula where both the hero and the villains are stereotypes), the only way to tell them apart is by these specialty professions that the underdog hero is engaged in and that somehow will help him overcome the evil guys and solve the mysteries. Here we have physics, Olympic level sharpshooting and early computer programming, with an extra helping of racing stable management and betting systems at the racetrack.
"Twice Shy" has another particularity that sets it apart from the other thrillers in the Francis stable. Basically, the book is made out of two novellas, linked by a common adversary. In the first part, a laidback middle-aged physics professor, passionate about his job but with a marriage on the brink of collapse, somehow gets involved in a betting scam. This Jonathan Derry is also interested in rifle marksmanship, spending a lot of money on gear and shooting range fees.
I liked teaching. Specifically I liked teaching physics, a subject I suppose I embraced with passion and joy, knowing full well that most people shied away in horror. Physics was only the science of the unseen world, as geography was of the seen. Physics was the science of all the tremendously powerful invisibilities - of magnetism, electricity, gravity, light, sound, cosmic rays ... Physics was the science of the mysteries of the universe. How could anyone think it dull?
The passage above is a fine example of why I like Dick Francis : he has an unquenchable curiosity about the world he lives in, both on and off the racetrack. He gets passionate about his subjects, and manages to communicate this passion to the readers. He is also a positive thinker, a ray of sunshine in a cynical society. That doesn't mean he ignores the ugliness and the rat race, it means he doesn't believe the bad guys have the upper hand in the end. As an example of this attitude I have bookmarked a passage about a lesson in Newtonian physics, one where Jonathan uses a rifle to illustrate the point to his pupils:
They never asked how radio waves crossed the ether, which was to me a greater mystery. They asked about destruction, not creation; about power, not symmetry. The seed of violence born in every male child looked out of every face, and I knew how they were thinking, because I'd been there myself.
I am not going to give details about the plot, for one thing because this is not really the strongpoint of a Dick Francis thriller, and for another because I don't want to spoil the outcome. But I will mention that the action is set in the early 80's, and the flavour of the period is brought poignantly to my mind when the author mentions early personal computers that boot the operating system from a cassette tape, have only a few kilobytes of memory, and use mostly a text interface. This is how I started to learn programming (I even used an earlier FORTRAN system where I had to punch cardboard rectangles on a special machine and run them through a machine that was as big a a wardrobe) and how I played my first games, so the nostalgic Force is strong in this one:
I was listening to the noise a computer produced when its programs were recorded onto ordinary cassette type.
One surprise that I didn't see in advance was that the story of Jonathan Derry is practically wrapped up by the midpoint of the book. A second story involving Jonathan's much younger brother picks up the thread of those dangerous computer cassettes about 15 years later. William Derry is a different personality from his restrained older brother. He abandons a higher education for a career in racing ("Security, William said, was a dirty word. There were better things in life than a safe job.") , he lives the life of a rover, never settling in any one place or in any particular relationship. But even rovers get older, and when William has to give up racing, he lands a great job as an administrator / manager for a big American owner of thoroughbreds. William has now a great job, a racy girlfriend and, finally, a house where he thinks of putting down roots, but a spectre from the past mugs him in his own front yard. The man his older brother Jonathan put in jail for long years is now out on parole and convinced he was swindled out of a fortune by the Derry brothers. William tries to defuse the situation, but he has little success with logic and common sense against the burning hatred of this baddie.
Historically, it's seldom a good idea to appease a tyrant.
Personally, I believe there would be no story here, if only William had gone to the police with what he knew. But that is not the style of a Dick Francis hero. These guys are self-reliant, resourceful and full of determination not to be trampled under the boots of said tyrants. William is no exception and, with a little more info-dumps about computer programming, he gets the job done.
I will close my review as usual with a passage about the first and most enduring love in the life of Dick Francis: horses and racing, the subject that defines him an gives him his inimitable flavour.
I loved the Heath in the early mornings with the manes blowing under the wide skies. My affection for horses was so deep and went back so far that I couldn't imagine life without them. They were a friendly foreign nation living in our land, letting their human neighbours tend them and feed them, accepting them as servants as much as masters. Fast, fascinating, essentially untamed, they were my landscape, my old shoes, the place to where my heart returned, as necessary to me as the sea to sailors.
I will continue to read and re-read these books, even as I acknowledge they are sometimes not up to the usual high standards I have come to expect. I guess I should make a shelf called comfort reads: easy pieces that pick me up on a rainy afternoon with noting to do and too little energy for heavier fiction.
June 12, 2022
SPOILERS AHEAD
Not my favorite Francis novel. The story is two novella’s with the first part about Jonathan a physics teacher stumbling on a computer programme that can pick horse winners. He gets drawn into a conflict between a father and psychopathic don who want the magic computer program. The son Angelos is not the sharpest card in the deck and gets 14 years for murdering someone and Jonathan goes to America with his wife to teach at a university.
The second part concerns his brother William who 14 years later faces the madman Angelos again. He manages to subdue him and locks him in his cellar for several days. While he gets a copy of the betting program from a friend of Jonathan’s who has used it to get rich. He gives the program to Angelos and frees him. Unbeknownst to William the program he was given was deliberately flawed.
The problem for me in the story is no sane person who is attacked and has his girlfriends arm broken locks the protagonist in the cellar. They ring the police. Its the same with the brother when he delays in telling the police Angelos has killed someone. WTF??
In the end Angelos shoots William who survives. Then Angelos gets in a car accident escaping the scene and then can only has short term memory of remembering everything that happens 15 minutes previously. Still I did enjoy the writing but the plot was ridiculous.
Not my favorite Francis novel. The story is two novella’s with the first part about Jonathan a physics teacher stumbling on a computer programme that can pick horse winners. He gets drawn into a conflict between a father and psychopathic don who want the magic computer program. The son Angelos is not the sharpest card in the deck and gets 14 years for murdering someone and Jonathan goes to America with his wife to teach at a university.
The second part concerns his brother William who 14 years later faces the madman Angelos again. He manages to subdue him and locks him in his cellar for several days. While he gets a copy of the betting program from a friend of Jonathan’s who has used it to get rich. He gives the program to Angelos and frees him. Unbeknownst to William the program he was given was deliberately flawed.
The problem for me in the story is no sane person who is attacked and has his girlfriends arm broken locks the protagonist in the cellar. They ring the police. Its the same with the brother when he delays in telling the police Angelos has killed someone. WTF??
In the end Angelos shoots William who survives. Then Angelos gets in a car accident escaping the scene and then can only has short term memory of remembering everything that happens 15 minutes previously. Still I did enjoy the writing but the plot was ridiculous.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 27, 2019
Another racing-related thriller by Francis, this time a little different from the usual. The story opens with Jonathan Derry, a school physics teacher and Olympic shooter, who is living with his estranged wife. The two are called by another couple, their friends, both of whom are in different sorts of trouble. Peter Keithly has been writing a computer program for someone which is essentially a betting system for horse racing that ensures the bettor very high chances of wins (at least one in three races). But some dangerous elements are after the program which he hands to Jonathan for safekeeping in three cassette tapes. Jonathan doesn’t know what the program is all about but only that some thugs are after it. When Peter dies in an accident, these men turn their attention to Jonathan, who must find out what is so valuable about those tapes and how best he can deal with the very violent man who is after them. He does so, and cleverly, but that isn’t the end of the story. In the second part, many years later, his younger brother William finds himself faced with the same threat and has to deal with it in his own way to ensure the safety of he and those he loves.
This was a fast paced and very readable Dick Francis mystery as always. The difference (from the usual) is that the story is told in two parts, and therefore in the voices of the two different main characters, Jonathan Derry and then later his brother William, with a short interlude in the middle, in the form of letters. In a sense, two separate, though connected stories. I enjoyed the two characters’ different personalities and their completely different approaches to dealing with the threat that they face. Both are highly intelligent as always, and use their special knowledge/skill (Jonathan, at least). Among the other characters, I really liked Bananas Frisby, eccentric pub owner, and also Cassie, William’s girlfriend though we don’t see her as much in action. The computer programs involved are however based on old technology, languages like BASIC (which I remember learning a little of when we first started computer lessons in Class V), and programs that could be stored on cassette tapes, but I still liked reading about how it all worked, and a time when computers were a rarity rather than the norm that they are now. As usual the action is connected to the racing world, and William is in fact employed there as well, but we aren’t in the thick of racing action as in many of his others books but in the sidelines, though events like auctions take place. Also as usual, the “villain” of the piece is excessively violent, and difficult to control. Overall, this was a fairly enjoyable read for me, though not my favourite Francis. Also I wasn’t too satisfied with the end, though I think it can be interpreted as being on a chilling note.
This was a fast paced and very readable Dick Francis mystery as always. The difference (from the usual) is that the story is told in two parts, and therefore in the voices of the two different main characters, Jonathan Derry and then later his brother William, with a short interlude in the middle, in the form of letters. In a sense, two separate, though connected stories. I enjoyed the two characters’ different personalities and their completely different approaches to dealing with the threat that they face. Both are highly intelligent as always, and use their special knowledge/skill (Jonathan, at least). Among the other characters, I really liked Bananas Frisby, eccentric pub owner, and also Cassie, William’s girlfriend though we don’t see her as much in action. The computer programs involved are however based on old technology, languages like BASIC (which I remember learning a little of when we first started computer lessons in Class V), and programs that could be stored on cassette tapes, but I still liked reading about how it all worked, and a time when computers were a rarity rather than the norm that they are now. As usual the action is connected to the racing world, and William is in fact employed there as well, but we aren’t in the thick of racing action as in many of his others books but in the sidelines, though events like auctions take place. Also as usual, the “villain” of the piece is excessively violent, and difficult to control. Overall, this was a fairly enjoyable read for me, though not my favourite Francis. Also I wasn’t too satisfied with the end, though I think it can be interpreted as being on a chilling note.
September 24, 2012
I read a lot of books. It’s sorta part of the job. Most of my reviews are good. There’s a reason for that. I rarely review books I hate, which makes it seem as though I am an easy reviewer. So let me be clear about how I feel about Twice Shy—this is the best book I have read in the last year. Hands down, no doubt. If you don’t like this book, you should give up reading.
What’s particularly amazing about Twice Shy is the hurdle it had to overcome. I am a stickler for the zombies. I don’t like zombies that do anything other than form massive hordes and try and eat humans. That’s it. I don’t like talking zombies or smart zombies or zombie animals. Any of that jazz. So about a page into Twice Shy, I thought I was going to hate it. Then I read page two and changed my mind.
Ani is like most kids. She has trouble at school. She has to deal with guy issues. And she’s a zombie. It’s a problem. She doesn’t breathe or have a heartbeat or need to eat, and if anyone finds out, they’ll incinerate her. If it sounds like a brilliant premise, it is.
I read this book in a single day. I’d recommend it to anybody. Seriously, anyone. It is a fantastic debut, and it needs to be read. Tell your friends—this book has Stoker Award Finalist written all over it.
What’s particularly amazing about Twice Shy is the hurdle it had to overcome. I am a stickler for the zombies. I don’t like zombies that do anything other than form massive hordes and try and eat humans. That’s it. I don’t like talking zombies or smart zombies or zombie animals. Any of that jazz. So about a page into Twice Shy, I thought I was going to hate it. Then I read page two and changed my mind.
Ani is like most kids. She has trouble at school. She has to deal with guy issues. And she’s a zombie. It’s a problem. She doesn’t breathe or have a heartbeat or need to eat, and if anyone finds out, they’ll incinerate her. If it sounds like a brilliant premise, it is.
I read this book in a single day. I’d recommend it to anybody. Seriously, anyone. It is a fantastic debut, and it needs to be read. Tell your friends—this book has Stoker Award Finalist written all over it.
October 5, 2012
Twice Shy is a zombie story told from the perspective of the unwilling zombie, teenaged Ani. The story follows her attempts to hide the fact that she is a zombie, by turning “emo” and hanging out with the fringe groups. Since this is a YA book, a lot of the story shows Ani dealing with the usual high school social scene of “popular kids vs outcasts”, the dynamics of her mother/daughter relationship, drug use, sexuality, and the problems of living inside a body that is dead.
The book was well written, as far as the flow of the story and the language, but the plot twists jumped around so much that it seemed as though the author was trying to get too many conflicts in without fully fleshing out each one. The characters, other than Ani, were never fully enough developed so I never really cared what happened with any of them.
Ani's love interest, Mike, goes back and forth so many times between being a total jerk and her knight in shining armor, that after a while you wonder why on earth she would continue to pine away after him. This seems to be a trend in a lot of YA literature these days.
The best friend, Fey, is also not fleshed out enough in the story. She just seems to be a caricature of a teen outcast- drug use, promiscuity, and passive aggressive behavior. Why was Fey acting out like that? What made Fey push friends away and then draw them back in? It would have been nice to have known a bit of her back story. As it was, anything could happen to her and I just didn't care.
My biggest complaint about this book is that the author made Ani a “cutter”, describing each episode of cutting in graphic detail and seeming to promote cutting as a good way for teens to deal with their pain and angst. Even Ani's mother seems to accept it as appropriate. I feel like this is a dangerous aspect to the story and if my teen daughter were going to read the book, I would make sure to have a discussion with her first on the dangers of cutting.
The ending seemed rushed, unplanned and designed to shock but all it did was irritate me. It seemed almost like the author was trying to stay under X number of pages and suddenly ran out of pages and had to end the story abruptly.
Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book to a single adult. I could see how it might have some appeal to teens who are into this genre, but would recommend it only with the caveat about the cutting.
I received this book via LibraryThing Early Reviewers
The book was well written, as far as the flow of the story and the language, but the plot twists jumped around so much that it seemed as though the author was trying to get too many conflicts in without fully fleshing out each one. The characters, other than Ani, were never fully enough developed so I never really cared what happened with any of them.
Ani's love interest, Mike, goes back and forth so many times between being a total jerk and her knight in shining armor, that after a while you wonder why on earth she would continue to pine away after him. This seems to be a trend in a lot of YA literature these days.
The best friend, Fey, is also not fleshed out enough in the story. She just seems to be a caricature of a teen outcast- drug use, promiscuity, and passive aggressive behavior. Why was Fey acting out like that? What made Fey push friends away and then draw them back in? It would have been nice to have known a bit of her back story. As it was, anything could happen to her and I just didn't care.
My biggest complaint about this book is that the author made Ani a “cutter”, describing each episode of cutting in graphic detail and seeming to promote cutting as a good way for teens to deal with their pain and angst. Even Ani's mother seems to accept it as appropriate. I feel like this is a dangerous aspect to the story and if my teen daughter were going to read the book, I would make sure to have a discussion with her first on the dangers of cutting.
The ending seemed rushed, unplanned and designed to shock but all it did was irritate me. It seemed almost like the author was trying to stay under X number of pages and suddenly ran out of pages and had to end the story abruptly.
Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book to a single adult. I could see how it might have some appeal to teens who are into this genre, but would recommend it only with the caveat about the cutting.
I received this book via LibraryThing Early Reviewers
September 17, 2013
Book Info: Genre: Horror (Zombie)
Reading Level: Young Adult (with trigger warning for self-mutilation (cutting), extreme ruthlessness and violence)
Book Available: October 26, 2012 in Paperback and ebook
Recommended for: Fans of hard-core violence, alternate ideas of zombies
My Thoughts: I’m not much of a fan of traditional zombie stories – to me, there is only so much that can be done with brain-eating, brainless, shambling hordes before the interest wanes. That is why I am so fascinated by the ways that people are turning the zombie genre on its head, to find a new way to tell zombie stories.
I, in some ways, had trouble putting myself into Ani’s shoes, because deep inside, her tendency is to be a jock and a “spirit” girl – her favorite color is “Barbie-Dream-House pink” – while, when I was her age, if emo/goth had been an option, I would have so been a goth (based upon my vampire fixation). However, watching her go through these struggles, to pretend to be emo, which was so against her natural tendency, to watch the lengths her mother went to in order to protect her (that is an eminently practical woman, that’s for sure), I couldn’t help but empathize with Ani. This writer does a phenomenal job of bringing the reader into the life of this young woman, cursed before she was even born, having to live a lie in order to remain free...
The ending shocked me, crushed me, laid me flat. Originally I had this rated as urban fantasy, but that ending – that was a hard-core, horror-level ending. Wow. So, warning to all – this is not a light read, it is not light fare, but it is an amazing book. Highly recommended.
Disclosure: I received a free ebook ARC from Journalstone, via a special, member’s-only promotion. I am not under any obligation, but am happy to provide an honest review.
Synopsis: High School Sucks. It’s worse when you’re dead.
Ohneka Falls is a small, Western New York town where everyone knows everyone and nothing of note happens. Ani Romero is a sixteen-year-old girl who wants to play sports, hang out, and kiss Mike, her middle-school crush. A childhood carrier of the zombie virus, she died at fourteen but didn’t become a mindless, brain-eating monster. Her controlling mother forces her to join the emo crowd to hide her condition behind a wall of black clothes and makeup, and her friends abandon her.
When creeper Dylan learns her secret, he falls into obsession, with Ani and with death. She bites him in self-defense. Persecuted by the jocks and ignored by Mike, Ani struggles through the motions of life hoping her mother’s research unveils a cure, or Dylan dooms them all to a hungry, walking death.
As her emo facade crumbles in the face of jealousy and obsession, Ani knows that the worst thing she can do is be true to herself.
Reading Level: Young Adult (with trigger warning for self-mutilation (cutting), extreme ruthlessness and violence)
Book Available: October 26, 2012 in Paperback and ebook
Recommended for: Fans of hard-core violence, alternate ideas of zombies
My Thoughts: I’m not much of a fan of traditional zombie stories – to me, there is only so much that can be done with brain-eating, brainless, shambling hordes before the interest wanes. That is why I am so fascinated by the ways that people are turning the zombie genre on its head, to find a new way to tell zombie stories.
I, in some ways, had trouble putting myself into Ani’s shoes, because deep inside, her tendency is to be a jock and a “spirit” girl – her favorite color is “Barbie-Dream-House pink” – while, when I was her age, if emo/goth had been an option, I would have so been a goth (based upon my vampire fixation). However, watching her go through these struggles, to pretend to be emo, which was so against her natural tendency, to watch the lengths her mother went to in order to protect her (that is an eminently practical woman, that’s for sure), I couldn’t help but empathize with Ani. This writer does a phenomenal job of bringing the reader into the life of this young woman, cursed before she was even born, having to live a lie in order to remain free...
The ending shocked me, crushed me, laid me flat. Originally I had this rated as urban fantasy, but that ending – that was a hard-core, horror-level ending. Wow. So, warning to all – this is not a light read, it is not light fare, but it is an amazing book. Highly recommended.
Disclosure: I received a free ebook ARC from Journalstone, via a special, member’s-only promotion. I am not under any obligation, but am happy to provide an honest review.
Synopsis: High School Sucks. It’s worse when you’re dead.
Ohneka Falls is a small, Western New York town where everyone knows everyone and nothing of note happens. Ani Romero is a sixteen-year-old girl who wants to play sports, hang out, and kiss Mike, her middle-school crush. A childhood carrier of the zombie virus, she died at fourteen but didn’t become a mindless, brain-eating monster. Her controlling mother forces her to join the emo crowd to hide her condition behind a wall of black clothes and makeup, and her friends abandon her.
When creeper Dylan learns her secret, he falls into obsession, with Ani and with death. She bites him in self-defense. Persecuted by the jocks and ignored by Mike, Ani struggles through the motions of life hoping her mother’s research unveils a cure, or Dylan dooms them all to a hungry, walking death.
As her emo facade crumbles in the face of jealousy and obsession, Ani knows that the worst thing she can do is be true to herself.
May 15, 2015
Well, I gotta say not among Dick Francis' best. A warning to aspiring writers; be careful when writing about technology. You may look foolish and outdated to your future readers a lot sooner than you may think possible.
But it is Dick Francis and he's always worthwhile even when he's not at his best.
But it is Dick Francis and he's always worthwhile even when he's not at his best.
May 4, 2018
Very very good. Love Dick Francis!
September 21, 2017
Another reliable thriller from Dick Francis, this one is a little dated now because of how old the technology described is now - this was the the days of the Amstrad and the Acorn and the Sinclair computers. Interesting plot spread across two time periods.
October 15, 2012
This review has been crossposted from my blog at The Cosy Dragon . Please head there for more in-depth reviews by me, which appear on a timely schedule.
Ani is dead. That's nothing new to her or her mom, but the rest of her classmates can't know or she'll be incinerated. As a carrier of zombie virus, she won't ever grow old.
What attracted me to this YA novel was the front cover. Your eyes are immediately drawn to the black corset (just my type of style) and then the boots with the strange feet (which once you read the blurb of it being a zombie novel make sense) and then finally you notice the little white thing sitting next to her.
The concept of Ani being a zombie is introduced slowly and subtly, but if you've already read the blurb it's a bit lost. Something that wasn't clear to me was that Ani had been infected with zombie virus since she was a baby, yet she only started showing zombie symptoms in the last two years.
The author goes for what seems like sarcasm most of the time, but it just doesn't do it for me. The humour (is there any?) is just highschool bullying, and I suppose I was supposed to think it was funny that Ani's mom is dating Mike's dad.
I wasn't convineced by Ani's interactions with her mother at all. The superficial hugs and so forth didn't really show me that Ani loved her mother - it seemed like her mother was doing everything humanly possible for her, but yet Ani didn't care. Also Ani's mother fears becoming a zombie so much that she would kill herself first - which doesn't fit in with constantly keeping
The ending was pathetic. As I was reading this on a Kindle app, I noticed that at 90% read there was still a lot of story that should have been told. The ending, complete with 'THE END' printed on it, was such a let down. It was obvious that it wasn't going to be a happy ending and I actually found myself hoping she would be incinerated because Ani was so damn annoying.
I thought the point of being a zombie was that they couldn't feel pain. I didn't understand how a cut on Ani's forehead needed extra special attention while she's cutting herself with razors frequently.
The initial image painted of Ani screamed opposites to me. I had no idea what was happening most of the time. She's happily pretending to be emo, and then the next minute she wants to rock out to pop music. It seemed to me like music was the key to who she was, as as art, but there was no feeling of backstory - perhaps being creative was linked to being a zombie?
I didn't like the use of abbreviations by the author, including FML. ZV for zombie virus. Ugh, it seems like an attempt to seem 'hip', but it just didn't work for me.
I would recommend this book for older teens, as it involves mentions of self-harm and foul language that are not necessary for a younger reader to encounter. The self-harm is particularly disturbing, as it's painted as a release for Ani. The drug use is also not great.
I did not enjoy this book, and I'm not sure I would actually 'recommend' it at all. It took me around 3 hours to read, and I wish I could have those 3 hours back. If it had been a book I had bought for myself, not one that I was expecting to review, I probably would have stoppe dreading after the first chapter or two.
I received this ebook free for an honest review. My review has not been influenced by my correspondence with the author's management company.
Ani is dead. That's nothing new to her or her mom, but the rest of her classmates can't know or she'll be incinerated. As a carrier of zombie virus, she won't ever grow old.
What attracted me to this YA novel was the front cover. Your eyes are immediately drawn to the black corset (just my type of style) and then the boots with the strange feet (which once you read the blurb of it being a zombie novel make sense) and then finally you notice the little white thing sitting next to her.
The concept of Ani being a zombie is introduced slowly and subtly, but if you've already read the blurb it's a bit lost. Something that wasn't clear to me was that Ani had been infected with zombie virus since she was a baby, yet she only started showing zombie symptoms in the last two years.
The author goes for what seems like sarcasm most of the time, but it just doesn't do it for me. The humour (is there any?) is just highschool bullying, and I suppose I was supposed to think it was funny that Ani's mom is dating Mike's dad.
I wasn't convineced by Ani's interactions with her mother at all. The superficial hugs and so forth didn't really show me that Ani loved her mother - it seemed like her mother was doing everything humanly possible for her, but yet Ani didn't care. Also Ani's mother fears becoming a zombie so much that she would kill herself first - which doesn't fit in with constantly keeping
The ending was pathetic. As I was reading this on a Kindle app, I noticed that at 90% read there was still a lot of story that should have been told. The ending, complete with 'THE END' printed on it, was such a let down. It was obvious that it wasn't going to be a happy ending and I actually found myself hoping she would be incinerated because Ani was so damn annoying.
I thought the point of being a zombie was that they couldn't feel pain. I didn't understand how a cut on Ani's forehead needed extra special attention while she's cutting herself with razors frequently.
The initial image painted of Ani screamed opposites to me. I had no idea what was happening most of the time. She's happily pretending to be emo, and then the next minute she wants to rock out to pop music. It seemed to me like music was the key to who she was, as as art, but there was no feeling of backstory - perhaps being creative was linked to being a zombie?
I didn't like the use of abbreviations by the author, including FML. ZV for zombie virus. Ugh, it seems like an attempt to seem 'hip', but it just didn't work for me.
I would recommend this book for older teens, as it involves mentions of self-harm and foul language that are not necessary for a younger reader to encounter. The self-harm is particularly disturbing, as it's painted as a release for Ani. The drug use is also not great.
I did not enjoy this book, and I'm not sure I would actually 'recommend' it at all. It took me around 3 hours to read, and I wish I could have those 3 hours back. If it had been a book I had bought for myself, not one that I was expecting to review, I probably would have stoppe dreading after the first chapter or two.
I received this ebook free for an honest review. My review has not been influenced by my correspondence with the author's management company.
September 9, 2012
Okay, I have to admit that every time I look at the title of the book “Twice Shy” by Patrick Freivald, the song “One Bitten Twice Shy” by Great White runs around my head on a continuous loop. That is about the only really negative thing about this book.
“Twice Shy” tied for first place in the JournalStone writing contest and I can see why. The story centers on a 16 year old girl, Ani, who became a zombie when she was 14, which is really bad because the government’s answer to those infected is to blow their heads off… no questions asked. Ani’s mother figures out a way to “hide” her condition while secretly working on trying to find a cure. Her friends see her as a bubbly, athletic girl one day, and a sulking emo the next. It kills Ani to have to hide her true self behind the emo façade and we see throughout the book her constant struggle of having to lie to everyone she knows so that they won’t find out she is a zombie.
I don’t like zombie stories in general (except for Mira Grant’s “The Newsflesh Trilogy”) and so I opened this book with some trepidation. Soon I found myself involved in the story and rooting for Ani. The author gives a new twist to the zombie saga and it is refreshing. Teenagers can definitely relate to Ani and what she goes through. Although she the main struggle of being a zombie, she also is a typical teenager who wants the cute, popular boy, who doesn’t want to be bullied, and is confused about her feelings. Also, I wasn’t expecting the ending! Kudos to the author for keeping me on my toes from the beginning all the way to the very last word.
**** I received this book through LibraryThing.com Member's Giveaway. It in no way affected the content of my review. *****
“Twice Shy” tied for first place in the JournalStone writing contest and I can see why. The story centers on a 16 year old girl, Ani, who became a zombie when she was 14, which is really bad because the government’s answer to those infected is to blow their heads off… no questions asked. Ani’s mother figures out a way to “hide” her condition while secretly working on trying to find a cure. Her friends see her as a bubbly, athletic girl one day, and a sulking emo the next. It kills Ani to have to hide her true self behind the emo façade and we see throughout the book her constant struggle of having to lie to everyone she knows so that they won’t find out she is a zombie.
I don’t like zombie stories in general (except for Mira Grant’s “The Newsflesh Trilogy”) and so I opened this book with some trepidation. Soon I found myself involved in the story and rooting for Ani. The author gives a new twist to the zombie saga and it is refreshing. Teenagers can definitely relate to Ani and what she goes through. Although she the main struggle of being a zombie, she also is a typical teenager who wants the cute, popular boy, who doesn’t want to be bullied, and is confused about her feelings. Also, I wasn’t expecting the ending! Kudos to the author for keeping me on my toes from the beginning all the way to the very last word.
**** I received this book through LibraryThing.com Member's Giveaway. It in no way affected the content of my review. *****
March 6, 2013
I'm a long time Dick Francis fan. I really liked the first half of the book with Jonathan Derry undoing and outwitting the bad guys. The computerized horse racing handicapping program is an interesting part of the story; which takes place in the early days of personal computers. The usefulness and longevity of the program (spanning 14 years) as a predictor of a relatively high percentage of race winners underscores the principle that the worth of a computer is mostly a function of the software that runs on it. The hero investigates and finds the story of the murderer and the genesis of the valuable program. The bad guy is simple and effective but not as interesting as some other D.F. villains; but he doesn't have to be interesting due to the typically well-told story. The second half of the story could have been a decent story by itself with a few key changes. The second half is about Jonathan's half brother, William. He was not believable. After the bad guy ruthlessly attacks William and perpetrates a second attack that results in the lovely girlfriend's broken arm, William doesn't call the cops!? He imprisons the bad guy in the basement to effect some kind of appeasement!? I finished the book out of respect for Dick. The two related stories in one book was an interesting contrast in characters and it worked for me on that level. I'm accustomed, however, to a main character that makes more sense to me. First part, 4 stars. Second part, 2 stars.
April 28, 2013
Wow. Just... wow.
This is not your typical zombie fare, and that's a damn good thing too, because the genre is filled with one brain-eating horde after another. This is a seriously thoughtful, intriguing, heart-rending study of the frailty of identity, the strength of desire, and the vast ground spanning the two.
Freivald does an masterful job of putting us into Ani's head, a rare trick for a male writer. As a sixteen year old popular chick, Ani is, at different times, infuriating, sympathetic, and startling, but always - always - true and believable.
The ending is a shocker and not for the faint of heart. But neither is high school.
Highly recommended.
This is not your typical zombie fare, and that's a damn good thing too, because the genre is filled with one brain-eating horde after another. This is a seriously thoughtful, intriguing, heart-rending study of the frailty of identity, the strength of desire, and the vast ground spanning the two.
Freivald does an masterful job of putting us into Ani's head, a rare trick for a male writer. As a sixteen year old popular chick, Ani is, at different times, infuriating, sympathetic, and startling, but always - always - true and believable.
The ending is a shocker and not for the faint of heart. But neither is high school.
Highly recommended.
October 4, 2012
While I think zombies have been overdone, this book has a refreshing, entertaining perspective on a zombie teenager. It was interesting to see how being a (secret) zombie would play out in high school. I was also happy to see that while the ending was somewhat pleasant, the author didn't give the reader all of the desired happy endings that they would want from Ani's perspective. I will definitely want to read sequels or other books written by this author. Thanks!
September 29, 2019
It is a fairly implausible,though novel idea,a computer programme which can predict Derby winners.The action unfolds at a brisk enough pace.Francis also makes his son Felix,a character in the book, as a Physics teacher and marksman.(Felix,would continue the series,after his father's death).
September 22, 2012
Interesting take on a Zombie story. The principle character is a Zombie in remission. Her mother worked for the government when the Zombie virus first was manifest and had taken this beautiful baby that was born to a pregnant Zombie that had been taken in to destroy. Initially, the baby didn't show signs of the virus but, tested positive. The doctor/mother was smitten and took the baby, using any an all remedies to prevent the normal advancement of the disease and eventually leaves the government, taking a job as a school nurse so she can be close to her "daughter" and watch out for her while at school. The mother also has a very complete lab in the basement of her home where she takes samples and tests remedies as well as medicines to eliminate the virus. She keeps her daughter in a chemical bath for 8-9 hours daily to toughen her flesh and stop the rotting. It kind of reduces the smell but, the chemicals had a unique non-human order of their own. Ani, the Zombie daughter is a very sympathetic character as she assumes a role as one of the Emo kids, wearing black, nose, ear and tongue studs with boots to help mask her Zombie differences. She was able to blend into the background as long as she wasn't a target. Ani suffered all the angst of a teenager with the added threat of being incinerated if it was discovered that she was a Zombie. That discovery was a threat that her mother used to keep her in line and Ani was smart and talented. She got good grades in her classes with math and English her favorites. She also excelled at playing classical piano, practicing daily. Her mother insisted that she avoid any social contact and work hard to justify the expenses and sacrifices her mother had to make (like leaving her government position as a medical doctor and taking on the school nurse position). Ani is an amazing personality especially when she has to mask her love for the jock she has been a friend to since elementary school. He had loved her as well but, when she had to turn morose as an Emo, he migrated to a more upbeat crowd. Most of Ani's life was spent trying to suppress her desires to eat the flesh and brains of her peers. When ever the need became bad, she used her nails or a small razor to cut her flesh which served to relieve her urges. The popular girls teased her and nicknamed her "Cutter" after her strange actions. Her mother keeps expermenting and discovers an apparent cure. Her mother contracts cancer and delays treatment until it is too late. Then she makes arrangements for Ani to move to Phoenix to some of her government friends who were also involved in research but, this is away from Ani's childhood boyfriend, Bill who has asked her to the senior prom. Her mother leaves Ani home alone to go out of town with Bill's father who she has recently encouraged a relationship with but, told Ani she couldn't leave home and warned her that she would know if she did (she always knew when Ani wasn't complient with her instructions). Bill called after her mom and his father had left for the weekend and convinced Ani that he could sneak her out and to the prom without her mother finding out, so she agreed to meet him when he came to pick her up. He knocked on the back door about 1/2 hour later and then walked her to his old pickup that was parked over on the next block. They drove to school but, came in the back way, parking in the weeds on the far side of the football stadium. Then they walked to a back door of the gym where the music from the band came through an open door and danced close together in the dark. Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion to this very different Zombie story!
September 29, 2012
{ I received an ebook ARC for free through Early Reviewers on LibraryThing. Review originally posted on my blog, PidginPea's Book Nook. }
Twice Shy was darker and heavier than I expected, making for a pretty creepy and intense read. It explores some serious topics: bullying, stalking, overdosing, self-mutilation, and ethics in science and research, just to name a few. The main characters are real and well-developed, especially Ani.
Ani, dead at fourteen but still living, hides in plain sight among regular high schoolers with an emo disguise. She plays the part of dark and broody, but inside she dreams of wearing pink and writing songs and going roller skating. She resists what she has become as much as she can, going so far as to carry a razor blade with her to cut her own wrists as a distraction when she starts feeling a certain sort of hunger.
Dylan's obsession with Ani is truly disturbing. When he appeared in scenes, I got the same sense of dread I feel when I'm reading a horror novel. After Ani bites him, her fate pretty much rests in his hands: he could kill her, obviously, but if his infection is traced back to her, she'll be incinerated by the authorities. And of course Ani's mother wants to take matters into her own hands and solve the problem of Dylan herself.
Ani's relationships with her mother and her friends are fascinating and tragic. Her mother is overprotective, as any mother in her situation might be, but the true reasons for her actions are revealed piece by piece as the story unfolds. Fey alternates from being Ani's best friend to her worst enemy, changing back and forth suddenly and frequently. Mike, who used to be a close friend, now won't even look at her sometimes. He spends most of his time with his girlfriend Devin, who is a total mean girl and tortures Ani mercilessly. Ani is hopelessly in love with Mike, even after he proves himself unworthy time after time. I wanted to shake that crush out of Ani real bad.
The ending... well, I'm completely torn.
I devour YA paranormal books, but I've actually never read any zombie books. I know, right? I don't know why - zombies just never topped my list of favorite paranormal types. But lately I've been making a conscious effort to broaden my horizons a little in all genres. Twice Shy was my first zombie book, but it won't be my last. I've been bitten by the zombie bug and I need more books like the walking dead need more brains. (Bad puns totally intended.)
Twice Shy was darker and heavier than I expected, making for a pretty creepy and intense read. It explores some serious topics: bullying, stalking, overdosing, self-mutilation, and ethics in science and research, just to name a few. The main characters are real and well-developed, especially Ani.
Ani, dead at fourteen but still living, hides in plain sight among regular high schoolers with an emo disguise. She plays the part of dark and broody, but inside she dreams of wearing pink and writing songs and going roller skating. She resists what she has become as much as she can, going so far as to carry a razor blade with her to cut her own wrists as a distraction when she starts feeling a certain sort of hunger.
Dylan's obsession with Ani is truly disturbing. When he appeared in scenes, I got the same sense of dread I feel when I'm reading a horror novel. After Ani bites him, her fate pretty much rests in his hands: he could kill her, obviously, but if his infection is traced back to her, she'll be incinerated by the authorities. And of course Ani's mother wants to take matters into her own hands and solve the problem of Dylan herself.
Ani's relationships with her mother and her friends are fascinating and tragic. Her mother is overprotective, as any mother in her situation might be, but the true reasons for her actions are revealed piece by piece as the story unfolds. Fey alternates from being Ani's best friend to her worst enemy, changing back and forth suddenly and frequently. Mike, who used to be a close friend, now won't even look at her sometimes. He spends most of his time with his girlfriend Devin, who is a total mean girl and tortures Ani mercilessly. Ani is hopelessly in love with Mike, even after he proves himself unworthy time after time. I wanted to shake that crush out of Ani real bad.
The ending... well, I'm completely torn.
I devour YA paranormal books, but I've actually never read any zombie books. I know, right? I don't know why - zombies just never topped my list of favorite paranormal types. But lately I've been making a conscious effort to broaden my horizons a little in all genres. Twice Shy was my first zombie book, but it won't be my last. I've been bitten by the zombie bug and I need more books like the walking dead need more brains. (Bad puns totally intended.)
October 2, 2012
As seen on my blog:
I was just about to write this review, but while I was getting info for the "book info" section, I came across Patrick's Facebook page. The first thing I saw was his newest post: "A month to go before the release of Twice Shy... So of course I'm cranking out the sequel!"
So uh..now..my review, and number of stars has changed from a 2 star to 3 star rating. It was the ending scene alone that enraged me SO much, I put aside what I enjoyed about the book, and based my rating solely on that scene. I was all set..SET! to come on here and vent my anger freely and without thought. But, thankfully, seeing Patrick's post has brought me to a serene level 1 on my anger meter =). I just couldn't understand how a book that showed such tremendous potential throughout, stooped to such a predictable conclusion-but it isn't a conclusion! Yay! So I can now ramble on about the things I liked about this book.
When I started reading this book, I instantly regretted reading the synopsis beforehand-I would have loved to be blind to what Ani was until I figured it out for myself. Patrick Freivald crafted the most unusual and fantastic spin on the literary zombie explosion. I thought it was pretty genius really- Ani is a zombie, but hides this fact everyday with the aid of her knowledgeable doctor mother, who has devised enough medicinal potions and lotions to help her live a 'normal' teenage life. I was intrigued, and thought the writing was well done-I think it could have done with a lot less 'mishaps,' there were just too many of them, I felt like every time Ani overcame an 'incident,' there was another one a few feet behind. It was slightly exhausting-I just wanted the storyline to move a little faster.
This was my second 'zombie' novel, and alike the first, I enjoyed the fact that the actual zombie interaction wasn't overpowering..yes, I'm a bit of a wuss. I thought the characters were believable, and the storyline and it's details were well thought out. But I also feel like it could have been so much more than what it was. I always felt like there was something lurking in between the lines, pulsing, waiting to step out and become something really spectacular. When I got to the end, I'll admit, I was disappointed..in ways that I can't describe without spoiler-ing left, right and centre. Otherwise, a good debut for this author. Here's to HIGH hopes for the sequel!
*Won as an Paperback ARC from Library Thing*
I was just about to write this review, but while I was getting info for the "book info" section, I came across Patrick's Facebook page. The first thing I saw was his newest post: "A month to go before the release of Twice Shy... So of course I'm cranking out the sequel!"
So uh..now..my review, and number of stars has changed from a 2 star to 3 star rating. It was the ending scene alone that enraged me SO much, I put aside what I enjoyed about the book, and based my rating solely on that scene. I was all set..SET! to come on here and vent my anger freely and without thought. But, thankfully, seeing Patrick's post has brought me to a serene level 1 on my anger meter =). I just couldn't understand how a book that showed such tremendous potential throughout, stooped to such a predictable conclusion-but it isn't a conclusion! Yay! So I can now ramble on about the things I liked about this book.
When I started reading this book, I instantly regretted reading the synopsis beforehand-I would have loved to be blind to what Ani was until I figured it out for myself. Patrick Freivald crafted the most unusual and fantastic spin on the literary zombie explosion. I thought it was pretty genius really- Ani is a zombie, but hides this fact everyday with the aid of her knowledgeable doctor mother, who has devised enough medicinal potions and lotions to help her live a 'normal' teenage life. I was intrigued, and thought the writing was well done-I think it could have done with a lot less 'mishaps,' there were just too many of them, I felt like every time Ani overcame an 'incident,' there was another one a few feet behind. It was slightly exhausting-I just wanted the storyline to move a little faster.
This was my second 'zombie' novel, and alike the first, I enjoyed the fact that the actual zombie interaction wasn't overpowering..yes, I'm a bit of a wuss. I thought the characters were believable, and the storyline and it's details were well thought out. But I also feel like it could have been so much more than what it was. I always felt like there was something lurking in between the lines, pulsing, waiting to step out and become something really spectacular. When I got to the end, I'll admit, I was disappointed..in ways that I can't describe without spoiler-ing left, right and centre. Otherwise, a good debut for this author. Here's to HIGH hopes for the sequel!
*Won as an Paperback ARC from Library Thing*
July 18, 2011
I'm a big fan of Dick Francis, but even I have to admit that this is not a very good book. There are just too many problems with the book.
First -- the story is broken into two sections, which happen 14 years apart. There are two brothers as the good guys, each of whom narrates half the book, with the same villain in both parts. This partitioning of the book creates a big discontinuity in the story, obviously. The time gap also creates a problem because a large part of the story revolves around a computer program -- yet, unrealistically, the computer technology doesn't advance much if at all during that 14 year period.
Second -- many Dick Francis books have moments where you want to tell the hero "Call the cops now!". I don't know why Francis disliked the police, but anyone who reads a few Francis novels will notice that the police are usually uncaring, incompetent, stupid, or hostile -- and they are often actively avoided by the hero. In Twice Shy, this attitude is so strong that during one scene you want to YELL in big capital letters "CALL THE COPS NOW!!". In fact, the entire second half of the book would not have happened at all if the hero had simply called the police when he should have. That makes reading the second half annoying, since all the problems are due to the hero's own stupidity.
Third -- the bad guy in this one is just too much of an idiot, an obvious caricature. It's hard to really believe in the story when the villain is so unbelievable.
And fourth -- the hero of the second half does so many stupid things that it's hard to root for him. While the older brother, the hero of the first half, did a good job of tricking and outmaneuvering the hero, the younger brother of the second half tries continually to placate that villain instead of doing anything constructive to get rid of him.
The first half of the book was enjoyable enough, but as you can tell the second half really annoyed me. The second half did have one very good scene, when a character is shot and believes himself to be dying, but that's about it. It hurts me to give a Francis book only 3 stars, but even he can't hit a home run every time!
First -- the story is broken into two sections, which happen 14 years apart. There are two brothers as the good guys, each of whom narrates half the book, with the same villain in both parts. This partitioning of the book creates a big discontinuity in the story, obviously. The time gap also creates a problem because a large part of the story revolves around a computer program -- yet, unrealistically, the computer technology doesn't advance much if at all during that 14 year period.
Second -- many Dick Francis books have moments where you want to tell the hero "Call the cops now!". I don't know why Francis disliked the police, but anyone who reads a few Francis novels will notice that the police are usually uncaring, incompetent, stupid, or hostile -- and they are often actively avoided by the hero. In Twice Shy, this attitude is so strong that during one scene you want to YELL in big capital letters "CALL THE COPS NOW!!". In fact, the entire second half of the book would not have happened at all if the hero had simply called the police when he should have. That makes reading the second half annoying, since all the problems are due to the hero's own stupidity.
Third -- the bad guy in this one is just too much of an idiot, an obvious caricature. It's hard to really believe in the story when the villain is so unbelievable.
And fourth -- the hero of the second half does so many stupid things that it's hard to root for him. While the older brother, the hero of the first half, did a good job of tricking and outmaneuvering the hero, the younger brother of the second half tries continually to placate that villain instead of doing anything constructive to get rid of him.
The first half of the book was enjoyable enough, but as you can tell the second half really annoyed me. The second half did have one very good scene, when a character is shot and believes himself to be dying, but that's about it. It hurts me to give a Francis book only 3 stars, but even he can't hit a home run every time!
April 20, 2017
Ani isn't like other teenager girls. She is a zombie, a fact given away on the back blurb. She was infected by a virus and must keep her condition a secret. Luckily her mom is a scientist and is working to find a cure. How does Ani hide her condition? She pretends to be goth, wearing layers and layers of black hair. When her face rips apart she just pins it back with safety pins and calls it a statement. Her relationships are pretty fake also. Her best friend is a drug using goth girl named Fey who Ani mostly uses as a cover. She longs to be near her childhood friend and crush, Mike but he is dating a popular girl and honestly Ani' gothic style kind of has him freaked out. Ani is bullied by Mike's girlfriend and others as well. Every day is a struggle to stay under the radar and make it back home without injuries.
This book was dark! I had no clue going into it how dark this material would be. I have to say that is honestly the reason I was able to review the book as high as I did. I was shocked sometimes by what happened in this book, at the lengths Ani would go to in attempt to hider her secret. And then the book had layers. We see the day to day activities in Ani's life and suddenly we get thrown some curveballs that I never saw coming. I didn't like the self cutting in the book. It was a way for Ani to fight back her zombie urges (brains!) but it was just gross and treated far too casually in my opinion. Most of the characters were unlikeable and it was somewhat difficult to really root for any of them. The ending was a major shocker and also quite a cliffhanger. I didn't see that coming at all. The author is working on the sequel and even though I had some aspects of the story I didn't care for, the book definitely was unique and different enough that I want to read more. I want to see where the author takes things from the last page of "Twice Shy".
This book was dark! I had no clue going into it how dark this material would be. I have to say that is honestly the reason I was able to review the book as high as I did. I was shocked sometimes by what happened in this book, at the lengths Ani would go to in attempt to hider her secret. And then the book had layers. We see the day to day activities in Ani's life and suddenly we get thrown some curveballs that I never saw coming. I didn't like the self cutting in the book. It was a way for Ani to fight back her zombie urges (brains!) but it was just gross and treated far too casually in my opinion. Most of the characters were unlikeable and it was somewhat difficult to really root for any of them. The ending was a major shocker and also quite a cliffhanger. I didn't see that coming at all. The author is working on the sequel and even though I had some aspects of the story I didn't care for, the book definitely was unique and different enough that I want to read more. I want to see where the author takes things from the last page of "Twice Shy".
September 20, 2012
Ani is having a very bad not good year at school. Mike, the boy she is crushing on, is dating Devon, the queen of mean, Dylan has developed a dangerous obsession with her, her best friend, Fey, is being a total bitch, and, oh yeah, Ani's dead. She was born with the zombie virus and died a couple of years ago. Her mom, a renowned scientist, expert on the disease, and now school nurse, has been keeping Ani in a semblance of life while she searches for a cure. Ani's hunger for delicious brains is under control through self-mutilation and, by joining the emo crowd, she is able to attend school without looking too obviously dead. Unfortunately, Ani's non-beating heart just isn't into it and she longs for the day she can trade her black togs for pink and start breathing for real again.
Twice Shy is a parody of all those YA paranormal romances about young werewolves/vampires/ witches in love and is just a really fun read. Author Patrick Freivald has taken all the standard tropes from these books and made them his bitch. Ani is a great little heroine and the ending is just so completely wrong and yet so right, you're either gonna love it or run screaming 'foul' from your computer. If, like me, you enjoy a good tale of horror but just don't get the whole paranormal boy meets supernatural girl and makes hot, yet somehow still virginal, sweet love to her after rescuing her from car/monster/other less attractive boy, this may be just the book to give you a whole new perspective on the genre or at least a bit of a giggle about it.
Twice Shy is a parody of all those YA paranormal romances about young werewolves/vampires/ witches in love and is just a really fun read. Author Patrick Freivald has taken all the standard tropes from these books and made them his bitch. Ani is a great little heroine and the ending is just so completely wrong and yet so right, you're either gonna love it or run screaming 'foul' from your computer. If, like me, you enjoy a good tale of horror but just don't get the whole paranormal boy meets supernatural girl and makes hot, yet somehow still virginal, sweet love to her after rescuing her from car/monster/other less attractive boy, this may be just the book to give you a whole new perspective on the genre or at least a bit of a giggle about it.
September 4, 2022
I have enjoyed Dick Francis’ formula for stories related to the horse racing industry. Most of his stories mix some aspect of horse racing with some other topics, such as glass blowing, survivalist skills, running a veterinary service, or computer security. This one was an early story in computing and coding. The story revolved around a …who prevails in a typical Francis manner. In summary, a good Francis story, or two, marred by a mistaken belief that technology change moves slowly. If you are not that into technology, the story is a winner.
January 17, 2019
In spite of the dated info about computers and how they work, I was quite happy with this Francis novel. There are two protagonists, brothers Jonathan and William Derry. This is different. Each has to confront and outwit villain Angelo Gilbert. Jonathan successfully gets Angelo sent to jail for murder. Fifteen years later, Angelo is released. Unable to find Jonathan Derry, who’s moved to the States, Angelo transfers his need for revenge to William.
I liked that the two brothers dealt with Angelo in such different ways. Jonathan chose a mostly nonviolent way to stop Angelo. William takes a much more aggressive stance. Of course, after 14 years in prison, Angelo is that much more violent and destructive. Satisfactory conclusion, as always.
An added bonus was the very nice relationship between William and her girlfriend Cassie. I’ve said in the past that Francis is awkward in the romance department. I always feel a little squeamish when I read his intimate details. Maybe it’s because of that grandfatherly photo of him on the back cover, but I really don’t want to go there. In this story, while he makes clear that William and Cassie have a physical relationship, we get no details. Perfect.
I liked that the two brothers dealt with Angelo in such different ways. Jonathan chose a mostly nonviolent way to stop Angelo. William takes a much more aggressive stance. Of course, after 14 years in prison, Angelo is that much more violent and destructive. Satisfactory conclusion, as always.
An added bonus was the very nice relationship between William and her girlfriend Cassie. I’ve said in the past that Francis is awkward in the romance department. I always feel a little squeamish when I read his intimate details. Maybe it’s because of that grandfatherly photo of him on the back cover, but I really don’t want to go there. In this story, while he makes clear that William and Cassie have a physical relationship, we get no details. Perfect.
July 27, 2012
High School Sucks. It’s worse when you’re dead.
Ohneka Falls is a small, Western New York town where everyone
knows everyone and nothing of note happens. Ani Romero is a sixteen-year-old girl who wants to play sports, hang out, and kiss Mike, her middle-school crush. A childhood carrier of the zombie virus, she died at fourteen but didn’t become a mindless, brain-eating monster. Her controlling mother forces her to join the emo crowd to hide her condition behind a wall of black clothes and makeup, and her friends abandon her.
When creeper Dylan learns her secret, he falls into obsession,
with Ani and with death. She bites him in self-defense. Persecuted by the jocks and ignored by Mike, Ani struggles through the motions of life hoping her other’s research unveils a cure, or Dylan dooms them all to a hungry, walking death.
As her emo facade crumbles in the face of jealousy and obsession,
Ani knows that the worst thing she can do is be true to herself.
Ohneka Falls is a small, Western New York town where everyone
knows everyone and nothing of note happens. Ani Romero is a sixteen-year-old girl who wants to play sports, hang out, and kiss Mike, her middle-school crush. A childhood carrier of the zombie virus, she died at fourteen but didn’t become a mindless, brain-eating monster. Her controlling mother forces her to join the emo crowd to hide her condition behind a wall of black clothes and makeup, and her friends abandon her.
When creeper Dylan learns her secret, he falls into obsession,
with Ani and with death. She bites him in self-defense. Persecuted by the jocks and ignored by Mike, Ani struggles through the motions of life hoping her other’s research unveils a cure, or Dylan dooms them all to a hungry, walking death.
As her emo facade crumbles in the face of jealousy and obsession,
Ani knows that the worst thing she can do is be true to herself.
September 10, 2012
I won a copy of this book through the LibraryThing Early Review, and I must admit that the cover is what initially made me request it. I have never been into zombies, but it had been awhile since I'd read a good YA book, so I figured I'd give it a try.
I'm so glad I did! Never having read a zombie book before, I'm not sure if the storyline was original or not, but I thought the author did an excellent job of capturing the emotions and anguish Ani has to deal with. It's a heart-touching story about a mother's love, a brutally honest portrayal of bullying in school and self-injurous behaviors, and sympathy for this good "monster" who would rather be wearing pink and listening to Katy Perry, but in order to stay undedected, she is forced to dress emo and listen to System of the Down.
This book kept me engaged from page one, and the ending shocked me and left me wanting more. I can't wait to see what else the author has written.
I'm so glad I did! Never having read a zombie book before, I'm not sure if the storyline was original or not, but I thought the author did an excellent job of capturing the emotions and anguish Ani has to deal with. It's a heart-touching story about a mother's love, a brutally honest portrayal of bullying in school and self-injurous behaviors, and sympathy for this good "monster" who would rather be wearing pink and listening to Katy Perry, but in order to stay undedected, she is forced to dress emo and listen to System of the Down.
This book kept me engaged from page one, and the ending shocked me and left me wanting more. I can't wait to see what else the author has written.
January 21, 2013
*My rating: 3 and a half stars*
I got the ARC for Twice Shy here on GR and it is the first zombie book I've ever read. Unless they're supporting characters in a pnr book, or dancing in Michael Jackson's Thriller, or as comic fodder in films like Shaun of the Dead, or Zombieland; the rotting, mindless undead doesn't appeal to me. Well, I was in for a pleasant surprise with this book.
Twice Shy is set in a small town NY high school, populated by the usual suspects; jocks, anime nerds, mean girls, and the emo goths with whom our heroine, Ani Romero hangs with to disguise her 'affliction'. Half high school hi-jinks and angst fest, half horror and sci-fi, this book had me riveted from the beginning. And the ending is a killer! I wanted more back story about Ani before she 'died' and her mother's secret work with the Z virus. Other than that, this was a very good first time effort from Patrick Frievald.
I got the ARC for Twice Shy here on GR and it is the first zombie book I've ever read. Unless they're supporting characters in a pnr book, or dancing in Michael Jackson's Thriller, or as comic fodder in films like Shaun of the Dead, or Zombieland; the rotting, mindless undead doesn't appeal to me. Well, I was in for a pleasant surprise with this book.
Twice Shy is set in a small town NY high school, populated by the usual suspects; jocks, anime nerds, mean girls, and the emo goths with whom our heroine, Ani Romero hangs with to disguise her 'affliction'. Half high school hi-jinks and angst fest, half horror and sci-fi, this book had me riveted from the beginning. And the ending is a killer! I wanted more back story about Ani before she 'died' and her mother's secret work with the Z virus. Other than that, this was a very good first time effort from Patrick Frievald.
March 20, 2020
OK, I'm DNFing this one. I remember my first ever secondhand laptop, which I got in 1990 or so, when you had to load the programme every single time you wanted to use it and keep your work on 3.5 in diskettes. I also remember telling my mom about a better laptop that "has a hard disk IN it" in hopes she'd help me buy it...dream on!
I know I read this some time back in the early 80s and it wasn't as dull then as it is now. Now I can't muster up the cares to listen to it, not even while I clean house. Not even on lockdown. I don't care about the dull hero and his dull wife who don't love each other any more because she's obsessed with being unable to have a child of her own. I don't care about the ins and outs of old computer programmes that scream "Look at all this research!" from every page.
Yawn. Next.
I know I read this some time back in the early 80s and it wasn't as dull then as it is now. Now I can't muster up the cares to listen to it, not even while I clean house. Not even on lockdown. I don't care about the dull hero and his dull wife who don't love each other any more because she's obsessed with being unable to have a child of her own. I don't care about the ins and outs of old computer programmes that scream "Look at all this research!" from every page.
Yawn. Next.
April 22, 2014
I've been having a bit of a Dick Francis-a-thon lately. And this was the least favourite of the ones I picked up. It is a 2-in-one, where the second part attempts to carry on a story started 15 years earlier in the 1st part. With a different hero. It didn't work for me on lots of different levels - the main one being that in the 15 years between parts 1 and 2, there was so little advance in computer technology that the 2nd hero could still use the programme, and the disc, which sparked off the crime in the 1st part. I don't suppose many people could have predicted, in the early 80's, just how rapidly computer technology would change and advance, though.
April 10, 2013
A very different take on a zombie book. I can see why it won an award. I was not prepared for that ending but it went out with a bang. I would recommend for zombie book lovers that want something a little bit different.
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