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Abduction
Rodman Philbrick and Lyn Hartnett's chilling story of extraterrestrial suspense . . . in a striking new package
When aliens come to a small town, it's time to fight ... or die.
When aliens come to a small town, it's time to fight ... or die.
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 1, 1998
7 people are currently reading
89 people want to read
About the author
Rodman Philbrick
60 books372 followersAka William R Dantz, Chris Jordan, W.R. Philbrick.
Rodman Philbrick grew up on the New England coast, where he worked as a longshoreman and boat builder. For many years he wrote mysteries and detective novels. The Private Eye Writers of America nominated two of his T.D.Stash series as best detective novel and then selected Philbrick's 'Brothers & Sinners' as Best Novel in 1993. Writing under the pen name 'William R. Dantz' he has explored the near-future worlds of genetic engineering and hi-tech brain control in books like 'Hunger', 'Pulse', 'The Seventh Sleeper'. And 'Nine Levels Down'.
Inspired by the life of a boy who lived a few blocks away, he wrote 'Freak The Mighty', the award-winning young-adult novel, which has been translated into numerous languages and is now read in schools throughout the world. The book was adapted to the screen in 1998 as 'The Mighty', starring Sharon Stone, Gillian Anderson, James Gandolfini, Kieran Culkin, and Elden Henson.
Philbrick, a screenwriter as well as a novelist, is the author of a number of novels for young readers, including 'The Fire Pony', 'Max the Mighty', 'REM World', 'The Last Book In The Universe', 'The Journal of Douglas Allen Deeds' and 'The Young Man And The Sea'. His recent novels for adults include 'Dark Matter', 'Coffins', and 'Taken'. He and his wife divide their time between Maine and the Florida Keys.
Rodman Philbrick grew up on the New England coast, where he worked as a longshoreman and boat builder. For many years he wrote mysteries and detective novels. The Private Eye Writers of America nominated two of his T.D.Stash series as best detective novel and then selected Philbrick's 'Brothers & Sinners' as Best Novel in 1993. Writing under the pen name 'William R. Dantz' he has explored the near-future worlds of genetic engineering and hi-tech brain control in books like 'Hunger', 'Pulse', 'The Seventh Sleeper'. And 'Nine Levels Down'.
Inspired by the life of a boy who lived a few blocks away, he wrote 'Freak The Mighty', the award-winning young-adult novel, which has been translated into numerous languages and is now read in schools throughout the world. The book was adapted to the screen in 1998 as 'The Mighty', starring Sharon Stone, Gillian Anderson, James Gandolfini, Kieran Culkin, and Elden Henson.
Philbrick, a screenwriter as well as a novelist, is the author of a number of novels for young readers, including 'The Fire Pony', 'Max the Mighty', 'REM World', 'The Last Book In The Universe', 'The Journal of Douglas Allen Deeds' and 'The Young Man And The Sea'. His recent novels for adults include 'Dark Matter', 'Coffins', and 'Taken'. He and his wife divide their time between Maine and the Florida Keys.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
May 3, 2024
When Rodman Philbrick is on his game, his stories swerve from the expected path with frightening speed, morphing into something unpredictable and eerily fascinating before one can even process the sudden change in direction. The Last Book in the Universe, for example, leads the reader on a freight train of a rush into a dystopian view of tomorrow so complex in its terrors as to render tame most other authors' visions of the future. Max the Mighty has much the same sense of impromptu brilliance, following the bereaved trail of an oversized boy separated from the only one who ever understood him, and veering off into a crazy-paced adventure like I'd never seen before and have yet to encounter again. For the first half of Abduction, Rodman Philbrick (writing with his wife, Lynn Harnett) conjures much the same atmosphere of absolute unpredictability as in his finest novels, presenting two strange halves of a story that seem not to be directly linked, and running them parallel to each other as the narrative grows and secrets bleed one into the next, until the two story branches are much closer than we'd thought.
Luke Ingram isn't used to being a center of negative attention from his parents. That position is generally reserved for his fifteen-year-old younger brother, Jeff, who recently has started running with a less than wholesome crowd that keeps him out late into the night every night, causing trouble. But Luke has stirred his parents' ire recently after coming home on the wrong side of midnight without a coherent explanation of where he'd been. The truth is, Luke doesn't know where he was; he lost four hours of consciousness while walking along the road beside an electrical power source, and woke up at home in bed, not sure what happened. Luke isn't the only teenager in town losing time, however. Mandy Durgin had a similar blackout experience the same night, and can't figure out where the hours went. What happened to her during that time for which her memory cannot provide an account?
Though at first unaware of each others' incidents, Luke and Mandy search out an explanation for their troubling blackouts, crossing paths a few times before beginning to suspect they may both have been victims of the same adversary. But it's hard to find a safe place to get together and compare notes when the insufferably sleazy Quentin is hanging around leading his posse of skinhead rejects, including Luke's brother, Jeff. Quentin seems to exert a power over Luke and Mandy now, able to slow their minds and movements at will, to burrow deep inside their psyches and gain access to their most personal thoughts. It's as if Quentin can dissect the two of them with no more than an appraising glance, and Mandy in particular finds it extremely disturbing. The way Quentin's eyes rove over her body, it's as if he's violated her already, without a single unwanted touch. Though Quentin has always been an unsavory character, Mandy finds him more revolting now than ever.
Luke is the first to jump to the conclusion that an alien abduction may be the reason for their strange episodes of lost time, but Mandy is loathe to disconnect her brain and begin floating around in what she sees as a logic-free zone. There has to be an explanation for the mysterious blackouts, but surely it isn't an abduction of extraterrestrial origin. As the bizarre incidents pile up and it looks more and more like aliens actually may be the perpetrators of invasive crimes against Luke and Mandy, Mandy continues to steel herself in the face of overwhelming evidence, stubbornly refusing to believe in the manifest existence of visitors from outer space. But how long can she continue to deny Jeff's theory as it becomes more and more obvious no human could ever pull off such omniscient trickery as has beset them? How long before Mandy must face facts and band together with Luke against their common enemy...an enemy so cosmically powerful it may be impossible to stop?
The first one-third, at least, of Abduction is impressively paced and fiendishly plotted, a whirling dervish of action that draws the reader deep into the story in a matter of minutes. Besides that, I also found Mandy's struggle with her own standard of logic to be an interesting component of the story, as she invents blockade after blockade to stymie Luke in his attempts to prove to her he's right about what's going on so they can join the fight against the aliens firmly entrenched on the same side. It's easiest in any situation to believe what we've already settled in our minds as true, and set aside any inconvenient evidence that would indicate otherwise. But the challenge is always there to look outside the box and search out even the truths with which we may be uncomfortable. There's so much to understand we haven't yet even begun to grasp, and so many doors of discovery ready to open if we're willing to acknowledge the existence of the doors by admitting the possibility of realities we might rather ignore. Much of the tension in Abduction owes to this struggle in Mandy's own mind, and is a large part of why I have no trouble rounding my one-and-a-half star rating up to two. Rodman Philbrick fans are bound to find things to like about this book, and many other readers will also enjoy it as an offbeat science fiction story.
Luke Ingram isn't used to being a center of negative attention from his parents. That position is generally reserved for his fifteen-year-old younger brother, Jeff, who recently has started running with a less than wholesome crowd that keeps him out late into the night every night, causing trouble. But Luke has stirred his parents' ire recently after coming home on the wrong side of midnight without a coherent explanation of where he'd been. The truth is, Luke doesn't know where he was; he lost four hours of consciousness while walking along the road beside an electrical power source, and woke up at home in bed, not sure what happened. Luke isn't the only teenager in town losing time, however. Mandy Durgin had a similar blackout experience the same night, and can't figure out where the hours went. What happened to her during that time for which her memory cannot provide an account?
Though at first unaware of each others' incidents, Luke and Mandy search out an explanation for their troubling blackouts, crossing paths a few times before beginning to suspect they may both have been victims of the same adversary. But it's hard to find a safe place to get together and compare notes when the insufferably sleazy Quentin is hanging around leading his posse of skinhead rejects, including Luke's brother, Jeff. Quentin seems to exert a power over Luke and Mandy now, able to slow their minds and movements at will, to burrow deep inside their psyches and gain access to their most personal thoughts. It's as if Quentin can dissect the two of them with no more than an appraising glance, and Mandy in particular finds it extremely disturbing. The way Quentin's eyes rove over her body, it's as if he's violated her already, without a single unwanted touch. Though Quentin has always been an unsavory character, Mandy finds him more revolting now than ever.
Luke is the first to jump to the conclusion that an alien abduction may be the reason for their strange episodes of lost time, but Mandy is loathe to disconnect her brain and begin floating around in what she sees as a logic-free zone. There has to be an explanation for the mysterious blackouts, but surely it isn't an abduction of extraterrestrial origin. As the bizarre incidents pile up and it looks more and more like aliens actually may be the perpetrators of invasive crimes against Luke and Mandy, Mandy continues to steel herself in the face of overwhelming evidence, stubbornly refusing to believe in the manifest existence of visitors from outer space. But how long can she continue to deny Jeff's theory as it becomes more and more obvious no human could ever pull off such omniscient trickery as has beset them? How long before Mandy must face facts and band together with Luke against their common enemy...an enemy so cosmically powerful it may be impossible to stop?
The first one-third, at least, of Abduction is impressively paced and fiendishly plotted, a whirling dervish of action that draws the reader deep into the story in a matter of minutes. Besides that, I also found Mandy's struggle with her own standard of logic to be an interesting component of the story, as she invents blockade after blockade to stymie Luke in his attempts to prove to her he's right about what's going on so they can join the fight against the aliens firmly entrenched on the same side. It's easiest in any situation to believe what we've already settled in our minds as true, and set aside any inconvenient evidence that would indicate otherwise. But the challenge is always there to look outside the box and search out even the truths with which we may be uncomfortable. There's so much to understand we haven't yet even begun to grasp, and so many doors of discovery ready to open if we're willing to acknowledge the existence of the doors by admitting the possibility of realities we might rather ignore. Much of the tension in Abduction owes to this struggle in Mandy's own mind, and is a large part of why I have no trouble rounding my one-and-a-half star rating up to two. Rodman Philbrick fans are bound to find things to like about this book, and many other readers will also enjoy it as an offbeat science fiction story.
November 20, 2014
Luke, who have been experiencing blackouts, memory lost was desperate for an answer to all his symptoms. On the other side of town, a girl name Mandy, was also experiencing the same symptoms, blackouts, memory lost, waking up at a place that she didn't remember she have been to. All of these events happened at night, dark and gloomy, this created a lot of suspense when I was reading it. Darkness was like a monster overwhelming both of the characters, causing them to lose consciousness. Quentin, a mysterious person who seem to be able to manipulate, control, read both Luke and Mandy's mind. Every time when they met Quentin they started to feel weak, nearly losing conscious and images of being inspected on an operation table appeared in their minds. These tiny dots were traces to a large puzzle, involving extraterrestrial beings. Throughout the story, Luke and Mandy tried to piece all the facts together and they had discovered an astonishing truth.
This book really kept me turning the pages. I am fascinated by unknown alien race out in space, and this book really kept me thinking about the questions that were given to me throughout the book, like who exactly was Quentin? Why was Luke unconscious? And there were lots of suspense that raised my pulse. I recommend this book to those who love science fiction or alien creatures, it's really a page turner!!
This book really kept me turning the pages. I am fascinated by unknown alien race out in space, and this book really kept me thinking about the questions that were given to me throughout the book, like who exactly was Quentin? Why was Luke unconscious? And there were lots of suspense that raised my pulse. I recommend this book to those who love science fiction or alien creatures, it's really a page turner!!
September 24, 2010
The book was intense and each chapter was a cliffhanger, because the next chapter switched the perspective to another person. There is not a lot to think about in Abduction compared to Rodman Philbrick's other books like Freak the Mighty and Last Book in the Universe. But it was still really fun and exciting.
The characters are intriguing. I especially liked Jeff, because he was just a minion of Quentin, helping against his own brother, but in the end he realizes what Quentin was doing was wrong and helps tie up Quentin and chase the aliens off Earth.
Also, Philbrick's writing is really visual, with a lot of cool images, such as the scene in which Quentin hallucinated chopping off a guy's head with his tongue. I also liked how Philbrick described the way the aliens moved in a blur because they're so fast.
The characters are intriguing. I especially liked Jeff, because he was just a minion of Quentin, helping against his own brother, but in the end he realizes what Quentin was doing was wrong and helps tie up Quentin and chase the aliens off Earth.
Also, Philbrick's writing is really visual, with a lot of cool images, such as the scene in which Quentin hallucinated chopping off a guy's head with his tongue. I also liked how Philbrick described the way the aliens moved in a blur because they're so fast.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 20, 2009
errr not the best book i have ever read. sorry.
June 13, 2018
Stupid ending. Hated the characters. Confusing plot. Why did I read this
May 8, 2023
This was a quick book to get through just because you’re so curious to how it will finish. I don’t mind a book about Aliens and this one wasn’t bad.
October 24, 2023
Not quite what I had in mind, but not bad
October 2, 2014
Its a horror, or at least creepy, sci-fi type of book right? To be honest, it wasn't horrifying. And the only part I found creepy about it was most probably the condition of the book when I got it from my cousin's house. Or the cover.
-
First off, the characters.
I didn't really care what happened to them. So what if Mandy was experiencing the bad stuff. Nope. I don't care if there were evil people or aliens.
Thus, its just didn't captivate me, leaving me quite bored.
-
However, I gave it two stars because I actually finished the book. Books that are rubbish, i cannot finish and such a bore its like reading a thick textbook gets a 1.
-
First off, the characters.
I didn't really care what happened to them. So what if Mandy was experiencing the bad stuff. Nope. I don't care if there were evil people or aliens.
Thus, its just didn't captivate me, leaving me quite bored.
-
However, I gave it two stars because I actually finished the book. Books that are rubbish, i cannot finish and such a bore its like reading a thick textbook gets a 1.
June 13, 2020
The story has a lot of potential, but sadly Philbrick doesn't entirely realize it. There are many good themes that could've been explored deeper. That said it's a quick read always ends it's chapters on a cliffhanger which, while always slightly annoying, does keep you wanting to read it more and more just to get to the end. I must also say that Mandy could've been a much more compelling character had she been allowed to let go of her "everything must be logical" mentality a lot sooner than she did.
July 28, 2013
This book just didn't captivate me I'm sorry to say. I didn't even finish reading it. My mind kept wandering during the story, and it was written too simply for me. It's geared more towards the younger crowds, I'd say maybe 8-13 or so. It would probably be a pretty good, and scary story for that age group, but alas, it wasn't good enough for me!
January 25, 2016
Ok first off I'd like to say Quentin is disgusting. This book was a page turner, there was never any boring parts, the story kept moving forward with the same energy through out the whole book. In the end I'm curious if they do end up telling people and will they believe them, since whoever is gonna win the war/battle is going to come back to earth.
August 12, 2008
This is an interesting book! It is about two teenagers who keep blacking out then waking up hours later not remembering what they did. They then realize that aliens have been abducting them and the two have to find each other and find out how to defeat the aliens.
May 7, 2010
This is the best science-fiction novel which I have ever read. Beside every words in this book is very easy to read for beginner reader like me who like science-fiction and horror novel. This book also have an easy and horrific plot story which can be understood and made tension by reader.
July 23, 2011
I got this book as part of a price giving ceremony for coming in 1st after the final examinations (7th grade).
I am writing this nrealy 6 years after I read it! Hence I cannot remember anything about it, but I guess it was a pleasant read, meant more for the younger adults.
I am writing this nrealy 6 years after I read it! Hence I cannot remember anything about it, but I guess it was a pleasant read, meant more for the younger adults.
September 4, 2016
I feel like I have wasted a good part of my day by reading this book. The characters were weak, no true plot or character development, and basically predictable. I would not recommend this book at all.
Read
October 20, 2007I guess this book is quite boring.
November 13, 2014
this book is extremely realistic and it made me very scared and freaked out in alot of places. i would reccomend this book to any young boy who likes to be scared.
January 21, 2016
This book is very eerie fascinating to explore, because you are brought into a world where you have to find out clues what happens next after lots of memory loss for some characters.
September 26, 2016
This was such a nostalgic good time. I read it when I was 12 and found it again and loved it
Read
February 9, 2017 Abduction was an ok read to pass the time. Although the book did lack the level of thrill and excitement I was wanting out of a book about aliens, I did find myself turning the pages rather frequently. It wasn’t the story I was expecting, but it was the story I got.
When I read a book about aliens, I expect it to have conflict, learn a bit about the aliens, and then an aftermath of the story. Although the story did have a level of conflict throughout, I still found it to be rather low grade. It just wasn’t big enough for me to sense any real long term danger. We did learn a bit about the aliens but nothing too big. They seemed pretty standard and there was very little mystery behind them. And the story never really did anything with the information they gave. It felt like the aliens were there just a another minor problem for the main characters to overcome rather than a imminent threat.
But the biggest problem that I had was with the overall character development. Despite everything that happened, I didn’t feel that much changed with the characters. Especially at the end. I just never got that feeling you get after you’ve overcome your struggle. I didn’t feel like I got a reward from the adventure that I was just taken on. Although I did say the book was ok, it felt like a huge let down. I would not recomend reading this book if you enjoy aline stories.
When I read a book about aliens, I expect it to have conflict, learn a bit about the aliens, and then an aftermath of the story. Although the story did have a level of conflict throughout, I still found it to be rather low grade. It just wasn’t big enough for me to sense any real long term danger. We did learn a bit about the aliens but nothing too big. They seemed pretty standard and there was very little mystery behind them. And the story never really did anything with the information they gave. It felt like the aliens were there just a another minor problem for the main characters to overcome rather than a imminent threat.
But the biggest problem that I had was with the overall character development. Despite everything that happened, I didn’t feel that much changed with the characters. Especially at the end. I just never got that feeling you get after you’ve overcome your struggle. I didn’t feel like I got a reward from the adventure that I was just taken on. Although I did say the book was ok, it felt like a huge let down. I would not recomend reading this book if you enjoy aline stories.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews