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Curve Day
Would you survive a day where killing was legal?
Do you know someone that for whatever reason you wouldn't be particularly bothered if they were no longer with us?
Welcome to Curve Day.
In the near future, desperate times call for desperate measures.
The Earth's population is now so out of control that the Government has enforced one day of the year where murder acts as a form of population control.
Sure, it wasn't always that easy to get people to accept this idea, and in truth there is still an element of resistance to it. As time ticks on though, with each passing Curve Day the American people gradually accept and adapt to the notion of citizen on citizen killing.
Our story takes us to the eve of the eleventh Curve Day following an eclectic bunch of individuals as they each prepare and execute the fight of their lives.
Characters include a German ex paratrooper, a French foreign exchange student, a homeless academic who suffered a midlife crisis, a woman who is a victim of spousal abuse, a female police officer and a marine who has lost faith in his Government.
Who will survive the annual slaughter?
Approx 63000 words in length
Do you know someone that for whatever reason you wouldn't be particularly bothered if they were no longer with us?
Welcome to Curve Day.
In the near future, desperate times call for desperate measures.
The Earth's population is now so out of control that the Government has enforced one day of the year where murder acts as a form of population control.
Sure, it wasn't always that easy to get people to accept this idea, and in truth there is still an element of resistance to it. As time ticks on though, with each passing Curve Day the American people gradually accept and adapt to the notion of citizen on citizen killing.
Our story takes us to the eve of the eleventh Curve Day following an eclectic bunch of individuals as they each prepare and execute the fight of their lives.
Characters include a German ex paratrooper, a French foreign exchange student, a homeless academic who suffered a midlife crisis, a woman who is a victim of spousal abuse, a female police officer and a marine who has lost faith in his Government.
Who will survive the annual slaughter?
Approx 63000 words in length
566 pages, Paperback
First published May 18, 2013
5 people are currently reading
1091 people want to read
About the author
L.R. Currell
15 books147 followersL.R. Currell is an Australian author who currently has around fifty works in progress. His writing spreads over a variety of genres including but not limited to crime fiction, historical fiction, dystopia, horror, paranormal, action, post apocalyptic, science fiction and fantasy. So far he has released six different pieces of work, a combined total of over 175 000 words in just over a year.
Currell served in the Australian Army for five years deploying twice during that time. He served in the Royal Australian Infantry Corps.
He enjoys street art, classic rock, good food, reading, film, krav maga and of course his main passion, writing. He is an avid traveler having spent time in more than 60 countries. He lived in Canada for three years where he worked as a bouncer. His favorite destination (so far) is the Galapagos Islands.
It is L.R's dream to one day see at least one of his books on the screen.
He currently lives in the Barossa Valley, South Australia where he is working on releasing more books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
September 11, 2013
Ugh, I hate having to give negative reviews.
Okay, I will start with the positives, because there definitely are some. First off, when I saw this book the premise seemed pretty interesting to me, and it turned out that it really was an interesting story. I definitely wanted to know what was going to happen to the characters during Curve Day, which is what kept me reading until the end.
Now, the negative. I just cannot overlook the myriad of errors. I am not talking a few here or there (which I certainly could have been able to overlook), but I am talking about constant errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation usage, and even messing up characters' names. There were a few times that I had to re-read a section because I did not understand why the character had randomly been switched, only to realize that it must have been some kind of error.
Another issue was that there was not a lot of character development. I kind of became indifferent to a few of them, because I felt like we knew nothing about them, nothing behind their motivations, so why should I even bother to care what happened to them?
My last gripe would have to be the abruptness of the ending. There was so much suspenseful buildup to the Curve Day events, and then when the time came, it felt very, very rushed, especially the last few pages.
Okay, I will start with the positives, because there definitely are some. First off, when I saw this book the premise seemed pretty interesting to me, and it turned out that it really was an interesting story. I definitely wanted to know what was going to happen to the characters during Curve Day, which is what kept me reading until the end.
Now, the negative. I just cannot overlook the myriad of errors. I am not talking a few here or there (which I certainly could have been able to overlook), but I am talking about constant errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation usage, and even messing up characters' names. There were a few times that I had to re-read a section because I did not understand why the character had randomly been switched, only to realize that it must have been some kind of error.
Another issue was that there was not a lot of character development. I kind of became indifferent to a few of them, because I felt like we knew nothing about them, nothing behind their motivations, so why should I even bother to care what happened to them?
My last gripe would have to be the abruptness of the ending. There was so much suspenseful buildup to the Curve Day events, and then when the time came, it felt very, very rushed, especially the last few pages.
June 12, 2013
I was offered a copy of this book in exchange for a review.
Let me just start by saying, WOW! FIRST of all, the premise of the book is unbelievable. It was definitely unlike any other book I had ever heard of. I was immediately curious and a little appalled. I read this book in literally a few hrs and that was even while pausing to eat and do other things so having finished it that fast I am certain that it was a good read.
I love how the author took time to get me invested in each character and to teach me about them and their lives. Once Curve day actually arrived I was so nervous and was wondering if they all would survive. I found myself picturing myself in this situation, where would I hide? Would I make it? Such a shocking thought that one a day year is set aside for legalized killings. I really liked Mike, I was soooooo upset at what happened to him. I really liked Mary and I liked how Mike's son, and old Mr. Wilkinson helped to save her. There was so much involved, I mean, people actually went out killing whoever like it was nothing and yet there was still humanity and caring in the book. This one was surely different than my regular reads but I REALLY liked it. I liked all of the thoughts and feelings it gave me.
I want to say more, it is just so hard to give away things and I think everyone should read this. (I am also a little in shock, admittedly.)
Thanks so much!
Let me just start by saying, WOW! FIRST of all, the premise of the book is unbelievable. It was definitely unlike any other book I had ever heard of. I was immediately curious and a little appalled. I read this book in literally a few hrs and that was even while pausing to eat and do other things so having finished it that fast I am certain that it was a good read.
I love how the author took time to get me invested in each character and to teach me about them and their lives. Once Curve day actually arrived I was so nervous and was wondering if they all would survive. I found myself picturing myself in this situation, where would I hide? Would I make it? Such a shocking thought that one a day year is set aside for legalized killings. I really liked Mike, I was soooooo upset at what happened to him. I really liked Mary and I liked how Mike's son, and old Mr. Wilkinson helped to save her. There was so much involved, I mean, people actually went out killing whoever like it was nothing and yet there was still humanity and caring in the book. This one was surely different than my regular reads but I REALLY liked it. I liked all of the thoughts and feelings it gave me.
I want to say more, it is just so hard to give away things and I think everyone should read this. (I am also a little in shock, admittedly.)
Thanks so much!
May 14, 2014
I received this book from the author around Christmas, but I didn't get to read it until now. I have mixed feelings about the book, although I enjoyed it, so I will go with a mix of good and bad.
This story can leave you thinking for a while. What if our government would actually go for something like that, would you survive? What would you do? Could you kill to defend yourself? (I bet some would have a field trip during that day, certainly not me.) So yes, when I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about all of this.
There are many different groups of people and individuals involved in the story. Mr. Currell presents them to us group by group starting a month before the dreaded day until 'the' day. The stories were meant for the readers to bind with the characters. It didn’t quite work for me. It didn’t help that the version I received didn't have the space separations between stories promised in the foreword. It got me lost many times.
That said, I still cringed for most of the characters during curve day and hoped they would make it out alive. In my opinion, maybe because I missed something somewhere, the story could have benefit without the huge army that protected a residential area we know nothing about (or do we?). Every time the story returned to that group, I felt like skipping the part.
Last, the ending seemed a bit rushed. No cliffhanger, yet I still tried to turn the page to see what was next only to realize that THIS was it.
I'd recommend the book for its originality alone. If you can get past a few glitches in the execution, you should enjoy this story.
A 3.5 star on GR, but a 4 on Amazon. This book was more than just OK, I enjoyed reading it.
This story can leave you thinking for a while. What if our government would actually go for something like that, would you survive? What would you do? Could you kill to defend yourself? (I bet some would have a field trip during that day, certainly not me.) So yes, when I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about all of this.
There are many different groups of people and individuals involved in the story. Mr. Currell presents them to us group by group starting a month before the dreaded day until 'the' day. The stories were meant for the readers to bind with the characters. It didn’t quite work for me. It didn’t help that the version I received didn't have the space separations between stories promised in the foreword. It got me lost many times.
That said, I still cringed for most of the characters during curve day and hoped they would make it out alive. In my opinion, maybe because I missed something somewhere, the story could have benefit without the huge army that protected a residential area we know nothing about (or do we?). Every time the story returned to that group, I felt like skipping the part.
Last, the ending seemed a bit rushed. No cliffhanger, yet I still tried to turn the page to see what was next only to realize that THIS was it.
I'd recommend the book for its originality alone. If you can get past a few glitches in the execution, you should enjoy this story.
A 3.5 star on GR, but a 4 on Amazon. This book was more than just OK, I enjoyed reading it.
December 2, 2013
This was a very good book.
It occurs in the future, where there are not many jobs, population overgrowth, death and disease as well as crime on the rise. and what the government has come up with is Curve Day. On this day, you are allowed to kill whoever you want with no penalties, no questions asked. Any other day you can of course kill someone but you pay a severe penalty. No one gets away with crimes like they used to. You sit no longer than 6 months, if that on death row. So the book starts off explaining this and the fact that Curve day has been working out, there has been, for example a decrease in population and less crime. If you have a beef with someone, why kill them and be punished for that crime and die? Why not wait until Curve Day. But watch you back if someone is mad at you on curve day. But this book starts at the preparations for the 10th Curve Day.
We learn first about each individual that will be affected by Curve Day later on in the book.
One Month before Curve Day a boy named Leonard and his uncles are preparing for Curve Day. They do not have a lot of money so they do what they can.
Mike Tasco is in the Military and he has to work (they get paid a handsome sum to work on Curve day) to protect the barrios. The barrio he has to protect is not bad. His son Chip is not fighting overseas this year so will be in charge of a crew protecting a different barrio.
Sebastian and his friend Bruno just want to be someplace safe with their girlfriends.
Then there is Mary the police officer and her sickly mother. Mary does not have to work Curve Day so she can stay home. Or can she?
And Mr. Wilkonson. You will just have to read about him he is too much of a character and to smart to give anything away here. He was one of my favorite characters.
And there is Carrie who's husband beats here. Will her brother be able to get his kill in, because he would like nothing better. Or will he get killed first?
Then we have Leonard Goldstein, who has created a company capitalizing on Curve Day. The past three years they have asked for tapes of the bloodiest and deadliest kills. A man or woman by the name Decimator 360 has won each year. They want this year to be brilliant and Leonard and his bodyguard Clive come up with a great idea to draw the viewers in.
The book in awesome form counts down 3 weeks until Curve day, and all the preparations each family is making, 2 weeks, 1 week, 1 day, the morning of, and throughout the day. It is so suspenseful it drives you crazy. The author goes back and forth between all of the major people involved.
The best thing is finding out who Decimator 360 is. At least it was for me.
This is a quick paced, cannot put it down book. I do not give spoilers away but there are twists and turns that you will hit your head and say "WOW! I did not see that coming". There are people you will root for, and against. And the end of the book my jaw was on the ground.
Get this book ASAP for a bit of a social commentary and just a great read action packed book!
It occurs in the future, where there are not many jobs, population overgrowth, death and disease as well as crime on the rise. and what the government has come up with is Curve Day. On this day, you are allowed to kill whoever you want with no penalties, no questions asked. Any other day you can of course kill someone but you pay a severe penalty. No one gets away with crimes like they used to. You sit no longer than 6 months, if that on death row. So the book starts off explaining this and the fact that Curve day has been working out, there has been, for example a decrease in population and less crime. If you have a beef with someone, why kill them and be punished for that crime and die? Why not wait until Curve Day. But watch you back if someone is mad at you on curve day. But this book starts at the preparations for the 10th Curve Day.
We learn first about each individual that will be affected by Curve Day later on in the book.
One Month before Curve Day a boy named Leonard and his uncles are preparing for Curve Day. They do not have a lot of money so they do what they can.
Mike Tasco is in the Military and he has to work (they get paid a handsome sum to work on Curve day) to protect the barrios. The barrio he has to protect is not bad. His son Chip is not fighting overseas this year so will be in charge of a crew protecting a different barrio.
Sebastian and his friend Bruno just want to be someplace safe with their girlfriends.
Then there is Mary the police officer and her sickly mother. Mary does not have to work Curve Day so she can stay home. Or can she?
And Mr. Wilkonson. You will just have to read about him he is too much of a character and to smart to give anything away here. He was one of my favorite characters.
And there is Carrie who's husband beats here. Will her brother be able to get his kill in, because he would like nothing better. Or will he get killed first?
Then we have Leonard Goldstein, who has created a company capitalizing on Curve Day. The past three years they have asked for tapes of the bloodiest and deadliest kills. A man or woman by the name Decimator 360 has won each year. They want this year to be brilliant and Leonard and his bodyguard Clive come up with a great idea to draw the viewers in.
The book in awesome form counts down 3 weeks until Curve day, and all the preparations each family is making, 2 weeks, 1 week, 1 day, the morning of, and throughout the day. It is so suspenseful it drives you crazy. The author goes back and forth between all of the major people involved.
The best thing is finding out who Decimator 360 is. At least it was for me.
This is a quick paced, cannot put it down book. I do not give spoilers away but there are twists and turns that you will hit your head and say "WOW! I did not see that coming". There are people you will root for, and against. And the end of the book my jaw was on the ground.
Get this book ASAP for a bit of a social commentary and just a great read action packed book!
June 22, 2013
The second novel from L.R Currell doesn't disappoint, very different to his debut. This story focuses on bigger scale story set in the future, in a time where population has spiralled out of control. The premise for the book is about controlling that increase and maintaining order for 364 days of the year an letting anything go for 1 day. The way that Currell draws you into each of the characters lives and their personal situation is expertly executed and I truly found myself worried for some and wishing others an unfortunate demise. Balancing a complicated topic which plays to people's morals, such as endorsed murder is not an easy task but this Indy author puts perspective and creates reasoning behind the premise, ultimately ensuring the ready accepts the concept of curve day. The book counts down toward the inevitable, painting a vivid picture of how different people approach a day of legalised killing, some prepare to defend and survive, others are on the offensive. All of the work that is put in during the first half of the book pays off, really enabling the reader to bond and understand the nuances of each character. Honestly cannot praise this novel enough, Stella read and well worth the money!
April 1, 2014
Makes you think.
I love the premise of this book - it's both fascinating and scary at the same time.
At first glance (or thought) one would think that a "Curve day" would go a long way to making our world a better place to live in. Think again.
Right in the beginning of the book, the author asks the question "Would you survive?" Of the bat, my answer was "Sure, why not? I've got nothing to fear."
As the story progressed, I was suddenly not so sure. The descriptions of how different people react to this unique day are very believable, and that's the rub. No matter what the circumstances, it will always bring out the best in some, and the worst in others. Irrespective of the camp you fall in, there is no guarantee you'll survive.
Maybe it's time to head for the hills before the next Curve day...
I love the premise of this book - it's both fascinating and scary at the same time.
At first glance (or thought) one would think that a "Curve day" would go a long way to making our world a better place to live in. Think again.
Right in the beginning of the book, the author asks the question "Would you survive?" Of the bat, my answer was "Sure, why not? I've got nothing to fear."
As the story progressed, I was suddenly not so sure. The descriptions of how different people react to this unique day are very believable, and that's the rub. No matter what the circumstances, it will always bring out the best in some, and the worst in others. Irrespective of the camp you fall in, there is no guarantee you'll survive.
Maybe it's time to head for the hills before the next Curve day...
June 28, 2013
This is a dystopian novel that depicts a future-earth grappling with population explosion. The United States mandates that one day every year, citizens would be free to kill legitimately those they wanted, with the hope that it would curb population effectively as well as crime on other days. The rest of the days, however, it was a crime, carrying a death penalty effective immediately.
We see different characters, in different parallel story-lines, preparing for Curve day - the day designated for lawful killing. The story starts one month prior to the day, culminating into the scene of the day itself, when their fates cross in the quest for survival.
This is a plot that can easily go awry. But it is written very well - the plot brings out the goodness in people as well as the vile, insensitive side of many people. It is interesting to see how the day has different implications for different people - how new social codes of conduct, new symbols, new means of communication arise in new situations.
Credit must be given adequately to the fact that nowhere does the work lapse into shallow sentimentality or melodrama - the author very efficiently shows the reader, rather than telling him/her. The dialogues are crisp and brisk, the situation well-navigated, the implications well-explored from the perspectives of various people.
There is a significant similarity between the author's style of writing and Orwell's prose. It is quite similar to 1984 in tone - the cold, non-judgmental tone of narration, the in-built satire, the dystopian vein and an efficient tying up of all threads.
There are only a few shortcomings of the work - the descriptions are long, though not tedious. Hence, though it is pleasant to read, there is a yearning to read faster, the plot not advancing as quickly as needed. Many scenes seem a bit stretched out in terms of detail - perhaps, it is better as a movie script than a book. This is a story that builds up excitement on account of its plot and good writing, but progresses slowly in order to describe everything.
The climax is an action scene - and an impressive one, though, again, quite long to sustain the tension built up so far. Perhaps all this book needs is a bit tighter editing. Otherwise, it is an absolute delight to read.
We see different characters, in different parallel story-lines, preparing for Curve day - the day designated for lawful killing. The story starts one month prior to the day, culminating into the scene of the day itself, when their fates cross in the quest for survival.
This is a plot that can easily go awry. But it is written very well - the plot brings out the goodness in people as well as the vile, insensitive side of many people. It is interesting to see how the day has different implications for different people - how new social codes of conduct, new symbols, new means of communication arise in new situations.
Credit must be given adequately to the fact that nowhere does the work lapse into shallow sentimentality or melodrama - the author very efficiently shows the reader, rather than telling him/her. The dialogues are crisp and brisk, the situation well-navigated, the implications well-explored from the perspectives of various people.
There is a significant similarity between the author's style of writing and Orwell's prose. It is quite similar to 1984 in tone - the cold, non-judgmental tone of narration, the in-built satire, the dystopian vein and an efficient tying up of all threads.
There are only a few shortcomings of the work - the descriptions are long, though not tedious. Hence, though it is pleasant to read, there is a yearning to read faster, the plot not advancing as quickly as needed. Many scenes seem a bit stretched out in terms of detail - perhaps, it is better as a movie script than a book. This is a story that builds up excitement on account of its plot and good writing, but progresses slowly in order to describe everything.
The climax is an action scene - and an impressive one, though, again, quite long to sustain the tension built up so far. Perhaps all this book needs is a bit tighter editing. Otherwise, it is an absolute delight to read.
July 29, 2016
L.R. Currell takes on a difficult challenge with this action horror book. He sets up a dystopia where the United States, land of owners and lovers of guns and other assorted arms and weapons, has reached such an out of control condition that it requires a draconian remedy called Curve Day. He then takes you into this world by following several different characters as they evolve towards and through Curve Day.
The perspective on the action changes frequently as a result, but to his credit, the author succeeds in keeping the interest up and the confusion down as the intrigues unfolds. The characters are also well thought out and developed and avoid being archetypes or stereotypes. They are and remain human throughout the book with their successes and their failings.
This approach results in a cinematic novel. Details and descriptions are provided to keep the plots moving at a good pace.
It is a challenge to achieve a satisfying climax on all the open fronts in this book but, once again, at least as far as I am concerned, the author delivers and leaves a lot of room for many more stories dealing with those who live the horror of Curve Day. I hope we will be getting these for L.R. in the future.
The perspective on the action changes frequently as a result, but to his credit, the author succeeds in keeping the interest up and the confusion down as the intrigues unfolds. The characters are also well thought out and developed and avoid being archetypes or stereotypes. They are and remain human throughout the book with their successes and their failings.
This approach results in a cinematic novel. Details and descriptions are provided to keep the plots moving at a good pace.
It is a challenge to achieve a satisfying climax on all the open fronts in this book but, once again, at least as far as I am concerned, the author delivers and leaves a lot of room for many more stories dealing with those who live the horror of Curve Day. I hope we will be getting these for L.R. in the future.
October 10, 2013
As soon as I read the description of what the book was about I had to read it! I was not disappointed! From beginning to finish this book held my attention and kept me turning the page to see what happened next.
I really liked that we were able to see several different character perspectives and a glimpse into their world. I enjoyed reading their different thoughts on Curve Day and their individual preparations.
Just when I thought I had a character figured out, or their future figured out, a twist was thrown in there and it was so exciting.
The book was well written and I felt that the character development was enough to get me to care about them and I often found myself hoping one way or another.
Without giving anything away...I really liked how the author developed the character Decimator360 and you will find out why when you read the book!!
I really liked that we were able to see several different character perspectives and a glimpse into their world. I enjoyed reading their different thoughts on Curve Day and their individual preparations.
Just when I thought I had a character figured out, or their future figured out, a twist was thrown in there and it was so exciting.
The book was well written and I felt that the character development was enough to get me to care about them and I often found myself hoping one way or another.
Without giving anything away...I really liked how the author developed the character Decimator360 and you will find out why when you read the book!!
May 31, 2014
Very interesting book,showing an idea that in reality could happen,with a mandated one day of the year where anyone could kill without consequences! This is done to keep the population down and help the economy shift so that there would be more jobs and less cost of everything. I really liked the way the author tells this story,as if happening today. It really makes you think,of what you would be capable of to protect yourself and family,when put into a situation that few of us ever have to deal with. I believe many people would surprise themselves of what you can do when it becomes a matter of life and death,especially when you know what day this will happen and have time to think and prepare. Thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author,I encourage others to read this,you will be surprised with the feelings you have as you read.
June 2, 2015
The Importance of Proof-Readers (This Author Doesn't Have One) A pretty good premise that is let down by bland characters, and a writing style that veers back and forth between sloppy and overwritten. Poor punctuation, spelling (what is 'man ouevres', author? Perhaps you meant maneuvers?), and syntax spoil what the writing itself didn't manage to. Clunky dialogue that seemed to be shoved in so the author could show off a clever remark (usually not that clever) ruin the flow to the point where it becomes an absolute chore to read.
December 27, 2013
I would recommend this book to everybody to read. It is surprisingly a breathtaking storyline and a good plot for a movie. This book will blow your mind away. What would you do on Curve Day to protect yourself?
July 6, 2020
The premise was interesting, but that's really all to say about it.
May 16, 2017
*I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*
The population of America is out of control and the government decide to do something radical. For one day each year, citizens will be legally permitted to murder anyone they want without fear of arrest. The book follows individual people during preparations for Curve Day and see how they survive during it. The homeless Vietnam vet, the battered wife, the military men, the off duty cop, the owner of an online kill video site out filming the carnage, a French student etc. Who will survive?
I liked the idea of this as soon as I read the blurb. It starts with a brief prologue about the history of Curve Day. Now I fear info dumps but this intro wasn't like that. It was fascinating. It gave me just the right amount of information about Curve Day to bring me up to speed on what was going to happen and it explained that even Curve Day has its own rules, which was a nice twist to the concept. The next section deals with preparing for the 11th Curve Day, introducing you to characters with fueds and grudges who are going to be in conflict with each other when the carnage starts. I found this to be surprisingly interesting. I again feared info dumps but instead I felt that it helped build the tension as the big day got closer. With the book following so many characters, in depth development was not going to happen but I don't think much more was really required in this type of novel.
The action on Curve Day itself I felt could have been a bit longer. I think another 50 or so pages were required to really flesh out what was happening to the characters. I did think that what happened to a few characters was a bit abrupt and I'd like to have seen more. (see examples in Spoiler section below). An epilogue as to what happened to the people when Curve Day was over might have been interesting unless that is being saved for a sequel.
***SLIGHT SPOILERS***
For example when Mary was trapped by the car, I'd have liked to have seen her having to repel a few attackers prior to Chip arriving. Following the Decimator and the camera crew to witness what happened when they took on the sniper. The wife beater hunting down his prey through the house before the conclusion of that story, or citizens in a big complex being chased through the corridors and apartments by a madman. Just a wee bit more!
I suspect that the author was probably just being wary of putting too much detail in and making the book too long. With his storytelling abilities, I think a bit more would have been fine. However what was there I did enjoy. I wasn't expecting a few things that happened which is always a nice surprise.
One thing that might put people off is that there were a lot of editorial errors, which I'm well used to when I read so many Indie authors. It doesn't bother me personally as I tend to look past that to the plot itself but it might bug others.
Overall though, an enjoyable read. I find myself thinking what I would do on Curve Day to protect myself, and I'm thinking that a plan may well be needed!
The population of America is out of control and the government decide to do something radical. For one day each year, citizens will be legally permitted to murder anyone they want without fear of arrest. The book follows individual people during preparations for Curve Day and see how they survive during it. The homeless Vietnam vet, the battered wife, the military men, the off duty cop, the owner of an online kill video site out filming the carnage, a French student etc. Who will survive?
I liked the idea of this as soon as I read the blurb. It starts with a brief prologue about the history of Curve Day. Now I fear info dumps but this intro wasn't like that. It was fascinating. It gave me just the right amount of information about Curve Day to bring me up to speed on what was going to happen and it explained that even Curve Day has its own rules, which was a nice twist to the concept. The next section deals with preparing for the 11th Curve Day, introducing you to characters with fueds and grudges who are going to be in conflict with each other when the carnage starts. I found this to be surprisingly interesting. I again feared info dumps but instead I felt that it helped build the tension as the big day got closer. With the book following so many characters, in depth development was not going to happen but I don't think much more was really required in this type of novel.
The action on Curve Day itself I felt could have been a bit longer. I think another 50 or so pages were required to really flesh out what was happening to the characters. I did think that what happened to a few characters was a bit abrupt and I'd like to have seen more. (see examples in Spoiler section below). An epilogue as to what happened to the people when Curve Day was over might have been interesting unless that is being saved for a sequel.
***SLIGHT SPOILERS***
For example when Mary was trapped by the car, I'd have liked to have seen her having to repel a few attackers prior to Chip arriving. Following the Decimator and the camera crew to witness what happened when they took on the sniper. The wife beater hunting down his prey through the house before the conclusion of that story, or citizens in a big complex being chased through the corridors and apartments by a madman. Just a wee bit more!
I suspect that the author was probably just being wary of putting too much detail in and making the book too long. With his storytelling abilities, I think a bit more would have been fine. However what was there I did enjoy. I wasn't expecting a few things that happened which is always a nice surprise.
One thing that might put people off is that there were a lot of editorial errors, which I'm well used to when I read so many Indie authors. It doesn't bother me personally as I tend to look past that to the plot itself but it might bug others.
Overall though, an enjoyable read. I find myself thinking what I would do on Curve Day to protect myself, and I'm thinking that a plan may well be needed!
February 4, 2014
Wow, I have to say this book actually blew my mind, and actually scares me a little bit let's hope that no one from our government reads It. The book starts out with giving us a little bit of history about curve day and why it came about, which basically was just plain old population control none of us understand that right? nothing that the United States knows anything about, since we keep opening all our borders and letting everybody in free of following immigration laws, we just need more folks,...ok never mind. But anyways we are introduced on the 10th year of curve day that now most people have been desensitized to, regardless if they were for it or against it you know how it is once it's here it's here. Basic synopsis of curve day you are allowed to kill anyone that you like, as many people as you like, for any reason that you like, from midnight to midnight on curve day. Ex-wife, ex-husband, or heck don't want to pay for divorce here is a way out. Don't like your boss why quit, somebody does you wrong, somebody disrespects you, somebody owes you money? They have areas for duels,that there are certain rules that have to be followed. Do you think you can just fly out of town go to another country, forget-a-bout-it, boy did airlines know how to cash in on this. They do have places that the children can go, yep military bases that they can be dropped off. Have a business? hope you can afford to hire the amount of security that you need to protect it! Just an amazing book that opens the mind of folks out there. That's what reading is for after all right? I know there were some problems with grammar, & editing. But I am so far from being perfect or even good on that either I will leave that too the grammar police. ( meant with love& smiles) the story did end kind of abruptly, would love to see curve day the following year, with survivors we met this year and how the actions or non, effected them through the yr, and now as they approach the next curve year.
October 5, 2013
The blood, gore, and unadulterated violence might be a put off for some people because Curve Day is full of it! Lucky for me, I love that stuff and this book has a great splattering of all kinds. The book starts a couple weeks away from curve day with preparations and slowly gets closer to the action until finally we are right in the thick of things.
When it comes to the writing style, there were a few things that bothered me a little, but not enough to stop me from turning page after page. The pacing was perfect with a nice suspense leading up to the day,. The formatting threw me off a little bit more than anything else, and that might just be a Kindle situation that needs to be addressed. While the book looks like it is over 500 pages, it is double spaced and could not be changed which made it seem a lot longer than it was (and I personally like things tighter), Another issue was that within a chapter it jumps to random scenes without so much as a dividing line or anything to know that you are now somewhere else.
A great concept for a book (and a movie released a month after the book called The Purge which has the same theme) and it was well executed. If you are looking for a book where you don't have to think, just sit back and enjoy the bloodbath, this is the book for you. While you won't think much in the thick of the action, it will leave you thinking about how you would react if Curve Day came to reality...
When it comes to the writing style, there were a few things that bothered me a little, but not enough to stop me from turning page after page. The pacing was perfect with a nice suspense leading up to the day,. The formatting threw me off a little bit more than anything else, and that might just be a Kindle situation that needs to be addressed. While the book looks like it is over 500 pages, it is double spaced and could not be changed which made it seem a lot longer than it was (and I personally like things tighter), Another issue was that within a chapter it jumps to random scenes without so much as a dividing line or anything to know that you are now somewhere else.
A great concept for a book (and a movie released a month after the book called The Purge which has the same theme) and it was well executed. If you are looking for a book where you don't have to think, just sit back and enjoy the bloodbath, this is the book for you. While you won't think much in the thick of the action, it will leave you thinking about how you would react if Curve Day came to reality...
October 12, 2013
Population control conspiracy theories, we’ve all heard of them, but what if it was no longer a theory. What if the world became so over populated, that one day (and one day only), the government allowed people to kill anyone they wish without repercussions. Welcome to Curve Day; a day you either seek out to kill others or fight for survival. The story is set in the United States and follows several different characters. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this story is the people trying to profit off of Curve Day. For example, one man has set up a website in which he employs the self-named Decimator360 to record his killing spree. This year, however, there is a film crew and voice over following Decimator. All the stories are woven together so beautifully and are both complex and simply – if that makes any sense. I’ve read reviews that stated the last half didn’t fully live up to the first; but I disagree. I believe it was filled with action and suspense. You were left wondering what was going to happen next and who would make it. There’s some twists and turns that keep you hanging on, and shock you when you find yourself not where you thought you were going to be. Overall a great story, and I give it four stars.
December 24, 2014
*free ebook copy from author in exchange for an honest review*
I thought the premise of Curve Day was quite intriguing. Unfortunately the story failed to live up to my expectations. Perhaps I was expecting too much.
The characters did not grab my attention. I felt no strong emotion towards any of them. I felt the author could have developed them more. Perhaps if he devoted more time to less main characters this could have been achieved.
I also found in many areas the author was quite repetitive. For instance he kept mentioning a character heading towards his objective. The word objective would appear multiple times in the same paragraph. I know the author was trying to be cryptic about what the character's goal was, but the overuse of a word or phrase detracted from the story to me.
There were also several times where the phrasing seemed off. Words were either added or dropped, causing some confusing as to what the author meant.
Overall it wasn't a bad first story. It just lacks a bit of a punch that would help distinguish it amongst the multitude of dystopian stories coming out.
I thought the premise of Curve Day was quite intriguing. Unfortunately the story failed to live up to my expectations. Perhaps I was expecting too much.
The characters did not grab my attention. I felt no strong emotion towards any of them. I felt the author could have developed them more. Perhaps if he devoted more time to less main characters this could have been achieved.
I also found in many areas the author was quite repetitive. For instance he kept mentioning a character heading towards his objective. The word objective would appear multiple times in the same paragraph. I know the author was trying to be cryptic about what the character's goal was, but the overuse of a word or phrase detracted from the story to me.
There were also several times where the phrasing seemed off. Words were either added or dropped, causing some confusing as to what the author meant.
Overall it wasn't a bad first story. It just lacks a bit of a punch that would help distinguish it amongst the multitude of dystopian stories coming out.
January 5, 2015
I marked this 2 stars, not because it wasn't well written. But because I chose to read a book about what would happen if there was one "allowable murder day" a year in the US as a form of population control, and then I didn't like reading about murder day. So...not exactly a fault with the author.
The book doesn't have a main character, but a bunch of different characters from all walks, a homeless old veteran, a French student, a man in charge of protecting a large controlled neighborhood, a cop with an ailing Mother. It starts from about a month until Curve day, and then counts down, showing everyone plots, plans and preparations. How to stay safe, how to defend, how to take advantage, and then it counts down.
I could totally see this being made into some sort of action movie, starring who-ever is replacing Auh-nold these days, just sort of a shoot 'em up, action, action, action type thing.
The book doesn't have a main character, but a bunch of different characters from all walks, a homeless old veteran, a French student, a man in charge of protecting a large controlled neighborhood, a cop with an ailing Mother. It starts from about a month until Curve day, and then counts down, showing everyone plots, plans and preparations. How to stay safe, how to defend, how to take advantage, and then it counts down.
I could totally see this being made into some sort of action movie, starring who-ever is replacing Auh-nold these days, just sort of a shoot 'em up, action, action, action type thing.
August 5, 2016
3.5 stars
Curve Day describes the lead-up to and the occasion of the one day during the year on which Americans are permitted to commit murder without consequence, ostensibly as a means of population control.
It is an interesting and promising premise, and for the most part, L. R. Currell does a good job and does tell a compelling tale.
That said, I couldn't escape the feeling that this novel should have been allowed to breathe a little more. As other reviewers have suggested, it would have benefited from a greater emphasis on character development and a drawing out of moments of tension. In that, Curve Day is one of those books that I wish had been longer and more expansive. Certainly the subject would have merited it.
Despite some stylistic quibbles, Curve Day is an enjoyable page turner.
Curve Day describes the lead-up to and the occasion of the one day during the year on which Americans are permitted to commit murder without consequence, ostensibly as a means of population control.
It is an interesting and promising premise, and for the most part, L. R. Currell does a good job and does tell a compelling tale.
That said, I couldn't escape the feeling that this novel should have been allowed to breathe a little more. As other reviewers have suggested, it would have benefited from a greater emphasis on character development and a drawing out of moments of tension. In that, Curve Day is one of those books that I wish had been longer and more expansive. Certainly the subject would have merited it.
Despite some stylistic quibbles, Curve Day is an enjoyable page turner.
October 4, 2013
Exciting Book. The concept is similar to that new movie "The Purge": the main premise is that murder is legal for one day only.
Human nature, good vs. evil, free-will... these are some of the themes running through out the novel. The author write with a crisp use of prose, and the book is well balanced in rhythm, dialogue, and description. I would have liked to have read more about the actual Curve day because it's such an interesting idea.
All in all, L.R. Currell has a very powerful imagination, and a fantastic grasp of the English language, and has produced an exciting and suspenseful book which reads like a movie. I'd recommend this one.
Human nature, good vs. evil, free-will... these are some of the themes running through out the novel. The author write with a crisp use of prose, and the book is well balanced in rhythm, dialogue, and description. I would have liked to have read more about the actual Curve day because it's such an interesting idea.
All in all, L.R. Currell has a very powerful imagination, and a fantastic grasp of the English language, and has produced an exciting and suspenseful book which reads like a movie. I'd recommend this one.
October 20, 2013
The concept of this book was a little disturbing to me, but as I continued to read, the author made you care about the characters and what would happen to them. I found myself hoping that most of the characters would survive Curve Day. I had a a hard time putting the book down. I constantly needed to know what was going to happen next. The author spun a great web, where some of the characters interacted in different ways. At the end, the author left me wanting to find out what had happened to the characters and their families after Curve Day. Overall, a great read.
December 7, 2013
Really wanted to read this one so I bought a copy and I have to say it was one of the best books that I read this year. I love the idea of one day that you may kill anyone that you want without anything happening to you. Really an enjoyable one to read. I ended up buying this authors other books due to enjoying this one so much.
November 18, 2014
So I've been wanting to see The Purge: Anarchy because the plot sounded awesome. I remembered rolling upon The Curve Day which in a sense has the same idea of a 12 hour purge where anything goes once a year. I enjoyed it but it felt kinda vanilla for me. Props though for coming up with the idea first!
July 3, 2013
I was offered a free copy of this book in exchange for a review.
An interesting story line that was well told. There were a few minor glitches but they did not stop the reading adventure.
I would recommend this book.
An interesting story line that was well told. There were a few minor glitches but they did not stop the reading adventure.
I would recommend this book.
June 13, 2014
I really enjoyed the book. Not only was the concept of a "Curve Day" intriguing to me, I was interested in the different stories of each of the characters preparing & participating. I also think the book might make a good movie.
January 2, 2014
The world population is increasing at a fantastic rate sand resources are diminishing. The US president introduces Curve Day, which is one day per year when anyone except children may be murdered with immunity. This was a free download from the author.
March 5, 2015
Interesting premise (near future, heavy overpopulation, one day per year it becomes legal for anyone to kill anyone else without penalty - as a method of population control), but the storytelling lacked something and the character development was completely lacking. I can't really recommend it.
March 23, 2016
Besides the poor editing, spelling , and punctuation errors, this book was to reminiscent of the movie, "The Purge". The characters were flat and I didn't really care what happened to any of them. I got bored after awhile and just wanted it to end. Nothing new here.
September 8, 2013
Wish the second half had matched up to the build up to Curve Day
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