Jack

Leech #2

by James Crawford

Every high school has it's social elite; the football players and cheerleaders ... you know, the popular crowd. At Butler High, Jack Barely was as close to the top as they came. Captain of the swim team, great hair, and abs that most would die for. However, that was all before the Leeches attacked, taking away everything: his popularity, his house, his grandmother, and even his best friend, Caleo, whom he secretly loved.

Now, living in a destroyed world, popularity means nothing as Jack struggles just to keep him and his twin sister, Jillian, alive. With attacks happening more frequently, Jack starts to wonder why they are even bothering to try and hold onto the past when it just reminds him of all they have lost. Just when he has given up hope, Jack hears a rumor that Caleo is still alive and sets out on a mission to find him. But will Jack make it to finally tell Caleo how he really feels?

Genres: Paranormal, M M Romance, Fantasy, Magic, Romance, LGBT, Young Adult

234 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 26, 2013

Reviews

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book of the Leech series follows Jack as he deals with what he believes is the death of his best friend Caleo. When he finds out that Caleo is really alive, Jack decides he's going to find him and bring him home no matter the cost.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series so I was really looking forward to the second. And OMG was it great! The plot, characters, and writing are all excellent. From the first chapter it held my interest and made it almost impossible to put down.

I so love it when I find a series that is unique. Where the author has come up with something completely different. Well, James Crawford sure did that and more. GREAT JOB!!

[Micah · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was not a good book...It pissed me off so bad.
Spoilers below.

For starters, this book is called Jack so it is the sequel to Book One(Caleo) and it is told from Jack(Caleo's love interest) point of view and basically the most useless protagonist. He makes Bella from twilight bearable. In fact this book is essentially New Moon....Remember in New Moon, how Edward was gone and Bella was sort of pining and being all depressed for the entire movie/book but she was "imagining" Edward...Well, Caleo is thought to be dead after he fell off the cliff in book one and what do you know...Jack is "hallucinating' but there's a twist...

1. Plot & Writing
The Plot is basically the same as first book....but it doesn't make much sense. You got the Blessed trying to protect the Angel but they think that Caleo is just some fake Angel...but wait, the villains who just blew up half of America are really just rebels and the real villains are people who are supposed to be the good guys. It's like the author had no idea what he wanted to do so he just threw ideas at the book and formed it into 300 pages. Jack wants answers and revenge but he manages to get himself caught in stupid situations...

The Writing is Atrocious and worse than Book one(how is that possible). Spelling errors...grammar...even time changes.

Okay, who misspells their own character's names multiple times through out the book. Do you not know who these characters are? Did your editor not catch these?

Furthermore, what pissed me off was the fact that there was a time-jump in the book...I didn't get that. Jack was trapped in a room and then all of a sudden the next paragraph states it had been 8 months.

There was literally no warning or sign that the scene had changed...it just literally said "I've been in here 8 months."

Really dude?

A character gets RAPED by her jealous ex-boyfriend and she is fearful and sad about it for all of 2 paragraphs literally and then she is suddenly making jokes with Jack, forgetting about her rape. In fact she gets rape and the way she speaks about the rape was "Okay, I got rape. The bastard raped me. It sucked."

Then on top of that, someone yet again gets killed and there is literally a paragraph of mourning. "OH MY GOD, SHE WAS KILLED." Next sentence, it's literally completely forgotten.

She was his sister for god sake...Can i get some emotion for at least a page. What the fuck man?

2. Characters

In Book One, Jack was more of a background character who did nothing....And for the most part of the book, save a few times where he "electrocuted" people with his glove he made, Jack was still useless. Difference being, Jack wasn't a focal character for the first book....He was for this book and he can't lead a story to save his life.

He spends the first half of the book moping and imagining Caleo and remembering past memories from before the events of Book one and he finally decides to follow the hints of his hallucination and begins to search for him.

Jack is so freaking whiny and he is always moping around and if I could, I would BITCH SLAP Jack and tell him to man the fuck up.

Caleo is now more of a secondary character in this book yet somehow manages to still outshine Jack. However, even Caleo was boring in this book. He seemed weaker(maybe because he wasn't the focal character) and far less interesting. The book flashbacks with memories of Jack and Caleo's life before the stuff in Book one so we get to see an even weaker version of Caleo and then Caleo appears in this book with his memory wiped and he is a cold hearted killer...but then gets his memory back and is back to the Caleo we met in book one. His character was just all over the place for me.

Nolan was the best part of Book One and he was still the best part of Book two but again since this is Jack's book, we didn't get as much of Nolan as I wanted...Nolan didn't appear until the middle of the book and by then i was pissed because Nolan's character seemingly had been made into a homewrecker trying to get in between Jack and Caleo's relationship(More on this later).

Secondary Characters....Steve had a little more fleshing out as a villain and he was actually much more interesting this time around vs book one...Paris is a new character and she was far more interesting when she was a bitch in the first half. She of course warms up to Jack and she loses the very thing that made her interesting. Mickey was pretty cool though of course he was in the background and just served as a plot device for humor.

Last but not least...Jillian was just...unnecessary in this book. She whined and complained and whined and complained. I get it...your life sucks...you want your life back. Your grandmother was killed in cold blood and your brother was killed(So they thought). Jack wants closure and revenge and you are trying to guilt trip him into giving that up JUST to make you happy. Ugh....


3. Romance


Sigh...so Jack and Caleo finally become a couple in this book...but wait why do I care...Why do i give a fuck about Jaleo or Calack.

Book one gave us far more chemistry between Caleo and Nolan.....Nolan multiple times risked his life and declared his life was meant to save Caleo. Jack, meanwhile, in book one was a jerk part of the time. He let Caleo get bullied and never said anything to defend him(Of course in Book two, now that it is his book we see he THOUGHT about say something) and the other half of the time he acted like a jealous twat.

Jack and Caleo worked better as best friends with a brother relationship. I could buy them as brothers...But Jack did nothing to deserve Caleo and there really was no notion as to why Caleo would even want Jack. In fact, Jack's not gay...he doesn't like girls or guys. He just loves Caleo. Which is fine and I can see that but at the same time...why do you love Caleo?

Nolan is a far better dynamic character than Jack and fleshed out and I just felt like it was slap in the face as Jack did nothing to deserve the relationship.

I can only hope that in Book 3(Nolan) we get some more Nolan/Caleo scenes and I hope Jack goes back to being a background character. At the end of this book, Nolan and Caleo are together fighting and THAT is the kind of chemistry. Caleo saved Nolan and Nolan came back for Caleo.

4. Overall
Somehow this book turned out worse than Caleo...It's not because James is a horrible writer. It just feels like amateur work. I personally think this story should be far better fleshed out and it could definitely use a reboot. Give Jack a personality that doesn't involve whining, Don't make Caleo out to be some victim...make him tougher...Make Jillian do something other than have witty and sarcastic comebacks. Keep Nolan perfect

Definitely a 1 star book....at least the Cover model's hot

[Lynn Worton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.

This is the second book in the Leeches series. I loved it!

Jack Barely is a fantastic character. I loved him from when I met him in the first book, Caleo. He is a very confident young man, who usually has a great sense of humour. However, he has one regret: that he didn't tell Caleo how he felt about him.

Jillian Barely may be Jack's twin, but she is no push over! In fact, it is her strength of character that shines through in this book! I didn't really like her in Caleo, because she came across as a snob. However, I warmed to her, when I realised that it was just a front.

I have been eagerly wanting to read this book for some time now. The cliffhanger at the end of the first book saw to that! The story is a fantastic continuation of the series, but I did find that I was slightly disappointed in it too. Don't get me wrong, I loved this story, but there was something not quite right. There was something missing and the story fell flat in places, in my opinion. I have no idea why. It could be that I had expected more than I should have from the story. Sequels have to live up to their predecessors, and sometimes, for whatever reason, they don't quite get there. I'm not going to mark this down to a 4, because I feel that this book deserves it's 5.
I loved seeing the world through Jack's eyes, and it's not pretty! There is extreme danger for the humans as the two camps of Leeches face off against each other. Leeches are people with a special ability or power such as turning invisible, freezing a room full of people or turning into water to avoid capture. The way these Leeches absorb powers of other Leeches reminds me of the movie "The Highlander". However there is no lighting, but streams of power. I don't know why, but I have visions of a mercury-like substance creeping towards the recipient. The story twists and turns in places, which I loved, but there was one part that I felt that Jillian's behaviour was a bit creepy. I knew that she had been through a trauma, but even so, I found her lack of emotional response a bit unnerving! She was too "normal".
The end of the book has a shocking twist and another cliffhanger. I am now looking forward to reading the next book in the series!

james crawford has written another fast paced novel that kept me hooked from the first page! I love his writing style, it's easy to get lost in the world he has created. The characters are mostly likable, with the exception of Alix. I hope he gets his comeuppance!

This is a fantastic book in a an amazing series. I highly recommend this book if you love YA/Paranormal/Science Fiction or Gay & Lesbian genres. - Lynn Worton

[~Cyanide Latte~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me begin by saying that Jack isn't a bad follow-up to Caleo, though I feel like its flaws are a little more obvious and I didn't enjoy it quite as much.

The pacing in this book feels a bit haphazard and rushed, and there are multiple timeskips where we aren't fully informed of how much time is passed until one of the characters says something. To balance this out, a lot of the exposition concerning Leeches, the Blessed army, the rebel factions, and the concept of The Angel tends to be decently scattered throughout the story, which I appreciate.
A lot of the action scenes also feel rushed, with abrupt starts and endings, and there were times where I had to re-read many of them to try to follow what was going on. So be aware of this if you want to continue the Leech trilogy and you start reading this book.

I think my biggest annoyance came in the form of rape used as a plot device, but it not really showing any lasting effects on those who were victims. While yes, we were following Jack and neither character who was raped (we know for certain one was and it was heavily implied for another) there should still be shown a lasting impact on those who went through it and those others who were close to them. So the lack of that and the way that one of the victims outright speaks about this directly after it's happened and her rapist is killed feels unrealistic and that really messed with my suspension of disbelief.

Otherwise, I've enjoyed this continuation of the story. Jack probably suffers a bit of middle-book syndrome, but Jack himself is easily my favorite character, so I was probably biased in that regard. This book also introduces us to another character, Paris, whom I adore just about as much as Jack. So there's probably that in Jack's favor as well. And I can say I'm definitely looking forward to reading the last book and seeing how this story concludes.

[Ulysses Dietz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack (Leech #2)
By James Crawford
Copyright 2017 by Anthony Crawford
Four stars

Two down, one to go. “Jack,” the second of the Leech series, is as compelling as the first book, “Caleo” was. It is also written with the same sort of, um, youthful exuberance and careless disregard for the niceties of grammar and editing.

This is to say that the writing can be really good at times, and Crawford surely captures the essentials of what a post-apocalyptic teenager would be—alternating between courageous and jerky. As with the first book of this series, I had to keep reminding myself that this is a Young Adult novel, and the love of killing and mayhem certainly fits in with youth culture today, if video games and movies are any indication. As an old gay man, however, I find it all a little exhausting—the never-ending quest just to be safe, and the nonstop ability of the enemy to find Jack and his companions wherever they go.

What Crawford manages to do, however, is to make us give a damn about Jack, Jillian, Caleo and all the rest. I’ve read plenty of YA books in which the handsome jock finally realizes that he feels “that way” about his best friend since childhood. But I’ve never read one where that happens in the middle of a global attack by inhuman creatures bent on world domination. Or something. The whole Leech apocalypse still doesn’t quite hang together for me—and perhaps that negligence is just part of the worldview of a young author. I suspect a lot of the current world doesn’t make sense to Mr. Crawford, either.

Whatever is going on here, I found myself riveted to the text, and find myself at the end anxious to pick up the third book of the series, “Nolan.” Dammit. I need Jack and Caleo to be safe, too.

[Pixie Mmgoodbookreviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Hearts

Review written for MM Good Book Reviews

http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/

This story is part of a series and must be read in order. Jack was the swim team captain at school before everything fell apart, now he is just trying to survive with his sister, Jillian, after losing Caleo, his grandmother, his house and well just about everything. Dealing with attacks is hard, discovering Caleo might be alive drives him to try and find him, but danger lurks everywhere and rescuing Caleo is much harder than he thought, but getting Caleo back is all he can think of.

This story picks up three months after the end of Caleo and is Jack’s story. Jack is still reeling over the loss of Caleo, he never got the chance to tell Caleo how he really felt about him and now he never will. But, when Jack is visited by Caleo’s ghost and is convinced to return to their old high school, it leads to a discovery that has Jack determined to find Caleo and tell him how he really feels. Jack has quite the adventure in this story, rescuing captured humans and dealing with Leeches and he also has to deal with his own jealousy and getting through to Caleo.

I really enjoyed this story and having it from Jack’s POV, seeing his grief and regrets and then his joy and confidence, his jealousy and his strength showed how much of a well-rounded character he was. The storyline is again action pack with danger and angst, it also has loss and anger as well as hope. Nolan returns and we also see Steve again and we finally get to meet Alix, and discover just how twisted some of the Leeches have become. With this story we see how humans come together to survive the hardships thrown at them, crawling out of the ashes to rebuild. I won’t delve further into the book, but if you read Caleo, then you won’t want to miss this book.

I have to recommend this if you love Young Adult stories, paranormal, danger, angst, young love, humour, capture, escapes, death and anger. And, with an ending that leaves us panting for the next book Nolan.

[Kimberly Schaaf · Rating 5 out of 5]

james crawford nailed it!

I had been patiently (well, not really patiently at all....) awaiting the arrival of JACK ever since I finished up CALEO. I loved Caleo's story in the first book. Loved him as a character, loved everything....but let me tell you - Jack is my favorite. I said that in my review of CALEO. Nolan vs. Jack - Jack all the way. :-)

While the first book in the series just touched on the relationship between Jack and Caleo (or lack there of....), this really becomes the main focus of JACK. Left thinking that Caleo is dead at the end of Book #1, Jack makes it his mission to just survive with his sister, Jillian and Mickey (Stinky the cat). All is going as well as can be expected....and then things take a twist. Caleo is alive....

Oh, it gets so good. We get to REALLY see/hear how Jack feels about Caleo, and we really truly see that Jack will do ANYTHING for him. Some familiar characters from Book #1 return (Steve and Nolan...) but james gives us some new unbelievable characters to fall in love with.

I personally loved the introduction of Paris (a female leech - and if you remember from Book #1, female leeches are extremely rare and unbelievably UNSTABLE!!!). Her power is pretty cool and the interactions between her and Jack are hysterical.

The book kept me on the edge of my seat to the very end. Just when you think things are calm and heading in the right direction, james throws us for a doozey!!!

I really feel like james's writing style improved a lot since CALEO. I am not saying that CALEO wasn't well written, because it was....but you can really see how james has grown.

There is so much that I want to say about JACK - but I can't give ANY of it away. It was well worth the wait and now....yeah....now I have to wait for Book #3.....le-sigh....

Kudos to you james crawford!! Well done!!!

[Bookwatcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok I like it, but no, I will not give more than 3 stars..
Again it's a very good story, witty a complex plot, but it's too dispersive in my modested opinion. While in book 1 I could accept rushed explanations and more attention to the action in book 2 it tired me. The plot is VERY complex so I wish more pages were used for a slow explanation.
It's all from Jack's point of view and I adored it, all the flashbacks and all... But it lost the appeal for the lack of something... And I have no idea of what. I loved Caleo as narrator (Book 1, Caleo) because of his pain, his need to know who want him dead and why... I liked Jack's voice, see everything as him, feel him... But he is not Caleo. His pain is in the past, how he treated Caleo and never stand up to defend him at school... Stuff like that... And it was so... Superfluous? Honestly? I don't know why, but Jack started as a great narrator to became annoying.
I was lost when what I think it was became... Different. So TVs are working?. Why for me is hard to accept such normal think, as TV working and all the shit that hit the fan so easily distracted? No seriously, Jack will be locked in and watch TV for 8 months? Seriously? I mean... Really? It was so freaking anticlimactic! Soap opera??? Really? I think I was waaaaaaay happier reading book 1 and certain it was a post-apocalityc book.

Again a cliffhanger end... And I'm curious, but not dying to know what will happen now. I think I will read more.... I'm curious, but just wondering if again... Someone will be prisoner and watch soap opera for 8 months -.-"

[Alexa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately, the continuation of the story does not live up to it's beginnings. It is fuzzy and confusing and leaves the reader with more questions than it answers. While some can be overlooked, the author does after all let the reader imagine the depth of his scene setting, there are some huge holes in the storyline.

[SPOILER] What happened after Caleo went over the cliff and was smashed to pieces on the rocks below.? How did he end up alive, in bed, in a room with Steve, after Nolan was supposed to have dealt with the aftermath of the battle at the end of book 1.? Caleo's Grandma (Miss Ratter) is said to be the great granddaughter of Jacob Archer (Thorn), making Caleo his 3xgreat grandson, and not his great grandson. There is also no mention of the fact that Caleo's powers also come from his mother's side, the leech link is only ever mentioned from his father's family, whos grandfather was Alix. [SPOILER]

Again the story is brilliant, but it has not lived up to it's potential.

[Jennifer Treviño · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must have book 3 ASAP!
Jack brings us a whole new perspective on things. Picking up a few months after Caleo left us we are thrown into the reality that is now life. This book is a roller coaster of ups & downs that I thoroughly enjoyed! These are great characters whom I enjoyed getting to know more about. Jack in particular because he cracks me up! Seeing the story unwind was thrilling although after that ending I'm gonna go nuts awaiting the next book!! :D Enjoy!

[Jasper · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one is slightly better than the first. Again, it has the idea, but that's a out it.

And my god, the spelling, grammar, and other errors.... it's like it wasn't even edited.

The only improvement was Jillian. She was the only character with some depth, and then she died. Come on.

[Coty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, exciting! can't believe there is Book three and it isn't out yet.....authors should put a warning if a book is a cliff hanger and when the next book will be out....so I don't start them until they are all out. Doesn't look like book three is anywhere near being completed.

[Lydia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like this one wasn't as solid as the first book. The plot for this one was really... mushy. I feel like the time skips are a lot at fault here, especially the eight months that Jack is just existing. The other major thing I would blame is how harshly Jack's characterization shifts. I get that Caleo is "dead" for the first part of the book, and that he's grieving. Totally understandable. Then when he finds out that he's alive, that's Jack's main mission. All reasonable. What isn't reasonable is that the same boy who drags Caleo into a burning building to save people has to be so drastically pushed to go save the people from the school. I don't wanna say that he's too passive in his own book, but so much is lost because he's just absent from what I would argue is the true plot of this story.

I feel like the book would have been much more interesting if we saw what was happening to Caleo instead... or even simultaneously? Instead of just skipping eight whole months in which Caleo is off on a murder spree and Jillian is pregnant with the child of the man who raped her, why don't we hear from one of these characters. Either of these points of view would have been more interesting than Jack watching soaps. The development of these two characters when Jack sees them is totally wasted because we get no specifics. Not to mention that after being reunited that both of them die in one way or another. I'm not saying that Crawford has to do all the work for us, but more details would have connected me more to these characters.

I'm going to read the last book just to see how this ends, but I'm honestly not expecting a lot...

[Hinterland Hallucinations · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating 3.5 stars.

With a fantastic premise set up in ‘Caleo,’ even if I had issues with the writing style, I was still excited to continue with this trilogy. ‘Jack’ still brings that level of immaturity in the narrative that bugged me from the first novel – but much less of it, thank goodness. We get a clear case of what is going on with the plot of the trilogy for the most part, but there is still a little confusion of some scenes not making sense. The stakes are definitely higher. There is a lot of action, pummelling, fighting and injuries… it is starting to feel like a bloodbath. So, while not top-tier writing, it is definitely compulsive.

On a side note: I did find it comical at the amount of unintentional nudity. The teen girl in me giggled and kicked her legs (no judging me – I already know how lame I am.) In ‘Caleo,’ we did lose a bit of that larrikin humour over the second half of the novel, but it is back and interspersed throughout the narrative in ‘Jack’ and it’s the kind of smart-assery I love to indulge in.

This time the story continues from Jack’s P.O.V. and he is more single-minded than in ‘Caleo’ – which was great in driving the plot forward, but it also erased some of his complexity. I would have liked to see much more going on with him emotionally and spiritually to turn up the level of tension.

The reading experience felt a lot tighter and more enjoyable. Though personally I’m #TeamNolan and felt like Nolan was pushed aside again for the sake of setting up a love triangle, though, with the third book in the series being from his point of view, I guess I’ll get the fix I’ve been hinkering for since starting this trilogy. *fingers crossed*

I did get more surprises than expected, but there still wasn’t a lot of resolution in the plot for me to feel entirely satisfied. Second book syndrome. Even though there is so much action going on in ‘Jack,’ I felt as though something was lacking – whether it be a few sub-plots, or moving the overarching storyline forward more, it still left me in that state of mind after finishing ‘Caleo.’ Yes, I’m dying to find out what happens next, but annoyed that I have to read yet another book to get a payoff.

I developed a lot more liking and sympathy for Jack after reading this second installment, but there is still something about Caleo and Jack that doesn’t sit right for me. But let’s see were the journey takes us. Jumping into ‘Nolan’ right now…

[Lee Rey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 in the Leech series and told mostly by Jack's POV. Jack is devastated by the "death" of Caleo. He thinks of the time when he realized he loved Caleo and wishes he had the courage to tell him before he "died". However, even though he is depressed he has got to be prepared to fight off Leeches. He is thrust into a situation with Leeches by an unseen enemy. While he fights for his family and learns to make a device with the Leeches technology to fight off the Leeches. He is captured by the original Angel, who questions him about his motives and connections to Caleo. Jack comes to a surprising conclusion when the place he is captured is attacked. Caleo, having no memory of Jack, is cautious when they end up together in a unknown house. Jack and Caleo, with the help of Nolan make a trip back home, while on the trip Jack makes his confession to Caleo. And for a while they seem to have some peace that is quickly squashed and a child is taken. The enemies think Caleo is dead, so Jack decides to protect Caleo by leaving him with Nolan and venturing off to rescue the child. Cliffhanger is not as brutal as book 1 but still its brutal.

[S. Policar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack picks up where Caleo left off, only this time the story is Jack's point of view; minus the last chapter and a half which are Caleo's.
This volume naturally has more action and sets things up nicely for the third and final book in this trilogy. There's a lot more emotion involved in this book and readers are definitely in for a rollercoaster as Jack comes to terms with the events in the last book and the events of this one.
There's also a massive change in Caleo in this book as he realizes his purpose. It's almost depressing to see what his world has done to that sweet outcast of a boy.
The errors are a bit more prominant in this book, but simple enough to get passed without interrupting the reading flow; though, I would recommend the author have this trilogy re-edited because there are more than a few missing punctuation and spelling errors between the two I've read so far.
I give this book 5 of 5 Paws despite the poor editing because I absolutely have to see how this story ends.

[Bob Love · Rating 4 out of 5]

🍒 Fast paced and compelling

Fast paced and compelling, and the surprises outnumber the deus ex machinae. Gotta say though, the ongoing banter and concern over nudity contributes little, and it wouldn't hurt to vary it with other ways of reminding us of our protagonists' teen hormonality.

Some chapter breaks are briefly confusing, or maybe it's my ADHD, and there are a few minor typos, but so what. This is a well realized story with relatable and distinct characters, and a very engaging read.

[Ernie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a good follow-up but not as good as the first. There was a twist in there. I will finish the series but only because its one more book. Still not a bad read just not a good as some other things out there.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grammar issues seemed to increase with this one (I know, being picky. Could use some strong editing.

Character development seemed to stall with this piece. I didn't feel for Jack like I did for Caleo. It could have been much stronger emotionally (considering all he's been through).

[emily curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable story that is well written with likeable characters and good world building.

[T.M. Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book picks up a few months after book 1, Caleo, ended.

Jack is left with almost nothing. He lost his home, his grandmother and his best friend whom he was quietly in love with, Caleo. With nothing left but his sister and a cranky kitty, Jack fights just to stay alive and keep his sister safe. With more frequent attacks and his emotional turmoil over not only loosing Caleo, but never telling him how he truly felt about him, is tearing him apart from the inside out. Soon enough though Jack learns that Caleo is still alive and focus’s all his energy on finding the man he loves.

In book 1 we saw everything from Caleo’s POV. His emotions and thoughts, how he struggled with who he thought he was versus who he would become. In book 2 we are seeing through Jack’s eyes. His personal growth throughout this book is phenomenal. Distraught and on the verge of giving up in the beginning, to confident and assured as he comes into his own and fights for what is his. There’s just one little thing standing in his way, well.. aside from the murderous, psychotic leeches that want to annihilate him, his friends, family, mankind.. basically destroy everything he loves. Nolan. That unrealized love triangle I talked about in book 1 is obviously evident in this book.

Crawford keeps us abreast of everything within the storyline and that of our favorite characters, while introducing some new people for us to love and/or hate along the way. I especially liked Paris. If you’ll remember in Caleo we learned that not only are female Leeches rare but they are likely unstable. The banter back and forth between Paris and Jack will have you in hysterics!

I give this one 4.5/5 I can see where Crawfords writing evolved from one book to the next with more in depth character development and plot. I anxiously await Leech’s book 3, Nolan!

[Gay Media Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack is the second YA and Paranormal book in the Leeches Series by James Crawford!

Jack Barely was a popular high school student, captain of the swim team and one of the hottest guys in school. Everything was taken away from him, his popularity, his grandmother and the most important, his friend Caleo who he loved and the Leeches are to be blamed for it all. Leeches are the most dangerous group to the humans as they have the powers to turn invisible, freeze people and turning into water to avoid capture. Jack's struggle now is to stay alive and protect his twin sister which is not the easiest task in the world. Jack now hears that his beloved Caleo is alive which starts the hunt for his friend. Will jack find Caleo before the Leeches destroy any chance he has to save his friend and tell Caleo how much he loves him.

I loved reading this book through the eyes of Jack perspective as book one was through Caleo's. It was such great reading about the possible love triangle between Jack. Caleo and Nolan. Those Leeches are about to destroy everything in Jack's life including his family, friends and basically everything that he loves. Jack is one of my favourite characters and it was so beautiful written to see him fight for his friend Caleo and the love they share. The way the author describes in detail about the characters was so brilliantly done. This was one of the best YA and Paranormal books that I have read in a long-time! I highly recommend this beautiful novel to anyone who enjoys the paranormal, danger and young love!



"Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review."



Reviewed by Paul at Gay Media Reviews!

[Vin · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first started reading Jack, I couldn't stop thinking of everybody else's comments about how bad it was. Now that I read it in less than week, I can comment myself by saying they were wrong. I found Jack to be better than Caleo as many sequels should be. I think others didn't like it, because the story was more from Jack's point of view and not Caleo's and they build an emotional bond with the albino kid wonder.

The novel, Jack, picked up a few months after the event of the first novel. In this storyline, Jack founds out that Caleo was alive after all and sets out the search for him or die trying. The story reveals the undeniable love that Jack secretly has for Caleo and how that love is the motivation he needed to fight.

The book shows character building and re-building. It also introduces some new characters who Jack meets along the way. The action is two times better, the addiction is two times better and even the climax is two times better than the previous novel. You would think at some point that the characters have finally a moment of peace until you turned the page and found out that peace was never in the cards. You would keep wanting for more until the very last page and even then, you want to see what happens next.

I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars for keeping the imagination alive and to make the reader (at least me) on the edge of the seat. With a storyline like this, I don't know how author, James Crawford, is going to conclude it in the final novel of the Leech trilogy: Nolan.

All I can ask from the author is to end it with an unexpected, uncommon and original climax. I am positive that you will not disappoint.

[Donald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again, this was the audiobook version and I enjoyed this story very much. Perhaps not as good as the first one, but I was engaged enough to care about the primary characters. This story is from Jack's perspective and his regrets and though they were realistic, they did drag just a bit. I wasn't real sure why he was still having such a hard time just stating that he was gay. Another point (spoiler beyond) is I am not sure if there was something missing in the audio version or if the author just neglected to follow through but when Jack was locked up, the expanse of time just happened, which made no sense. Then the reunion between Jack and Caleo was a bit contrived but bearable, I really enjoyed this book. My biggest complaint...the ending sucked...I understand the need for a cliffhanger if there is another book in the series but I do not think that the death was really necessary (being vague as to not spoil). Also, the third part was promised in 2014 and it still hasn't been released, which is disappointing although I know that life happens to authors as well as to their characters...I was just a bit disappointed. All-in-all, a good book that I would recommend...of course you must start with Caleo first...

[Andrew Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading book 1 I was greatly anticipating book 2 for the continuation of the story. Though the book picks up pretty much where book 1 left off, I unfortunately have to say I was disappointed with the story of book 2; which was book 1's greatest triumph.

This book, as is obvious by the title, centers around the character Jack from book 1. The story weaves in and out of Jack's memories of his family before the world went to hell. Jack spends the greater part of the book depressed and drifting off into his memories of what he had lost. Unfortunately in the end of book 1, the reader knows something he doesn't about his family and once he realizes the truth all of his moping and depression was for nothing.

Though I was not impressed with the story, I do have to applaud the author on the mechanics of the book. His first was littered with grammatical and technical errors making it difficult to read. With this one however, most of those issues were edited out.

For the sake of the story left from book 1, I may continue to read the Leech series, but it all depends on the synopsis.

[blub · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for self sacrifice and selfless acts. I loved Jack in this one (not that I didn't love him in the first one) but he just shined so much brighter in this book for me. I really loved that he never gave up on Caleo and in his grief he still managed to look out for his family. I was also glad to see that even in dire situations there was still humor and other emotions being displayed.

The only problem I had was how the story kept circling around the same area (geographical and other). Like the first book it made me question why the author chose to do it the way he did and also to wonder why the characters keep circling to areas they know they will be in danger. Usually in these types of situation a person will run to places their enemy wouldn't think to look for them.

The development in the storyline about what happening with the other states were interesting. I look forward to seeing whether Jack, Caleo, Mickey and Nolan manage to succeed in their mission.

[Damien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book two of the Leeches series, Jack, picks up where book one ends but switches to Jack.

Like a good story, book one leaves you hanging and wanting more. So, picking up with Jack, the story continues pulling us through the struggles of humans and leeches fighting for survival in a crazy world.

But, as the story evolves, the subplots become more complex. I also thought at one point, the faction's ideals, swapped, or the author forgot who was on which side. It could just be my brain, but it's confusing.

I do love how the character's sexualities are simply part of their life and story. No big deal is made about being gay or straight. You simply... are something. And that's okay. (Except of course, in the Leech world... where, oops! #Spoiler!)

I gave the book four stars because this storyline could also become a movie, easily, with some work. So if you can overlook errors in the text, you'll enjoy it very much. I look forward to reading book three, Nolan, when it comes out.

[Jaxon Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Jack. To me Jack is a very important character in the whole series. It builds off the first book "Caleo". Everyone has their own opinion, but I can't tell anyone how much I loved this book.
Leech as a series is suspenseful, well written, and always makes me (the reader) feel emotions. Unlike other books it doesn't even start slow. Which makes it more interesting with it grabbing you write from the start.
Words can not describe how this book made me feel. I didn't want to put it down. So many things were happening and you wanted to see how it ended just for something new to take place.
Yes it was a huge cliff hanger, but it is what makes the reader want MORE!! I'm in love with this series..

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW, Jack was such a good read! From the first page I was not able to put my Kindle down. There is so much action in this story you can not help but go through every emotion possible for the characters you have grown to love from the first book.

My head is spinning trying to take in everything I have read and OMG why another cliff hanger? Ok it says at the end of this book that book 3 is coming soon, but how soon? James Crawford, you have a wonderful imagination but can I have the next book now please!!
This is a wonder series that will have you in tears and will take you on one he'll of a emotional journey!
Highly recommended!!

[Sharon Lopez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack is the second book of the Leech series. I was impatiently waiting to read this book. I really fell for the Characters in Caleo book one. I anxiously turned pages of this waiting for the Jack/ Caleo moment. I wasn't disappointed when it didn't happen like I wanted it to because the way the author teases you throughout the chaos of the story (it's a war people!) is just in a word... skillful! The ending of this book leaves me again waiting for the next book to come. That is what a good solid series does, it leaves you wanting and waiting for more. This book, as well as the series, does this well. Job well done Mr. Crawford!