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Underground by S. L. Grey
The Sanctum is a luxurious, self-sustaining survival condominium situated underground in rural Maine. It's a plush bolt-hole for the rich and paranoid - a place where they can wait out the apocalypse in style. When a devastating super-flu virus hits the States, several families race to reach it. All have their own motivations for entering The Sanctum. All are hiding secrets.
But when the door locks and someone dies, they realize the greatest threat to their survival may not be above ground - it may already be inside . . .
But when the door locks and someone dies, they realize the greatest threat to their survival may not be above ground - it may already be inside . . .
Paperback
First published January 1, 2015
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About the author
S.L. Grey
17 books198 followersS.L. Grey is a collaboration between Sarah Lotz and Louis Greenberg. Sarah is a novelist and screenwriter and die-hard zombie fanatic. She writes crime novels and thrillers under her own name, and as Lily Herne she and her daughter Savannah Lotz write the Deadlands series of zombie novels for young adults. Louis is a Johannesburg-based fiction writer and editor. He was a bookseller for several years, and has a Master's degree in vampire fiction and a doctorate in post-religious apocalyptic fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 140 reviews
March 3, 2019
Abgebrochen nach 85 Seiten.
Diese klischeehaften Charaktere und das erschaffene hirnrissige Szenario plus den fast schon lachhaft offensichtlichen Logikfehlern würden vielleicht in einem B-Movie, der freitagabends bei Tele 5 läuft und von Oliver Kalkofe und Peter Rütten kommentiert wird, gut funktionieren, aber als geschriebene Geschichte, für mich, absolut nicht.
Was lernen wir daraus? Diese Mängel-Exemplar-Tische sind nichts für mich!
Diese klischeehaften Charaktere und das erschaffene hirnrissige Szenario plus den fast schon lachhaft offensichtlichen Logikfehlern würden vielleicht in einem B-Movie, der freitagabends bei Tele 5 läuft und von Oliver Kalkofe und Peter Rütten kommentiert wird, gut funktionieren, aber als geschriebene Geschichte, für mich, absolut nicht.
Was lernen wir daraus? Diese Mängel-Exemplar-Tische sind nichts für mich!
November 21, 2015
Actual Rating 3.5
What happens when a racist, sexist, gun-obsessed family:
Well… Nothing good, that’s for sure!
The rest of this review can be found HERE!
What happens when a racist, sexist, gun-obsessed family:
‘It’s the Chinks’ fault,’ Brett says. ‘They’re getting what they deserve.’Are locked in with a little girl, her distant father, and their pretty nanny from Johannesburg:
‘Yeah. But you see how fast the virus is spreading into the US. It’s a malicious threat, militarized. It’s going to hit, and it’s going to hit us big. Worse than there. It was aimed at us.’
‘But how come their own people are dying, Daddy?’ I venture, as politely as possible so that he knows I’m not debating.
Daddy shrugs. ‘Some foul-up? They dropped a vial or something?’
‘I bet they experiment on their own,’ Brett says. ‘Chinks’d do shit like that, Dad.’ Like he’s an expert on the world situation.
His tone is placatory, but I’m not going to be disarmed. Any further than I am already, standing in front of him, barefooted, dripping wet in shorts and a T-shirt. But at the same time, I do want to avoid a confrontation. ‘Yeah, hi.’ Not taking my eyes off him, I step backwards, over the towel, lift it up and drape it over my shoulders and around me like a cape. Like it makes me a fucking superhero.A rich couple with their fluffy little dog:
‘Keep your voice down. You’re upsetting Claudette.’A man who wasn’t meant to be there, and would much rather be at home with his dying wife:
Bullshit. The dog’s tongue is lolling out of its mouth, its vacant button eyes barely visible through its fringe of coiffed hair. James is certain there’s a ‘no pets’ clause in The Sanctum’s manifesto. Oh well, if they’re stuck in the Sanctum longer than they expect, they can always eat the goddamned thing’s food (it’s expensive enough), or – worst case scenario – the dog itself. How do you like your shih-tzu, babe? Braised or lightly grilled? He snorts.
Whenever he closes his eyes, he sees Lana lying helpless and alone on the cot he set up for her in the parlour after she came home from the hospice, the tubes connecting her to life tangled around her limbs. The image is clear, sharp, so detailed that he can almost hear the suck and hiss of the oxygen tank, smell the medicinal tang that permeates the room.A German family, whose patriarch has a mysterious past:
‘I am not speaking of what is in here. We must check the machine room for damage.’ The accent that Leo usually hides so carefully leaks into his voice. Ve hav vays of making you talk. James burps a giggle, hides it with a cough.And the family whose patriarch was born in Korea:
Brett snorts. ‘Where you from, Jae-Jae?’Are locked up in a half-finished bunker, developed by an ex-marine?
‘Vancouver. But we moved to Boston last year.’
Brett begins bouncing the basketball. ‘No, I mean where are you from originally?’
Jae can’t tell if this guy is just yanking his chain or is genuinely ignorant. ‘Like I said. Canada.’
‘You Chinese?’
‘Now listen up. I’m gonna tell you the combination, Will, just in case things go bad and I need you to back me up.’
‘Hope it won’t come to that.’
‘Doubt it will, but think it’s for the best. Trusting you to keep it to yourself.’
‘Sure.’
‘Okay, so it’s easy. One, nine, eight, four.’
‘Nineteen eighty-four?’
‘Yup.’
‘Like the book?’
‘Huh? Oh, I gotcha. But no. It was the year I joined the Marines.’
Well… Nothing good, that’s for sure!
‘I heard a monster knocking on our door.’
I put the cotton ball down and turn to her. ‘Just a bad dream.’
‘No. She said they’re coming for us.’ Her eyes widen and her mouth starts to fold down.
‘Who? Who said that?’
‘The big monster. She didn’t have a face. It was half made of blood.’ She’s trying not to cry but her chin is twisting a fat drop of water runs down her cheek.
The rest of this review can be found HERE!
July 21, 2015
This novel sees a group of characters fleeing across America, when a pandemic hits the country. While most are panicking, the apocalypse has proved these people right – they are prepared - having purchased apartments in a luxurious survival condominium, where they can sit out the disaster in air conditioned comfort; complete with pool, plenty of supplies and great medical facilities. Well, almost… For almost as soon as the new residents move in, it is clear that organiser Greg Fuller has been cutting corners. The lift is not working, there is no doctor and the décor has been done on the cheap.
The inhabitants of The Sanctum are a wide ranging group and include gun crazed survivalist Cam Guthrie, with his racist, vicious bully of a son, a wife suffering from some kind of religious mania and daughter Gina, Jae-Lin Park and his parents, Tyson Gill, his young daughter, Sarita, and his South African au Pair, the rich and bossy Vicki Maddox and husband James, elderly couple the Dannhauser’s and their daughter Trudi and Will Boucher, who has arrived to help Greg. From the start, this ill assorted group – with their secrets and personal issues – are not destined to get along. However, when one of them is found dead, murder is suspected, and fear stalks those underground. For, although looking for safety, the group find themselves in a more dangerous situation than they could have imagined.
I have mixed feelings about this book. Although the general premise is an interesting one, most of the characters just seem so stereotypical that it is hard to warm to them and, also, much of the dialogue is stilted and unrealistic. I enjoyed the first half of the novel more than the end, which seemed rushed and confused, with too many possibilities and suspects. However, certainly the storyline showed some promise and I would try another book by this author, despite the weaknesses.
The inhabitants of The Sanctum are a wide ranging group and include gun crazed survivalist Cam Guthrie, with his racist, vicious bully of a son, a wife suffering from some kind of religious mania and daughter Gina, Jae-Lin Park and his parents, Tyson Gill, his young daughter, Sarita, and his South African au Pair, the rich and bossy Vicki Maddox and husband James, elderly couple the Dannhauser’s and their daughter Trudi and Will Boucher, who has arrived to help Greg. From the start, this ill assorted group – with their secrets and personal issues – are not destined to get along. However, when one of them is found dead, murder is suspected, and fear stalks those underground. For, although looking for safety, the group find themselves in a more dangerous situation than they could have imagined.
I have mixed feelings about this book. Although the general premise is an interesting one, most of the characters just seem so stereotypical that it is hard to warm to them and, also, much of the dialogue is stilted and unrealistic. I enjoyed the first half of the novel more than the end, which seemed rushed and confused, with too many possibilities and suspects. However, certainly the storyline showed some promise and I would try another book by this author, despite the weaknesses.
November 30, 2015
'S.L. Grey' is a pseudonym used by Sarah Lotz (who I've read) and Louis Greenberg (who I haven't). They've previously collaborated on the Downside horror trilogy; Under Ground, however, is a standalone novel.
The premise of Under Ground is very similar to that of Day Four, a novel by Lotz published earlier this year. Day Four follows a large, diverse cast of characters stuck aboard a marooned cruise ship, inducing a sense of claustrophobia and uncertainty; the characters are stalked by an unseen horror and lose contact with the outside world, which may or may not be in a near-apocalyptic state. Under Ground is much the same, except it's set in a luxury 'survival condominium', The Sanctum. A virus is spreading, flights are being grounded, so the wealthy clients who've bought into The Sanctum's condos all make their way there. A bunch of spoilt, mostly pretty unpleasant people being cooped up together in an underground bunker (which is rather less fancy and spacious than they were promised) goes about as well as you'd expect, and gets even worse when someone turns up dead and the residents discover they may not be able to leave - or even call for help.
Under Ground starts off so fast-moving and absorbing, it practically reads itself. Like Day Four, it gives (a lot of) different characters alternating chapters, keeping the pace speedy and creating lots of cliffhangers. It's set in Maine (not that it really matters; the bunker could be anywhere), but has an international flavour, with the cast including Americans, Brits, South Africans and characters with German, Korean, South American and Indian heritage.
Unfortunately, Under Ground rather runs out of steam the longer the group are trapped, er, underground. And it really doesn't help if you've also read Day Four, as so many of the details are similar, including the descent into squalor as things start breaking down and supplies become more scarce (what is it with these stories and stuff about toilets not flushing?!) The authors' attempts to make Gina likeable fall totally flat and her romance with Jae feels unnaturally shoehorned in. I'm not sure what I thought of the ending, either, though I liked the journal format.
This book has a good premise, but it kind of slows down and peters out about halfway through, and never regains the exciting momentum it has at the beginning. It's a fun, easy, quick read - compelling, but lacking any true 'omg' moments.
I received an advance review copy of Under Ground from the publisher through NetGalley.
The premise of Under Ground is very similar to that of Day Four, a novel by Lotz published earlier this year. Day Four follows a large, diverse cast of characters stuck aboard a marooned cruise ship, inducing a sense of claustrophobia and uncertainty; the characters are stalked by an unseen horror and lose contact with the outside world, which may or may not be in a near-apocalyptic state. Under Ground is much the same, except it's set in a luxury 'survival condominium', The Sanctum. A virus is spreading, flights are being grounded, so the wealthy clients who've bought into The Sanctum's condos all make their way there. A bunch of spoilt, mostly pretty unpleasant people being cooped up together in an underground bunker (which is rather less fancy and spacious than they were promised) goes about as well as you'd expect, and gets even worse when someone turns up dead and the residents discover they may not be able to leave - or even call for help.
Under Ground starts off so fast-moving and absorbing, it practically reads itself. Like Day Four, it gives (a lot of) different characters alternating chapters, keeping the pace speedy and creating lots of cliffhangers. It's set in Maine (not that it really matters; the bunker could be anywhere), but has an international flavour, with the cast including Americans, Brits, South Africans and characters with German, Korean, South American and Indian heritage.
Unfortunately, Under Ground rather runs out of steam the longer the group are trapped, er, underground. And it really doesn't help if you've also read Day Four, as so many of the details are similar, including the descent into squalor as things start breaking down and supplies become more scarce (what is it with these stories and stuff about toilets not flushing?!) The authors' attempts to make Gina likeable fall totally flat and her romance with Jae feels unnaturally shoehorned in. I'm not sure what I thought of the ending, either, though I liked the journal format.
This book has a good premise, but it kind of slows down and peters out about halfway through, and never regains the exciting momentum it has at the beginning. It's a fun, easy, quick read - compelling, but lacking any true 'omg' moments.
I received an advance review copy of Under Ground from the publisher through NetGalley.
July 7, 2019
Légère et divertissante cette lecture ne peut cependant mériter mieux que trois étoiles. Quelques longueurs, des tonnes de clichés, des personnages qui prennent décisions stupides après décisions stupides et une fin tirée par les cheveux. Le concept, sans être très original, était intéressant et la première moitié se passe assez bien, mais dans la deuxième les failles s'élargissent. On dirait un que les auteurs n'avaient pas vraiment de plan et inventait le tout à mesure que l'écriture avançait, certains disent le faire et semblent le faire à merveille, mais ici ça sent l'improvisation par moment. Comme un film de série B, divertissant, mais on passe vite à autre chose. J'ai hésité entre 3/5 et 2,5/5, j'y vais avec trois, mais à la limite.
May 22, 2016
*This is a book I was sent for free from the publisher but this does not affect my opinions*
So I actually didn't request this book, it just turned up one day at my house and I thought it looked interesting, but maybe not like my cup of tea. Once I read the accompanying information sheet and found out that this is a duo of writers, Sarah Lotz and Louis Greenberg, I was more interested as I had heard good things about Sarah, but I still didn't know if it would be my thing.
I'm happy to say that although I had my quibbles with this book I read it right through in one sitting which is something I've not been able to do for quite a while and, I think becuase it's a thriller, it really gripped me and made me want to find out what would happen next.
In this book we're following a world where a big virus has broken out and the world seems destined for disaster. People are dying in various parts of the world and when the virus is close to hitting America, a couple of families from all over are prepared. These families have invested a lot of money into a project called The Sanctum, 'a luxurious, self-sustaining survival condominium situated underground.' When each of these (very different) families arrive at the Sanctum they are there in the hopes of it being a safe place for them to hide away from the Virus, but of course, things go wrong...
What I did like about this book is that we play a lot with stereotypes here. The families all have different ethnic origins and different views on how to behave within the confined space. I liked the mystery element too, as the book went on I found myself more pulled in by the story and wanting to know who was behind some of the grisly-goings-on.
When thinking about what I didn't like about the book it's mostly the racism and the ending. I guess the author's wanted to include some very different characters and put them all together in a place trapped away from the outside world and see how they would react, but there is a lot of racism rampant in the book and this is never really solved .
The ending of the book also felt a bit unsatisfactory to me becuase whilst I was reading I was on the look out for clues and excitement, but this book never gave them to me and I was left at the end with a giant info-dump and a *rolls-eyes* moment becuase the justification for the events was not (in my opinion) very realistic or well-thought-out.
On the whole if you want a dystopian thriller that will keep you reading then this seems to be one, but beware that you may not get the resolution you seek and that there is a lot of nasty name-calling and 'bullying' happening within this book too. Overall a 2.5*s
So I actually didn't request this book, it just turned up one day at my house and I thought it looked interesting, but maybe not like my cup of tea. Once I read the accompanying information sheet and found out that this is a duo of writers, Sarah Lotz and Louis Greenberg, I was more interested as I had heard good things about Sarah, but I still didn't know if it would be my thing.
I'm happy to say that although I had my quibbles with this book I read it right through in one sitting which is something I've not been able to do for quite a while and, I think becuase it's a thriller, it really gripped me and made me want to find out what would happen next.
In this book we're following a world where a big virus has broken out and the world seems destined for disaster. People are dying in various parts of the world and when the virus is close to hitting America, a couple of families from all over are prepared. These families have invested a lot of money into a project called The Sanctum, 'a luxurious, self-sustaining survival condominium situated underground.' When each of these (very different) families arrive at the Sanctum they are there in the hopes of it being a safe place for them to hide away from the Virus, but of course, things go wrong...
What I did like about this book is that we play a lot with stereotypes here. The families all have different ethnic origins and different views on how to behave within the confined space. I liked the mystery element too, as the book went on I found myself more pulled in by the story and wanting to know who was behind some of the grisly-goings-on.
When thinking about what I didn't like about the book it's mostly the racism and the ending. I guess the author's wanted to include some very different characters and put them all together in a place trapped away from the outside world and see how they would react, but there is a lot of racism rampant in the book and this is never really solved .
The ending of the book also felt a bit unsatisfactory to me becuase whilst I was reading I was on the look out for clues and excitement, but this book never gave them to me and I was left at the end with a giant info-dump and a *rolls-eyes* moment becuase the justification for the events was not (in my opinion) very realistic or well-thought-out.
On the whole if you want a dystopian thriller that will keep you reading then this seems to be one, but beware that you may not get the resolution you seek and that there is a lot of nasty name-calling and 'bullying' happening within this book too. Overall a 2.5*s
July 26, 2015
First of all a warning: Under Ground induces claustrophobia. Unless you have chocolate. Chocolate helps.
The Sanctum is an underground bunker system meant to be utilised if the world faces an apocalypse (and let's face it, nothing so great in a book as a good apocalypse, apart from perhaps a story about people trapped underground DURING a possible apocalypse so you have no actual clue what is going on above at all) This novel explores themes of survival and personality within the context of a gorgeously tighty knitted locked room mystery.
An eclectic cast of characters arrive at The Sanctum, desperate to be safe from a creeping virus that is seemingly about to wipe out humanity. But things are not as expected, nothing works as it should and rather than living in the lap of luxury whilst all those left behind die horribly, the group find themselves facing hurdle after hurdle. When it becomes clear that they are quite literally locked in, things go downhill fast especially as there seems to be one amongst them who likes to kill...Talk about Karma. Money can't buy everything you know.
Under Ground reminded me a bit of those old school horror movies - various characters creeping around in the dark, stalked by a killer, playing the blame game - pick your survivor, choose your bad guy, hope to God the REALLY ANNOYING character dies early and basically just have a rip roaring reading time.
In this case collaborating authors Sarah Lotz and Louis Greenberg have turned all that on it's head and managed to write a truly disturbing character drama that shows the darker side of humanity where at some point it always is every man for himself. The intricacies of the relationships between our protagonists is beautifully drawn as loyalties ebb and flow, it is immensely entertaining, deeply fascinating as a snapshot of human existence and always always spot on the money when it comes to knocking the reader of their game. When you think you know everything you find you know nothing.
As they all descend into their own version of madness it is absolutely gripping, you'd really love to look away but you just can't - completely engrossing, I was riveted. And more than a little freaked out.
There is a throwback feel to this - a Dorothy Sayers and Charlotte Armstrong type vibe when it comes to the mystery element but brought bang up to date with added blood and guts. One of those novels you would LOVE to see translated into film, I'm fairly sure this will haunt my dreams for a while.
Highly Recommended.
Happy Reading Folks!
The Sanctum is an underground bunker system meant to be utilised if the world faces an apocalypse (and let's face it, nothing so great in a book as a good apocalypse, apart from perhaps a story about people trapped underground DURING a possible apocalypse so you have no actual clue what is going on above at all) This novel explores themes of survival and personality within the context of a gorgeously tighty knitted locked room mystery.
An eclectic cast of characters arrive at The Sanctum, desperate to be safe from a creeping virus that is seemingly about to wipe out humanity. But things are not as expected, nothing works as it should and rather than living in the lap of luxury whilst all those left behind die horribly, the group find themselves facing hurdle after hurdle. When it becomes clear that they are quite literally locked in, things go downhill fast especially as there seems to be one amongst them who likes to kill...Talk about Karma. Money can't buy everything you know.
Under Ground reminded me a bit of those old school horror movies - various characters creeping around in the dark, stalked by a killer, playing the blame game - pick your survivor, choose your bad guy, hope to God the REALLY ANNOYING character dies early and basically just have a rip roaring reading time.
In this case collaborating authors Sarah Lotz and Louis Greenberg have turned all that on it's head and managed to write a truly disturbing character drama that shows the darker side of humanity where at some point it always is every man for himself. The intricacies of the relationships between our protagonists is beautifully drawn as loyalties ebb and flow, it is immensely entertaining, deeply fascinating as a snapshot of human existence and always always spot on the money when it comes to knocking the reader of their game. When you think you know everything you find you know nothing.
As they all descend into their own version of madness it is absolutely gripping, you'd really love to look away but you just can't - completely engrossing, I was riveted. And more than a little freaked out.
There is a throwback feel to this - a Dorothy Sayers and Charlotte Armstrong type vibe when it comes to the mystery element but brought bang up to date with added blood and guts. One of those novels you would LOVE to see translated into film, I'm fairly sure this will haunt my dreams for a while.
Highly Recommended.
Happy Reading Folks!
September 5, 2017
Met In de val heb je een ontzettend spannend en origineel post-apocalyptisch verhaal in handen. Zeven families vinden onderdak in een ondergronds appartementencomplex en lijken gered, maar niets is minder waar. Wanneer er een persoon onder verdachte omstandigheden overlijdt beseffen de inwoners van het Sanctum dat de echte bedreiging van binnenuit komt. Een verhaal waar je claustrofobisch van wordt, dat keer op keer een nieuwe – en engere – wending neemt en dat alsnog ontzettend onverwacht eindigt. In de val is een heerlijk boek om bij te gruwelen. Zweethandjes gegarandeerd!
Mijn complete recensie lees je op Oog op de Toekomst.
Mijn complete recensie lees je op Oog op de Toekomst.
March 25, 2018
Naja. Es gibt sicher schlechtere, aber eben auch weitaus bessere Thriller, als diesen hier. Dafür, dass sich die Handlung am Anfang sooo extrem gezogen hat, kann ich einfach nicht mehr als drei Sterne geben. Im Großen und Ganzen hat das Ende das Buch noch mal ein wenig gerettet. Die Auflösung hat mich überrascht und hab ich so auch nicht kommen sehen. Von daher ... ein mittel guter Thriller, den man lesen kann, aber nicht gelesen haben muss.
December 14, 2016
Also erwartet hatte ich ehrlich gesagt ein bisschen was anderes - und ich musste mich erstmal mit dem Stil und der Umsetzung arrangieren. Aber insgesamt war es dann doch eine gute Unterhaltung.
Der Prolog hatte mich etwas irritiert, da ich mit der Momentaufnahme der Situation nicht viel anfangen konnte - das klärt sich dann aber später auf.
Der Einstieg war dann recht flott, denn die Autoren halten sich nicht mit viel Erklärungen über den Virus auf, der sich scheinbar recht schnell auf der Welt ausbreitet. Im Fokus stehen hier ganz klar die Charaktere, die sich auf engstem Raum zusammenraufen müssen.
Und die Figuren sind hier wirklich ein ganz spezielles Sammelsurium an Psychopathen! Da wurde an keiner Problematik gespart, ob es um religiöse Fanatiker geht, um rassistische Waffennarren, reiche verwöhnte Oberschicht, Computernerds, paranoide Weltsichten, Alkoholprobleme oder Fremdgänger.
Die Kapitel werden abwechselnd aus verschiedenen Sichtweisen geschrieben und Perspektiven geschrieben. Der Schreibstil passt sich dabei immer ganz gut an die jeweilige Person an, wirkte auf mich aber meist recht locker. Das war auch für mich der Grund, warum ich das ganze nicht so recht ernst nehmen konnte und diese Grundspannung vermisst hab, die mich in so einer Situation packen sollte. Einen richtigen "Thrill" hab ich beim Lesen nicht empfunden, aber es war trotzdem mitreißend, denn es passiert einfach auf allen Ebenen sehr viel. Leider nur sehr oberflächlich und kurz, was zwar das Tempo vorantreibt, mich aber eben nicht so richtig in das Szenario eintauchen ließ. Dazu kommt die etwas kantige Schreibweise, also kurz angebunden und fast schon wie ein Überblick über das Geschehen, ohne sich einfühlen zu können.
Trotzdem waren die Charaktere ziemlich klar umrissen und folgten alle einem typischen Schema. Ich war eigentlich durchgehend einfach abgelenkt durch die vielen Sachen, die passiert sind, aber so richtig warm geworden bin ich mit niemandem, der in dem Bunker festsitzt.
Selbst die Aufklärung am Ende ist relativ emotionslos und obwohl es eine große Überraschung gab, hat der "Wow-Effekt" einfach gefehlt.
Fazit 3.5 Sterne
Das Buch ist sehr schwierig zu beurteilen: einerseits hat es ein gutes Tempo und einen soliden Plot, aber andererseits war zu viel reingepackt, ohne richtige Emotionen zu wecken. Trotzdem hat es mir insgesamt beim Lesen (wenn man das ganze nicht so ernst nimmt) Spaß gemacht :)
© Aleshanee
Weltenwanderer
Der Prolog hatte mich etwas irritiert, da ich mit der Momentaufnahme der Situation nicht viel anfangen konnte - das klärt sich dann aber später auf.
Der Einstieg war dann recht flott, denn die Autoren halten sich nicht mit viel Erklärungen über den Virus auf, der sich scheinbar recht schnell auf der Welt ausbreitet. Im Fokus stehen hier ganz klar die Charaktere, die sich auf engstem Raum zusammenraufen müssen.
Und die Figuren sind hier wirklich ein ganz spezielles Sammelsurium an Psychopathen! Da wurde an keiner Problematik gespart, ob es um religiöse Fanatiker geht, um rassistische Waffennarren, reiche verwöhnte Oberschicht, Computernerds, paranoide Weltsichten, Alkoholprobleme oder Fremdgänger.
Die Kapitel werden abwechselnd aus verschiedenen Sichtweisen geschrieben und Perspektiven geschrieben. Der Schreibstil passt sich dabei immer ganz gut an die jeweilige Person an, wirkte auf mich aber meist recht locker. Das war auch für mich der Grund, warum ich das ganze nicht so recht ernst nehmen konnte und diese Grundspannung vermisst hab, die mich in so einer Situation packen sollte. Einen richtigen "Thrill" hab ich beim Lesen nicht empfunden, aber es war trotzdem mitreißend, denn es passiert einfach auf allen Ebenen sehr viel. Leider nur sehr oberflächlich und kurz, was zwar das Tempo vorantreibt, mich aber eben nicht so richtig in das Szenario eintauchen ließ. Dazu kommt die etwas kantige Schreibweise, also kurz angebunden und fast schon wie ein Überblick über das Geschehen, ohne sich einfühlen zu können.
Trotzdem waren die Charaktere ziemlich klar umrissen und folgten alle einem typischen Schema. Ich war eigentlich durchgehend einfach abgelenkt durch die vielen Sachen, die passiert sind, aber so richtig warm geworden bin ich mit niemandem, der in dem Bunker festsitzt.
Selbst die Aufklärung am Ende ist relativ emotionslos und obwohl es eine große Überraschung gab, hat der "Wow-Effekt" einfach gefehlt.
Fazit 3.5 Sterne
Das Buch ist sehr schwierig zu beurteilen: einerseits hat es ein gutes Tempo und einen soliden Plot, aber andererseits war zu viel reingepackt, ohne richtige Emotionen zu wecken. Trotzdem hat es mir insgesamt beim Lesen (wenn man das ganze nicht so ernst nimmt) Spaß gemacht :)
© Aleshanee
Weltenwanderer
October 13, 2015
Honestly it's been a few weeks now since I finished Underground, and I've found it difficult to find the enthusiasm to write a review. I guess that says a lot about how I felt about the book...
The premise and genral idea of the story was brilliant. A hidden facility built underground to shelter a handful of families from a worldwide pandemic of a killer flu. As you would imagine the stress of this combined with living in such close proximity with strangers, causes some issues and ultimately a fair few murders!
There were quite a few problems for me with the writing style of the book, but I could appreciate a few social aspects the author explored during the story. I liked the differing statuses of the characters, some rich, some poor and how this impacted the way they thought of and treated each other. Racisim, religion, and a sexual predator were also thrown in for good measure, and to crease dissension and unease within the group.
I could see how these were trying to build a foundation of suspense for the reader, but because of how awkwardly and boring the characters were written, I never felt really invested in the story or nervous about who would survive or die. The characters themselves never really seemed bothered that a killer was amongst them, and if they didn't care why should the reader?
I found the pacing of the book to be too slow for my tastes, and I did struggle to push through to the end. Even the deaths failed to ramp up the excitment becuase of the lack of reactions from the characters!
The only small saving grace was the ending, I can honestly say I didn't know who the killer was until the big reveal. Yet I can't help but think that the author worked so hard to keep this a secret, that other issues within the book were left to falter and fail.
The premise and genral idea of the story was brilliant. A hidden facility built underground to shelter a handful of families from a worldwide pandemic of a killer flu. As you would imagine the stress of this combined with living in such close proximity with strangers, causes some issues and ultimately a fair few murders!
There were quite a few problems for me with the writing style of the book, but I could appreciate a few social aspects the author explored during the story. I liked the differing statuses of the characters, some rich, some poor and how this impacted the way they thought of and treated each other. Racisim, religion, and a sexual predator were also thrown in for good measure, and to crease dissension and unease within the group.
I could see how these were trying to build a foundation of suspense for the reader, but because of how awkwardly and boring the characters were written, I never felt really invested in the story or nervous about who would survive or die. The characters themselves never really seemed bothered that a killer was amongst them, and if they didn't care why should the reader?
I found the pacing of the book to be too slow for my tastes, and I did struggle to push through to the end. Even the deaths failed to ramp up the excitment becuase of the lack of reactions from the characters!
The only small saving grace was the ending, I can honestly say I didn't know who the killer was until the big reveal. Yet I can't help but think that the author worked so hard to keep this a secret, that other issues within the book were left to falter and fail.
Read
July 28, 2019(Abbruch nach 196 Seiten)
Mir ist mittlerweile ziemlich egal, was mit diesen klischeehaften, unsympathischen Charakteren passiert. Wenn die Handlung nach knapp 200 Seiten noch immer nicht richtig in die Gänge gekommen ist, wird sie das wohl bis zum Ende nicht.
Mir ist mittlerweile ziemlich egal, was mit diesen klischeehaften, unsympathischen Charakteren passiert. Wenn die Handlung nach knapp 200 Seiten noch immer nicht richtig in die Gänge gekommen ist, wird sie das wohl bis zum Ende nicht.
August 31, 2016
Tell ya what. Go to the bookstore or library. Find this book. Close your eyes, step three feet to the right and pick any book. It will be better than this one.
You have a superficially interesting setting that becomes more and more implausible the closer you look. You have a diversity in the cast of characters that has to be called "trying way too hard." And each character is carrying way too much baggage, just to make the plot complicated.
I suspected trouble right away when the elevator didn't work. That hints at a plot that won't work unless characters' mobility is restricted.
Authors must have realized early on that the outside threat couldn't be long-lasting, because otherwise the book is just about people running out of food and water. So, to maintain tension, the only solution is . This is right up there with "teenager goes alone to the basement to see what that noise was."
So, someone's dead, and the tension mounts. Well, a little bit. Everyone's too busy being weird to worry much about an apparent murder. And so the plot develops slowly, very slowly. Way-over-the-top Brett loose-cannons through everything, and everyone reveals a guilty secret. I was expecting "you see, Tyson is actually your brother, and he is also Lord Gotbux of Bassingthwaite, hiding his identity because he's with MI5, seconded to the FBI to investigate Preparers."
Don't even get me started on Reuben.
Didn't even care for the ending. We'd been shown nasty character after nasty character, and carefully shown why each couldn't be the killer. Several of the remaining characters started doing things that were not plausible, given what we had been told earlier. So it wasn't a great surprise to see who was in the final scene.
Not recommended.
You have a superficially interesting setting that becomes more and more implausible the closer you look. You have a diversity in the cast of characters that has to be called "trying way too hard." And each character is carrying way too much baggage, just to make the plot complicated.
I suspected trouble right away when the elevator didn't work. That hints at a plot that won't work unless characters' mobility is restricted.
Authors must have realized early on that the outside threat couldn't be long-lasting, because otherwise the book is just about people running out of food and water. So, to maintain tension, the only solution is . This is right up there with "teenager goes alone to the basement to see what that noise was."
So, someone's dead, and the tension mounts. Well, a little bit. Everyone's too busy being weird to worry much about an apparent murder. And so the plot develops slowly, very slowly. Way-over-the-top Brett loose-cannons through everything, and everyone reveals a guilty secret. I was expecting "you see, Tyson is actually your brother, and he is also Lord Gotbux of Bassingthwaite, hiding his identity because he's with MI5, seconded to the FBI to investigate Preparers."
Don't even get me started on Reuben.
Didn't even care for the ending. We'd been shown nasty character after nasty character, and carefully shown why each couldn't be the killer. Several of the remaining characters started doing things that were not plausible, given what we had been told earlier. So it wasn't a great surprise to see who was in the final scene.
Not recommended.
July 31, 2017
The idea of this thriller sounded perfect for me – millionaire families buying into an underground complex to escape a deadly virus on the surface. They end up getting trapped inside, and then the chaos begins when the bodycount starts to rise…
I was initially disappointed with the authors’ writing style (a collaboration between Sarah Lotz and Louis Greenberg). The characters aren’t great and I didn’t feel much depth to them, despite knowing their backgrounds and why they were there. The setting isn’t well described and the tension is on the whole, a bit of a wash out. There were only two characters I thought felt genuine – James and Reuben. It doesn’t feel much like there is a killer on the loose, but Brett, a brutal 18 year old who bullies his way around the complex, gets away with a LOT and that also didn’t seem genuine given the circumstances. The book isn’t scary or thrilling and reads a lot like teen fiction rather than (as mentioned in the blurb) a Stephen King/Michael Crichton mash-up.
I stuck with ‘Under Ground’ however because the pages were turning quickly enough and I’m glad that I did. After 250 pages of stumbling along, the style and the substance ramps right up. The tension is full on throughout the last 40 pages and the build up is actually worth the effort. James really comes into his own as a character and the ending is satisfying enough to not feel like a cop out. THIS is where the ‘thrill’ comes into play. I couldn’t take my eyes off it and ended up sat in a car park, racing through to finish before I felt I could drive home from work.
I think that if the whole book had been written with the same tension and skill as the final section, I would have been able to give it 4 stars, but as it stands I would give it 2.5/5 if I could.
I was initially disappointed with the authors’ writing style (a collaboration between Sarah Lotz and Louis Greenberg). The characters aren’t great and I didn’t feel much depth to them, despite knowing their backgrounds and why they were there. The setting isn’t well described and the tension is on the whole, a bit of a wash out. There were only two characters I thought felt genuine – James and Reuben. It doesn’t feel much like there is a killer on the loose, but Brett, a brutal 18 year old who bullies his way around the complex, gets away with a LOT and that also didn’t seem genuine given the circumstances. The book isn’t scary or thrilling and reads a lot like teen fiction rather than (as mentioned in the blurb) a Stephen King/Michael Crichton mash-up.
I stuck with ‘Under Ground’ however because the pages were turning quickly enough and I’m glad that I did. After 250 pages of stumbling along, the style and the substance ramps right up. The tension is full on throughout the last 40 pages and the build up is actually worth the effort. James really comes into his own as a character and the ending is satisfying enough to not feel like a cop out. THIS is where the ‘thrill’ comes into play. I couldn’t take my eyes off it and ended up sat in a car park, racing through to finish before I felt I could drive home from work.
I think that if the whole book had been written with the same tension and skill as the final section, I would have been able to give it 4 stars, but as it stands I would give it 2.5/5 if I could.
September 4, 2020
Den Roman „Under Ground“ hat mir eine Freundin mit den Worten „Passt perfekt zur Corona-Zeit!“ geliehen.
Inhalt: Ein tödliches Grippevirus versetzt die Welt in Panik. Um zu überleben, begibt sich eine Gruppe Flüchtender unter die Erde. In der abgeschotteten Welt eines Luxusbunkers glauben sie sich in Sicherheit. Doch der schlimmste Feind lautet bereits unter ihnen – sie selbst…
Die aus Südafrika stammenden Bestsellerautoren Sarah Lotz und Louis Greenberg, die hinter dem Pseudonym S. L. Grey stehen, beschäftigen sich also mit der Frage, was passiert, wenn Menschen in Extremsituationen geworfen werden. „Under Ground“ ist ihr erstes gemeinsames Buch, das sehr gemischte Kritiken erhalten, mich aber gut unterhalten hat.
Schnell steht das Virus nicht mehr im Vordergrund der Geschichte, sondern die Enge und Abschottung im unterirdischen „Sanctum“ befeuert erste Spannungen unter den Bewohner, die charakteristisch alle gängigen Klischees erfüllen: Vom seltsamen Glaubensfanatiker über den kaltblütigen Rassisten bis hin zum oberflächlichen Yuppie-Pärchen ist alles dabei, was man sich nur wünschen kann – besonders, wenn die Story in den USA spielt, dürfen die unbelehrbaren Waffennarren und sogenannten „Prepper“ nicht vergessen werden.
Ohne diese Mischung wäre ein perfider Kampf ums Überleben - wenn der Sauerstoff knapp wird, die letzten Wasservorräte schwinden und man mit einem Mörder eingeschlossen ist - auch äußerst öde.
Doch trotz dieser Stereotypen ist die gezeigte fehlende Weitsicht und das Misstrauen der Protagonisten der ideale Grundbaustein, die unserer Gesellschaft – gerade in Krisenzeiten wie jetzt mit Covid-19 – den Spiegel vorhält und zum Nach- bzw. Umdenken anregt. Wer auf Endzeit-Szenarien mit unerwarteter Auflösung steht, wird dieses Buch mögen.
Inhalt: Ein tödliches Grippevirus versetzt die Welt in Panik. Um zu überleben, begibt sich eine Gruppe Flüchtender unter die Erde. In der abgeschotteten Welt eines Luxusbunkers glauben sie sich in Sicherheit. Doch der schlimmste Feind lautet bereits unter ihnen – sie selbst…
Die aus Südafrika stammenden Bestsellerautoren Sarah Lotz und Louis Greenberg, die hinter dem Pseudonym S. L. Grey stehen, beschäftigen sich also mit der Frage, was passiert, wenn Menschen in Extremsituationen geworfen werden. „Under Ground“ ist ihr erstes gemeinsames Buch, das sehr gemischte Kritiken erhalten, mich aber gut unterhalten hat.
Schnell steht das Virus nicht mehr im Vordergrund der Geschichte, sondern die Enge und Abschottung im unterirdischen „Sanctum“ befeuert erste Spannungen unter den Bewohner, die charakteristisch alle gängigen Klischees erfüllen: Vom seltsamen Glaubensfanatiker über den kaltblütigen Rassisten bis hin zum oberflächlichen Yuppie-Pärchen ist alles dabei, was man sich nur wünschen kann – besonders, wenn die Story in den USA spielt, dürfen die unbelehrbaren Waffennarren und sogenannten „Prepper“ nicht vergessen werden.
Ohne diese Mischung wäre ein perfider Kampf ums Überleben - wenn der Sauerstoff knapp wird, die letzten Wasservorräte schwinden und man mit einem Mörder eingeschlossen ist - auch äußerst öde.
Doch trotz dieser Stereotypen ist die gezeigte fehlende Weitsicht und das Misstrauen der Protagonisten der ideale Grundbaustein, die unserer Gesellschaft – gerade in Krisenzeiten wie jetzt mit Covid-19 – den Spiegel vorhält und zum Nach- bzw. Umdenken anregt. Wer auf Endzeit-Szenarien mit unerwarteter Auflösung steht, wird dieses Buch mögen.
April 6, 2016
Families allemaal met verschillende achtergronden. Maar 1 ding hebben ze gemeen. Een appartementencomplex 'veilig' onder de grond. Allemaal bang voor 1 ding. Het gevaarlijke virus dat in Amerika teistert. Er zit maar 1 ding op. Gaan wonen in het appartementencomplex onder de grond. De families beginnen hun nieuwe leven in vrede. Totdat de eigenaar dood gevonden word. Maar wat nog erger is hij was de enige met de code van de deur. De deur is dicht. Niemand kan er meer uit. Alles raakt op en mensen worden langzaam vermoord. Iemand vermoord ze maar wie?
In de val ~ S.L. Grey
Zelf lees ik niet vaak thrillers maar ik ben blij daar ik dit boek wel heb gelezen. Want nu zie ik hoe goed thrillers echt zijn. Het eerste wat ik mijzelf afvroeg was wie de moordenaar was? Natuurlijk weet je dat pas aan het einde. Maar toch hoop je dat je minder hoeft te lezen want je wilt zo graag weten wie. Dus begin je met lezen. De ene hoofdpersoon wat interessanter dan de andere. De ene is leuker dan de andere maar uiteindelijk lukt het de schrijver om alles waarin je geloofd om te gooien. En dan denk je echt serieus, dat had ik niet zien aankomen. Vandaar dat ik het zo'n leuk boek vind. Gewoon een keer lezen en niks weten. Het is anders dan andere boeken die ik lees. Ik hooi van een avontuur. Daarin vind ik dit boek echt 4 sterren waard. De schrijfstijl vond ik wat minder maar de inhoud doet het hem echt. Ik denk dat mensen die verrast willen worden dit een boek dit boek echt zouden moeten lezen. Ik raad dit boek echt aan voor mensen die van spanning houden en raadsels. Want uiteindelijk gaat het erom. Wie heeft wie vermoord?
In de val ~ S.L. Grey
Zelf lees ik niet vaak thrillers maar ik ben blij daar ik dit boek wel heb gelezen. Want nu zie ik hoe goed thrillers echt zijn. Het eerste wat ik mijzelf afvroeg was wie de moordenaar was? Natuurlijk weet je dat pas aan het einde. Maar toch hoop je dat je minder hoeft te lezen want je wilt zo graag weten wie. Dus begin je met lezen. De ene hoofdpersoon wat interessanter dan de andere. De ene is leuker dan de andere maar uiteindelijk lukt het de schrijver om alles waarin je geloofd om te gooien. En dan denk je echt serieus, dat had ik niet zien aankomen. Vandaar dat ik het zo'n leuk boek vind. Gewoon een keer lezen en niks weten. Het is anders dan andere boeken die ik lees. Ik hooi van een avontuur. Daarin vind ik dit boek echt 4 sterren waard. De schrijfstijl vond ik wat minder maar de inhoud doet het hem echt. Ik denk dat mensen die verrast willen worden dit een boek dit boek echt zouden moeten lezen. Ik raad dit boek echt aan voor mensen die van spanning houden en raadsels. Want uiteindelijk gaat het erom. Wie heeft wie vermoord?
December 13, 2016
Tja, was habe ich erwartet? Jedenfalls nicht das, was ich bekommen habe. Erstmal hat mich der Anfang schon ziemlich überrascht, da alle Einwohner nach und nach ins Sanctum eintrudeln, einer unterschiedlicher als der andere. Grob gesagt, hatte ich von diesem Buch die Vorstellung, dass ein paar neureiche Exzentriker in den Bunker eingesperrt werden und sich, pardon, dann gegenseitig die Köpfe einschlagen. So ähnlich kam es dann auch in etwa, aber auch doch ganz anders.
Vom Virus selbst bekommt der Leser wenig bis gar nichts mit. Da gibt es etwas, eine schlimme Krankheit, die schon Tausende Tote in Asien gefordert hat, doch es geht hier ausschließlich um die Sanctumbewohner und was Extremsituationen bei einzelnen Menschen bewirken können.
Mir hat das Buch bis auf einen Kritikpunkt eigentlich gut gefallen. Spanung war genug da, die Enge und die klaustrophobische Stimmung des Sanctums wurde sehr gut rübergebracht. Auch das Ende fand ich zwar nicht verblüffend, aber doch wohl überlegt. Letzten Endes lag es an den eindimensionalen Charakteren, weswegen das Buch von mir jetzt nicht 5 Daumen hoch bekommt. Das Auseinanderhalten der Bewohner war kein Problem für mich, vielmehr konnte ich zu keinem der Charaktere Sympathien entwickeln. Durch die wirklich eindimensionale Darstellung (der böse Waffenfanatiker, der skrupellose ehemalige Geheimagent, die naive gottesfürchtige Mutter) fehlten mir in diesem Buch herausstechende Charaktere.
Mein Fazit
Ein spannendes Buch, dem es an manchen Stellen an Tiefgang gemangelt hat.
Vom Virus selbst bekommt der Leser wenig bis gar nichts mit. Da gibt es etwas, eine schlimme Krankheit, die schon Tausende Tote in Asien gefordert hat, doch es geht hier ausschließlich um die Sanctumbewohner und was Extremsituationen bei einzelnen Menschen bewirken können.
Mir hat das Buch bis auf einen Kritikpunkt eigentlich gut gefallen. Spanung war genug da, die Enge und die klaustrophobische Stimmung des Sanctums wurde sehr gut rübergebracht. Auch das Ende fand ich zwar nicht verblüffend, aber doch wohl überlegt. Letzten Endes lag es an den eindimensionalen Charakteren, weswegen das Buch von mir jetzt nicht 5 Daumen hoch bekommt. Das Auseinanderhalten der Bewohner war kein Problem für mich, vielmehr konnte ich zu keinem der Charaktere Sympathien entwickeln. Durch die wirklich eindimensionale Darstellung (der böse Waffenfanatiker, der skrupellose ehemalige Geheimagent, die naive gottesfürchtige Mutter) fehlten mir in diesem Buch herausstechende Charaktere.
Mein Fazit
Ein spannendes Buch, dem es an manchen Stellen an Tiefgang gemangelt hat.
October 8, 2015
What a thrilling read. All very apocalyptic, but on a small scale as a virus descends upon America and a group of strangers who have all invested in an underground sanctuary make their way to it to escape the end of the world. But once they're all locked inside, and amidst the already tension-filled encounters between the different characters, a dead body is found and a murderer is now on the loose.
It's a simple setup but the writing elevates it and the characterizations sets it apart from similar fare. Trying to figure out who the killer is quite a ride! And just when you think you may have a handle on things, more bodies start turning up.
All in all, I finished the book in 2 days and loved it. Totally unexpected plot developments and the ending had me floored!
It's a simple setup but the writing elevates it and the characterizations sets it apart from similar fare. Trying to figure out who the killer is quite a ride! And just when you think you may have a handle on things, more bodies start turning up.
All in all, I finished the book in 2 days and loved it. Totally unexpected plot developments and the ending had me floored!
October 11, 2018
רעיון מעניין אבל הביצוע מאכזב מאד. ברקע הסיפור חשש מאפוקליפסה עקב נגיף חדש וקטלני אשר עושה שמות ברחבי ארצות הברית.
בעקבות זאת מתבצרות כמה משפחות עשירות בבונקר יוקרתי מתחת לאדמה הקרוי "המשכן", עד שתחלוף הסכנה. הבעיה מתעוררת כאשר מתגלה במשכן גופה, והיצרים בין המשפחות השונות מתעוררים.
הסופרים מבזבזים חצי ספר על הצגת הדמויות ומורחים את עלילת גילוי הגופה כך שלא נותר זמן רב לגילוי מה קרה בעצם ומי אחראי לחיסול. כשהגילוי מגיע, הוא לא מרגש במיוחד.
מה שהציק לי יותר הוא ההתעלמות מסיפור הרקע המעניין של הנגיף והאפוקליפסה. האנשים שבפנים לא מגלים כל עניין במה שקורה בחוץ. הם מעדיפים לרכל זה על זה, לבלות או לקטר על המשכן שלא נעשה מספיק מקצועי עבורם. איש מהם לא מגלה היסטריה לגבי העובדה שסוף העולם הגיע ושבני משפחותיהם וחבריהם נותרו בחוץ. אנו גם לא מקבלים הסבר איך נוצר המצב האפוקליפטי, ובאיזה נגיף מדובר.
בקיצור, ספר חובבני ולא מעניין במיוחד.
בעקבות זאת מתבצרות כמה משפחות עשירות בבונקר יוקרתי מתחת לאדמה הקרוי "המשכן", עד שתחלוף הסכנה. הבעיה מתעוררת כאשר מתגלה במשכן גופה, והיצרים בין המשפחות השונות מתעוררים.
הסופרים מבזבזים חצי ספר על הצגת הדמויות ומורחים את עלילת גילוי הגופה כך שלא נותר זמן רב לגילוי מה קרה בעצם ומי אחראי לחיסול. כשהגילוי מגיע, הוא לא מרגש במיוחד.
מה שהציק לי יותר הוא ההתעלמות מסיפור הרקע המעניין של הנגיף והאפוקליפסה. האנשים שבפנים לא מגלים כל עניין במה שקורה בחוץ. הם מעדיפים לרכל זה על זה, לבלות או לקטר על המשכן שלא נעשה מספיק מקצועי עבורם. איש מהם לא מגלה היסטריה לגבי העובדה שסוף העולם הגיע ושבני משפחותיהם וחבריהם נותרו בחוץ. אנו גם לא מקבלים הסבר איך נוצר המצב האפוקליפטי, ובאיזה נגיף מדובר.
בקיצור, ספר חובבני ולא מעניין במיוחד.
January 13, 2024
S.L. Grey's "Under Ground" left me feeling rather dissatisfied, and pinpointing the exact issue proved to be a challenge. The stereotype portrayal of nearly every character deprived the narrative of any element of surprise, and the abundance of characters, each vying for attention, failed to garner my investment. Consulting the character chart at the beginning of the book became a necessity, preventing my experience from being even less enjoyable.
The inclusion of gross details throughout the narrative contributed to an overall sense of discomfort, distracting rather than enhancing the story and leaving me questioning their relevance. As the story approached its climax, the anticipated "big reveal" failed to evoke any genuine interest. By that point, I found myself indifferent to the identity of the killer and the actions of the characters; my primary emotion was relief that the book was finally reaching its conclusion.
In the end, "Under Ground" fell short of expectations, earning a mere two stars out of five in my assessment.
July 21, 2017
Hätte ein tolles Buch werden können aber das Potential wurde nicht genutzt. Die meisten Bunkerbewohner waren nervtötend und grässliche Personen. Der Bunker wurde kaum beschrieben und die Story hatte auch nichts drauf.
July 21, 2024
I loved the idea of this book I just wish it was executed in a better way. The were so many interesting threads that started but never been followed up on.. the entire book just felt very chaotic and very well put together.
March 27, 2019
Super Buch! Es bleibt bis zum Schluss mysteriös und spannend. Hier wird gut aufgezeigt, wie Menschen unter anhaltender Todesangst reagieren und sich verändern.
Mit dem wahren Täter habe ich bis zuletzt nicht gerechnet!
Mit dem wahren Täter habe ich bis zuletzt nicht gerechnet!
June 1, 2024
Sweet mother of pearl! Did S.L Grey have a crystal ball looking into 2020 when they wrote this book?!?! I have so much to say yet I'm speechless. It was a claustrophobic fever dream! I freaking loved it!
June 27, 2020
Am liebsten hätte ich das Buch nach den ersten 100 Seiten weggelegt. Ich musste mich förmlich dazu überreden es bis zum Schluss zu lesen. Die Charaktere konnten mich persönlich nicht überzeugen und waren leider mit zu vielen Klischees behaftet. An und für sich wurde in diesem Buch jedes Klischee bedient... ich würde es nicht empfehlen, auch wenn sich vereinzelt Parallelen zur momentanen Corona-Lage finden lassen...
December 14, 2018
thrilling, wonderful. gives you a deep and scaring look into the human mindset
November 30, 2016
„Under Ground“ ist mir bereits lange vor dem Erscheinungstag aufgefallen und ich habe dem Buch aufgrund der spannend klingenden Kurzbeschreibung lange entgegengefiebert. Somit war es auch kein Wunder, dass ich das Buch nach Erhalt direkt lesen musste. Hier habe ich mir eine spannende Dystopie erhofft, die ich jedoch nur zum Teil erhalten habe, sodass ich letztendlich doch ein wenig enttäuscht bin.
S.L. Grey ist das Pseudonym von den beiden Bestsellerautoren Sarah Lotz und Louis Greenburg. Da ich bereits zwei Bücher von Sarah Lotz gelesen habe, war ich somit umso gespannter, wie „Under Ground“ sein wird. Leider war es dann doch nicht das, was ich erhofft habe. Die Geschichte wird zwar an sich spannend erzählt, allerdings hatte die Geschichte oftmals ihre Längen und Wiederholungen, die nicht sein mussten. So wird z.B. immer wieder darauf hingewiesen, dass das sogenannte Sanctum zwar hochmodern, aber noch lange nicht fertig ist. Hätte man dies lediglich ein oder zweimal erwähnt, wäre es für mich noch in Ordnung gewesen, allerdings wird dies meist mindestens einmal pro Kapitel erwähnt, was mir dann doch zu viel war.
Auch die Figuren war leider nicht das Gelbe vom Ei, denn davon waren meiner Meinung nach nicht nur zu viel von vertreten, sondern sind diese auch noch sehr klischeebehaftet. Da gibt es die Waffennarren, die Rassisten, die Unsicheren, die Überheblichen und dazwischen die Normalos, die jedoch in dem ganzen Szenario ein wenig untergehen. Ich finde es zwar gut, dass die Kapitel abwechselnd aus der Sicht von den Figuren erzählt werden, allerdings hatte ich doch meine Schwierigkeiten, diese auseinanderzuhalten, was ich doch sehr schade fand.
Diese haben sich alle in einem Luxusbunker zusammengefunden, dem sogenannten Sanctum. Dies sind unterirdische Luxuswohnungen, die extra für Katastrophen gebaut wurden. Da nun eine solche Katastrophe ausgebrochen ist und ein tödlicher Grippevirus die Vereinigten Staaten und Asien beherrscht, haben gleich mehrere Familien dort Zuflucht gefunden. Diese sind alle – wie soll es auch anders sein – reich und haben bereits früh in die Luxuswohnungen investiert, sodass diese vor dem Virus geschützt sind. Dass hier aber nicht alles Gold ist, was glänzt, merkt man spätestens dann, als der Erbauer des Bunkers tot aufgefunden wird. Da nur er die nötigen Codes kennt, bricht auch unterirdisch ein ungeahnter Überlebenskampf aus.
An sich klingt das alles sehr spannend, was es auch zum Großteil ist, allerdings musste ich leider schon sehr früh feststellen, dass ich mit der Geschichte nicht warm wurde. Zu viele Charaktere, die unnahbar wirkten, sorgten zusätzlich dafür, dass ich mit den meisten Figuren nicht mitfiebern konnte, was ich sehr schade fand. Auch sonst entstand im Laufe der Geschichte immer mehr der Eindruck, dass hier noch deutlich mehr drin gewesen wäre und man das vorhandene Potenzial nicht gänzlich genutzt hat.
Das Cover ist an sich gelungen und zeigt auf, dass es in die Tiefe geht, von daher kann man sich über das Cover nicht beklagen, auch wenn dies nicht der allergrößte Hingucker ist. Die Kurzbeschreibung liest sich dagegen richtig klasse und hat direkt mein Interesse geweckt, sodass ich dem Buch sehr gerne eine Chance gegeben habe.
Kurz gesagt: „Under Ground“ ist an sich eine spannende Geschichte, allerdings hätte man hier deutlich mehr raus machen können. Schuld daran sind die oftmals viel zu oberflächlichen und klischeebehafteten Figuren, die mir den Spaß an der Geschichte genommen haben. Dennoch sollte jeder, der sich für solche Endzeitszenarien interessiert, dem Buch eine Chance geben.
S.L. Grey ist das Pseudonym von den beiden Bestsellerautoren Sarah Lotz und Louis Greenburg. Da ich bereits zwei Bücher von Sarah Lotz gelesen habe, war ich somit umso gespannter, wie „Under Ground“ sein wird. Leider war es dann doch nicht das, was ich erhofft habe. Die Geschichte wird zwar an sich spannend erzählt, allerdings hatte die Geschichte oftmals ihre Längen und Wiederholungen, die nicht sein mussten. So wird z.B. immer wieder darauf hingewiesen, dass das sogenannte Sanctum zwar hochmodern, aber noch lange nicht fertig ist. Hätte man dies lediglich ein oder zweimal erwähnt, wäre es für mich noch in Ordnung gewesen, allerdings wird dies meist mindestens einmal pro Kapitel erwähnt, was mir dann doch zu viel war.
Auch die Figuren war leider nicht das Gelbe vom Ei, denn davon waren meiner Meinung nach nicht nur zu viel von vertreten, sondern sind diese auch noch sehr klischeebehaftet. Da gibt es die Waffennarren, die Rassisten, die Unsicheren, die Überheblichen und dazwischen die Normalos, die jedoch in dem ganzen Szenario ein wenig untergehen. Ich finde es zwar gut, dass die Kapitel abwechselnd aus der Sicht von den Figuren erzählt werden, allerdings hatte ich doch meine Schwierigkeiten, diese auseinanderzuhalten, was ich doch sehr schade fand.
Diese haben sich alle in einem Luxusbunker zusammengefunden, dem sogenannten Sanctum. Dies sind unterirdische Luxuswohnungen, die extra für Katastrophen gebaut wurden. Da nun eine solche Katastrophe ausgebrochen ist und ein tödlicher Grippevirus die Vereinigten Staaten und Asien beherrscht, haben gleich mehrere Familien dort Zuflucht gefunden. Diese sind alle – wie soll es auch anders sein – reich und haben bereits früh in die Luxuswohnungen investiert, sodass diese vor dem Virus geschützt sind. Dass hier aber nicht alles Gold ist, was glänzt, merkt man spätestens dann, als der Erbauer des Bunkers tot aufgefunden wird. Da nur er die nötigen Codes kennt, bricht auch unterirdisch ein ungeahnter Überlebenskampf aus.
An sich klingt das alles sehr spannend, was es auch zum Großteil ist, allerdings musste ich leider schon sehr früh feststellen, dass ich mit der Geschichte nicht warm wurde. Zu viele Charaktere, die unnahbar wirkten, sorgten zusätzlich dafür, dass ich mit den meisten Figuren nicht mitfiebern konnte, was ich sehr schade fand. Auch sonst entstand im Laufe der Geschichte immer mehr der Eindruck, dass hier noch deutlich mehr drin gewesen wäre und man das vorhandene Potenzial nicht gänzlich genutzt hat.
Das Cover ist an sich gelungen und zeigt auf, dass es in die Tiefe geht, von daher kann man sich über das Cover nicht beklagen, auch wenn dies nicht der allergrößte Hingucker ist. Die Kurzbeschreibung liest sich dagegen richtig klasse und hat direkt mein Interesse geweckt, sodass ich dem Buch sehr gerne eine Chance gegeben habe.
Kurz gesagt: „Under Ground“ ist an sich eine spannende Geschichte, allerdings hätte man hier deutlich mehr raus machen können. Schuld daran sind die oftmals viel zu oberflächlichen und klischeebehafteten Figuren, die mir den Spaß an der Geschichte genommen haben. Dennoch sollte jeder, der sich für solche Endzeitszenarien interessiert, dem Buch eine Chance geben.
December 2, 2015
Claustrophobia has never been scarier!
S.L. Grey teamed up again to bring to life a creepy thriller with weird characters. They placed those characters into the worst situations imaginable, and allowed the strange results to run wild. Under Ground explores a horrific situation, made worse when certain events occur, which in turn spurs on the (sometimes) dormant fears of some of the fine folks trapped under ground. This is to be expected, though, considering that most people who invest in underground condos - in the event of an apocalyptic travesty - aren't always the most logical thinkers in the world. Nevertheless, this old-school concept is turned into a modern nightmare. And it's AWESOME!
Under Ground is written in multi-perspective, which means we get to see the story out of almost everyone's point of views. Some people might not like this element of the book, and at times even I thought an omnipresent point of view would have worked better, but it's really the worst part of the book. The characters have distinct personalities, all of them unique in their own ways. The writing style is fast-paced, making the book easy to devour. But what I enjoyed the most was the ending. OMW that ending! I can't divulge my thoughts on it, because ... SPOILERS ... but I need to give the authors kudos for that thought provoking ending. I DID NOT SEE IT COMING.
S.L. Grey does not disappoint with Under Ground. Horror aficionados will get a kick out of this book, thriller lovers are in for a treat, and fans of dystopian novels will enjoy it, too.
Review originally posted on:
S.L. Grey teamed up again to bring to life a creepy thriller with weird characters. They placed those characters into the worst situations imaginable, and allowed the strange results to run wild. Under Ground explores a horrific situation, made worse when certain events occur, which in turn spurs on the (sometimes) dormant fears of some of the fine folks trapped under ground. This is to be expected, though, considering that most people who invest in underground condos - in the event of an apocalyptic travesty - aren't always the most logical thinkers in the world. Nevertheless, this old-school concept is turned into a modern nightmare. And it's AWESOME!
Under Ground is written in multi-perspective, which means we get to see the story out of almost everyone's point of views. Some people might not like this element of the book, and at times even I thought an omnipresent point of view would have worked better, but it's really the worst part of the book. The characters have distinct personalities, all of them unique in their own ways. The writing style is fast-paced, making the book easy to devour. But what I enjoyed the most was the ending. OMW that ending! I can't divulge my thoughts on it, because ... SPOILERS ... but I need to give the authors kudos for that thought provoking ending. I DID NOT SEE IT COMING.
S.L. Grey does not disappoint with Under Ground. Horror aficionados will get a kick out of this book, thriller lovers are in for a treat, and fans of dystopian novels will enjoy it, too.
Review originally posted on:
September 2, 2015
This book was a bit of a disappointment. It sounded good. And the reviews are that other people enjoyed it, but somehow I didn't. I'm not even really sure why that was... Just that now I've finished it, it was all a bit forgettable.
The basic premise is a bunch of preppers fleeing a flu pandemic arrive at The Sanctum, a luxury condo they've all brought into. It's not quiet finished properly and then the owner is found dead... Whether by accident or murder is anyone's guess. What that means is they're all now trapped, with a potential murderer and that leads to increasing levels of hysteria and general nastiness to each other.
It's meant to be a creepy claustrophobic page turner but the problem was it didn't actually make me feel anything. It wasn't a book I couldn't put down. There was a brief part near the end which hooked me, when James starts to unravel but then it lost momentum again. The part I was most disappointed in, the whole reason they're down there, is virtually forgotten after the first couple of chapters. We never get to find out much about the pandemic or how anyone else is faring, it's just a half-hearted plot point to get everyone together which is dropped as soon as possible. Even Cait, who has a family she is supposedly anxious to get home to, not once questions whether they're still alive. It would have been much more compelling if the authors had factored in the situations of the people they'd left behind with the characters struggle for survival.
The ending is unexpected, but not a major plot twist. 2.5 stars.
The basic premise is a bunch of preppers fleeing a flu pandemic arrive at The Sanctum, a luxury condo they've all brought into. It's not quiet finished properly and then the owner is found dead... Whether by accident or murder is anyone's guess. What that means is they're all now trapped, with a potential murderer and that leads to increasing levels of hysteria and general nastiness to each other.
It's meant to be a creepy claustrophobic page turner but the problem was it didn't actually make me feel anything. It wasn't a book I couldn't put down. There was a brief part near the end which hooked me, when James starts to unravel but then it lost momentum again. The part I was most disappointed in, the whole reason they're down there, is virtually forgotten after the first couple of chapters. We never get to find out much about the pandemic or how anyone else is faring, it's just a half-hearted plot point to get everyone together which is dropped as soon as possible. Even Cait, who has a family she is supposedly anxious to get home to, not once questions whether they're still alive. It would have been much more compelling if the authors had factored in the situations of the people they'd left behind with the characters struggle for survival.
The ending is unexpected, but not a major plot twist. 2.5 stars.
July 12, 2015
Under Ground is a tense, claustrophobic and easy read that has a nice ending for the reader that we don’t see coming. There are quite a few characters involved providing different perspectives to the frightening events and as the body count rises it seems as dangerous underground as it is on the surface. A good well-paced read which I finished in a day and found entertaining.
The Sanctum is built from the surface to deep underground and contains 8 levels. It is a sanctuary for the rich against some world ending scenario. Located in Maine USA it is isolated among trees and forest and only the millionaires who purchased condos within it, know where it is. When a killer flu-like virus strikes the United States the Sanctum quickly fills with those families who had the foresight and the money to make such an investment. But their fears have only just begun…
It’s soon clear there is a murderer amongst them as bodies begin to turn up. A number of the group are pretty obnoxious characters and we quickly have individuals we like and dislike. It all takes place in a limited space and when they are locked-down we have a captive number of suspects and possible victims. The Sanctum becomes a prison and the story becomes a ‘whodunit’. The tension mounts as everything seems to go wrong and they wonder if they have paid for a tomb rather than a sanctuary. (ARC received)
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