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Sectors
Against their parents’ wishes, Gilbert and Bobby trespass into an abandoned old house, unaware of the horrors that lurk inside. With Bobby’s sudden disappearance, Gilbert finds himself caught up in an adventure that only starts with the ghosts who reside in the house. After stepping through a door into the Sectors, Gilbert is confronted with an entirely new world populated with werewolves, vampires, zombies, ghosts, robots, humans and a cannibal…
222 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2010
469 people want to read
About the author
Brick Marlin
25 books148 followersAt an early age Brick Marlin was exposed to horror and science fiction. He soon became an avid reader and enjoyed stories written by Edgar Allen Poe and W. W. Jacobs. His other favorite tales were written by Stephen King, Clive Barker, Ray Bradbury, J. B. Stamper—which he still to this day recollects her terrifying tale “The Furry Collar”—Kurt Vonnegut, Dean Koontz, Charles Dickens, Harper Lee, H.G. Wells, etc. Not long after did he decide to write horror, sci-fi and dark fantasy he began scaring readers such as his parents, his friends, a handful of neighbors, and even leaving a few school teachers scratching their heads wondering if the boy should be committed or not. His very first book was written when he was 9—a mere 100 words, if that, written on index cards and bound together with yarn—which was a follow-up to the movie Rikki Tikki Tavi. From then on short story ideas continued to visit. A book idea or two sometimes stopped by for a sit. And gathering the craft of world building and characterization by posing as a Dungeon Master while playing hours and hours of the game Dungeons and Dragons fed his need. When 2007 arrived he decided to pursue writing professionally and was able to have The Darkened Image published. Brick Marlin is a member of the Horror Writers Association and has published 11 novels, over 25 short stories, including a few which has shown up in anthologies such as Dystopian Express released by Hydra Publications.
Nowadays Brick Marlin loves to cast himself as an introvert when writing, staving off the outside world by hiding out in his office. The only thing which sometimes break the invisible force field is the dreaded literary gremlin and its miserable clan of misfits. If you see one, you know there’s more around. Much like that cockroach you notice when you open the kitchen draw of utensils and find out that cockroach has just birthed cockroach babies.
And the best thing to do in those circumstances are to feed the literary creatures Extra Sour Apple-Flavored Fizzle, Pop & Explode Candies Extreme Fizz Series One.
Unless of course you have cockroaches. Then you’ll need an exterminator.
Nowadays Brick Marlin loves to cast himself as an introvert when writing, staving off the outside world by hiding out in his office. The only thing which sometimes break the invisible force field is the dreaded literary gremlin and its miserable clan of misfits. If you see one, you know there’s more around. Much like that cockroach you notice when you open the kitchen draw of utensils and find out that cockroach has just birthed cockroach babies.
And the best thing to do in those circumstances are to feed the literary creatures Extra Sour Apple-Flavored Fizzle, Pop & Explode Candies Extreme Fizz Series One.
Unless of course you have cockroaches. Then you’ll need an exterminator.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 3, 2010
For a full review, check the Bitten by Books website: http://www.bittenbybooks.com/
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February 6, 2013** originally posted on www.bunnycates.com **
My Thoughts:
Sectors by Brick Marlin is one of those books that are really hard to tell people about. I feel like, if I go into very much detail, I’m going to be “spoiling” a lot of the experience for you. I don’t want to do that, so if I do, Im sorry!
This book starts out as a haunted house story. Two boys are told to stay away from this creepy house in town, and of course.. boys being boys… they sneak off and go. Strange things happen, and at one point one of them goes missing. That’s not a a spoiler, its up there in the synopsis, so Im good. =D In the search to find his friend, the remaining boy is pulled into like this “alternate universe” or “reality” or… Well, into a world that is a very “steam punk” paranormally type reality. OMG, I’m not using my words very well, am I? haha.
The world building in this story is awesome. The characters were fantastic.
The writing style was very smooth. This book feels like it was written for middle grade readers, and the language used will make it very relatable to that age group.
In Conclusion:
Over all, I enjoyed this story. It was very different from about everything I have read before. I did hate the ending, and if there is not a sequel in the works I’m going to be pissed. I *need* to know what happens now!
Mom Notes:
This book has very dark undertones, and at times is SCARY. I would recommend to 13+
My Thoughts:
Sectors by Brick Marlin is one of those books that are really hard to tell people about. I feel like, if I go into very much detail, I’m going to be “spoiling” a lot of the experience for you. I don’t want to do that, so if I do, Im sorry!
This book starts out as a haunted house story. Two boys are told to stay away from this creepy house in town, and of course.. boys being boys… they sneak off and go. Strange things happen, and at one point one of them goes missing. That’s not a a spoiler, its up there in the synopsis, so Im good. =D In the search to find his friend, the remaining boy is pulled into like this “alternate universe” or “reality” or… Well, into a world that is a very “steam punk” paranormally type reality. OMG, I’m not using my words very well, am I? haha.
The world building in this story is awesome. The characters were fantastic.
The writing style was very smooth. This book feels like it was written for middle grade readers, and the language used will make it very relatable to that age group.
In Conclusion:
Over all, I enjoyed this story. It was very different from about everything I have read before. I did hate the ending, and if there is not a sequel in the works I’m going to be pissed. I *need* to know what happens now!
Mom Notes:
This book has very dark undertones, and at times is SCARY. I would recommend to 13+
November 26, 2012
(Review of a book supplied for free by the author.)
Since the main protagonist is an eleven-year-old, this book is aimed at the upper primary/lower secondary (or middle school) age range and so it is a fast and easy read (if it wasn't for various interruptions, I would've finished this in one sitting instead of three). It is quite entertaining, often surreal and, at times, scary. The book starts out as a rather conventional haunted house story with some creepy developments that arise when the protagonist, Gilbert, and his friend, Bobby, disobey their parents and return to an abandoned house to look for ghosts late at night. Some eleven-year-olds might find it too scary to continue reading the book after the boys get separated in the house but if they persevere they will soon read how Gilbert is transported to another world – either a different planet from our own or an alternate reality – from which point onwards the narrative reads more like surreal science fiction than horror. Most of the book is then taken up by Gilbert's adventures in this other world or reality, and the friends he makes there. While this world is certainly strange it is not as frightening as the episode in the haunted house might suggest. However, the story does get darker and scarier towards the end, which I might add, is rather abrupt.
The abruptness of the ending is something of a surprise and (to me) a disappointment – I was left thinking that there is probably a sequel in the works. This is my only major complaint about the book, although a couple of times I did wonder if certain scenes might be a bit too scary for eleven-year-olds to read. Young teenagers, however, would love the scarier bits, I'm sure!
This is not a criticism, but aspects of the surrealistic world that Gilbert finds himself in remind me a little of the movie A boy and his dog (1975), especially its weird underground society and robot, and also of the 1970s television series, Logan's Run . In the latter, 'Carousel' resembles 'Conversion' in Sectors, in that both happen to people when they turn 30.
Although it's not a significant problem, the book could do with a little more copy-editing as there are a few typographical and other errors. Thus, 'Gatlin gun' should read 'Gatling gun' and 'Dave Ameson' should read Dave Arneson (pp. 7-8). There's no reason for a hyphen in the sentence, 'I see what you're-saying now' (p. 157), and indefinite articles or prepositions are occasionally omitted (e.g., '...further observation brought the possibility that it was [a] vampire' [p. 197] and 'You just wait till I get you back [to] my cabin...' [p. 204]).
A good editor should've picked up the occasional use of 'further' for 'farther' (e.g. pages 75 and 86) and corrected the phrase 'aiding and imbedding' (for 'aiding and abetting') (p. 92). Beams of light always seem to 'spear' things, e.g. 'Bobby's flashlight speared the dark' (p. 2), 'a bright spotlight speared their bodies' (p. 95) and there was 'a cage speared with a spotlight' (p. 141). However, if the word must be used, then the sentence 'sunlight speared Gilbert in his eyes' (p. 109) might read better as 'sunlight speared Gilbert's eyes'. In similar fashion, 'Gilbert replied with a small lie' (p. 14) would read better as simply 'Gilbert lied'. Also, something might be 'huge' or 'massive', but not both ('...stood beside a huge, massive old tree', on p. 177)! Lastly, Gilbert's diction seems a little advanced for an eleven-year-old from time to time, particularly his use of words like 'encountered' and 'confronted' on p. 58, especially considering his difficulty in reading from the Book of Bloth because 'the words were big and confusing for an eleven-year-old boy to comprehend' (pp. 189-90).
Typos and abrupt ending aside, this was a fun read and I'll be checking out more of Brick Marlin's work in the future.
Since the main protagonist is an eleven-year-old, this book is aimed at the upper primary/lower secondary (or middle school) age range and so it is a fast and easy read (if it wasn't for various interruptions, I would've finished this in one sitting instead of three). It is quite entertaining, often surreal and, at times, scary. The book starts out as a rather conventional haunted house story with some creepy developments that arise when the protagonist, Gilbert, and his friend, Bobby, disobey their parents and return to an abandoned house to look for ghosts late at night. Some eleven-year-olds might find it too scary to continue reading the book after the boys get separated in the house but if they persevere they will soon read how Gilbert is transported to another world – either a different planet from our own or an alternate reality – from which point onwards the narrative reads more like surreal science fiction than horror. Most of the book is then taken up by Gilbert's adventures in this other world or reality, and the friends he makes there. While this world is certainly strange it is not as frightening as the episode in the haunted house might suggest. However, the story does get darker and scarier towards the end, which I might add, is rather abrupt.
The abruptness of the ending is something of a surprise and (to me) a disappointment – I was left thinking that there is probably a sequel in the works. This is my only major complaint about the book, although a couple of times I did wonder if certain scenes might be a bit too scary for eleven-year-olds to read. Young teenagers, however, would love the scarier bits, I'm sure!
This is not a criticism, but aspects of the surrealistic world that Gilbert finds himself in remind me a little of the movie A boy and his dog (1975), especially its weird underground society and robot, and also of the 1970s television series, Logan's Run . In the latter, 'Carousel' resembles 'Conversion' in Sectors, in that both happen to people when they turn 30.
Although it's not a significant problem, the book could do with a little more copy-editing as there are a few typographical and other errors. Thus, 'Gatlin gun' should read 'Gatling gun' and 'Dave Ameson' should read Dave Arneson (pp. 7-8). There's no reason for a hyphen in the sentence, 'I see what you're-saying now' (p. 157), and indefinite articles or prepositions are occasionally omitted (e.g., '...further observation brought the possibility that it was [a] vampire' [p. 197] and 'You just wait till I get you back [to] my cabin...' [p. 204]).
A good editor should've picked up the occasional use of 'further' for 'farther' (e.g. pages 75 and 86) and corrected the phrase 'aiding and imbedding' (for 'aiding and abetting') (p. 92). Beams of light always seem to 'spear' things, e.g. 'Bobby's flashlight speared the dark' (p. 2), 'a bright spotlight speared their bodies' (p. 95) and there was 'a cage speared with a spotlight' (p. 141). However, if the word must be used, then the sentence 'sunlight speared Gilbert in his eyes' (p. 109) might read better as 'sunlight speared Gilbert's eyes'. In similar fashion, 'Gilbert replied with a small lie' (p. 14) would read better as simply 'Gilbert lied'. Also, something might be 'huge' or 'massive', but not both ('...stood beside a huge, massive old tree', on p. 177)! Lastly, Gilbert's diction seems a little advanced for an eleven-year-old from time to time, particularly his use of words like 'encountered' and 'confronted' on p. 58, especially considering his difficulty in reading from the Book of Bloth because 'the words were big and confusing for an eleven-year-old boy to comprehend' (pp. 189-90).
Typos and abrupt ending aside, this was a fun read and I'll be checking out more of Brick Marlin's work in the future.
October 9, 2012
Fantastic.
Two best friends, Gilbert and Bobby are told not to go into this old abandoned house. As kids do they go anyways. The first time is OK. They go again, this time Bobby disappears. Gilbert goes to find him and two not so nice ghosts go after him, he goes thru a door and ends up in another world called Hearth ruled by a tearable Baron who turns all humans over 30 into robot's. He ends up in jail and meets Rodney a cannibal. Rodney takes Gilbert thru another door and they run info a really bad man who locks Rodney up, and makes Gilbert his slave, Gilbert has to feed Gerald's wolf, He can't get the door open so he opens the cage and the wolf escapes and beats up Gerald his brother. Tendell the wolf a real werewolf becomes Gilbert friend. Fhey have already taken Rodney to the carnival. they free him and find Bobby, he has been at the carnival all the time. as they go thru door after door they run into ghost's vampire's,s ghouls, werewolf's, and all other kind of freakish grotesque things. All the time Gilbert and Bobby want to go home. They are tricked by the Baron and think that they are home but when they find out all the people around them are robot's, his parent's and his friend Bobby. Every one is after Gilbert to put him back in jail, Tendell helps him he to the old abandoned house while everyone is chasing him they check door after door until he reaches the last door and jump though it. No one follows. Is he home?
Two best friends, Gilbert and Bobby are told not to go into this old abandoned house. As kids do they go anyways. The first time is OK. They go again, this time Bobby disappears. Gilbert goes to find him and two not so nice ghosts go after him, he goes thru a door and ends up in another world called Hearth ruled by a tearable Baron who turns all humans over 30 into robot's. He ends up in jail and meets Rodney a cannibal. Rodney takes Gilbert thru another door and they run info a really bad man who locks Rodney up, and makes Gilbert his slave, Gilbert has to feed Gerald's wolf, He can't get the door open so he opens the cage and the wolf escapes and beats up Gerald his brother. Tendell the wolf a real werewolf becomes Gilbert friend. Fhey have already taken Rodney to the carnival. they free him and find Bobby, he has been at the carnival all the time. as they go thru door after door they run into ghost's vampire's,s ghouls, werewolf's, and all other kind of freakish grotesque things. All the time Gilbert and Bobby want to go home. They are tricked by the Baron and think that they are home but when they find out all the people around them are robot's, his parent's and his friend Bobby. Every one is after Gilbert to put him back in jail, Tendell helps him he to the old abandoned house while everyone is chasing him they check door after door until he reaches the last door and jump though it. No one follows. Is he home?
June 21, 2014
Bittersweet.
That's how I would describe flipping the last page over and closing the book. I knew immediately I would miss Gilbert in my life.
He is adorably mischievous with a generous side order of wittiness.
The beginning introduces you to an abandoned house. Something I personally am obsessed with. What happens when two inquisitive boys defy their parents orders and explore this place? More than you could ever imagine. The author takes you on a ride that will make you relive your childhood, all the times you didn't listen and had to find out the hard way.
Let us just say, throw away your preconceived notions of reality. It all gets bent here!
Enjoy!
That's how I would describe flipping the last page over and closing the book. I knew immediately I would miss Gilbert in my life.
He is adorably mischievous with a generous side order of wittiness.
The beginning introduces you to an abandoned house. Something I personally am obsessed with. What happens when two inquisitive boys defy their parents orders and explore this place? More than you could ever imagine. The author takes you on a ride that will make you relive your childhood, all the times you didn't listen and had to find out the hard way.
Let us just say, throw away your preconceived notions of reality. It all gets bent here!
Enjoy!
September 1, 2012
Sectors kept me reading until I finished it, as I kept wanting to know what was going to happen next. The book is full of interesting characters, many that may not be quite human. The main character, Gilbert is like a typical 11 year-old boy who doesn't listen to his parents and ends up in this alternate universe. Overall, it is very imaginative, reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland with a science fiction/horror twist to it. I look forward to a sequel!
September 27, 2012
Finally had a chance to sit down and read my newest Brick Marlin work. While not as adult themed as the last books of his I've read (Saturated and Crimson & The Darkened Image) Sectors is a great tale reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland but with a wild science fiction/ horror bend to it. Bricks work is very imaginative and I recommend it to anyone that's looking for a fresh journey into a totally new universe.
Looking forward to a follow-up!
Looking forward to a follow-up!
February 23, 2013
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Took me on a journey I wasn't expecting. Thought it was going to be your typical haunted house story and then..... WHAM!!!!! Met people and went to places I couldn't even imagine until I read this book. Thank you Brick. Look forward to reading my copies of Blue Lights in a Jar and Shadow Out of the Sky.
May 6, 2013
Brick Marlin's imagination is totally whacked. This book snagged my attention in the first chapter and refused to let go. I will never look at clowns the same way again. If I had to sum up the book in one sentence it would be "Tom Sawyer meets Stephen King." I'm greatly looking forward to reading Mr. Marlin's other works.
March 28, 2013
Cannibals,werewolves,a boy named Gilbert and the evil Baron. Throw in a few robots, vampires and zombies. Yep, that about sums up this book! Very different, very interesting. I am looking forward to reading more books by Mr. Marlin.
April 19, 2013
This was a very different story which is why I liked it so much. I didn't realize until I finished that it was part of a series so no I am looking forward to reading more of the story. I just hope he continues down the path he has already started.
March 11, 2013
Different but interesting, really enjoyed it!
January 18, 2013
(This is a review of a free copy supplied by the author)
The oddest thing about this book, to me, was that it seemed to be written from a child's perspective. The world, the adults, everything seemed to be written and described in the way a child might see them rather than in a realistic way. It is almost as if the book, or most of it, was written by a child, perhaps with some clean-up afterwards.
It is also far more horrible than what I typically read. There weren't really any graphic, gruesome descriptions - it was still a child's perspective that had a lot of looking away and suggestion of horror, but it was more graphic that I am comfortable with.
I enjoyed the large, well-developed world of the Sectors of Hearth and all the different creatures and characters created. I think this book might work with an audience of middle-schoolers. I think to be really successful as a horror story, it would need to work in more real-life horrors and more of a relationship between the horrors of Hearth and the horrors of Earth. In those terms, the murdering ghosts from the beginning of the novel were the best part, but they were still very simple caricatures. The best horror is much more subtle and insidious and feels like it could happen to you. This book might work for a young audience, but it is much too blunt for an adult audience.
The oddest thing about this book, to me, was that it seemed to be written from a child's perspective. The world, the adults, everything seemed to be written and described in the way a child might see them rather than in a realistic way. It is almost as if the book, or most of it, was written by a child, perhaps with some clean-up afterwards.
It is also far more horrible than what I typically read. There weren't really any graphic, gruesome descriptions - it was still a child's perspective that had a lot of looking away and suggestion of horror, but it was more graphic that I am comfortable with.
I enjoyed the large, well-developed world of the Sectors of Hearth and all the different creatures and characters created. I think this book might work with an audience of middle-schoolers. I think to be really successful as a horror story, it would need to work in more real-life horrors and more of a relationship between the horrors of Hearth and the horrors of Earth. In those terms, the murdering ghosts from the beginning of the novel were the best part, but they were still very simple caricatures. The best horror is much more subtle and insidious and feels like it could happen to you. This book might work for a young audience, but it is much too blunt for an adult audience.
June 29, 2014
Disappointment
I really expected a whole lot more based on the reviews that I saw. The book was okay, but the ending was a let down and it really didn't go anywhere. This book should definitely not be categorized as horror, it is more so just fiction suitable for kids and teenagers.
I really expected a whole lot more based on the reviews that I saw. The book was okay, but the ending was a let down and it really didn't go anywhere. This book should definitely not be categorized as horror, it is more so just fiction suitable for kids and teenagers.
April 20, 2013
Great read .Fast paced plot and very imaginative.Could not put it down until it was done.The main characters are children; and it really gives you the perspective as a child sees his world. Looking forward to the next chapter.
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