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Nine-Tenths
Leonard Tramer and his family live in Colorado, trapped behind the walls of a totalitarian state. Dedicated to one another and determined to find the free world, they plan an escape which defies the odds and deceives their tyrannical government. Emerging at a time when personal liberties and Internet privacy are slowly eroding, NINE-TENTHS offers a window into a dysfunctional society, while celebrating the resiliency of the human spirit and the natural urge to resist oppression.
432 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 12, 2011
27 people are currently reading
366 people want to read
About the author
Meira Pentermann
6 books44 followersI am an avid reader and author of three novels. I love mysteries, fantasy, young adult, children's, and dystopian science fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
July 1, 2012
This book was a fairly good read and I found it on Amazon for a great price! While time travel is involved, the book is more of a dystopian - which is one of my favorite genres - so I was pleased by this! It is also nice to find a good Adult Fiction Dystopian once and awhile, as I feel so much of the genre is taken over by Young Adult Fiction, so I really embrace those that aren't YA when I can.
The main character leaves a World much like our own and enters into a World that is very reminiscent of East Germany & The Soviet Union. I found the characters to be very interesting and flawed in a way that felt very authentic and endearing. I read this quite quickly and I was surprised by a twist in the book, which does not happen often. Also, this book seems to be very well-edited, which goes against the norm for most bargain Kindle books.
So why if I loved this book and found it so interesting am I only giving it 3.5 stars? The ending. The ending was rushed and if I am honest, pretty unbelievable at times. Much of the book is geared toward reaching a certain point and after they reach it, it ends almost immediately, making it anti-climatic and frustrating. I also found it very hard to believe that . My only other hangup with the book would be that at times, it was very slow and I would find myself almost skimming the page to get through it.
That being said, a lot of this book was highly enjoyable and a page-turner. While there were some flaws, I would still recommend this book, as it is still an interesting and quick read.
The main character leaves a World much like our own and enters into a World that is very reminiscent of East Germany & The Soviet Union. I found the characters to be very interesting and flawed in a way that felt very authentic and endearing. I read this quite quickly and I was surprised by a twist in the book, which does not happen often. Also, this book seems to be very well-edited, which goes against the norm for most bargain Kindle books.
So why if I loved this book and found it so interesting am I only giving it 3.5 stars? The ending. The ending was rushed and if I am honest, pretty unbelievable at times. Much of the book is geared toward reaching a certain point and after they reach it, it ends almost immediately, making it anti-climatic and frustrating. I also found it very hard to believe that . My only other hangup with the book would be that at times, it was very slow and I would find myself almost skimming the page to get through it.
That being said, a lot of this book was highly enjoyable and a page-turner. While there were some flaws, I would still recommend this book, as it is still an interesting and quick read.
November 17, 2011
I'm not a guy who likes time travel stories or dystopian stories. Nine-tenths is both. I had to fight against that. It isn't the book's fault. It's my own hang up: I have a hard time suspending belief to get sucked into time travel tales and the dystopian stuff goes against my natural optimism for the future. I never understood the charms of the classics of this genre: 1984, Fahrenheit 451, Brave New World, Anthem, or A Clockwork Orange.
But I kept reading Nine-tenths because it had something different that those works. Those are about the individual raging against their particular machine. Nine-tenths is about a family doing so. None of those others (least that I can remember) deal with the issue of family and the sacrifices a family would make in a world oppressed. Why is that? I've no answer. The sex of the author? Maybe. (N.B. I've not read The Handmaid's Tale…yet.)
Another aspect I liked about Nine-tenths is a difference in world view from prior dystopian novels. Most seem to work on the Marxist assumption that history is a tidal wave of inevitable social and cultural forces overpowering and overturning people and institutions. It holds the assumption that a single man is powerless. I can't abide that. Maybe that's why I don't like most of dystopian literature. It assumes that on the path to totalitarianism no one is 'standing athwart history yelling Stop'.
Nine-tenths beginning seemed to keep this tradition alive. However, throughout the book it is slowly countered and a certain unexpected and surprising twist completely rejects it. That made me smile.
But I kept reading Nine-tenths because it had something different that those works. Those are about the individual raging against their particular machine. Nine-tenths is about a family doing so. None of those others (least that I can remember) deal with the issue of family and the sacrifices a family would make in a world oppressed. Why is that? I've no answer. The sex of the author? Maybe. (N.B. I've not read The Handmaid's Tale…yet.)
Another aspect I liked about Nine-tenths is a difference in world view from prior dystopian novels. Most seem to work on the Marxist assumption that history is a tidal wave of inevitable social and cultural forces overpowering and overturning people and institutions. It holds the assumption that a single man is powerless. I can't abide that. Maybe that's why I don't like most of dystopian literature. It assumes that on the path to totalitarianism no one is 'standing athwart history yelling Stop'.
Nine-tenths beginning seemed to keep this tradition alive. However, throughout the book it is slowly countered and a certain unexpected and surprising twist completely rejects it. That made me smile.
April 26, 2012
It's a rare novel that's good enough to blow me away, but Nine-Tenths fits that bill. I started this book a couple months ago, and put it down not too long thereafter, a little baffled by the science-fiction nature of the opening and not sure what to expect from the rest of the book. I picked it up again a few weeks ago, and I'm certainly glad I did!
The opening chapters are a little unusual for a book of this genre, but what follows as the book unfolds. . .is excellent. Nine-Tenths reads like an intellectual marriage between Ayn Rand and George Orwell, set in a world devastated by apocalypse--an apocalypse caused not by germ warfare or nuclear weapons, but by a totalitarian government bent on control at any price. Meira Pentermann clearly has a message to convey in her work, but she does an impressive job of conveying it in such a way that it does not get in the way of the story. There are very few science-fiction elements in the story--most of the technology used already exists and adds to the verisimilitude of the plot.
In the end, Nine-Tenths is more than just a thriller. It's a sobering and all-too-real look at the end of a road we've already begun to travel, and I applaud the author for a job well done in presenting it. Easily one of the top five independent novels I've read, and highly recommended.
The opening chapters are a little unusual for a book of this genre, but what follows as the book unfolds. . .is excellent. Nine-Tenths reads like an intellectual marriage between Ayn Rand and George Orwell, set in a world devastated by apocalypse--an apocalypse caused not by germ warfare or nuclear weapons, but by a totalitarian government bent on control at any price. Meira Pentermann clearly has a message to convey in her work, but she does an impressive job of conveying it in such a way that it does not get in the way of the story. There are very few science-fiction elements in the story--most of the technology used already exists and adds to the verisimilitude of the plot.
In the end, Nine-Tenths is more than just a thriller. It's a sobering and all-too-real look at the end of a road we've already begun to travel, and I applaud the author for a job well done in presenting it. Easily one of the top five independent novels I've read, and highly recommended.
May 9, 2012
I really enjoyed this story. A lot of unexpected occurrences along with some predictability made it a worthwhile and page-turning read. The last 1/3 of the book is unputdownable!! I sort of wish Ms. Pentermann had kept us wondering about Alina. Her fate and the breakthrough info on the car wreck from early in the tale occurred too quickly and seemed to wrap things up too soon. But, overall, well worth the read!!
May 21, 2019
This time travel/dystopia novel had a lot going for it, but ultimately it didn't quite work for me. The worldbuilding is interesting, I just wish it weren't all presented by having someone lecture the protagonist about it. Speaking of the protagonist... for a supposed genius, Leonard acts like a complete moron a lot of the time, and a highly unlikable one at that. Loved the clever twist at the end, though.
May 5, 2020
Neither dystopian nor syfy (i.e., time travel), the book is a mediocre novel. The protagonist is supposed to be a "genius but he's one of the biggest unlikable dumbasses I have come across in fiction in quite a while. The ending is predictable with everything being wrapped in a lovely fashion. Understanding this is an independent book, I still could not recommend this book.
July 24, 2020
Strange translation. Figures of speech are translated verbatim, and they make so sense in German. Some words are used that are archaic and not used any more by a German native speaker. The book makes a lot more sense in English and is enjoyable, in German it is not a work that I would recommend. Too bad!
August 16, 2021
Dystopian Novel
A well written story revolving around a family!y caught in a world where your every word can cause your family undue harm. Fantastic characters and in depth descriptions with a killer story line made for a great read.
A well written story revolving around a family!y caught in a world where your every word can cause your family undue harm. Fantastic characters and in depth descriptions with a killer story line made for a great read.
August 3, 2022
I enjoyed this story, but I kept thinking that it wasn't really about time travel. Ergo, three stars. I noticed Orwellian influences.
December 10, 2011
I recieved this from a Goodreads giveaway. I have to say, I'm very glad I did.
All it takes is nine-tenths of a second to make a mistake. Nine-tenths of a second can change the world. Leonard Tramer learns this lesson the hard way. He made a mistake when he was younger and has spent the last 30 years trying to figure out how to go back and fix it. With the best of intentions, he figures it out, but what happens when you change the past? You change the future too.
I have read a lot of books about dystopian societies. They can really be hit or miss. This one was a hit.
Not many of these type of books focus on families fighting their way through these oppressive worlds. Usually everyone is evil except that one person struggling to get free but not with this one. That's one thing I really enjoyed about this book. Leonard, his wife Alina and their daughter Natalia all band together to cross all barriers to get to a better place.
Pentermann really brought this 'alternate reality' to life. I was pulled in almost immediately. The characters were all well developed and the world they live in can truly be terrifying at times. At many points in the story I felt my stomach lurch with dread or anticipation with what was coming to the characters.
I loved how the story gradually unfolded. The changes were slowly unveiled to Leonard and to the reader, which made it that much more a page turner. It didn't focus mainly on the political aspect of the story either, like most do, it wraps you up in the characters and the story line. It was very well written and a great story.
What impressed me a lot was that the author self-published this book, yet it was well edited and free of mistakes. I did find one little mistake toward the end but I can let that slide since the rest of the book is just that good.
My one issue was that a big part of it was just a bit predictable to me. I had a very good idea of what went wrong and why it all changed and, for the most part, I was right.
I'd recommend reading it, though, if it strikes your fancy. It definitely breaks the mold a bit on the genre.
Very good read.
www.theultimatebooknook.blogspot.com
All it takes is nine-tenths of a second to make a mistake. Nine-tenths of a second can change the world. Leonard Tramer learns this lesson the hard way. He made a mistake when he was younger and has spent the last 30 years trying to figure out how to go back and fix it. With the best of intentions, he figures it out, but what happens when you change the past? You change the future too.
I have read a lot of books about dystopian societies. They can really be hit or miss. This one was a hit.
Not many of these type of books focus on families fighting their way through these oppressive worlds. Usually everyone is evil except that one person struggling to get free but not with this one. That's one thing I really enjoyed about this book. Leonard, his wife Alina and their daughter Natalia all band together to cross all barriers to get to a better place.
Pentermann really brought this 'alternate reality' to life. I was pulled in almost immediately. The characters were all well developed and the world they live in can truly be terrifying at times. At many points in the story I felt my stomach lurch with dread or anticipation with what was coming to the characters.
I loved how the story gradually unfolded. The changes were slowly unveiled to Leonard and to the reader, which made it that much more a page turner. It didn't focus mainly on the political aspect of the story either, like most do, it wraps you up in the characters and the story line. It was very well written and a great story.
What impressed me a lot was that the author self-published this book, yet it was well edited and free of mistakes. I did find one little mistake toward the end but I can let that slide since the rest of the book is just that good.
My one issue was that a big part of it was just a bit predictable to me. I had a very good idea of what went wrong and why it all changed and, for the most part, I was right.
I'd recommend reading it, though, if it strikes your fancy. It definitely breaks the mold a bit on the genre.
Very good read.
www.theultimatebooknook.blogspot.com
February 17, 2012
“Whoever would trade freedom for security deserves neither and loses both.” That concept is explored in spades in Pentermann’s terrifying dystopian nightmare, Nine-Tenths. Leonard Tramer finally succeeds in traveling back in time to right a wrong he believes he committed thirty years ago but as we all know, tinkering with the past affects the future.
Tramer is returned to a radically altered present day, fashioned on actual historical episodes of communism, notably Soviet East Germany, but with today’s technology. This is a part of history I was aware of but hadn’t thought about very deeply. Nine-Tenths plunks the main character square in the middle of such a society and illustrates the paranoia, anxiety, poverty, corruption, wrongness, and outright terror it engenders. The most basic gifts in the world – love, family, freedom to prosper – are subverted by an authoritarian regime and the horrifying culture it breeds.
The Tramers are good, brave people. Their grip on right and wrong cannot be undermined by the nightmare around them. To save their daughter from an unthinkable fate as a state ward in the Youth Brigade, Leonard and Alina Tramer risk everything to save her. The tension is heart pounding from the get-go. I completely sympathized with the Tramer family as they rejected the awful world they were trapped in. Nine-Tenths kept me up too late at night and distracted me all day while I couldn’t be reading. Without spoiling anything, I can assure the reader that there is relief and hope at the end. Indeed, Pentermann’s de-escalation of terror is thoughtful and considerate. Her descriptions are tasteful and she isn’t one to wallow in violence, which keeps the harrowing story bearable. Excellent high-octane read, written with a refreshing clarity and perspective.
Tramer is returned to a radically altered present day, fashioned on actual historical episodes of communism, notably Soviet East Germany, but with today’s technology. This is a part of history I was aware of but hadn’t thought about very deeply. Nine-Tenths plunks the main character square in the middle of such a society and illustrates the paranoia, anxiety, poverty, corruption, wrongness, and outright terror it engenders. The most basic gifts in the world – love, family, freedom to prosper – are subverted by an authoritarian regime and the horrifying culture it breeds.
The Tramers are good, brave people. Their grip on right and wrong cannot be undermined by the nightmare around them. To save their daughter from an unthinkable fate as a state ward in the Youth Brigade, Leonard and Alina Tramer risk everything to save her. The tension is heart pounding from the get-go. I completely sympathized with the Tramer family as they rejected the awful world they were trapped in. Nine-Tenths kept me up too late at night and distracted me all day while I couldn’t be reading. Without spoiling anything, I can assure the reader that there is relief and hope at the end. Indeed, Pentermann’s de-escalation of terror is thoughtful and considerate. Her descriptions are tasteful and she isn’t one to wallow in violence, which keeps the harrowing story bearable. Excellent high-octane read, written with a refreshing clarity and perspective.
October 14, 2012
A suspenseful political thriller
“Nine-Tenths” is a political thriller. The title refers to the split second during which a person makes a crucial decision, and the consequences of that decision, whether good or bad. From the first pages, the reader is enthralled and bewildered by the story. Is this a fantasy? some sort of a dream world? or the real world gone terribly wrong?
The protagonists, Leonard Tramer and his wife Alina face moral dilemmas forcing them to choose between betrayal and loyalty leading to life or death for themselves and their family. They live near Denver. Very plausible. But as Leonard slowly discovers, they are living under a totalitarian military government. Has he been in some kind of a trance, or has someone been “messing with his brain” at his job at a government communications installation?
The novel describes a technologically modern “Brave New World”, where the rulers depend upon fear instead of pleasure to control the population. However, the objectives are the same: power and control.
The author is plants clues and dialogue along the way to illustrate her theme of the people against totalitarian forces. For example, with a wink to Austrian economist F. A. Hayek and his classic “The Road to Serfdom”, the rebel’s dog is named Hayek.
Suspense drives the reader on as the dangers increase until... No, I won’t spoil it for you! But once begun, it’s hard to put down, close, turn off, or whatever you do to read now!
“Nine-Tenths” is a political thriller. The title refers to the split second during which a person makes a crucial decision, and the consequences of that decision, whether good or bad. From the first pages, the reader is enthralled and bewildered by the story. Is this a fantasy? some sort of a dream world? or the real world gone terribly wrong?
The protagonists, Leonard Tramer and his wife Alina face moral dilemmas forcing them to choose between betrayal and loyalty leading to life or death for themselves and their family. They live near Denver. Very plausible. But as Leonard slowly discovers, they are living under a totalitarian military government. Has he been in some kind of a trance, or has someone been “messing with his brain” at his job at a government communications installation?
The novel describes a technologically modern “Brave New World”, where the rulers depend upon fear instead of pleasure to control the population. However, the objectives are the same: power and control.
The author is plants clues and dialogue along the way to illustrate her theme of the people against totalitarian forces. For example, with a wink to Austrian economist F. A. Hayek and his classic “The Road to Serfdom”, the rebel’s dog is named Hayek.
Suspense drives the reader on as the dangers increase until... No, I won’t spoil it for you! But once begun, it’s hard to put down, close, turn off, or whatever you do to read now!
February 16, 2014
Leonard Trammer has lived his whole adult life obsessed with an accident that caused the death of a young boy. He's blown through relationship after relationship, never forming much of a bond with anyone, because he's determined to build a working time machine so that he can go back in time and keep himself from being distracted for "nine-tenths of a second" in order to prevent the accident. He succeeds! Oh, but the accident happens anyway, caused by someone else. Hmmm. It's only a couple of chapters into the book, but when Leonard exits his time machine (built in a closet), his house looks different - and he's married to the only woman he ever loved! They have 2 kids! Oh yeah, and also they live in a horrid alternate reality where the United States is a totalitarian nation with a dictator/president. Housing size, jobs, schools,children, everything is regulated and everyone is spied on - there are microphones in your house and an actual tracker in your body.
Leonard works for the government and apparently is responsible for the creation of the Stasi spy satellite, was he really on-board with this new world order?
A situation arises with his children that convinces Leonard and his wife to attempt to flee to a "free" area of Colorado. The story really gets going when it looks at just how hard it is to flee a power like that described in this book. I found the little twist at the end to be fantastic.
Leonard works for the government and apparently is responsible for the creation of the Stasi spy satellite, was he really on-board with this new world order?
A situation arises with his children that convinces Leonard and his wife to attempt to flee to a "free" area of Colorado. The story really gets going when it looks at just how hard it is to flee a power like that described in this book. I found the little twist at the end to be fantastic.
August 10, 2012
Meira Pentermann Readers,
George Orwell set the bar high when he wrote the classic 1984. A distopian view of what totalitarianism might look like. Many of us had to read that in Junior High. It was supposed to help us understand what a communist state might be like. Then came 1984, and well thankfully the world wasn't what George pictured.
So, Penterman has written a novel where in an effort to erase the mistake that happened some thirty years ago, Leonard builds a time machine to correct that nine-tenths of a second. Only he fails, and returns to a world drastically different than the he lived. Without spoiling the whole novel, he lands in George Orwell s future. Now Leonard learns he has a family, the woman who left him to his time-travel obsession is his wife, mother of his two children, and they are struggling to survive in the New Order.
In spite of living with the woman of his dreams, Leonard realizes that his future self in this other reality was a bit of a chump. Can he return to the past? What brought about the drastic change to history, can he help the people he loves?
A great find through a Kindle free book loan. Take the time to look this one over.
BookBear
George Orwell set the bar high when he wrote the classic 1984. A distopian view of what totalitarianism might look like. Many of us had to read that in Junior High. It was supposed to help us understand what a communist state might be like. Then came 1984, and well thankfully the world wasn't what George pictured.
So, Penterman has written a novel where in an effort to erase the mistake that happened some thirty years ago, Leonard builds a time machine to correct that nine-tenths of a second. Only he fails, and returns to a world drastically different than the he lived. Without spoiling the whole novel, he lands in George Orwell s future. Now Leonard learns he has a family, the woman who left him to his time-travel obsession is his wife, mother of his two children, and they are struggling to survive in the New Order.
In spite of living with the woman of his dreams, Leonard realizes that his future self in this other reality was a bit of a chump. Can he return to the past? What brought about the drastic change to history, can he help the people he loves?
A great find through a Kindle free book loan. Take the time to look this one over.
BookBear
October 21, 2012
Telling a story like this is difficult. We've all seen the movies or read the books where some event has destroyed the world and some wacky culture has risen from the rubble. Oftentimes, the writers of these stories don't draw the line between our world and that new culture, so none of it makes sense. Ms. Pentermann avoids that mistake by thinking through the world that she has created. She draws inspiration from our past and presents a picture of what our modern world might look like if the monsters of our past (or some similar) were able to rise in the present.
I found the device that Ms. Pentermann used to execute this concept to be interesting as well. It wasn't just a matter of some far off future world, it was about the world we live in right now, with only one slight change to the past. One mistake. A fraction of a second.
The story never lost my interest. Once the main character found himself in this strange new world, each movement pushed the story toward the next. The author has a solid point of view, which some might look down on, but which I think is essential for a story like this. A little discussion never hurt anyone. I wouldn't mind seeing more of this world someday.
I found the device that Ms. Pentermann used to execute this concept to be interesting as well. It wasn't just a matter of some far off future world, it was about the world we live in right now, with only one slight change to the past. One mistake. A fraction of a second.
The story never lost my interest. Once the main character found himself in this strange new world, each movement pushed the story toward the next. The author has a solid point of view, which some might look down on, but which I think is essential for a story like this. A little discussion never hurt anyone. I wouldn't mind seeing more of this world someday.
September 26, 2013
The book started out strange, to say the least. The tortured guy who is trying to build a time machine?? Very confusing. I can see why the author would use this in order to get someone from "our" time to a different time where communism is in force. However, it seemed contrived...the guy just woke up one day a different person? But, really, after I got past the first part, I really liked the story. It was a mix of time travel and dystopian fiction. Another reviewer mentioned that it is an adult dystopian fiction, and I agree. Refreshing as I love the genre but it seems everyone is writing to teenagers now. Maybe angsty teenagers are easier to write.
Anyway, yes, the plot twist was transparent, but I liked it. I like trying to guess the plot twist then getting it right. I often think about what one small change in a day can do and that is basically what happened. Accidents happen all the time, but how is the world different based on small (in the grand scheme of the world) changes? It was also interesting to hear about this "new" world the main character finds himself a part of. I wish we had heard more about it, but it was up to the very end before that was covered in high level.
Anyway, yes, the plot twist was transparent, but I liked it. I like trying to guess the plot twist then getting it right. I often think about what one small change in a day can do and that is basically what happened. Accidents happen all the time, but how is the world different based on small (in the grand scheme of the world) changes? It was also interesting to hear about this "new" world the main character finds himself a part of. I wish we had heard more about it, but it was up to the very end before that was covered in high level.
March 21, 2013
Nine-Tenths by Meira Pentermann
“Nine-tenths of a second is jus long enough for someone to make an irrevocable, unforgiveable mistake.” This book starts with that premise and follows the actions of Leonard Tramer and how he has to live with that nine-tenths of a second.
The author has taken the wide spread concerns about privacy and postulated a society that might result from a lack thereof. Leonard Tramer finds himself dealing with unintended consequences of a monumental decision to change his life. Little does he know how that decision will impact the world around him.
Pentermann paints a grim future of big government and pseudo-parental oversight. Reminiscent of 1984 or the Brave New World, this book encourages you to look at what freedoms you may be giving up for purported safety.
The story line is good and the characterization of Leonard shows a traumatized soul seeking redemption.
I recommend the book.
(I just read a review on her site and found that my perspective as unique as I modestly feel it is, might not be so unique.)
Web Site: http://meirapentermann.com/
“Nine-tenths of a second is jus long enough for someone to make an irrevocable, unforgiveable mistake.” This book starts with that premise and follows the actions of Leonard Tramer and how he has to live with that nine-tenths of a second.
The author has taken the wide spread concerns about privacy and postulated a society that might result from a lack thereof. Leonard Tramer finds himself dealing with unintended consequences of a monumental decision to change his life. Little does he know how that decision will impact the world around him.
Pentermann paints a grim future of big government and pseudo-parental oversight. Reminiscent of 1984 or the Brave New World, this book encourages you to look at what freedoms you may be giving up for purported safety.
The story line is good and the characterization of Leonard shows a traumatized soul seeking redemption.
I recommend the book.
(I just read a review on her site and found that my perspective as unique as I modestly feel it is, might not be so unique.)
Web Site: http://meirapentermann.com/
March 24, 2016
I got this book free off of Amazon and when I started reading it, I was excited about it. A man is involved in an accident and spends the rest of his life hunkered down trying to build a time machine to go back and fix it. Right at the start of the book he is successful, but it looks like the same thing happened and he wasted his life for no reason. Only, that 9/10 of a minute really did do something, because when be walks upstairs, he's in an alternate reality. I've read 1984, and this new world was very much the same. He has a wife and kids and a good job, but the world is messed up. And then it gets boring. I haven't given any spoilers away yet (and won't) but everything was set up so well, and then I just couldn't read it. I got 62% of the way through and every time I picked it up, I felt so draggy. Things moved slowly, no one seemed that likable, everything dribbled along. So I gave up. The book has good ratings, so it seems I'm the only one who feels this way. If you enjoyed something like 1984, give this one a try.
October 20, 2011
Leonard Tramer is an inventor who has spent the last thirty years tinkering with a time machine so he can undo a tragic mistake he made when he was a young man. When the time machine finally works, he finds himself plunked down in the middle of a world -and with a family- he knows nothing about. Navigating this new world is dangerous because no one can be trusted and nothing is what it seems.
Smartly written and with multi-dimensional characters, Nine-Tenths is a wonderful story and in many ways it reminded me of my all-time favorite book - Stephen King's The Stand. With a truly unique spin on time-travel, the story takes you for a ride and includes a shocking plot twist I didn't see coming. It also serves as a chilling reminder that sometimes we're better off leaving things alone.
Smartly written and with multi-dimensional characters, Nine-Tenths is a wonderful story and in many ways it reminded me of my all-time favorite book - Stephen King's The Stand. With a truly unique spin on time-travel, the story takes you for a ride and includes a shocking plot twist I didn't see coming. It also serves as a chilling reminder that sometimes we're better off leaving things alone.
December 3, 2014
It took me a while to get around to this book. Not because the hammer & sickle on the cover made it look like a Hillary Clinton biography, but because of all the books in my towering To Be Read pile.
If they all read as fast as this one, though, I might actually catch up one day.
There's no doubt in my mind others have compared this to 1984. Of course it reminded me of the Orwell classic, too. But it truly is a thriller--as fun a read as you can hope for considering the subject matter.
Leonard Tramer is a pain in the ass, but I couldn't help sympathizing after reading the first chapter. Despite some stilted dialog here and there, and some minor plot complaints, this was an easy novel to give five stars. Meira Pentermann knows how to hook readers, and keep them hooked. Bravo.
If they all read as fast as this one, though, I might actually catch up one day.
There's no doubt in my mind others have compared this to 1984. Of course it reminded me of the Orwell classic, too. But it truly is a thriller--as fun a read as you can hope for considering the subject matter.
Leonard Tramer is a pain in the ass, but I couldn't help sympathizing after reading the first chapter. Despite some stilted dialog here and there, and some minor plot complaints, this was an easy novel to give five stars. Meira Pentermann knows how to hook readers, and keep them hooked. Bravo.
February 2, 2012
This book blew my mind by the end of the first chapter and continued to blow my mind throughout! The title is explained already in the first sentence: "Nine-Tenths of a second is just long enough for someone to make an irrevocable, unforgiveable mistake." The plot is elaborate and terrifyingly brilliant in a way that hits close to home while being out of this world. It has all the right elements of a great story and is perfectly put together, which is refreshing in the self-published/independently published industry. If I were able to I'd give this book 6 stars - it could easily become an American classic!!
May 24, 2012
All I have to say is "WOW"! This was a book I couldn't put down (but had to because of work). The characters were incredibly engaging. I really could empathize with Leonard and his predicament and with his feelings of confusion, lose and despair.
This book is very much in line with "1984" in the fact that it presents an altered view of the future. It also reflects actual history, especially under communism. I liked all the references (some subtle, others not so much) to East Germany and the Soviet Union.
I would highly recommend this book to someone who likes "historical" fiction. It's a great read!
This book is very much in line with "1984" in the fact that it presents an altered view of the future. It also reflects actual history, especially under communism. I liked all the references (some subtle, others not so much) to East Germany and the Soviet Union.
I would highly recommend this book to someone who likes "historical" fiction. It's a great read!
June 26, 2012
A very entertaining and particularly thought provoking read and had it not been for the addition of an attempt to build a time machine in Chapter One this could have been told as a story of a possible future for America. It wasn't difficult for me to suspend my beliefs enough to imagine the reality in which this family found themselves and the setting made use of real places that are familiar to me as well as real government agencies with their inherent flaws, helping me see the story as being more plausible. This worked to make the story much easier read for someone who is not into science-fiction.
December 14, 2014
An imperfect yet entertaining cautionary tale. A man from our own USA suddenly finds himself in a terrible totalitarian version of our nation. The plot that develops as he discovers the truth about his new world and his place in it is well imagined and compelling. My main criticism is the device the author uses to deposit our protagonist into this alternative reality. It is as if she came up with a terrific story idea first and then asked herself, now how do I get him into this world? The revelations at the conclusion are rather predictable. That being said, I did enjoy Nine-Tenths and welcome a possible sequel.
February 22, 2012
Won this in a goodreads giveaway. A two-part novel one time travel and the other a dystopian view of the US. I had a hard time with the time travel part, it just didn't fit the other 90% of the book for me, that said not sure how else the author would have represented the concept in the title. The concept of the US falling into a police state seems totally absurd, but when tied to the recession started in 2008 it presents a scary view. Overall this was a great novel and definitely fits well in the genre.
Get it - read it.
Get it - read it.
July 18, 2012
Not a bad book. Fast paced and interesting....but not worth 4 stars because things just come a little too easily for our protagonist and his family. for example, considering it's set in a totalitarian state his escape is far too easy and there is a little bit of a deus ex machina in the middle too. There are other things but they would be spoilers.
That said it was fun and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to others.
That said it was fun and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to others.
September 1, 2012
Another dystopian novel set in the near future. The book is well written, the characters believable and story compelling. The totalitarian government uses a fictional disease to cull the population of dissidents and promote an eugenics program. The story describes one man's struggle to find hope and alive in the midst of despair. It is well worth reading. To me, the story is a metaphor for our government's use of the never-ending war on terror to tighten and maintain control.
February 3, 2013
Not bad! I was expecting it to be a little scarier, and some of the plot holes were a little too nicely sewn up for my taste, but it kept my anxiety at a steady, low boil throughout. An interesting concept that uses time travel as a catalyst, yet not a focus. This crosses genres smoothly, from sci-fi to alternate history to political thriller.
August 31, 2014
Great concept at the beginning but then changed into a different story. A lot of character development questions were left unanswered and the phrasing and plot line seemed, at times, quite simplistic and contrived. That being said, I thought that it was an interesting concept and it was suspenseful enough to keep me reading.
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