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Foreverland #1
The Annihilation of Foreverland
When kids awake on an island, they’re told there was an accident. Before they can go home, they will visit Foreverland, an alternate reality that will heal their minds.
Reed dreams of a girl that tells him to resist Foreverland. He doesn’t remember her name, but knows he once loved her. He’ll have to endure great suffering and trust his dream. And trust he’s not insane.
Danny Boy, the new arrival, meets Reed’s dream girl inside Foreverland. She’s stuck in the fantasy land that no kid can resist. Where every heart’s desire is satisfied. Why should anyone care how Foreverland works?
Reed dreams of a girl that tells him to resist Foreverland. He doesn’t remember her name, but knows he once loved her. He’ll have to endure great suffering and trust his dream. And trust he’s not insane.
Danny Boy, the new arrival, meets Reed’s dream girl inside Foreverland. She’s stuck in the fantasy land that no kid can resist. Where every heart’s desire is satisfied. Why should anyone care how Foreverland works?
354 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 31, 2011
213 people are currently reading
3353 people want to read
About the author
Tony Bertauski
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He grew up in the Midwest where the land is flat and the corn is tall. The winters are bleak and cold. He hated winters.
He always wanted to write. But writing was hard. And he wasn’t very disciplined. The cold had nothing to do with that, but it didn’t help. That changed in grad school.
After several attempts at a proposal, his major advisor was losing money on red ink and advised him to figure it out. Somehow, he did.
After grad school, he and his wife and two very little children moved to the South in Charleston, South Carolina where the winters are spring and the summers are a sauna (cliche but dead on accurate). That’s when he started teaching and writing articles for trade magazines. He eventually published two textbooks on landscape design. He then transitioned to writing a column for the Post and Courier. They were all great gigs, but they weren’t fiction.
That was a few years later.
His daughter started reading before she could read, pretending she knew the words in books she propped on her lap. His son was a different story. In an attempt to change that, he began writing a story with him. They made up a character, gave him a name, and something to do. As with much of parenting, it did not go as planned. But the character got stuck in his head.
He wanted out.
A few years later, Socket Greeny was born. It was a science fiction trilogy that was gritty and thoughtful. That was 2005.
He has been practicing Zen since he was 23 years old. A daily meditator, he wants to instill something meaningful in his stories that appeals to a young adult crowd as well as adult. Think Hunger Games. He hadn’t planned to write fiction, didn’t even know if he had anymore stories in him after Socket Greeny.
Turns out he did.
He grew up in the Midwest where the land is flat and the corn is tall. The winters are bleak and cold. He hated winters.
He always wanted to write. But writing was hard. And he wasn’t very disciplined. The cold had nothing to do with that, but it didn’t help. That changed in grad school.
After several attempts at a proposal, his major advisor was losing money on red ink and advised him to figure it out. Somehow, he did.
After grad school, he and his wife and two very little children moved to the South in Charleston, South Carolina where the winters are spring and the summers are a sauna (cliche but dead on accurate). That’s when he started teaching and writing articles for trade magazines. He eventually published two textbooks on landscape design. He then transitioned to writing a column for the Post and Courier. They were all great gigs, but they weren’t fiction.
That was a few years later.
His daughter started reading before she could read, pretending she knew the words in books she propped on her lap. His son was a different story. In an attempt to change that, he began writing a story with him. They made up a character, gave him a name, and something to do. As with much of parenting, it did not go as planned. But the character got stuck in his head.
He wanted out.
A few years later, Socket Greeny was born. It was a science fiction trilogy that was gritty and thoughtful. That was 2005.
He has been practicing Zen since he was 23 years old. A daily meditator, he wants to instill something meaningful in his stories that appeals to a young adult crowd as well as adult. Think Hunger Games. He hadn’t planned to write fiction, didn’t even know if he had anymore stories in him after Socket Greeny.
Turns out he did.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 340 reviews
October 22, 2014
A self-published, Kindle novel - so not me. On top of that, I think it is YA. I start a lot of these each year & never mention it because they're just not up to snuff & I hate to hurt the author's feelings. But I read this one & I'm very glad I did. It was a really pleasant surprise of a straight SF novel with a lot of fantastic elements. Quite an imaginative setup with well motivated characters, well drawn in a strange scenario that could be happening now or in the near future.
I spent the first 1/4 of the novel trying to figure out what was happening & the next half realizing I was right, but trying to figure out what the fix was. Then the last 1/4 was a mad dash to see who would win.
There were faults. Some of the plot points just had to be believed, but given the nature of the story, that was inevitable. Damn, I want to explain that more, but just about anything I say is a spoiler. Half the fun of the book is the mystery, trying to figure out just what is going on. It was a great ride & I look forward to reading more by this author.
I spent the first 1/4 of the novel trying to figure out what was happening & the next half realizing I was right, but trying to figure out what the fix was. Then the last 1/4 was a mad dash to see who would win.
There were faults. Some of the plot points just had to be believed, but given the nature of the story, that was inevitable. Damn, I want to explain that more, but just about anything I say is a spoiler. Half the fun of the book is the mystery, trying to figure out just what is going on. It was a great ride & I look forward to reading more by this author.
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April 29, 2019
I received a copy of this book from the author for an honest review.
Excuse me people. I’m having an old folk moment. I need to tell a quick story to express how I feel:
When I was little, I used to watch wrestling with my Great Grandmother (We called her “Big Ma”.) She is by far the oldest person I’ve ever known and feared by all. She was an axe wielding very tough cookie of a lady. (Seriously, no joke) Any who, she never cried! (Even when she chopped her big toe off one day chopping wood.) She was always eerily clam. In fact the only thing that would get her hyped was when we watched wrestling. She would yell at the screen telling them to stop hurting our beloved Ric Flair. When I would change the station, she’d make me change it back. A few times she may even have been on the edge of tears, but just couldn’t look away.
This book was like the Flame....Mother-flipping GEORGEOUS, WOOOOOO! From the moment I picked it up, things looked bad.....I mean real bad. This book seriously freaked me out. I never expected a YA book to be so terrifying. I’m a self-proclaimed “know-it-all” and the fact that I couldn’t guess the events of this book scared me shitless. Yet, I could not look away. Like Peter Pan meets Tim Burton!
Imagine being this little boy waking up in a strange bed with a strange elderly old man staring down at you. Yeah he grinning and being all extra nice; but you don’t know who you are. You’re at this camp of all boys. Each has an elderly old man assigned to them. Nobody knows who they are and is just doing what they’re told without question.....getting needles stuck in their head. AGAIN....FREAKED ME OUT!
The words in this book were tangible! The characters were hopeless. I was hopeless. They were confused. I was confused. They didn’t know what was going on. Heck, I was reading it, and I didn’t even know. The author did an excellent job of keeping the reader in suspense. When things started to unravel and reveal themselves...Whoa-mama! Thanks to this book, I now fear old people! Here’s another book, I have no problem rating as “EPIC”!
Excuse me people. I’m having an old folk moment. I need to tell a quick story to express how I feel:
When I was little, I used to watch wrestling with my Great Grandmother (We called her “Big Ma”.) She is by far the oldest person I’ve ever known and feared by all. She was an axe wielding very tough cookie of a lady. (Seriously, no joke) Any who, she never cried! (Even when she chopped her big toe off one day chopping wood.) She was always eerily clam. In fact the only thing that would get her hyped was when we watched wrestling. She would yell at the screen telling them to stop hurting our beloved Ric Flair. When I would change the station, she’d make me change it back. A few times she may even have been on the edge of tears, but just couldn’t look away.
This book was like the Flame....Mother-flipping GEORGEOUS, WOOOOOO! From the moment I picked it up, things looked bad.....I mean real bad. This book seriously freaked me out. I never expected a YA book to be so terrifying. I’m a self-proclaimed “know-it-all” and the fact that I couldn’t guess the events of this book scared me shitless. Yet, I could not look away. Like Peter Pan meets Tim Burton!
Imagine being this little boy waking up in a strange bed with a strange elderly old man staring down at you. Yeah he grinning and being all extra nice; but you don’t know who you are. You’re at this camp of all boys. Each has an elderly old man assigned to them. Nobody knows who they are and is just doing what they’re told without question.....getting needles stuck in their head. AGAIN....FREAKED ME OUT!
The words in this book were tangible! The characters were hopeless. I was hopeless. They were confused. I was confused. They didn’t know what was going on. Heck, I was reading it, and I didn’t even know. The author did an excellent job of keeping the reader in suspense. When things started to unravel and reveal themselves...Whoa-mama! Thanks to this book, I now fear old people! Here’s another book, I have no problem rating as “EPIC”!
January 30, 2016
Hmm... The idea was awesome. Kids waking up on an island with no memory of their lives... an alternate reality they visit named foreverland...
But to be honest I was pretty bored most of the time. The constant „Danny Boy“ was grinding on my nerves and the side characters were all very exchangeable. The first third or so of the book was quite confusing and it took me a while to get into the story.
In the end it reminded me too much of other books I read and wasn't unique enough to set itself apart from them.
The writing wasn't impressive either to be honest. 2 stars for this one...
But to be honest I was pretty bored most of the time. The constant „Danny Boy“ was grinding on my nerves and the side characters were all very exchangeable. The first third or so of the book was quite confusing and it took me a while to get into the story.
In the end it reminded me too much of other books I read and wasn't unique enough to set itself apart from them.
The writing wasn't impressive either to be honest. 2 stars for this one...
April 16, 2012
Part Ender’s Game, part Inception, part Lord of the Flies, Tony Bertauski’s The Annihilation of Foreverland places young teenaged boys on an island, surrounds them with video games, fun food, and the world’s best teachers, requires they exercise body and brain, and even gives each boy an individual, elderly guardian to prove they’re wanted and valuable. But why are they there?
Some may have been in accidents. Some may have committed crimes. All they know is they’re here to “get better,” to become better people so that eventually they’ll graduate. But the road to graduation seems strange, the older players obtaining a peace that’s dangerously close to unconsciousness, while the younger are filled with hope and fun.
A scary room hides the secret where the serious training gets done. One young rebel refuses to be trained. One new recruit leaps into everything all too eagerly. And one strange girl haunts the dreams of both of them.
As Danny Boy makes friends and enemies, he uses his skills to investigate what’s going on. Newspaper reports create a nice sense of dissociation for the reader, deepening the experience of the tale. Guessing alongside the character, wondering how it might all turn out, and hoping their might be a fix, the reader is quickly drawn in, making this a difficult book to put down. The writing’s quick and convincing. The dialog’s straightforward and appropriate. And the author soon creates that level of trust with the reader that leaves you sure the conclusion’s going to be good. As indeed it is.
I really enjoyed this book. Questions are introduced and answered with perfect timing. Characters demand to be heard. And the set-up’s scarily convincing. A story that should appeal to any sci-fi fans, whether they solve their mysteries quickly or slowly, this one’s highly recommended.
Disclosure: I received a copy from the author in exchange for my honest review.
Some may have been in accidents. Some may have committed crimes. All they know is they’re here to “get better,” to become better people so that eventually they’ll graduate. But the road to graduation seems strange, the older players obtaining a peace that’s dangerously close to unconsciousness, while the younger are filled with hope and fun.
A scary room hides the secret where the serious training gets done. One young rebel refuses to be trained. One new recruit leaps into everything all too eagerly. And one strange girl haunts the dreams of both of them.
As Danny Boy makes friends and enemies, he uses his skills to investigate what’s going on. Newspaper reports create a nice sense of dissociation for the reader, deepening the experience of the tale. Guessing alongside the character, wondering how it might all turn out, and hoping their might be a fix, the reader is quickly drawn in, making this a difficult book to put down. The writing’s quick and convincing. The dialog’s straightforward and appropriate. And the author soon creates that level of trust with the reader that leaves you sure the conclusion’s going to be good. As indeed it is.
I really enjoyed this book. Questions are introduced and answered with perfect timing. Characters demand to be heard. And the set-up’s scarily convincing. A story that should appeal to any sci-fi fans, whether they solve their mysteries quickly or slowly, this one’s highly recommended.
Disclosure: I received a copy from the author in exchange for my honest review.
June 4, 2012
This book was absolutely amazing! What I really loved about it was the concepts that were being explored (at least they were from my POV – which is quite possibly completely wrong haha). I was hooked from the first page and literally could not put it down till I’d finished the book. The story is set in what is essentially an island prison for lost boys. Each boy has an elderly Investor who is supposed to be some kind of caretaker – but with an extra side of creepy. When the kids wake up on the island they’ve been robbed of their memories and told that they’re there to have their minds healed and every single last one of them has a hole in the middle of their foreheads. And somehow – they’re all ok with it.
They spend the majority of their time mucking about, going to their version of school (without the pressure), working out and generally just being kids. Except that unlike pretty much any kid I’ve ever met – they’re all obedient to their Investors (who have the ability to electrocute at will – so I guess their obedience is understandable!), who ritualistically force them to participate in the ‘Haystack’.
Inside the Haystack
And it’s this virtual reality that makes the book so compelling to me. Most people at some point in their lives will wish for a way out of whatever rut they’re in, just an escape from the day to day muck of life. And that is exactly what is being achieved through Foreverland. – I really don’t wanna give too much away so suffice to say that by creating this virtual reality Tony is able to explore ideas like the fear of death, people’s need to escape, the idea of the ‘soul’ or (or at the very least the essence of a person that makes up their consciousness) and the corruption and greed that is present in society that makes a place like the island an all too real possibility.
The Annihilation of Foreverland is a fantastic book, something that can easily be read by adults and teens alike. It explores some pretty awesome concepts and keeps up the suspense so that even up until the final pages you’re not quite sure how things are going to play out. Read up and enjoy!!
June 24, 2015
(Review done for {Read It & Reap 57} in the Shut Up And Read group.)
The new cover is really much better!Although I really wasn't thrilled by the cover, the book's summary got my attention, and I don't regret picking it. It turned to be a pretty good surprise.
I got pulled in the story fairly quickly and easily. No dilly-dallying, no slow build-up, but the mystery from the start: where are those boys, what's happened to them, and what lies behind this weird island they're living on. I like when something's smelling fishy from the start, and here I wasn't disappointed. The world built up by the author was believable, felt real enough, and its secrets were revealed with just the right amount of pacing in my opinion. As for the main characters (three for me, Reed and Danny Boy, of course, but also Zin), I really liked following their progress. They proved likeable, and resourceful in the case of Danny and Zin. And while Reed wasn't given that much screen time comparatively, I could feel his presence pervading the narrative all the time, his fate an impending Damocles sword. In fact, I felt that this novel offered more than just your standard YA plot, raising questions and darker themes that may appeal to an older audience too. Finally, a word about the few news clippings inserted at the beginning of each part: I think they are a nice add-on, distillating some information that made me wonder what character they were about. It wasn't too hard to find out, of course, yet it was enjoyable nevertheless.
There are a few things I couldn't wrap my mind around, though, and it's too bad, because there weren't that many, but they made me wince regularly enough (hence the 4-stars rating, but really, I'd have probably made it a 4.5 if GR had allowed it). A few uses of capital letters that I found jarring—I get it that they were here to illustrate a point, but no need to shout it in my face. Sometimes too the style was a little too abrupt, and the point of view tended to change abruptly too, which made things a little confusing in a few places. Mostly, though, what irked me was the use of the word 'son' by approximately everyone. I'd expect it from the Investors addressing the boys, but not from one boy to the other; it felt really weird every time it happened, and it happened often.
Other than that, it was a compelling story, and I heartily recommend it.
The new cover is really much better!
I got pulled in the story fairly quickly and easily. No dilly-dallying, no slow build-up, but the mystery from the start: where are those boys, what's happened to them, and what lies behind this weird island they're living on. I like when something's smelling fishy from the start, and here I wasn't disappointed. The world built up by the author was believable, felt real enough, and its secrets were revealed with just the right amount of pacing in my opinion. As for the main characters (three for me, Reed and Danny Boy, of course, but also Zin), I really liked following their progress. They proved likeable, and resourceful in the case of Danny and Zin. And while Reed wasn't given that much screen time comparatively, I could feel his presence pervading the narrative all the time, his fate an impending Damocles sword. In fact, I felt that this novel offered more than just your standard YA plot, raising questions and darker themes that may appeal to an older audience too. Finally, a word about the few news clippings inserted at the beginning of each part: I think they are a nice add-on, distillating some information that made me wonder what character they were about. It wasn't too hard to find out, of course, yet it was enjoyable nevertheless.
There are a few things I couldn't wrap my mind around, though, and it's too bad, because there weren't that many, but they made me wince regularly enough (hence the 4-stars rating, but really, I'd have probably made it a 4.5 if GR had allowed it). A few uses of capital letters that I found jarring—I get it that they were here to illustrate a point, but no need to shout it in my face. Sometimes too the style was a little too abrupt, and the point of view tended to change abruptly too, which made things a little confusing in a few places. Mostly, though, what irked me was the use of the word 'son' by approximately everyone. I'd expect it from the Investors addressing the boys, but not from one boy to the other; it felt really weird every time it happened, and it happened often.
Other than that, it was a compelling story, and I heartily recommend it.
April 2, 2012
Danny Boy wakes up and finds himself in a doctors office with a band aid on his forehead. An elderly man is sitting beside him named Mr. Jones, proceeds to tell him that he, Danny Boy has had an accident, but that he is undergoing treatment and will be fine. That he is at a rehabilitation center located on an isolated island. Mr. Jones is Danny's "investor".The boys are pretty much left on their own in their own little groups. Beside some "classes" to keep their brains active and strong they are left to fill their days pretty much how they want. Which is spent most of the time playing games.
Every two weeks the group heads over to a building known as the "haystack". Here is where they undergo their treatment. They are placed in cages naked and endure really uncomfortable conditions and are offered a means of a way out with headgear. The headgear has a needle that fits into a stint in the boys's foreheads and takes them to a virtual reality to escape their cells. They are told that it is all a part of their rehabilitation. But is it really? Or are there other malicious intentions in play?
I enjoyed this story alot. There was never a dull moment and keeps you entralled through out the story wondering what the hell is going on and what the outcome will be. I would suggest this book to anybody. I think just about anyone would enjoy it.
Every two weeks the group heads over to a building known as the "haystack". Here is where they undergo their treatment. They are placed in cages naked and endure really uncomfortable conditions and are offered a means of a way out with headgear. The headgear has a needle that fits into a stint in the boys's foreheads and takes them to a virtual reality to escape their cells. They are told that it is all a part of their rehabilitation. But is it really? Or are there other malicious intentions in play?
I enjoyed this story alot. There was never a dull moment and keeps you entralled through out the story wondering what the hell is going on and what the outcome will be. I would suggest this book to anybody. I think just about anyone would enjoy it.
February 23, 2012
I'll be honest, I'd never heard of Tony Bertauski or his book before Tuesday when a friend of mine (Jessica Ramirez over at The Lovely Books) asked me to read it. I read the blurb on Goodread and was convinced this would be a book I would enjoy.
The cover is ominous. The bright, bold red really pops out at you from the metallic gray, and if that's not enough, the title makes your curiosity tip its head.
The book starts off with Reed, then jumps to Danny (Danny-Boy). This continues throughout the book, back and forth between the two boys and the horrors they must face on an island filled with young boys and old men (are you getting the creepy vibe here too? Yeah, I had that a few times throughout the story). The first few chapters, I was expecting a lot of child abuse to happen; why else would these creepy 'investor' guys trap all these young boys on some island to participate in a warped game of The Hunger Games meets Maze Runner?
All right so let me start off by saying that this book reminded me a lot of The Maze Runner. Young boys locked away to face several horrific ordeals before being chosen 'winner' or in this case, be 'Smoked' There are no girls in the beginning, except the redheaded girl Reed keeps seeing in his dreams and then Danny meets while in the Haystacks.
I liked Reed. Maybe I'm just severely emo, but I love sullen, brooding boys with sharp tongues and a bad ass attitude. He was the only one who stood up to the Director (Fartsy old man) and his investor, Mr. Smith (I'm telling you, investors or not, rich or not, these dudes were creepy in a way that made me want to take a shower, but I think that was the author's intent).
I can't say I thought much of Danny at the beginning, although, I did open up to him much more throughout the novel as his story unfolded. But truly, my affections lay with Reed.
The story was fluid, moving quick, yet pleasantly descriptive. I find when some authors start describing, they go to far, rattling on about every detail, but not Mr. Bertauski. The story flowed smoothly, broken only randomly with the odd grammatical error, but it was easy to overlook when you wanted to get to the next part. I think the only problem I had with any of it was the transition from Danny to Reed. It was sometimes quick and unexpected and I was never sure whose story I was reading.
Nevertheless, it was an exciting read. Every chapter brought to mind a question that made me want to keep reading to get answers. The ending was painless (meaning, I wasn't left feeling like I had a hole in the head or like I had the floor yanked out from under me. It's a good thing, I assure you. I hate abrupt endings). I knew what happened. I had some, not all, the answers to my questions, and those questions left unanswered will no doubt be answered in a second book? (assuming Mr. Bertauski will be making a sequel). I know I can see it. But even if he doesn't and this is the end, it was an enjoyable read.
Will I read the next book? YES.
Will I tell my friends about this book? Yes
Did I enjoy it? Yes.
July 5, 2012
Originally published at my blog Chasing Empty Pavements
EDITED ** I LOVE LOVE LOVE the new cover!!! WTG Mr. BERTAUSKI!
I'm going to be completely honest here and tell you I was not expecting much from this book. In fact, lately I dread starting self-published or author requested books because well... they just haven't been that great lately. But oh was I wrong about this one! Holy moly, I literally read this book in two sittings. It was unlike anything I've ever read and I'd say the best way to describe it was a mash up between Inception and Shutter Island.
The Good: This book had me hooked by the third page. It starts with a bang and doesn't waste any time getting exciting! The plot is completely fascinating, these boys wake up with a hole in the middle of their forehead and then they're told to go and play video games and do whatever they want to do but then they are forced in this room naked to endure torture before putting on a creepy device. The world building was incredible and the whole alternate reality thing was mind boggling. I loved the 3 main characters, Danny Boy, Zin and Reed. I felt like they were all heroes for different reasons and they really upheld the story. One thing I really liked was the interjection of newspaper clippings in the story. They were short but wonderful insights into the characters. The writing was well done, the pacing was fantastic and I kept on the edge of my seat the entire time! The twist at the end was awesome as well. Totally wasn't expecting it.
The Bad: Okay two major things bugged me about this novel and they were the reason I went back and forth on giving it 3 or 4 stars on Goodreads. First off, the characters all use the word "son." Like, "Don't do that, son." "Respect your elders, son." But ALL of the characters use it, not just the adults, the kids do too. And it's SOO ANNOYING!!!!!! It wouldn't have bugged me if it was in there a few times, but I'm tempted to go back through and count how many times the characters use it. I bet at LEAST a 100. It really really bugged me. Secondly, there's a part in the novel where we get a little bit of backstory on Danny Boy but it was SO unrealistic that it made the rest of the made up world seem realistic if that makes sense. Like the backstory the author put in place for this character seems totally fake, not plausible at all and thrown together.
Other than the two things mentioned, I really enjoyed this book and was so very impressed that it was a self-published book! I give it a B-!!!
**I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review. All the opinions are my own and I was not obligated to write a favorable review.
EDITED ** I LOVE LOVE LOVE the new cover!!! WTG Mr. BERTAUSKI!
I'm going to be completely honest here and tell you I was not expecting much from this book. In fact, lately I dread starting self-published or author requested books because well... they just haven't been that great lately. But oh was I wrong about this one! Holy moly, I literally read this book in two sittings. It was unlike anything I've ever read and I'd say the best way to describe it was a mash up between Inception and Shutter Island.
The Good: This book had me hooked by the third page. It starts with a bang and doesn't waste any time getting exciting! The plot is completely fascinating, these boys wake up with a hole in the middle of their forehead and then they're told to go and play video games and do whatever they want to do but then they are forced in this room naked to endure torture before putting on a creepy device. The world building was incredible and the whole alternate reality thing was mind boggling. I loved the 3 main characters, Danny Boy, Zin and Reed. I felt like they were all heroes for different reasons and they really upheld the story. One thing I really liked was the interjection of newspaper clippings in the story. They were short but wonderful insights into the characters. The writing was well done, the pacing was fantastic and I kept on the edge of my seat the entire time! The twist at the end was awesome as well. Totally wasn't expecting it.
The Bad: Okay two major things bugged me about this novel and they were the reason I went back and forth on giving it 3 or 4 stars on Goodreads. First off, the characters all use the word "son." Like, "Don't do that, son." "Respect your elders, son." But ALL of the characters use it, not just the adults, the kids do too. And it's SOO ANNOYING!!!!!! It wouldn't have bugged me if it was in there a few times, but I'm tempted to go back through and count how many times the characters use it. I bet at LEAST a 100. It really really bugged me. Secondly, there's a part in the novel where we get a little bit of backstory on Danny Boy but it was SO unrealistic that it made the rest of the made up world seem realistic if that makes sense. Like the backstory the author put in place for this character seems totally fake, not plausible at all and thrown together.
Other than the two things mentioned, I really enjoyed this book and was so very impressed that it was a self-published book! I give it a B-!!!
**I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review. All the opinions are my own and I was not obligated to write a favorable review.
May 13, 2023
I wasn't really sure what I was going to think about this book. It was technically a young adult book I suppose, but I felt like the issues and everything that was being faced was much more adult themed. This book starts out with boys waking up on an island with jumbled memories about their past and even who they are. The boys are sent into an alternate reality called "Foreverland." They are told that they must go into Foreverland to heal themselves. Danny Boy is the newcomer to the island, and he is about to find out what exactly "Foreverland" entails and how much being healed can cost.
This book starts intensely with one of the boys being tortured. This book wasted no time in jumping into the story. And a very imaginative story it is. Set slightly in the future but not too far off in the realm of possibilities, it delves into a new type of "virtual reality" of the mind. I have never read a story quite like this. It was very descriptive and very intense and not afraid to venture into some sensitive topics.
I don't want to give away too many details. I recommend this book, more so to adults than even young adults. There are many messages and great lessons in this book, and yet upon finishing, I was still left with a feeling of unease about the way that people think and what lengths people will go to to obtain what is most important to them.
The Annihilation of Foreverland is written by Toni Bertauski and has a sequel I started on today called Foreverland is Dead. I was swept into this story from the beginning and somehow finished it in a few short days. I loved how the book was broken up into Rounds with a newspaper clipping at the beginning of each to leave clues and insight into the story's direction. I loved the ending, and it left it open for many questions. I must commend Mr. Bertauski on his incredible imagination.
I highly recommend this book with a 5/5 stars. It is very innovative and has a Matrix-esque feel to it. It tackles a lot of societal issues. It was written with great flow and could be made into a fantastic movie with the right scriptwriter. If you are interested in things like virtual reality, lucid dream states, or dystopian fiction, than I would highly suggest that you check this book out.
This book starts intensely with one of the boys being tortured. This book wasted no time in jumping into the story. And a very imaginative story it is. Set slightly in the future but not too far off in the realm of possibilities, it delves into a new type of "virtual reality" of the mind. I have never read a story quite like this. It was very descriptive and very intense and not afraid to venture into some sensitive topics.
I don't want to give away too many details. I recommend this book, more so to adults than even young adults. There are many messages and great lessons in this book, and yet upon finishing, I was still left with a feeling of unease about the way that people think and what lengths people will go to to obtain what is most important to them.
The Annihilation of Foreverland is written by Toni Bertauski and has a sequel I started on today called Foreverland is Dead. I was swept into this story from the beginning and somehow finished it in a few short days. I loved how the book was broken up into Rounds with a newspaper clipping at the beginning of each to leave clues and insight into the story's direction. I loved the ending, and it left it open for many questions. I must commend Mr. Bertauski on his incredible imagination.
I highly recommend this book with a 5/5 stars. It is very innovative and has a Matrix-esque feel to it. It tackles a lot of societal issues. It was written with great flow and could be made into a fantastic movie with the right scriptwriter. If you are interested in things like virtual reality, lucid dream states, or dystopian fiction, than I would highly suggest that you check this book out.
June 2, 2012
I really enjoyed this book!
I mean, it was different. It was different than the dozens of books that one might read, one after another, storylines and characters blending together. I will remember it distinctly long after more popular novels have drifted away.
I read a review that implied that the book was meant for young people, and boys in particular - but I don't think that's necessarily true. I can imagine my 15 year old brother reading this book and enjoying it, but I can't say that he would take the same things away from it as I would. Books are rarely "meant for" a particular age, I think. It has more to do with what various ages tend to get from interaction with the book.
The characters in this story are faced with some very important, very existentially interesting dilemmas. They ask questions about the nature of identity and about the supremacy of the mind. Of particular interest is the character who haunts the Nowhere, but partially for reasons I shouldn't divulge. Memory is also explored - are people more than their memories? And can a memory have life? If a dream feels like reality, is it? Even the concept of being lost in Foreverland is *really* interesting!
Honestly, I think I could write a pretty impressive philosophy paper on this one. But that makes it sound boring, which it wasn't. The book was an excellent read, and one that I didn't want to be away from for long. I thought about it when I wasn't reading. I tried to guess what would happen. At one point I got teary for one of the characters. It's compelling fiction, but also thought-provoking literature.
I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes cerebral fiction.
I mean, it was different. It was different than the dozens of books that one might read, one after another, storylines and characters blending together. I will remember it distinctly long after more popular novels have drifted away.
I read a review that implied that the book was meant for young people, and boys in particular - but I don't think that's necessarily true. I can imagine my 15 year old brother reading this book and enjoying it, but I can't say that he would take the same things away from it as I would. Books are rarely "meant for" a particular age, I think. It has more to do with what various ages tend to get from interaction with the book.
The characters in this story are faced with some very important, very existentially interesting dilemmas. They ask questions about the nature of identity and about the supremacy of the mind. Of particular interest is the character who haunts the Nowhere, but partially for reasons I shouldn't divulge. Memory is also explored - are people more than their memories? And can a memory have life? If a dream feels like reality, is it? Even the concept of being lost in Foreverland is *really* interesting!
Honestly, I think I could write a pretty impressive philosophy paper on this one. But that makes it sound boring, which it wasn't. The book was an excellent read, and one that I didn't want to be away from for long. I thought about it when I wasn't reading. I tried to guess what would happen. At one point I got teary for one of the characters. It's compelling fiction, but also thought-provoking literature.
I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes cerebral fiction.
January 11, 2013
I got this book for free, in exchange for an honest review from Making Connections. Get your copy here.
the cover is beautiful
the beginning-creepy and unsettling- sets the right mood for the book
there is never a boring moment
the sense of creepiness throughout the book could be clearly felt and the scenes of the ordeal that the boys had to go through to reach Foreverland were my favorite.
I pretty much guessed what was going on halfway through the book-this was due to the fact that the target audience for this book is young adults.
the whole issue about who Lucinda was and whether it was “possible” was on shaky ground. Maybe it just needed to be explained further.
My favorite character was the sidekick because of the strength he shows in coming back & helping Danny Boy.
This is a really good YA novel-fans of the genre should give it a try.
Also reviewed at:
PBD Blog
Amazon
Shelfari
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 5, 2016
Fantastic YA dystopia! I don't know why I hadn't heard of either this series or the author before, as this is a must read for fans of the genre. I can't really talk about the plot as it is slowly revealed as the book moves forward. We do have a group of boys on a deserted island, their memories have been wiped clean and inserted with many conflicting false memories. They get to do what they want most of the time except they must play video game tournaments and go to classes which are pure discussion, no tests or paperwork. Sounds fun, right? They even get to go to Foreverland where the impossible can happen. But getting to Foreverland is a nightmare. It's an interesting, exciting and somewhat frightening world they live in as the reader along with a couple of rogue boys tries to figure out what it going on. I pretty much guessed by the middle of the book but only the basic concept there were many more secrets to be revealed right up to the end.The writing is great, teen dialogue is realistic. Both the suspense and the pure curiosity of what the heck was going on had me turning pages all day long into the wee hours of the night. Unfortunately, sleep overtook me and I had to read the final 10% as soon as I woke up. I've already added the sequel to my line-up of future tbrs.
January 22, 2016
Started out pretty interesting, but in the end it was just badly written crap :/
June 25, 2012
As the other boys visit Foreverland, an alternate reality, Reed struggles to resist. Mr. Smith, one of the Investors, lectures him telling him that he only has to try it once and if he doesn't like it, he won't have to do it again. To deaden his thoughts he began to count, 1 2 3 .....
Danny Boy went from dream to dream to dream until they all seemed to run together. When he awoke, he was told he'd be in an accident, of course Mr. Jones was lying to him. Danny Boy thought he was in a sort of prison for boys on an isolated island. They were there because they had problems. The Investors would fix them and they would graduate off the island.
Reed was taken to see the Director, the man in charge of the island and the program. No one has resisted like Reed and the Director was not happy. Reed couldn't tell him he resisted because of a dream. A dream about a girl who told him to keep resisting and they would be together someday. Just resist. When he tired and wanted to give up, he would dream of the girl again.
When Danny Boy met the girl, he believed it was a dream except for her scent left behind. He kept the girl a secret.
Zin is Danny Boy's trusty sidekick. They make quite a pair as they strive to find the answers about what is really going on and find out how they can get back to the real world.
Creepy. What if it were to happen to you? Think you could tell the difference between dreams and reality?
Awesome book. Once I got into it I couldn't put it down. I love it when I can't predict what is going to happen. I sure didn't with this book. The suspense kept me hanging in to the end. I was zooming through the pages. I just had to know what was going to happen. I loved the ending. Didn't see it coming and it was a great surprise. There were places where I didn't like what was happening to one of the characters, then I'd be delightfully surprised at the twist it would take.
There were some editing errors that would trip up the flow of the book here and there. I'm not a huge sci-fi fan, but this was definitely worth the read.
The Annihilation of ForeverlandTony Bertauski
February 21, 2012
If I had to narrow it down, I would say it is a book where Inception meets Evil Peter Pan. The concept and idea of this caught my attention and after I got into it, I couldn't put it down. I have to admit I was a little confused at first with the articles, but as I kept reading, things fell into place. There were many twist and turns, just when I thought I had it figured out, something proved me wrong. I would put this into the thriller/mystery category as well. The beginning was dark, creepy, and a little frightening as the plot began with the suffering and how they were "persuaded" to go to Foreverland.
I loved the characters immediately who drew me in to their hearts and stories. Danny, who wakes up in a place he doesn't know, does not remember his past. Being an intelligent boy, he begins asking questions, determined to figure out why they are there. Reed, being strong and only remembering a girl from his dreams, fights off the torturing techniques with her words to comfort him. How could you not get involved with these boys? The ending was sort of a shock to me, but it was thrilling, kept me on edge, but left me with a satisfied smile.
For those who aren't really into the sci-fi fantasy books, I would give this one a try. It will not disappoint you! It is a fairly clean book with a few "guy terms" of the body, but with a book of teenage boys, it is what I would expect. Being a Mom of 4 boys, I am going to let my 17 year old read this, not sure my 12 yr old is ready for it, but I think it is something most teens would enjoy as well as adults.
I loved the characters immediately who drew me in to their hearts and stories. Danny, who wakes up in a place he doesn't know, does not remember his past. Being an intelligent boy, he begins asking questions, determined to figure out why they are there. Reed, being strong and only remembering a girl from his dreams, fights off the torturing techniques with her words to comfort him. How could you not get involved with these boys? The ending was sort of a shock to me, but it was thrilling, kept me on edge, but left me with a satisfied smile.
For those who aren't really into the sci-fi fantasy books, I would give this one a try. It will not disappoint you! It is a fairly clean book with a few "guy terms" of the body, but with a book of teenage boys, it is what I would expect. Being a Mom of 4 boys, I am going to let my 17 year old read this, not sure my 12 yr old is ready for it, but I think it is something most teens would enjoy as well as adults.
August 27, 2013
I was pleasantly surprised by this story.It was one of the ARC-s i acquired from Netgally and i kind of started reading it more because i am due over to do some reviews then because i was in a reading mode.But the story managed to suck me in right from the beginning (i so love books that don't drag)and kept me interested to the very end.
There isn't much i can say about the summary without doing some major spoilers,so I'll just keep it short.
This is a story about few teenage boys who are awakened on some tropic island with a memory loss.
The main character vaguely remembers his ant calling him Danny Boy so this is how everyone else start calling him. There are weird things happening on the Island and as the story develops more and more is reviled but the suspense and the curiosity will keep you reading deep into the night.
The Characters are very good developed all though i would maybe give Danny few years more then 13 considering his maturity and to the way he responses to all the events that happens to him.
I am a mother of 13 year old boy so i couldn't avoid compering. Some hings that Danny said was hard to imagine coming from a 13 year old,bit on the other hand- he is some kind of genius so maybe he shouldn't be compered to ordinary kids that age :).
I so can see a movie made of this book,it has all the necessity's for a great sf thriller:)
Looking forward to read the next part.
There isn't much i can say about the summary without doing some major spoilers,so I'll just keep it short.
This is a story about few teenage boys who are awakened on some tropic island with a memory loss.
The main character vaguely remembers his ant calling him Danny Boy so this is how everyone else start calling him. There are weird things happening on the Island and as the story develops more and more is reviled but the suspense and the curiosity will keep you reading deep into the night.
The Characters are very good developed all though i would maybe give Danny few years more then 13 considering his maturity and to the way he responses to all the events that happens to him.
I am a mother of 13 year old boy so i couldn't avoid compering. Some hings that Danny said was hard to imagine coming from a 13 year old,bit on the other hand- he is some kind of genius so maybe he shouldn't be compered to ordinary kids that age :).
I so can see a movie made of this book,it has all the necessity's for a great sf thriller:)
Looking forward to read the next part.
June 5, 2012
Though I didn't devour this book, I did enjoy it. This was busy week, and my kindle petitioned a grievance of neglect because of it. Typically I like to read a book like this in one sitting, scenes stay vivid and crisp, and I feel more invested in the story. However, Bertauski book combined to themes, that genuinely appeal to me, Dystopian and Mystery. Often in these genres, authors will write themselves out of plot holes in ways that seem inconsistent. Bertauski's continuity held up, juggling POV's,and a plot that was intricate and well thought out. A slow start, that made me feel nostalgic for the "Lord of the Flies" and "Big Brother". Rapidly changing into something greater and much more alluring. Danny Boy and Reed are compelling characters. Especially Danny because he is is the voice of reason and the audience uncovers the plot through his eye's. However if I didn't mention Zin, I wouldn't respect my self after this was posted. All in all, this was a good story, well worth reading again in the future. Though this was a book for review, that I received through the Shut Up and Read program, it didn't influence my perspective. I would definitely recommend this book. Last I checked it was available on the Amazon website for just .99 cents. I look forward to reading more from Mr. Bertauski in the future.
May 31, 2012
I was given this book by Shut up and read to give an honest review. First thoughts on the book.. In the beginning chapters I first thought it was going to be like the maze runner. I am glad I was wrong. Dont get me wrong I enjoyed the maze runner but I enjoyed the Annihilation of foreverland soo much more. Tony did a great job at creating the foreverland. I loved Zin, Reed and Danny they were awesome. I felt so bad for Reed having to suffer because he wouldnt do what the director and investors wanted. They got what they deserved in the end! Props to Tony for writing such an awesome story that keep me excited till the end.
July 19, 2015
Solid 3.5 Stars
September 2, 2012
Cross-posted from Papyrus Independent Author Reviews (http://papyrus.calebblake.net/2012/09/02/the-annihilation-of-foreverland-by-tony-bertauski/)
He wakes up in what looks like a doctor's office. He is told his name is Danny Boy. He doesn't know who he is or how he's come to this place, but the old man is telling him everything is going to be alright.
The Annihilation of Foreverland is a science fiction conspiracy novel where the story starts in a fairly non-threatening environment and quickly moves towards uncertainty and finally, revelation and crisis. It's not a new formula, but it's one that quite often works well with me and this book was not an exception. There's something so intriguing about the "something not quite right" formula. I want to dig just as much as the characters in the story and the deeper I get the more I want to know.
Bertauski's setting is an island with boys who have a kind of amnesia (more like an assault of other people's memories) and are being treated in a revolutionary program that seems to involve lots of game playing, sun and healthy eating. That is until we get to the Haystack. This is meant to be the crux of treatment and it's pretty unsettling. But it's in the Haystack that we start widening the parameters of the story through the eyes of Danny Boy - newest "patient" on the island. The sessions at the Haystack seem to get wilder as the story progresses, but I would recommend just running with it as it makes the story more enjoyable.
And I guess that's where I come to my observation about the target audience of this novel. The young adult label is well-earned. For a start, the pacing is great and the mystery develops with a successful blend of unease and tension that I believe younger readers will gobble up. But on the flip side, there's a couple of elements that I think would be more easily accepted by younger readers than perhaps adult readers. Lucinda is an enormously problematic character in this story. In fact, in my mind, she makes little sense but is given so much power as a plot device that it's impossible not to constantly face the absurdity of her role. Additionally, Danny Boy as a character is just too intuitive and too intelligent for my liking. On many occasions he borders on the super-human. However, I feel like I need to give a big concession here as I think younger readers will have no problem with Lucinda or Danny Boy.
Moving on to the characters, Danny Boy is an interesting read despite my issues. I enjoyed watching this thirteen year old cope with the island, the uncertainty of his memories, the Investors, the Director and the Haystack. As he slowly starts to understand more about who he was before the island, we also start seeing more overt rebellion from him. His character becomes more resilient, resourceful and at the same time, much more interesting.
Reed is where much of the mystery of the story starts. Who is this boy and why is he refusing treatment? Reed is the character that really sows the seed of doubt for Danny Boy. We do get to see some of the story through the eyes of Reed, but he is a character on the verge of breakdown for the entirety of the story, so his point of view isn't as entertaining as that of Danny Boy. But he's an important character - one that infuses the island with disharmony, a necessary atmosphere in a story like this one.
I also found the Director interesting in this story. His character was quite paradoxical with actions and sentiments not often aligning. This is probably what I liked most though; someone so invested in an ideal, but whose actions seems so contradictory. As the story progresses his sentiment is swept away in his relentless pursuit of Lucinda and when certain revelations bring his character into sharp focus there is no longer any chance of this character being misunderstood. I enjoyed the unveiling.
The writing had a few errors, enough that I mention it but not enough to stop me from recommending the book. Other than that, the author did a good job of portraying the island and the characters on it.
Those who can't put aside the critical adult might have a few problems with The Annihilation of Foreverland, but those who can appreciate where this story is targeted are going to enjoy the ride. The atmosphere is just right. Danny Boy has a good set of eyes through which to witness the conspiracy unfolding. If not young, at least be young at heart and I think this story will satisfy.
He wakes up in what looks like a doctor's office. He is told his name is Danny Boy. He doesn't know who he is or how he's come to this place, but the old man is telling him everything is going to be alright.
The Annihilation of Foreverland is a science fiction conspiracy novel where the story starts in a fairly non-threatening environment and quickly moves towards uncertainty and finally, revelation and crisis. It's not a new formula, but it's one that quite often works well with me and this book was not an exception. There's something so intriguing about the "something not quite right" formula. I want to dig just as much as the characters in the story and the deeper I get the more I want to know.
Bertauski's setting is an island with boys who have a kind of amnesia (more like an assault of other people's memories) and are being treated in a revolutionary program that seems to involve lots of game playing, sun and healthy eating. That is until we get to the Haystack. This is meant to be the crux of treatment and it's pretty unsettling. But it's in the Haystack that we start widening the parameters of the story through the eyes of Danny Boy - newest "patient" on the island. The sessions at the Haystack seem to get wilder as the story progresses, but I would recommend just running with it as it makes the story more enjoyable.
And I guess that's where I come to my observation about the target audience of this novel. The young adult label is well-earned. For a start, the pacing is great and the mystery develops with a successful blend of unease and tension that I believe younger readers will gobble up. But on the flip side, there's a couple of elements that I think would be more easily accepted by younger readers than perhaps adult readers. Lucinda is an enormously problematic character in this story. In fact, in my mind, she makes little sense but is given so much power as a plot device that it's impossible not to constantly face the absurdity of her role. Additionally, Danny Boy as a character is just too intuitive and too intelligent for my liking. On many occasions he borders on the super-human. However, I feel like I need to give a big concession here as I think younger readers will have no problem with Lucinda or Danny Boy.
Moving on to the characters, Danny Boy is an interesting read despite my issues. I enjoyed watching this thirteen year old cope with the island, the uncertainty of his memories, the Investors, the Director and the Haystack. As he slowly starts to understand more about who he was before the island, we also start seeing more overt rebellion from him. His character becomes more resilient, resourceful and at the same time, much more interesting.
Reed is where much of the mystery of the story starts. Who is this boy and why is he refusing treatment? Reed is the character that really sows the seed of doubt for Danny Boy. We do get to see some of the story through the eyes of Reed, but he is a character on the verge of breakdown for the entirety of the story, so his point of view isn't as entertaining as that of Danny Boy. But he's an important character - one that infuses the island with disharmony, a necessary atmosphere in a story like this one.
I also found the Director interesting in this story. His character was quite paradoxical with actions and sentiments not often aligning. This is probably what I liked most though; someone so invested in an ideal, but whose actions seems so contradictory. As the story progresses his sentiment is swept away in his relentless pursuit of Lucinda and when certain revelations bring his character into sharp focus there is no longer any chance of this character being misunderstood. I enjoyed the unveiling.
The writing had a few errors, enough that I mention it but not enough to stop me from recommending the book. Other than that, the author did a good job of portraying the island and the characters on it.
Those who can't put aside the critical adult might have a few problems with The Annihilation of Foreverland, but those who can appreciate where this story is targeted are going to enjoy the ride. The atmosphere is just right. Danny Boy has a good set of eyes through which to witness the conspiracy unfolding. If not young, at least be young at heart and I think this story will satisfy.
June 7, 2015
FOREVERLAND - The Boxed Set
Author: Tony Bertauski
Type of Book: eBook
Length: 935 pages
Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction
Release Date: March 21, 2015
Publisher: Dead Pixel Publications
Rating:
This boxed set contains the complete "Foreverland" trilogy. I love the fact that readers are able to buy all three books at the same time, so there is no agonizing wait for the publication of the next book in the series. For voracious readers such as myself this is huge bonus. I am thrilled to be able to read everything together.
BOOK ONE - THE ANNIHILATION OF FOREVERLAND
Danny awakes with memories of strange dreams, but he is confused. He has no idea where he is. The only reason that he knows his name is Danny is that in one of his dreams his Aunt had called him Danny-Boy.
Mr. Jones is there when Danny wakes up. He explains that he is in a "special rehabilitation center that is unique for [Danny's] condition." He tells him that he will get the best care that money can buy and he'll get to do things that no other kid on the planet has ever done.
Danny's forehead hurts and there is a band-aid on it. He also feels a lump on the back of his neck.
He finds out that the "camp" or whatever it is, is located on an island. His room has no phone and there are no clocks. There are also no girls. According to Mr. Jones, " Girls can be a distraction and we want all your attention on improving your body and mind."
Danny has a lot of questions. Why is he here? Where exactly is he? If everything is paid for, who is paying for it? He doesn't even remember what his parents look like. When he asks Mr. Jones a question, his response was to tell Danny that there was nothing to worry about.
"He was thirteen years old. When an adult says there's nothing to worry about, there's usually plenty."
Reed, Zin and Danny all have important roles to play.
The main question is: Is this paradise? Or this Hell disguised as paradise? And just what can three teenage boys do to change things?
This first book in the FOREVERLAND Boxed Set is a great read. The target audience is Young Adult, but this novel is such an interesting and fast paced read that I believe readers of all ages will enjoy it.
On a deeper level this book is not only entertainment. There are complex ideas and moral dilemmas examined in this book.
CAAR stands for Computer Assisted Alternate Reality. While this technology may not currently exist, I have little doubt that there are people right now working to create something eerily similar to the technology portrayed in this book. While technology is neither good nor evil, it can be used for either. For example nuclear energy can be used to power people's homes or it can be used to create a nuclear bomb that would decimate entire cities in minutes. Is nuclear energy evil? No! It is the people who use it that are either good or evil. I have read other books by Tony Bertauski and this seems to be a continuing theme in his writing.
Another topic that comes to the forefront while reading FOREVERLAND #1 is money and just what can be accomplished when money is no object. This is highlighted in the book by what the "investors" were able to purchase due to their vast wealth. This is an all too real fact in our society. Money does not make people good, and money can be used to purchase just about anything. There are stories in the news all the time about wealthy men and women circumventing the organ donor waiting list by purchasing an organ on the black market or by traveling to poor countries and purchasing an organ from a desperate poverty stricken family who sees no alternative except slow starvation and agrees to donate the organ. Should this be allowed? Is it up to the government to ensure a fair distribution of organs? Or should someone who has the money be allowed to purchase an organ while poor patients wait their turn, and often die while still waiting?
There are other ideas and moral dilemmas in this story, but if I wrote about every aspect of this book in my review, it would take too much space. Suffice it to say that this book will stay with the reader long after the final page.
I rate this book as 4.5 out of 5 stars.
* I received a free copy of this boxed set in exchange for an honest review.
Author: Tony Bertauski
Type of Book: eBook
Length: 935 pages
Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction
Release Date: March 21, 2015
Publisher: Dead Pixel Publications
Rating:
This boxed set contains the complete "Foreverland" trilogy. I love the fact that readers are able to buy all three books at the same time, so there is no agonizing wait for the publication of the next book in the series. For voracious readers such as myself this is huge bonus. I am thrilled to be able to read everything together.
BOOK ONE - THE ANNIHILATION OF FOREVERLAND
Danny awakes with memories of strange dreams, but he is confused. He has no idea where he is. The only reason that he knows his name is Danny is that in one of his dreams his Aunt had called him Danny-Boy.
Mr. Jones is there when Danny wakes up. He explains that he is in a "special rehabilitation center that is unique for [Danny's] condition." He tells him that he will get the best care that money can buy and he'll get to do things that no other kid on the planet has ever done.
Danny's forehead hurts and there is a band-aid on it. He also feels a lump on the back of his neck.
He finds out that the "camp" or whatever it is, is located on an island. His room has no phone and there are no clocks. There are also no girls. According to Mr. Jones, " Girls can be a distraction and we want all your attention on improving your body and mind."
Danny has a lot of questions. Why is he here? Where exactly is he? If everything is paid for, who is paying for it? He doesn't even remember what his parents look like. When he asks Mr. Jones a question, his response was to tell Danny that there was nothing to worry about.
"He was thirteen years old. When an adult says there's nothing to worry about, there's usually plenty."
Reed, Zin and Danny all have important roles to play.
The main question is: Is this paradise? Or this Hell disguised as paradise? And just what can three teenage boys do to change things?
This first book in the FOREVERLAND Boxed Set is a great read. The target audience is Young Adult, but this novel is such an interesting and fast paced read that I believe readers of all ages will enjoy it.
On a deeper level this book is not only entertainment. There are complex ideas and moral dilemmas examined in this book.
CAAR stands for Computer Assisted Alternate Reality. While this technology may not currently exist, I have little doubt that there are people right now working to create something eerily similar to the technology portrayed in this book. While technology is neither good nor evil, it can be used for either. For example nuclear energy can be used to power people's homes or it can be used to create a nuclear bomb that would decimate entire cities in minutes. Is nuclear energy evil? No! It is the people who use it that are either good or evil. I have read other books by Tony Bertauski and this seems to be a continuing theme in his writing.
Another topic that comes to the forefront while reading FOREVERLAND #1 is money and just what can be accomplished when money is no object. This is highlighted in the book by what the "investors" were able to purchase due to their vast wealth. This is an all too real fact in our society. Money does not make people good, and money can be used to purchase just about anything. There are stories in the news all the time about wealthy men and women circumventing the organ donor waiting list by purchasing an organ on the black market or by traveling to poor countries and purchasing an organ from a desperate poverty stricken family who sees no alternative except slow starvation and agrees to donate the organ. Should this be allowed? Is it up to the government to ensure a fair distribution of organs? Or should someone who has the money be allowed to purchase an organ while poor patients wait their turn, and often die while still waiting?
There are other ideas and moral dilemmas in this story, but if I wrote about every aspect of this book in my review, it would take too much space. Suffice it to say that this book will stay with the reader long after the final page.
I rate this book as 4.5 out of 5 stars.
* I received a free copy of this boxed set in exchange for an honest review.
July 19, 2012
I was given an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I was actually given this months ago and I fell massively behind and have only just gotten round to reading it. I am making a huge effort to catch up at the moment, I feel bad I'm keeping everyone waiting.
Anyway, to the book. I don't mind accepting books from self-published authors, I've had quite a few and had some really good books that way, I am quite selective with what I will accept though. I didn't know much about this book when I accepted it but something obviously called to me, and I sat down yesterday to read it.
Have you ever started a book and been thinking 'What the heck is going on?' whilst reading? I was like that for quite a bit of this book, and just when I thought I was starting to understand something would happen and i'd be all 'What?' again, but this was actually done in a really good way, at no point did I want to put the book down, it just made me even more intrigued and interested and I had to know what was happening, it only pulled me in further.
Danny-boy wakes up in a strange room with an old man leaning over him, he's told that he was ill and is in recovery, having had something done to his head. He is in a place to relax and get better again, always better! But Danny starts to notice things aren't quite right. The island only has boys on it and they are allowed to play computer games, go outside, play, etc no questions asked. Then the 'cycle' ends and the boys are sent to the Haystack where they are put through discomfort - almost torture before being given the chance to enter 'Foreverland', a place where dreams come true and you can truly do anything you want - fly, teleport, meet girls, anything. The boys love it and crave the escape. But Danny wonders if it is worth the pain, and what happens to the boys when they 'graduate'?
This book was nothing like my usual read but had elements that reminded me a bit of Alexander Gordon Smith (whose books I LOVE), and there was something about this book that I couldn't help but be drawn in by.
The 3 main characters (in my opinion anyway) are Danny, Zin and Reed. They each bring somehting to the story and really build up the world. Danny-boy is the spanner in the works, the one you know will end up being the hero but you enjoy seeing his journey there. Zin is like the side-kick who you just know will end up being kick-ass, but my favourite and probably most mysterious character was Reed. He has been on the Island the longest but has never once taken the escape in Foreverland, he is an anomoly and the men running the island want to know why he resists and try everything to make him accept. He isn't the full focus for a lot of the book, but his strong presence sets a feel for the book and you are always aware of him on the edges. He called to me and I would search the page waiting for his name to come up again. He is the one you really connect to- I want to save him, make him safe.
There are so many twists in this book that you are constantly on the edge of your seat. I love the added layer of 'Lucinda' - a strange girl who seems to stalk Foreverland, looking for a way out and a way to save Reed, and ultimately all the boys. It added a whole other layer of intrigue and she was a great character to read.
Reading this I was alternately Freaked out! (needles going into the boys brains, leaving them with holes in their frontal lobes eugh!) and hooked on the mystery and unable to look away.
I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with this and although I expected to hate it, and when I think of what it's actually about it sends shivers up and down my spine, but you know what? I actually really enjoyed it, and the story still keeps nudging my mind, almost like the characters are friends that have gone away but are waving at me from a distance or sending me a quick 'hello'.
Definitely aimed more at boys, probably at least teenagers. Really good read.
I was actually given this months ago and I fell massively behind and have only just gotten round to reading it. I am making a huge effort to catch up at the moment, I feel bad I'm keeping everyone waiting.
Anyway, to the book. I don't mind accepting books from self-published authors, I've had quite a few and had some really good books that way, I am quite selective with what I will accept though. I didn't know much about this book when I accepted it but something obviously called to me, and I sat down yesterday to read it.
Have you ever started a book and been thinking 'What the heck is going on?' whilst reading? I was like that for quite a bit of this book, and just when I thought I was starting to understand something would happen and i'd be all 'What?' again, but this was actually done in a really good way, at no point did I want to put the book down, it just made me even more intrigued and interested and I had to know what was happening, it only pulled me in further.
Danny-boy wakes up in a strange room with an old man leaning over him, he's told that he was ill and is in recovery, having had something done to his head. He is in a place to relax and get better again, always better! But Danny starts to notice things aren't quite right. The island only has boys on it and they are allowed to play computer games, go outside, play, etc no questions asked. Then the 'cycle' ends and the boys are sent to the Haystack where they are put through discomfort - almost torture before being given the chance to enter 'Foreverland', a place where dreams come true and you can truly do anything you want - fly, teleport, meet girls, anything. The boys love it and crave the escape. But Danny wonders if it is worth the pain, and what happens to the boys when they 'graduate'?
This book was nothing like my usual read but had elements that reminded me a bit of Alexander Gordon Smith (whose books I LOVE), and there was something about this book that I couldn't help but be drawn in by.
The 3 main characters (in my opinion anyway) are Danny, Zin and Reed. They each bring somehting to the story and really build up the world. Danny-boy is the spanner in the works, the one you know will end up being the hero but you enjoy seeing his journey there. Zin is like the side-kick who you just know will end up being kick-ass, but my favourite and probably most mysterious character was Reed. He has been on the Island the longest but has never once taken the escape in Foreverland, he is an anomoly and the men running the island want to know why he resists and try everything to make him accept. He isn't the full focus for a lot of the book, but his strong presence sets a feel for the book and you are always aware of him on the edges. He called to me and I would search the page waiting for his name to come up again. He is the one you really connect to- I want to save him, make him safe.
There are so many twists in this book that you are constantly on the edge of your seat. I love the added layer of 'Lucinda' - a strange girl who seems to stalk Foreverland, looking for a way out and a way to save Reed, and ultimately all the boys. It added a whole other layer of intrigue and she was a great character to read.
Reading this I was alternately Freaked out! (needles going into the boys brains, leaving them with holes in their frontal lobes eugh!) and hooked on the mystery and unable to look away.
I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with this and although I expected to hate it, and when I think of what it's actually about it sends shivers up and down my spine, but you know what? I actually really enjoyed it, and the story still keeps nudging my mind, almost like the characters are friends that have gone away but are waving at me from a distance or sending me a quick 'hello'.
Definitely aimed more at boys, probably at least teenagers. Really good read.
July 30, 2012
Let’s be honest, fellow Brave Indie Reader, when you download a free indie book without knowing anything about the author, your plans to kick back and relax with a good book for a couple of hours can quickly go swirlin’ down the ol’ crapper. You’re cautious as you tap-tap-tap your way through the first few pages. Don’t diss me for being weak, but despite being duped before, I downloaded The Annihilation of Foreverland solely on the title and cover art. No pouring over reviews or even the description. I literally went in completely blind. What a pleasant surprise to find such a talented storyteller with nothing but my Kindle Fire and a wifi connection.
I absolutely loved the premise of this book. A group of teenaged boys on a beautiful island with everything they could ask for; unlimited food and video games, a comfortable room, no real school or homework. They get to do pretty much whatever they want. The catch? Every two weeks their handlers, or “Investors”, take them to the Haystack where they are stripped and made physically miserable until they take the needle — where they get to escape their discomfort in an alternate reality. Eventually, when they’re “healed” by their sessions in the Haystack they get to graduate, although none of them know quite what that means.
I won’t give away too much of the plot, but let’s just say it’s a well-woven tale with twists and turns that you don’t expect. You start thinking, “Oh, so THAT’S what’s going on,” only to find you are wrong a few pages later.
As I’ve mentioned before I’m a character-driven reader, and Mr. Bertauski does an excellent job of drawing me in with well-rounded characters that I cared about. Danny Boy and Reed’s plight kept me turning the page, and even the minor characters had my sympathy and/or disdain. Computer hacking genius Danny Boy goes into the needle to find answers and escape — real escape, from the island; Loner Reed refuses the needle with a Zen-like determination, visions of a lovely redheaded girl encouraging him to keep his resolve.
Having three boys myself, a 12-year-old, a teenager, and a college student, the notion that despite the discomfort of the Haystack many of the boys didn’t seem to mind it, even looked forward to it, intrigued me. The prospect of going “in the needle” and into foreverland, where literally anything is possible — like a virtual reality video game where you have every superpower you can imagine and as real as you sitting here right now reading this review – is just too much of a draw for most of the boys to resist. Would you? Tempting. Kind of like the lure of drugs, they know better but just can’t resist.
On the other side of the coin (or the island) the Investors’ motivations are a study in greed, narcisissm and the skewing of modern society’s moral compass. Again, you have to look at yourself and ask, “If given the chance, would I succumb?” Hummmm. . . .
While I think this book is geared toward the YA crowd, it is also a good, fun, easy sci-fi read for adults. I enjoyed the ride, and will encourage my sons to read it also.
Tony Bertauski is definitely an indie author to watch. He’s a wonderful storyteller with a unique imagination, and I won’t be surprised when a major publisher picks him up. Actually, in my humble opinion, I think The Annihilation of Foreverland would make a great movie.
I absolutely loved the premise of this book. A group of teenaged boys on a beautiful island with everything they could ask for; unlimited food and video games, a comfortable room, no real school or homework. They get to do pretty much whatever they want. The catch? Every two weeks their handlers, or “Investors”, take them to the Haystack where they are stripped and made physically miserable until they take the needle — where they get to escape their discomfort in an alternate reality. Eventually, when they’re “healed” by their sessions in the Haystack they get to graduate, although none of them know quite what that means.
I won’t give away too much of the plot, but let’s just say it’s a well-woven tale with twists and turns that you don’t expect. You start thinking, “Oh, so THAT’S what’s going on,” only to find you are wrong a few pages later.
As I’ve mentioned before I’m a character-driven reader, and Mr. Bertauski does an excellent job of drawing me in with well-rounded characters that I cared about. Danny Boy and Reed’s plight kept me turning the page, and even the minor characters had my sympathy and/or disdain. Computer hacking genius Danny Boy goes into the needle to find answers and escape — real escape, from the island; Loner Reed refuses the needle with a Zen-like determination, visions of a lovely redheaded girl encouraging him to keep his resolve.
Having three boys myself, a 12-year-old, a teenager, and a college student, the notion that despite the discomfort of the Haystack many of the boys didn’t seem to mind it, even looked forward to it, intrigued me. The prospect of going “in the needle” and into foreverland, where literally anything is possible — like a virtual reality video game where you have every superpower you can imagine and as real as you sitting here right now reading this review – is just too much of a draw for most of the boys to resist. Would you? Tempting. Kind of like the lure of drugs, they know better but just can’t resist.
On the other side of the coin (or the island) the Investors’ motivations are a study in greed, narcisissm and the skewing of modern society’s moral compass. Again, you have to look at yourself and ask, “If given the chance, would I succumb?” Hummmm. . . .
While I think this book is geared toward the YA crowd, it is also a good, fun, easy sci-fi read for adults. I enjoyed the ride, and will encourage my sons to read it also.
Tony Bertauski is definitely an indie author to watch. He’s a wonderful storyteller with a unique imagination, and I won’t be surprised when a major publisher picks him up. Actually, in my humble opinion, I think The Annihilation of Foreverland would make a great movie.
February 22, 2013
I posted a review of this book on my blog "Mousehead&tales@weebly.com but I was remiss in not also posting one here.
I really enjoyed this book. It was so descriptive that I felt like I was enduring the horror that "Danny boy" & "Reed" & the rest of the character's were going through.
This book would defiantly appeal to any fans of the matrix, hackers, scanner darkly etc. Though all of those are movies it just reinforces how visual the writing was.
As many of Tony Bertauski 's books are fiction that will make anyone with even a hint of paranoia about conspiracy theories feel that chill that makes you feel big brother's eyes narrowing right on your face. This one is all of that discomfort & more. Shockingly the idea of the "investor's" doesn't seem unrealistic to me at all. It wouldn't surprise me at all if at some point in the not so far future people who are financially challenged, loners, trouble makers, orphans , addicts etc. were used for experiments... Or worse.
That worse is just where "Annihilation of Foreverland " begins. The main character a young boy simply referred to as "Danny-boy" wakes up from a trippy dream that seems like it's that strange moment between dreaming and waking when you become semi aware of your surroundings & things seep into your dream. Like Alice falling through the rabbit hole our "Danny-boy" wakes up in a room with a strange old man not in his own home but at a facility for troubled youth who are told they are being "reprogrammed" to forget their troubled past and be cured so they can be happy positive additions to the world.
You're introduced to a group of delinquent teens & very rich old men who are funding the treatment.
Danny is the youngest of the guys that he's living with. They are on an island that is impossibly beautiful . Everything is to perfect. When something seems to good to be true it usually is. That lesson is taught in this book with twists, turns, & a horrible discovery that sadly ... wouldn't surprise me if it wasn't happening somewhere in this world.
I would highly recommend this book. It has something for everybody . To sweeten the pot it also has a sequel coming out as well! So hurry up & read "Annihilation of Foreverland " so you'll be ready for more.
Tony Bertauski also recently released "Half-skin", & a very different type of Christmas story that I enjoyed as well. If you haven't read anything by Tony Bertauski than you are missing out.
To read reviews of other books by Tony as well as a ton of other authors check out Mousehead&tales@weebly.com to get the scoop.
I really enjoyed this book. It was so descriptive that I felt like I was enduring the horror that "Danny boy" & "Reed" & the rest of the character's were going through.
This book would defiantly appeal to any fans of the matrix, hackers, scanner darkly etc. Though all of those are movies it just reinforces how visual the writing was.
As many of Tony Bertauski 's books are fiction that will make anyone with even a hint of paranoia about conspiracy theories feel that chill that makes you feel big brother's eyes narrowing right on your face. This one is all of that discomfort & more. Shockingly the idea of the "investor's" doesn't seem unrealistic to me at all. It wouldn't surprise me at all if at some point in the not so far future people who are financially challenged, loners, trouble makers, orphans , addicts etc. were used for experiments... Or worse.
That worse is just where "Annihilation of Foreverland " begins. The main character a young boy simply referred to as "Danny-boy" wakes up from a trippy dream that seems like it's that strange moment between dreaming and waking when you become semi aware of your surroundings & things seep into your dream. Like Alice falling through the rabbit hole our "Danny-boy" wakes up in a room with a strange old man not in his own home but at a facility for troubled youth who are told they are being "reprogrammed" to forget their troubled past and be cured so they can be happy positive additions to the world.
You're introduced to a group of delinquent teens & very rich old men who are funding the treatment.
Danny is the youngest of the guys that he's living with. They are on an island that is impossibly beautiful . Everything is to perfect. When something seems to good to be true it usually is. That lesson is taught in this book with twists, turns, & a horrible discovery that sadly ... wouldn't surprise me if it wasn't happening somewhere in this world.
I would highly recommend this book. It has something for everybody . To sweeten the pot it also has a sequel coming out as well! So hurry up & read "Annihilation of Foreverland " so you'll be ready for more.
Tony Bertauski also recently released "Half-skin", & a very different type of Christmas story that I enjoyed as well. If you haven't read anything by Tony Bertauski than you are missing out.
To read reviews of other books by Tony as well as a ton of other authors check out Mousehead&tales@weebly.com to get the scoop.
November 2, 2016
This is something I’ve had sitting on my Kindle for almost two years, it was dirt cheap and I had no expectations going in. I just decided to clear out some of the old stuff. And blow me down, it turned out to be the most entertaining read since... well, the last entertaining read. Which was quite a while back.
So here’s the premise. Thirteen year old kid wakes up with a head full of jumbled memories, possibly none of them his own. He’s on a tropical island with a bunch of other teenage boys, supervised by a bunch of rickety old men. The boys get to play games all day, if they want to, they’re well fed and looked after, the only snag (there has to be one, right?) is that every once in a while they go into a building where they are expected to insert a needle into their foreheads and enter an artificial reality where, once they get the hang of it, they can do anything – fly, shape-shift, create stuff, whatever their imaginations can invent.
It doesn’t take a genius to work out that some very sinister things are happening in the background, and it takes most of the book for the various layers of mystery to be peeled away one by one. Some of them were obvious virtually from the start, some were complete surprises and a few things I was totally wrong about, which is always good. I hate it when I can guess all the twists ahead of time.
In a lot of ways this book isn’t anything special. But that’s exactly the point: this is what a genre book should be like. It has believable characters, a plot that makes sense, and it’s well written without any pretensions to literary greatness. OK, you could, if you wanted, derive some themes about consciousness and the nature of reality and so on, but it’s not compulsory. And it’s an absolute page turner. I couldn’t put it down, I had to know what was going on and why. Yes, there were places where things fell out rather too conveniently for our hero and his pals, and one or two moments I didn’t really understand at all. There were loose ends (like all the girls, for instance; where did they come from?), but there are more books in the series so maybe they get answered later. But for anyone who wants a fun read with plenty of what-the-hell’s-going-on-ness, I can highly recommend this. Four stars.
So here’s the premise. Thirteen year old kid wakes up with a head full of jumbled memories, possibly none of them his own. He’s on a tropical island with a bunch of other teenage boys, supervised by a bunch of rickety old men. The boys get to play games all day, if they want to, they’re well fed and looked after, the only snag (there has to be one, right?) is that every once in a while they go into a building where they are expected to insert a needle into their foreheads and enter an artificial reality where, once they get the hang of it, they can do anything – fly, shape-shift, create stuff, whatever their imaginations can invent.
It doesn’t take a genius to work out that some very sinister things are happening in the background, and it takes most of the book for the various layers of mystery to be peeled away one by one. Some of them were obvious virtually from the start, some were complete surprises and a few things I was totally wrong about, which is always good. I hate it when I can guess all the twists ahead of time.
In a lot of ways this book isn’t anything special. But that’s exactly the point: this is what a genre book should be like. It has believable characters, a plot that makes sense, and it’s well written without any pretensions to literary greatness. OK, you could, if you wanted, derive some themes about consciousness and the nature of reality and so on, but it’s not compulsory. And it’s an absolute page turner. I couldn’t put it down, I had to know what was going on and why. Yes, there were places where things fell out rather too conveniently for our hero and his pals, and one or two moments I didn’t really understand at all. There were loose ends (like all the girls, for instance; where did they come from?), but there are more books in the series so maybe they get answered later. But for anyone who wants a fun read with plenty of what-the-hell’s-going-on-ness, I can highly recommend this. Four stars.
May 13, 2012
I was sent this book for review by the author and really wish that I had more time to read my kindle and then I could have read it sooner.
This may be a self published book but it is the reason why I read books that are self published. Yes some have grammar issues, some have bad editing if any at all but you find gems and quite frankly all the self published books I've read make me wonder about the publishing industry because they have all been great reads. So great that they should be on many a shelf. This book is no exception and no grammar or editing issues! Win!
Excellent character building. You get to know them and care about or hate them as the case may be but the feeling is strong. Part of that is the great world that is built, this island that young boys are told they have been brought to after an accident to heal. Something however is amiss and one refuses the "treatment" because of a girl in a dream. It's no wonder they feel something isn't right, if I woke up with some old guy sitting there trying to tell me oh it's okay we're here to help you but you can't remember who you are and they don't give you anything other than trust us I'd be freaked too.
The treatment is not appealing either. A needle jabbed through your forehead into your brain and to get that you have to get in a cold cell naked. Um freak out! But the appeal the alternate reality Foreverland once inside the needle. That place that you can be anything do anything. Ahhh it's hard to resist and most do not. So why does Reed? Why suffer the cold cell, the torture that he is put through when anything awaits on the other side? Why does Danny Boy see that very girl from Reeds dream in Foreverland? What can they do to escape if it's even possible and why are they really kept on the island?
Let me say it's worth the read to find out. In fact I highly recommend it. It's a unique read not a typical story that you've seen done is some variation a million times already. I appreciate that uniqueness, the originality. An excellent job and a great read not to be missed.
This may be a self published book but it is the reason why I read books that are self published. Yes some have grammar issues, some have bad editing if any at all but you find gems and quite frankly all the self published books I've read make me wonder about the publishing industry because they have all been great reads. So great that they should be on many a shelf. This book is no exception and no grammar or editing issues! Win!
Excellent character building. You get to know them and care about or hate them as the case may be but the feeling is strong. Part of that is the great world that is built, this island that young boys are told they have been brought to after an accident to heal. Something however is amiss and one refuses the "treatment" because of a girl in a dream. It's no wonder they feel something isn't right, if I woke up with some old guy sitting there trying to tell me oh it's okay we're here to help you but you can't remember who you are and they don't give you anything other than trust us I'd be freaked too.
The treatment is not appealing either. A needle jabbed through your forehead into your brain and to get that you have to get in a cold cell naked. Um freak out! But the appeal the alternate reality Foreverland once inside the needle. That place that you can be anything do anything. Ahhh it's hard to resist and most do not. So why does Reed? Why suffer the cold cell, the torture that he is put through when anything awaits on the other side? Why does Danny Boy see that very girl from Reeds dream in Foreverland? What can they do to escape if it's even possible and why are they really kept on the island?
Let me say it's worth the read to find out. In fact I highly recommend it. It's a unique read not a typical story that you've seen done is some variation a million times already. I appreciate that uniqueness, the originality. An excellent job and a great read not to be missed.
June 2, 2012
Disclaimer: The fact that I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review has not affected my rating.
Like many other books I have read, the best part of The Annihilation of Foreverland is the uniqueness of its concept – in an isolated island, there is a population of males who awaken with no memory and are taken care of an Investor. In the island, the boys are sent to school but also have access to a game room and a place known as the Haystack, where the boys are put into lucid gear to dream and play (is that the right word? I’m not sure…) more games. Finally, when boys are “ready”, they graduate in the Chimney and are never seen again.
I suppose you aren’t able to see the true value of the plot until you actually read the book – of course there’s “other purposes” in Foreverland. Although I wasn’t able to predict this true purpose until the middle of the book, the connection definitely isn’t apparent at first. The author does this by planting different kinds of suspicion, eventually adding up towards the solution, and the way he does this is both a little confusing but also intriguing. Lucinda’s involvement and character also adds to this, making me rethink my predictions.
Onto the plot and characters. Like most male-targeted books, the plot moves quickly, with spots of action (and gaming! I’m a fan of that!). It was interesting to see Danny’s approach and solutions to the problems, while defying Foreverland, and to see Reed struggle with his inner demons. I was also a fan of Zin – more of a supporting character, although his appearances outnumber most of the other supporting characters. Although he probably didn’t have any idea of what was going on, he trusted his gut and supported Danny, also in an entertaining way. Additionally, I didn’t expect
Overall, The Annihilation of Foreverland is an exciting sci-fi/gaming/dystopic read, and is highly recommended for teenage guys that read c:
Like many other books I have read, the best part of The Annihilation of Foreverland is the uniqueness of its concept – in an isolated island, there is a population of males who awaken with no memory and are taken care of an Investor. In the island, the boys are sent to school but also have access to a game room and a place known as the Haystack, where the boys are put into lucid gear to dream and play (is that the right word? I’m not sure…) more games. Finally, when boys are “ready”, they graduate in the Chimney and are never seen again.
I suppose you aren’t able to see the true value of the plot until you actually read the book – of course there’s “other purposes” in Foreverland. Although I wasn’t able to predict this true purpose until the middle of the book, the connection definitely isn’t apparent at first. The author does this by planting different kinds of suspicion, eventually adding up towards the solution, and the way he does this is both a little confusing but also intriguing. Lucinda’s involvement and character also adds to this, making me rethink my predictions.
Onto the plot and characters. Like most male-targeted books, the plot moves quickly, with spots of action (and gaming! I’m a fan of that!). It was interesting to see Danny’s approach and solutions to the problems, while defying Foreverland, and to see Reed struggle with his inner demons. I was also a fan of Zin – more of a supporting character, although his appearances outnumber most of the other supporting characters. Although he probably didn’t have any idea of what was going on, he trusted his gut and supported Danny, also in an entertaining way. Additionally, I didn’t expect
Overall, The Annihilation of Foreverland is an exciting sci-fi/gaming/dystopic read, and is highly recommended for teenage guys that read c:
May 27, 2012
Thank you for letting me read and review this book. : )
The story starts with a boy inside a cell. He is suffering, in a lot of pain, in a cold dark place with no clothes on and water coming down from the sprinklers inside his cell but he will not give up. He will not take the needle and that is why he was being severely tortured, to get him to want to take the needle. Reed would rather suffer than be wherever the other kids that were in their cells with a needle inside the middle of their foreheads where. He didn't trust these strange old man he didn't like what they were doing to them.
The story was fascinating it took me into a whole different world I really did not expect a story like this. It was freaky, in a way disturbing, really scared me, left me kind of sad in a way and sometimes made me panic. I was always on the edge of my seat and was always thinking about going to my room to continue on reading this book lol.
Two things that I was sad about was because of Reed's end and new start. ( don't want to give out spoilers so I'll just say it like that) I felt a little bad for Sid too though he was a dumb kid that's all. Danny was a fun character for a moment I thought he wasn't going to be able to help Reed and Zin but he was much smarter than the director. Though I was sad to know about who Lucinda was but she was one of the heroes inside Foreverland.
It was a good story and the ending was good too although it left me thinking. What happened to the rest of the kids? and why didn't they get their memories back? or if Danny Reed and Zid tell them anything?Although it was obvious they didn't but it is still intriguing to me. Another thing is that the girls that were in forever land talked to the boys about another place that was just like where they were but where only for girls it didn't say in the end what that was all about so I guess the girls were just created by the director's Foreverland.
The story starts with a boy inside a cell. He is suffering, in a lot of pain, in a cold dark place with no clothes on and water coming down from the sprinklers inside his cell but he will not give up. He will not take the needle and that is why he was being severely tortured, to get him to want to take the needle. Reed would rather suffer than be wherever the other kids that were in their cells with a needle inside the middle of their foreheads where. He didn't trust these strange old man he didn't like what they were doing to them.
The story was fascinating it took me into a whole different world I really did not expect a story like this. It was freaky, in a way disturbing, really scared me, left me kind of sad in a way and sometimes made me panic. I was always on the edge of my seat and was always thinking about going to my room to continue on reading this book lol.
Two things that I was sad about was because of Reed's end and new start. ( don't want to give out spoilers so I'll just say it like that) I felt a little bad for Sid too though he was a dumb kid that's all. Danny was a fun character for a moment I thought he wasn't going to be able to help Reed and Zin but he was much smarter than the director. Though I was sad to know about who Lucinda was but she was one of the heroes inside Foreverland.
It was a good story and the ending was good too although it left me thinking. What happened to the rest of the kids? and why didn't they get their memories back? or if Danny Reed and Zid tell them anything?Although it was obvious they didn't but it is still intriguing to me. Another thing is that the girls that were in forever land talked to the boys about another place that was just like where they were but where only for girls it didn't say in the end what that was all about so I guess the girls were just created by the director's Foreverland.
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