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DEATHLOOP
Zack knows one thing: an evil has climbed out of its box and he has been chosen to defeat it.
Handsome, charismatic, super successful, Zack Fortune makes one fateful mistake: he reluctantly agrees to regress to a past life. Past-life regression, only for the gullible - mindless but harmless tosh? Yes, that’s what he thinks too until during the hypnosis a kaleidoscope of horrific visions convulse him back into present time, and aborting the regression, terrified by what he has witnessed, he cuts the session short.
Almost straight away, one by one, strangers call out to him by name pleading for his help. A suicide, a heart attack, a road accident, but their voices turn him to stone - he can’t even breathe – but he can and does watch each stranger die. What do they want these people, the almost dead? And how the hell do they know him?
As the deaths come thick and fast and everyone closely connected to Zack is struck down by trauma, accident, and violence, his perfect world rapidly descending into chaos, Zack sets out on a desperate quest into the unknown, at times questioning his own sanity, to track down and confront these evil forces and to destroy them.
Before these evil forces ultimately destroy him…
Handsome, charismatic, super successful, Zack Fortune makes one fateful mistake: he reluctantly agrees to regress to a past life. Past-life regression, only for the gullible - mindless but harmless tosh? Yes, that’s what he thinks too until during the hypnosis a kaleidoscope of horrific visions convulse him back into present time, and aborting the regression, terrified by what he has witnessed, he cuts the session short.
Almost straight away, one by one, strangers call out to him by name pleading for his help. A suicide, a heart attack, a road accident, but their voices turn him to stone - he can’t even breathe – but he can and does watch each stranger die. What do they want these people, the almost dead? And how the hell do they know him?
As the deaths come thick and fast and everyone closely connected to Zack is struck down by trauma, accident, and violence, his perfect world rapidly descending into chaos, Zack sets out on a desperate quest into the unknown, at times questioning his own sanity, to track down and confront these evil forces and to destroy them.
Before these evil forces ultimately destroy him…
405 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 21, 2012
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August 26, 2020Zack Fortune, handsome, successful and charismatic. Is the lead character here, it soon becomes apparent that Zack is not the man that he presents to the outside world. While at university he makes friends with Sam, a man who most think Zack would not give the time of day to. But Zack deep down is a man who likes people who are needy. Hence the long line of needy girlfriends who are so overwhelmed to be dating a man like Zack. This is all well and good, until Zack becomes bored, then dumping needy girlfriends is not easily accomplished. A case in point is his latest conquest Susan. Who it seems is refusing to go quietly. In fact the sub plot involving her is probably my favourite part of the book. Sam, Zack's best friend is married to Clarissa, a sort of bohemian woman, who flits from one hobby to the next, currently she is obsessed with past life regression. Clarissa persuades Zack to allow himself to be hypnotised. Basically act as a guinea pig. This is the biggest mistake of his life, because it is after this, his whole world is turned upside down. Complete strangers calling out to him, before killing themselves.
This is the debut novel by this author. It is well written for the most part. I might have given it five stars. But it was a little difficult to follow here and there. The main character Zack is not a very likeable chap, I did not feel any empathy with his character at all. Which some readers might have a problem with. He comes across as a complete user. The secondary characters are well developed and interesting. I have already mentioned Susan, she is particularly well drawn. Also Sam who plays a pivital role in this, as loyal friends go he has to be the best. To sum up an interesting book, well written, the writing is descriptive. Figuring out what is happening is often left to the readers imagination. But this is certainly an interesting read.
This is the debut novel by this author. It is well written for the most part. I might have given it five stars. But it was a little difficult to follow here and there. The main character Zack is not a very likeable chap, I did not feel any empathy with his character at all. Which some readers might have a problem with. He comes across as a complete user. The secondary characters are well developed and interesting. I have already mentioned Susan, she is particularly well drawn. Also Sam who plays a pivital role in this, as loyal friends go he has to be the best. To sum up an interesting book, well written, the writing is descriptive. Figuring out what is happening is often left to the readers imagination. But this is certainly an interesting read.
July 17, 2012
Zack Fortune the main character of this book appears to have everything going for him. He is a successful lawyer who has managed to cruise through life because he possesses a bucket load of charisma and good looks that make him irresistible to most women. Although as the book develops the reader is given glimpses of a sad and lonely childhood, some would say that adult life at least had been kind to Zack Fortune. Zack Fortune is not a character with a central morality that the reader can relate to as the stereotypical good guy. Everyone around him appears content just to be in his orbit and he is a man that uses people then casts them aside. Things start to go wrong for Zack Fortune after he undergoes a hypnotherapy session for past life regression and strangers start to die in front of him calling out for him to help them.
I think that Deathloop is a thumping good read with an original, uncompromising but entertaining storyline that draws you in and hooks you. It also has an imaginative main character in Zack Fortune as well as well-structured sub-characters. I also think this book has a lot of soul and it’s always a joy to read a book from someone who writes from the heart.
I think that Deathloop is a thumping good read with an original, uncompromising but entertaining storyline that draws you in and hooks you. It also has an imaginative main character in Zack Fortune as well as well-structured sub-characters. I also think this book has a lot of soul and it’s always a joy to read a book from someone who writes from the heart.
August 2, 2012
I made several jokes about a third of the way through this book until about 2/3 of a way through - I joked, "When is this book ever going to end!" When I hit the final third...I couldn't put the book down. I read well into the night, ending emotionally exhausted and feeling almost lost at the conclusion.
I wasn't certain if what I was reading had a plot, but the people - the people were living beings who were good and bad and maybe a little idealized or maybe just with human fallacy, it was hard to distinguish.
This book is about love, hate, trust, and sharing life. The ending felt true and horrible and wonderful, and I recommend you read the whole thing, because, yes, it all does tie together. There is a plot and a reason for everything.
I think the women in the story were not given enough of a background. It's a very male-centric thing - and women are either the Madonna or the Succubus, either passively reacting to the male authorities in her life or an evil demon. It worked for the story, but I ended it most curious about the women that weren't explored except as facets of the male characters.
I wasn't certain if what I was reading had a plot, but the people - the people were living beings who were good and bad and maybe a little idealized or maybe just with human fallacy, it was hard to distinguish.
This book is about love, hate, trust, and sharing life. The ending felt true and horrible and wonderful, and I recommend you read the whole thing, because, yes, it all does tie together. There is a plot and a reason for everything.
I think the women in the story were not given enough of a background. It's a very male-centric thing - and women are either the Madonna or the Succubus, either passively reacting to the male authorities in her life or an evil demon. It worked for the story, but I ended it most curious about the women that weren't explored except as facets of the male characters.
July 19, 2012
Successful lawyer Zack Fortune's life quickly falls apart when a past life regression experiment goes badly wrong. He starts coming across complete strangers who seem to know him and appeal for his help,before mysteriously dying in front of him.
As his life descends into chaos,Zack and girlfriend Veronica seek explanations for these events and their investigations take them on a journey across the UK,where they meet a succession of colourful and sinister characters.
This is a pacy paranormal mystery from a new author who keeps surprising with a series of twists and turns that keep you turning the page.
The book has some well drawn characters,I loved Zack's ever faithful friend Sam Stein and sinister medium Russell Garrity,and has some intriguing sub-plots;who is the strange,stalking Jason? Did Zack really rape the increasingly outrageous Susan?
The author finally releases us from our white-knuckle,switchback ride with an exciting and unexpected finale which comes all too soon. I was so gripped by this lengthy book that I devoured it over three evenings. A stunning debut.
As his life descends into chaos,Zack and girlfriend Veronica seek explanations for these events and their investigations take them on a journey across the UK,where they meet a succession of colourful and sinister characters.
This is a pacy paranormal mystery from a new author who keeps surprising with a series of twists and turns that keep you turning the page.
The book has some well drawn characters,I loved Zack's ever faithful friend Sam Stein and sinister medium Russell Garrity,and has some intriguing sub-plots;who is the strange,stalking Jason? Did Zack really rape the increasingly outrageous Susan?
The author finally releases us from our white-knuckle,switchback ride with an exciting and unexpected finale which comes all too soon. I was so gripped by this lengthy book that I devoured it over three evenings. A stunning debut.
July 10, 2012
Zach's character is a bit unnerving, although, you have to have a little bit of compassion for the guy. He really isn't all that bad, however, he does treat women a little wicked. (well he isn't the only one in the world). Even still, he does play an interesting part in this book, terribly mysterious and as much as you want to hate him, you can't.
I thought this was an odd book, in a good way, definitely wasn't mainstream, or something you may see, "Everybody reading at the beach" or "Everybody running to the bookstore for". I think they should though, it is an unusual book, and that is what makes this story so superb!
It reminds me of the type of book that will have it's own following, like certain bands, and those "out of the ordinary" type, books, movies, cult like genres. I would be one of them for this book, especially if there were more of these like from a series, or books written by this author, along the same lines.
It was unusual in the sense that I find people and their minds, intriguing. To have such an imagination, to conjure up a story that is so twisted and crazy and make it an easy book to read, fairly paced action, certainly enough to keep you interested, is a definite asset. (Especially in today's society where things don't seem as accepted or welcomed as they used too) I admire this when I read a book from an author that has some insanity trapped in there.
That is why I love books so much, they still seem to be for the most part, uncensored. Unlike music and movies and well, people's opinions.
The story does start out from another part of the story, so be prepared to be a little confused, but it is pretty obvious after you read it. (A lot of movies do this too and I always think it just adds to the twisted plot and adds a star:)
Anyway, the characters are all well described, enough that you can picture each individual person, and the writing flows very nice.
I wouldn't really know where to classify this, I know we have to have "genres" in a sense, but there should be an "unknown, crazy but worth your time" section. (and possibly a "unknown, not so crazy, waste of time" section, lol. This book, I would put in the worth your time group, because it is. It won't leave you bored, sure won't make you that confused, and it will keep you guessing, thinking and at the end, pretty explosive stuff there. Certainly not what I expected!
It does have some past life stuff, so I would guess if you are a non believer, that may disappoint you, but uh, that's what the story is kind of about! It also has a little swearing, not a lot, not a bunch of sex, and not any jumping around. It is written very strategically and offers a few hours of pure enjoyment!
** I received a copy of this book in return for my honest review **
I thought this was an odd book, in a good way, definitely wasn't mainstream, or something you may see, "Everybody reading at the beach" or "Everybody running to the bookstore for". I think they should though, it is an unusual book, and that is what makes this story so superb!
It reminds me of the type of book that will have it's own following, like certain bands, and those "out of the ordinary" type, books, movies, cult like genres. I would be one of them for this book, especially if there were more of these like from a series, or books written by this author, along the same lines.
It was unusual in the sense that I find people and their minds, intriguing. To have such an imagination, to conjure up a story that is so twisted and crazy and make it an easy book to read, fairly paced action, certainly enough to keep you interested, is a definite asset. (Especially in today's society where things don't seem as accepted or welcomed as they used too) I admire this when I read a book from an author that has some insanity trapped in there.
That is why I love books so much, they still seem to be for the most part, uncensored. Unlike music and movies and well, people's opinions.
The story does start out from another part of the story, so be prepared to be a little confused, but it is pretty obvious after you read it. (A lot of movies do this too and I always think it just adds to the twisted plot and adds a star:)
Anyway, the characters are all well described, enough that you can picture each individual person, and the writing flows very nice.
I wouldn't really know where to classify this, I know we have to have "genres" in a sense, but there should be an "unknown, crazy but worth your time" section. (and possibly a "unknown, not so crazy, waste of time" section, lol. This book, I would put in the worth your time group, because it is. It won't leave you bored, sure won't make you that confused, and it will keep you guessing, thinking and at the end, pretty explosive stuff there. Certainly not what I expected!
It does have some past life stuff, so I would guess if you are a non believer, that may disappoint you, but uh, that's what the story is kind of about! It also has a little swearing, not a lot, not a bunch of sex, and not any jumping around. It is written very strategically and offers a few hours of pure enjoyment!
** I received a copy of this book in return for my honest review **
December 14, 2012
G. Brailey’s debut novel can be described in one word: brilliant. Deathloop captivates and through a series of twists and turns, it will keep you on the edge of your seat. Zack Fortune is successful, charismatic, and gorgeous. He’s also a bastard of the first order and makes no apologies for it. In fact, he’s the first to agree that he’s one. Sam, his best friend, once said he was a romantic bastard. You know the type, will wine and dine you and in many ways romance you the old fashioned way, then out of nowhere dump you. One night Zack reluctantly agrees to participate in a past life regression and is given clear instructions “no matter what you see do not come out.” His regression is terrifying and nothing goes as planned. Afterwards people begin to die and he has to shake off a persistent series of legal woes. What ensues is beautiful journey of self discovery and about life and death.
There are a lot of complex relationships in Deathloop. Zack’s friendship with Sam is thoroughly explored and the way Sam depends on Zack is heartbreaking. Although Brailey depicts the friendship as one sided, it’s Zack that gives meaning to Sam’s life; it’s clear that Zack needs Sam just as much. Sam is married to Clarissa and even she realizes early on that there’s no coming between Sam and Zack. Some people even suspect there’s more to Sam and Zack’s friendship, which would no doubt make Zack laugh in their faces if he knew what was said. Others believe there’s something between Zack and Clarissa. Then we have Susan, Zack’s ex-girlfriend who doesn’t understand their relationship is over. At times you feel for Susan because she’s the victim of Zack’s callous use and yet you wish someone would sit down with her and give her a good shaking. Brailey also introduces Zack’s new girlfriend, Veronica, and it’s interesting to see how different he is with her versus Susan. Finally we have to make sense of Jason and how he’s connected to Zack. Every person in Deathloop is broken in some way, but isn’t that true of our regular lives? Each and every one of us has a past that makes us who we are and affects our relationships in varying degrees. How often do we ignore the warnings others give us? When we do, do we it do it because it was suppose to be that way?
While we have a lot of characters and subplots, at times I felt didn’t need to know what each secondary character was thinking. In hindsight, I realize they are strategically placed. All characters play a central role and at the end, it all becomes clear. One of the criticisms of Deathloop is “a lot of things happen,” and indeed they do, however; everything Brailey sets up is for a reason. Our journey is to help Zack figure out how he got to this moment in time. It’s difficult to feel any empathy for Zack, and yet you can’t help feel sorry for him now and then. Here is a man use to being in command and when his life begins to spiral out of control, he struggles. Zack attempts on numerous occasions to decipher what is real and what’s imagined. Everyone he speaks to cannot offer any explanation as to why complete strangers are dying exclusively in front of him and most just assume his past drug use has caught up to him. When he does have the opportunity to meet with people who can provide the answers, they don’t. Here is where the plot picks up steam. Do these people fail to give him a way out because they don’t know how to help or are afraid to get involved and mess with what’s preordained?
If I could touch upon one small item to note: there are a lot of Britishisms and if you aren’t familiar with British culture or slang you might feel overwhelmed. Please don’t let this stop you from reading the book or giving up. Go and research the phrase that stumps you. Even if you think you are well versed, you might be caught by surprise.
I’m not going to touch upon the ending for fear of spoiling it, but it left me emotionally drained. It made me question my own beliefs regarding life, death, and even the idea of reincarnation. I also wondered about one’s predestined role (if you believe in that). If Clarissa had not dabbled in past life regression, what would Zack’s destiny be? Was Zack meant to see a past life in order to fulfill his purpose in the present? It’s clear that everyone has a role to play in Deathloop, even the Angel of Death cannot escape what’s predestined. It’s said the only thing we can be guaranteed in life is death and taxes. No matter how rich, famous, or beautiful a person is, we all the share the same ending: death.
There are a lot of complex relationships in Deathloop. Zack’s friendship with Sam is thoroughly explored and the way Sam depends on Zack is heartbreaking. Although Brailey depicts the friendship as one sided, it’s Zack that gives meaning to Sam’s life; it’s clear that Zack needs Sam just as much. Sam is married to Clarissa and even she realizes early on that there’s no coming between Sam and Zack. Some people even suspect there’s more to Sam and Zack’s friendship, which would no doubt make Zack laugh in their faces if he knew what was said. Others believe there’s something between Zack and Clarissa. Then we have Susan, Zack’s ex-girlfriend who doesn’t understand their relationship is over. At times you feel for Susan because she’s the victim of Zack’s callous use and yet you wish someone would sit down with her and give her a good shaking. Brailey also introduces Zack’s new girlfriend, Veronica, and it’s interesting to see how different he is with her versus Susan. Finally we have to make sense of Jason and how he’s connected to Zack. Every person in Deathloop is broken in some way, but isn’t that true of our regular lives? Each and every one of us has a past that makes us who we are and affects our relationships in varying degrees. How often do we ignore the warnings others give us? When we do, do we it do it because it was suppose to be that way?
While we have a lot of characters and subplots, at times I felt didn’t need to know what each secondary character was thinking. In hindsight, I realize they are strategically placed. All characters play a central role and at the end, it all becomes clear. One of the criticisms of Deathloop is “a lot of things happen,” and indeed they do, however; everything Brailey sets up is for a reason. Our journey is to help Zack figure out how he got to this moment in time. It’s difficult to feel any empathy for Zack, and yet you can’t help feel sorry for him now and then. Here is a man use to being in command and when his life begins to spiral out of control, he struggles. Zack attempts on numerous occasions to decipher what is real and what’s imagined. Everyone he speaks to cannot offer any explanation as to why complete strangers are dying exclusively in front of him and most just assume his past drug use has caught up to him. When he does have the opportunity to meet with people who can provide the answers, they don’t. Here is where the plot picks up steam. Do these people fail to give him a way out because they don’t know how to help or are afraid to get involved and mess with what’s preordained?
If I could touch upon one small item to note: there are a lot of Britishisms and if you aren’t familiar with British culture or slang you might feel overwhelmed. Please don’t let this stop you from reading the book or giving up. Go and research the phrase that stumps you. Even if you think you are well versed, you might be caught by surprise.
I’m not going to touch upon the ending for fear of spoiling it, but it left me emotionally drained. It made me question my own beliefs regarding life, death, and even the idea of reincarnation. I also wondered about one’s predestined role (if you believe in that). If Clarissa had not dabbled in past life regression, what would Zack’s destiny be? Was Zack meant to see a past life in order to fulfill his purpose in the present? It’s clear that everyone has a role to play in Deathloop, even the Angel of Death cannot escape what’s predestined. It’s said the only thing we can be guaranteed in life is death and taxes. No matter how rich, famous, or beautiful a person is, we all the share the same ending: death.
July 11, 2012
Deathloop by G. Bratley sparked my interest since I enjoy reading reincarnation and and other fictional subjects. In this story the main character Zack Fortune lets his best friend's wife, Clarissa, hypnotize him to bring him back to a past life. She warned him not to come out of it by himself and wait for her to bring him out of it. Zach experienced horrific visions and panicked and so he brought himself out of it despite Clarissa's warning . The next day someone standing on the edge of a roof calls out to Zack by name just before she steps off and lands at his feet with a deadly thud. That was just the beginning of his life spiraling out of control.
Weird things happened to him throughout the book such as people calling out his name and asking for help right before they died yet he never met him before, legal investigations and charges brought against him, and relationship problems. None of these were clear-cut cases of reading about the incident and moving along, they were very complex going off into different directions and involving so many other people that half the time I didn't know what was going on and found myself rereading pages. To me it seemed like the author wanted the reader to get to know too many people and the interactions among too many people which made reading very difficult. Not every person in the story has to be a major character nor do I need to know what they are thinking and doing all the time.
I thought the story would redeem itself when Zack and Veronica (Zack's girlfriend) went to Renfield and Veronica wend to the old church for to see the "Renowned Spiritualist Russell Garrity". When Veronica walks in she is welcomed and even expected but when Zack walks in not only is he told to get out, he is physically thrown out. It is shortly after this that Zack gets his phone number and calls Russell Garrity. He agrees to meet him so Zack (and I) can finally get some answers. Russell Garrity insists on meeting Zack on a old, small foot bridge since the meeting has to be over water which only adds to the climax of this meeting. However, the meeting turned out to be 'weird' and not all the answers were given due to the somewhat predicable outcome for Russell Garrity.
The reactions of the characters were unbelievable. The things that Susan said and did to Zack, Veronica, and everyone else for that matter were just unreal but what was more unreal is the reaction of these people to her. Zack with his bad temper I figured would have done something to Susan to keep her from showing up at the door and confronting his friends but he did nothing to her. In fact, even though she accused him of sexual assault he goes and talks to her. The 'mind games' she and Zack played throughout were annoying. The relationships between Zach and Jason, Zach and Veronica, and Zach and Sam really stretches one's imagination. I felt these were totally unbelievable so I am not sure exactly what the goal of the author was other than to write a fictional story.
I would not call this an enjoyable book because of the complex relationships between these people (physical, sexual, and physiological) or maybe I should rephrase it to say I would not call this an 'easy read' book. If you just want to relax with a book without having to concentrate on who is who and the chain of events then I would not recommend this book however if you're into soap operas and complex relationships with some strange and at times unexpected twists then this book is for you.
Weird things happened to him throughout the book such as people calling out his name and asking for help right before they died yet he never met him before, legal investigations and charges brought against him, and relationship problems. None of these were clear-cut cases of reading about the incident and moving along, they were very complex going off into different directions and involving so many other people that half the time I didn't know what was going on and found myself rereading pages. To me it seemed like the author wanted the reader to get to know too many people and the interactions among too many people which made reading very difficult. Not every person in the story has to be a major character nor do I need to know what they are thinking and doing all the time.
I thought the story would redeem itself when Zack and Veronica (Zack's girlfriend) went to Renfield and Veronica wend to the old church for to see the "Renowned Spiritualist Russell Garrity". When Veronica walks in she is welcomed and even expected but when Zack walks in not only is he told to get out, he is physically thrown out. It is shortly after this that Zack gets his phone number and calls Russell Garrity. He agrees to meet him so Zack (and I) can finally get some answers. Russell Garrity insists on meeting Zack on a old, small foot bridge since the meeting has to be over water which only adds to the climax of this meeting. However, the meeting turned out to be 'weird' and not all the answers were given due to the somewhat predicable outcome for Russell Garrity.
The reactions of the characters were unbelievable. The things that Susan said and did to Zack, Veronica, and everyone else for that matter were just unreal but what was more unreal is the reaction of these people to her. Zack with his bad temper I figured would have done something to Susan to keep her from showing up at the door and confronting his friends but he did nothing to her. In fact, even though she accused him of sexual assault he goes and talks to her. The 'mind games' she and Zack played throughout were annoying. The relationships between Zach and Jason, Zach and Veronica, and Zach and Sam really stretches one's imagination. I felt these were totally unbelievable so I am not sure exactly what the goal of the author was other than to write a fictional story.
I would not call this an enjoyable book because of the complex relationships between these people (physical, sexual, and physiological) or maybe I should rephrase it to say I would not call this an 'easy read' book. If you just want to relax with a book without having to concentrate on who is who and the chain of events then I would not recommend this book however if you're into soap operas and complex relationships with some strange and at times unexpected twists then this book is for you.
May 17, 2013
Zack Fortune is a successful lawyer. He's well off and handsome to the point where people seem to go out of their way to please him...despite how badly he treats people. He has a habit of being selfish, leaving a wake of broken relationships behind him. Even his 'friends' don't know why they're friends with him but for some reason, they just can't keep away no matter how badly he treats them. On a whim, he agrees to endure a past life regression courtesy of his best friend Sam's wife Clarissa...that's when things get interesting for Zack. He begins to see people die in front of his eyes. Suicides, accidents, people jumping from buildings, everywhere. The thing is, he's the only one who can see them. Is Zack going crazy or did he bring something back from another life that's come back to haunt him?
I'll come right out and say it: this book was odd. I had a hard time liking Zack. Everything came so easily to him, no matter how much he stomped on people during the course of his daily life. At the outset, it was tiring to hear about how handsome he is and how people would bend over backwards to please him, even though he'd been stabbing them in the back for his own reasons since he was a kid. Of course, there is a REASON for this but it didn't endear me to the character any more. Zack is a jerk, plain and simple. I didn't 'hate' him but I didn't 'like' him either. I didn't even hate to like him or like to hate him. He's just there to me. The other characters are more likeable, even if they're all head over heels for the super good looking Zack. Sam, his friend since college and an odd looking guy that Zack would normally have nothing to do with, along with his wife Clarissa, who is enamored with Mr. Fortune as well, are in many of the scenes. Usually to tell him what a jerk he's been, but they're still there. There is of course, another in a long line of girlfriends, Susan, who Zack dumps. To say she doesn't take it very well is an understatement. Then there's Jason, a troubled late-teenager that doesn't want to leave Zack alone. These ancillary characters are well fleshed out but their blind devotion to Zack, even though all is explained, gets a bit old in short order.
Insofar as the story. It's long and has a tendency to ramble. There are a few reveals that were fair (no fast ones pulled here) but they were telegraphed. Which is ok, but there's no 'wow' moment as it becomes clear what's happening. I think one of the things that I'd like to have seen more of would be these deaths that Zack is alone privy to. Because of the rambling nature of the book, these events are few and far between.
On a technical side, the book had some of the oddest punctuation I've ever encountered in any book I've ever read, not to mention consistently abrupt point of view changes from paragraph to paragraph. I don't mean to bash the author, but it's an issue with me when I'm not sure whose head I'm in when going from paragraph to paragraph with nothing so much as a page break.
The book does pick up by the latter third and there are some good moments here. It's not a bad book by any stretch of the imagination. There were just a few things I wished were different both from a story perspective as well as a technical aspect, thus it gets a solid 3.
I'll come right out and say it: this book was odd. I had a hard time liking Zack. Everything came so easily to him, no matter how much he stomped on people during the course of his daily life. At the outset, it was tiring to hear about how handsome he is and how people would bend over backwards to please him, even though he'd been stabbing them in the back for his own reasons since he was a kid. Of course, there is a REASON for this but it didn't endear me to the character any more. Zack is a jerk, plain and simple. I didn't 'hate' him but I didn't 'like' him either. I didn't even hate to like him or like to hate him. He's just there to me. The other characters are more likeable, even if they're all head over heels for the super good looking Zack. Sam, his friend since college and an odd looking guy that Zack would normally have nothing to do with, along with his wife Clarissa, who is enamored with Mr. Fortune as well, are in many of the scenes. Usually to tell him what a jerk he's been, but they're still there. There is of course, another in a long line of girlfriends, Susan, who Zack dumps. To say she doesn't take it very well is an understatement. Then there's Jason, a troubled late-teenager that doesn't want to leave Zack alone. These ancillary characters are well fleshed out but their blind devotion to Zack, even though all is explained, gets a bit old in short order.
Insofar as the story. It's long and has a tendency to ramble. There are a few reveals that were fair (no fast ones pulled here) but they were telegraphed. Which is ok, but there's no 'wow' moment as it becomes clear what's happening. I think one of the things that I'd like to have seen more of would be these deaths that Zack is alone privy to. Because of the rambling nature of the book, these events are few and far between.
On a technical side, the book had some of the oddest punctuation I've ever encountered in any book I've ever read, not to mention consistently abrupt point of view changes from paragraph to paragraph. I don't mean to bash the author, but it's an issue with me when I'm not sure whose head I'm in when going from paragraph to paragraph with nothing so much as a page break.
The book does pick up by the latter third and there are some good moments here. It's not a bad book by any stretch of the imagination. There were just a few things I wished were different both from a story perspective as well as a technical aspect, thus it gets a solid 3.
August 18, 2012
I thought this book was excellent. A real page turner. Unusual and interesting plot. Zack Fortune has everything that you could wish for. Good looking, beautiful girlfriend, a successful job and a best friend who would do anything for him. An experiment with past life regression and everything starts to change. This is at times a terrifying unstoppable read. It is far from your everyday run of the mill thriller. This takes the genre to a new level. It is underneath a book about love and friendship. The unique and special relationships between the main characters are what stands this book above the rest. So why did I not give this 5* you may ask. There is I think a problem with the formatting on the Kindle. Some of the points where there should have been a line break to denote a new paragraph or chapter were missing. So the story jumped around which was confusing to start with until I realised what the problem was. There were also some minor spelling errors. These could easily be sorted out with proof reading and editing. I will certainly read more by Gil Brailey but how she will manage to top this I do not know.
February 13, 2013
Zack Fortune is the man that people can't help falling in love with. He oozes success, he always gets what he wants, and no matter what his life is good. That is until he reluctantly agrees to undergo a past life regression performed by his best friend's wife. The trance shows him a vision of a dying man pleading for Zack to help him. Suddenly, his life starts crumbling around him with visions of death, a Yandere ex-girlfriend targeting him and everyone close to him, a shady street thug obsessed with him, and ever mounting police charges. Is there anything Zack can do to escape the madness and return to a world of normalcy?
This book is different from what I was expecting. For a good part of it it seemed as though nothing was happening and the book would just fizzled out, but somehow it manages to maintain interest the entire way through. The ending really works to hold the piece together giving it a real dramatic twist that ties everything together really nicely.
A nice dramatic tale of life and death.
This book is different from what I was expecting. For a good part of it it seemed as though nothing was happening and the book would just fizzled out, but somehow it manages to maintain interest the entire way through. The ending really works to hold the piece together giving it a real dramatic twist that ties everything together really nicely.
A nice dramatic tale of life and death.
January 31, 2013
The main plot, which was supernatural , was all over the place. There were so many sub-plots and characters with their own stories that the seemed to be a lack of focus on the main story. Many of those character extras were superfluous to the story, for instance the police detective and his personal history.
Tortured with visions of impending deaths that never occur, whilst battling stalkers, wannabe lovers and existing lovers, the main character is torn between reality and the unexplained.
The relationships, both past and present, and the turmoil of emotions the main character goes through are the actual focus. For me the supernatural genre was lacking, although the ideas are clearly there and instead it was a book about inner angst, pain and redemption for past events. It felt as if the author had decided on one genre and then veered off into a completely different one.
I received a free copy of this book for my review.
Tortured with visions of impending deaths that never occur, whilst battling stalkers, wannabe lovers and existing lovers, the main character is torn between reality and the unexplained.
The relationships, both past and present, and the turmoil of emotions the main character goes through are the actual focus. For me the supernatural genre was lacking, although the ideas are clearly there and instead it was a book about inner angst, pain and redemption for past events. It felt as if the author had decided on one genre and then veered off into a completely different one.
I received a free copy of this book for my review.
July 11, 2014
this was one of those books that i kept reading in hopes that it would make sense in the end. it didn't. the book had several problems in my opinion. the first being, one of the main components of the story is a 'bromance' between two college buddies. it was not believable on any level, clearly written by a woman without a clue regarding how men relate to each other. it would have been more believable if the main character was female with a female friend. in addition, the style was annoying. a character is introduced and everything stops while we get a mini biography of that person. then the story resumes. this happens repeatedly. and the ending of the book used the same pattern. something happens........ pause while we explain it.... then the story resumes. it was interesting enough to get me through the entire book, but when it was finished i had to ask myself why i bothered.
January 22, 2013
I really wanted to like this book, but ultimately found difficulty in liking the characters and did not understand the plot as it came together.
The co-dependent friendship between Zack and Sam was creepy. The co-dependent triangle that Clarissa had apparently developed a severe attachment towards did not make sense to me. Often it was made clear to the reader (in case you didn't get it the first thousand times) that Zack was extraordinarily handsome. The reader was then also reminded on a frequent basis of how gorgeous Veronica was. I don't get it though. Should we hate these people because they're so beautiful?
The ending...ugh, it was so pointless.
The co-dependent friendship between Zack and Sam was creepy. The co-dependent triangle that Clarissa had apparently developed a severe attachment towards did not make sense to me. Often it was made clear to the reader (in case you didn't get it the first thousand times) that Zack was extraordinarily handsome. The reader was then also reminded on a frequent basis of how gorgeous Veronica was. I don't get it though. Should we hate these people because they're so beautiful?
The ending...ugh, it was so pointless.
September 18, 2012
I found this book gripping. Dense characterisation, a great hook in the opening chapter, and a devastating ending. The main character is not at all likeable at the beginning, but for some reason as the story progressed I became increasingly concerned for Zack and wanted him to find an explanation for the bizarre set of circumstances that kept confronting him. I completely believed in all the characters but the relationship between Zack and his old friend Sam was compelling. A really unusual book, written with heart and soul.
August 25, 2012
A good friend recommended this, so he definitely enjoyed it, but it wasn't for me. I thought it wasn't brilliantly written, and found the main character, Zach fortune, eminently unlikeable. Designed I think to be a 'complex' character, he was too misogynistic and unpleasant for me to really empathise with. And I found the 'big reveal' which I won't go into, a bit clunky in terms of the whole book. Not for me.
August 25, 2012
This book kept my interest from the very beginning. It is different to the usual book I read, the plot and characters were intriging. The main character Zack Fortune really annoyed me with his thoughtless, selfish behaviour. I kept thinking he deserved what was promised by Russell. There was a great twist near the end that I didn't see coming and I enjoyed it all from start to finish.
April 28, 2013
Very good book but the ending ruined it. Should have had a different ending.
July 20, 2012
Cracking read!
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