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The Preston Six #1
Rise of the Six
ASIN B00T0HCQVU moved to the most recent edition here
Joey Foust has no idea he’s a wanted man and his parents aim to keep it that way. They raised him as a normal boy in a small American town, hoping he and his friends don’t discover what lies beyond. And for eighteen years, they succeed.
Joey and his friends, the Preston Six, were all born on the same day, but soon come to find they have much more in common than a simple birthdate. Details of their past are suspicious, and they are determined to figure out what their parents are hiding.
Small threads of new information are discovered, leading the Preston Six to venture in search for the truth. What they find pushes the boundaries of their beliefs. Now, they’re forced to leave behind everything to face an unknown adversary who’s been hunting for them since the day they were born.
They must rise as one, or fall to enemy hands
This book contains mild language and violence. It is approximately 90,000 words(350 pages).
Joey Foust has no idea he’s a wanted man and his parents aim to keep it that way. They raised him as a normal boy in a small American town, hoping he and his friends don’t discover what lies beyond. And for eighteen years, they succeed.
Joey and his friends, the Preston Six, were all born on the same day, but soon come to find they have much more in common than a simple birthdate. Details of their past are suspicious, and they are determined to figure out what their parents are hiding.
Small threads of new information are discovered, leading the Preston Six to venture in search for the truth. What they find pushes the boundaries of their beliefs. Now, they’re forced to leave behind everything to face an unknown adversary who’s been hunting for them since the day they were born.
They must rise as one, or fall to enemy hands
This book contains mild language and violence. It is approximately 90,000 words(350 pages).
370 pages, ebook
First published February 5, 2015
773 people are currently reading
1220 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
March 13, 2021
Rise of the Six
The Preston Six, Book 1
By: Matt Ryan
Narrated by: Jeff Hays
This young adult book is about six friends were all born on the same day. Their parents are all friends. Something happened that caused some of the six to lose one or both of their parents on a single night. No one will tell them. But on the night of their eighteenth birthdays, one of the boys gets a pair of guns and reminded to stay away from the woods.
Well, all the kids have some weapons. If you tell a curious kid to stay away from the woods, well, that is where they are going! That's when things get really crazy and literally out of this world!
I think young adults will enjoy this! Small spoiler, at one point there are zombies. Not on our world. But I am burnt out on zombies. The rest is good.
Jeff Hays can make any book better just by reading it. So if I had read this I probably wouldn't give it a high star rating but Jeff Has could make my grocery list sound exciting!
This is a fun story. Lots of imagination. The narrative made it pop!
The Preston Six, Book 1
By: Matt Ryan
Narrated by: Jeff Hays
This young adult book is about six friends were all born on the same day. Their parents are all friends. Something happened that caused some of the six to lose one or both of their parents on a single night. No one will tell them. But on the night of their eighteenth birthdays, one of the boys gets a pair of guns and reminded to stay away from the woods.
Well, all the kids have some weapons. If you tell a curious kid to stay away from the woods, well, that is where they are going! That's when things get really crazy and literally out of this world!
I think young adults will enjoy this! Small spoiler, at one point there are zombies. Not on our world. But I am burnt out on zombies. The rest is good.
Jeff Hays can make any book better just by reading it. So if I had read this I probably wouldn't give it a high star rating but Jeff Has could make my grocery list sound exciting!
This is a fun story. Lots of imagination. The narrative made it pop!
April 5, 2016
The only reason this book caught my attention was that the title and cover were such a blatant rip-off of Pittacus Lore’s I Am Number Four series. This would be a reasonable thing to do if they were well written themselves but they aren't exactly high class literature, however they did make a movie of the first so I guess this justifies it (in the author's mind). So after spotting it on Amazon, mentally berating the author for being a thief, I noticed the $1 price tag and decided if I was going to say something, I should at least know if it was any good…
…not so much. And to be fair and give full disclosure, I couldn’t get past the halfway point. But since I paid my dollar, I'm going to stand on my soapbox and let you know what I think.
It was just so…so…what’s the word I’m looking for? Right, I remember now…stupid. It was an incredibly stupid book. I’d almost like to have this as a group read so we could all make fun of it together. I have to tell you a bit about it:
You have six teenagers all born on the same day and their parents are all good friends. There is something going on but their parents won’t speak about it (I was good up to this point). Then they are warned about never going into the woods, so of course one of them does and gets chased out by a creature and a man. He is scared to death, so obviously he must go back and bring the others who were also warned about not going into the woods. The woods are now littered with the creatures and they are trying to kill the kids but obviously there is a magic rock in the forest which is actually some type of quantum computer that whisks them off to an alternate Earth…but this one is full of zombies (of course it is…no book is complete without zombies). The kids survive their encounter with the first group of zombies but learn they have to travel to New Vegas to find the next quantum rock to get them off this planet. The rock is located in one of the hotels. They have to be very quiet so they don’t alert the zombies to their presence. BUT LOOK…A MALL and everything is free!! So naturally they choose to go try on clothes and ultimately alert the zombies and then it’s another race for their lives.
It was shortly after this point that I decided I would rather watch reality TV than continue reading this garbage. If you decide you’d like to still give it a go, consider yourself warned.
…not so much. And to be fair and give full disclosure, I couldn’t get past the halfway point. But since I paid my dollar, I'm going to stand on my soapbox and let you know what I think.
It was just so…so…what’s the word I’m looking for? Right, I remember now…stupid. It was an incredibly stupid book. I’d almost like to have this as a group read so we could all make fun of it together. I have to tell you a bit about it:
You have six teenagers all born on the same day and their parents are all good friends. There is something going on but their parents won’t speak about it (I was good up to this point). Then they are warned about never going into the woods, so of course one of them does and gets chased out by a creature and a man. He is scared to death, so obviously he must go back and bring the others who were also warned about not going into the woods. The woods are now littered with the creatures and they are trying to kill the kids but obviously there is a magic rock in the forest which is actually some type of quantum computer that whisks them off to an alternate Earth…but this one is full of zombies (of course it is…no book is complete without zombies). The kids survive their encounter with the first group of zombies but learn they have to travel to New Vegas to find the next quantum rock to get them off this planet. The rock is located in one of the hotels. They have to be very quiet so they don’t alert the zombies to their presence. BUT LOOK…A MALL and everything is free!! So naturally they choose to go try on clothes and ultimately alert the zombies and then it’s another race for their lives.
It was shortly after this point that I decided I would rather watch reality TV than continue reading this garbage. If you decide you’d like to still give it a go, consider yourself warned.
February 6, 2015
This is Matt Ryan's debut novel. I couldn't put down. It has a little of everything and is well written.
Joey and his friends were all born on the same day. On that day many years ago, all but Joey lost a parent in a fire. Now that the group of friends start searching for answers to what happened on that fateful day, they learn that they are being hunted.
Jump in with Joey and his friends on a wild chase. Can they lean on each other for support? Can they trust this man Harris whom they've never met before? This is a series that will grab your attention and not let go.
Joey and his friends were all born on the same day. On that day many years ago, all but Joey lost a parent in a fire. Now that the group of friends start searching for answers to what happened on that fateful day, they learn that they are being hunted.
Jump in with Joey and his friends on a wild chase. Can they lean on each other for support? Can they trust this man Harris whom they've never met before? This is a series that will grab your attention and not let go.
July 27, 2015
This was a fun, action packed, suspenseful title with some interesting characters thrown into some strange worlds. As much as I enjoyed this title and was pulled along for the ride, I felt the characters and worlds could have used a bit more description. The dialogue and intense situations helped in creating the suspense but more development in the characters would give more dimension/emotion towards them. That said, it's still worth the read and I am interested in seeing where this series goes.
February 1, 2016
I can easily see the appeal of this series. It is YA, with the core-group of six, all being fresh 18-year-old high school seniors in the small town of Preston. They've grown up together and their parents all share a tragic, secret past. The truth is definitely out there, but the kids are left in the dark. That is, until the past catches up and they're thrust into unbelievable situations.
None of the following are spoilers since the book's pitch mentions 'action/adventure saga that features ...battles that spans different worlds,' ...zombies and high tech.'
So yes, there are zombies. They are the quick kind and they have the numbers to overrun those uninfected. The kids have help on their battle for survival in strange lands - let's call it the resistance. The resistance helps train and educate the kids to get them ready to equal the battlefield in which they were thrust.
There are plenty of characters, all with their own personalities an key characteristics. A love triangle emerges, and the awkwardness of teens definitely plays into the story.
The lead protagonist, Joey finds out the enemy would love to drain his blood (no vampires). He struggles with internal conflict and would rather give himself up to see his friends hurt.
The book ends on a cliffhanger as this is just the first installment of the Preston Six. That being said, I think you'll enjoy the action and conclusion to this installment.
If you do, the author, at least in the kindle version, offers readers a chance to get book 2 and 3 for free, if so inclined. It is a note at the end of the book and before a peak at book 2. I may take up that offer (very simple and costs nothing), but I'm not in a big rush. I haven't decided if this book is too YA for my continued attention.
Overall, it is a quick read.
None of the following are spoilers since the book's pitch mentions 'action/adventure saga that features ...battles that spans different worlds,' ...zombies and high tech.'
So yes, there are zombies. They are the quick kind and they have the numbers to overrun those uninfected. The kids have help on their battle for survival in strange lands - let's call it the resistance. The resistance helps train and educate the kids to get them ready to equal the battlefield in which they were thrust.
There are plenty of characters, all with their own personalities an key characteristics. A love triangle emerges, and the awkwardness of teens definitely plays into the story.
The lead protagonist, Joey finds out the enemy would love to drain his blood (no vampires). He struggles with internal conflict and would rather give himself up to see his friends hurt.
The book ends on a cliffhanger as this is just the first installment of the Preston Six. That being said, I think you'll enjoy the action and conclusion to this installment.
If you do, the author, at least in the kindle version, offers readers a chance to get book 2 and 3 for free, if so inclined. It is a note at the end of the book and before a peak at book 2. I may take up that offer (very simple and costs nothing), but I'm not in a big rush. I haven't decided if this book is too YA for my continued attention.
Overall, it is a quick read.
April 30, 2016
Great Read
Rise of the Six flows so smoothly and captured my interest so intensely that I didn't want to put it down. Lots of action and I like how it has a bit of sci-first built in. Kept me trying to guess what was going to happen next. The author did a great job of keeping me interested and wanting more!
Rise of the Six flows so smoothly and captured my interest so intensely that I didn't want to put it down. Lots of action and I like how it has a bit of sci-first built in. Kept me trying to guess what was going to happen next. The author did a great job of keeping me interested and wanting more!
February 2, 2016
Pushed myself to read.
Was able to rad about forty present, jumped to last chapter to find the ending. Love reading mystery/thrillers, but no zombies. Not for me.
Was able to rad about forty present, jumped to last chapter to find the ending. Love reading mystery/thrillers, but no zombies. Not for me.
April 10, 2017
Sometimes you just know if the first few paragraphs. Then you push through the first chapter and reconfirm that impression.
October 28, 2017
All born on the same day, Joey Foust and his five friends share more than the same birthday. Raised as a normal boy, in a normal town, Joey knows, though, that he is far from normal, and he’s determined to discover the secret that his parents have been keeping from him for nearly eighteen years. Finally, on the 18th birthday of the ‘Preston Six,’ he begins to see behind the veil that has been over his life from the beginning, when he finally enters the Watchers Wood and witnesses something that shouldn’t be possible. When he later takes his friends into the woods, they encounter Harris, a man who knows their history, and is part of a group that has been trying to protect them from Marcus, an evil genius who wants them, especially Joey, for what they represent, the key to immortality.
The Rise of the Six by Matt Ryan is the first book in an intriguing series that is an unusual combination of sci-fi, fantasy, and adventure. It follows Joey and his friends as they are transported across dimensions to other versions of Earth, in some where zombies have arisen and taken over, in each, fighting for their lives as they strive to stay one step ahead of Marcus and his minions.
You have to read this book carefully. The action moves swiftly, and things pop up, often with little explanation until much later. Ryan has woven a fantastic tale that makes your usual coming-of-age novel pale by comparison.
I give this one four stars, and look forward to the sequels.
The Rise of the Six by Matt Ryan is the first book in an intriguing series that is an unusual combination of sci-fi, fantasy, and adventure. It follows Joey and his friends as they are transported across dimensions to other versions of Earth, in some where zombies have arisen and taken over, in each, fighting for their lives as they strive to stay one step ahead of Marcus and his minions.
You have to read this book carefully. The action moves swiftly, and things pop up, often with little explanation until much later. Ryan has woven a fantastic tale that makes your usual coming-of-age novel pale by comparison.
I give this one four stars, and look forward to the sequels.
December 31, 2019
Will they ever find out the whole truth? The Preston six just want to know the truth about their parent's death but the remaining parents refuse to say anything. But only one gets drunk every year on their birthday and he lets the truth slip so this year on their 18th birthday they hope that they will finally learn the truth. But before they learn too much he is taken home. Joey knows that there is more to the story and he won't stop looking for the truth. He is the lucky one as he has both parents and he knows that the others are angry about that but he just hopes that he can get them the answers that they are looking for. He knows that he has told his father that he won't go into the woods but he needs to know why. Now he wishes that he listened. Will the others believe him when he tells that someone is after them? So they all go to the woods and that is when everything changes for them all, they finally meet Harris and what he tells them scares them all. Unfortunately, they get separated and they land upon a parallel world where their worst nightmares come true. Will they be able to make it back before they are killed or eaten alive? Can they stop the evil that wants them so bad especially Joey? A good read.
December 27, 2017
Let me say this is NOT a bad book; it's just not a great book either. It did leave me wanting to know what happens next with the Six and I will read the 2nd book. Thanks Matt Ryan for that cliff-hanger! :-)
The idea of the book has a lot of potential but it sorta lost steam after grabbing my attention at the start. The Six are teens who just celebrated their 18th birthdays. Reading the story, you think they are more like 15/16....judging from what I know of their backstories, I think they have been let very sheltered lives. Their actions seem very immature at times, but then they face an obstacle and you see their dedication/devotion to each other and it is an amazing transformation. I hope the 2nd book provides more insight to the Six and the other characters. I feel like I'm missing something by not knowing more about the characters. That being said, we are learning all the details of the story and the characters along with the Six; imagine how they must feel!
The book is a mixture of sci-fi and adventure, with zombies thrown it. I think it is a good debut book for the author and I hope he grows as his books progress.
The idea of the book has a lot of potential but it sorta lost steam after grabbing my attention at the start. The Six are teens who just celebrated their 18th birthdays. Reading the story, you think they are more like 15/16....judging from what I know of their backstories, I think they have been let very sheltered lives. Their actions seem very immature at times, but then they face an obstacle and you see their dedication/devotion to each other and it is an amazing transformation. I hope the 2nd book provides more insight to the Six and the other characters. I feel like I'm missing something by not knowing more about the characters. That being said, we are learning all the details of the story and the characters along with the Six; imagine how they must feel!
The book is a mixture of sci-fi and adventure, with zombies thrown it. I think it is a good debut book for the author and I hope he grows as his books progress.
June 29, 2024
This would be a great read for YA. It has a little of everything. 6 boys and girls graduate from high school and almost immediately become involved in a life and death series of events. Most of them would cause a death or two. It has the emotions and the playfulness of youth. It also shows the lack of maturity of such young people. It is hard for them to always be alert for danger and they sometimes put their lives in more danger. It shows the way they are maturing. They form very deep attachments to each other. The characters are very good. The story will grab you attention and keep you turning pages. The way the book ends makes you want to get book 2 and make sure things turn out much better for them. Sc Fi and sometimes hard to grasp all of what could be in our future.
December 5, 2020
Excellent beginning!
I didn’t have a clue that I was going to end up on several different versions of Earth with a group of teenage friends. Once Mr. Ryan got his story rolling it took off like a locomotive.
I love each (well, almost each) character he has brought into play. Joey, the main Main Character, is someone I would love to meet. Lucas, Hank, Poly, Julie, I feel I know them rather well...Samantha, not so much, yet. The deaths in obtaining their freedom from Simon, the confrontation with Max...I can’t wait to see what is to come.
I didn’t have a clue that I was going to end up on several different versions of Earth with a group of teenage friends. Once Mr. Ryan got his story rolling it took off like a locomotive.
I love each (well, almost each) character he has brought into play. Joey, the main Main Character, is someone I would love to meet. Lucas, Hank, Poly, Julie, I feel I know them rather well...Samantha, not so much, yet. The deaths in obtaining their freedom from Simon, the confrontation with Max...I can’t wait to see what is to come.
October 16, 2017
Coming into their destiny
A little slow in the beginning, but picked up enough to keep me reading. Six children all born on the same day and same year are going on an adventure that could cost them their lives. Harris comes from another parallel world to rescue them and to teach them how to use their hidden talents. It is nonstop adventure and I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
A little slow in the beginning, but picked up enough to keep me reading. Six children all born on the same day and same year are going on an adventure that could cost them their lives. Harris comes from another parallel world to rescue them and to teach them how to use their hidden talents. It is nonstop adventure and I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
October 28, 2017
Okay teen story
This is an okay book, it's not terrible but it's not great either. The story is interesting but it too often relies on the kids having unnatural abilities to solve the problems that arise. I wish the author had chosen different titles for the series as well as everyone I've talked to about the story immediately thinks of the Pittacus Lore series. Overall this could hold enough interest for a young teen but probably not much beyond the junior high set.
This is an okay book, it's not terrible but it's not great either. The story is interesting but it too often relies on the kids having unnatural abilities to solve the problems that arise. I wish the author had chosen different titles for the series as well as everyone I've talked to about the story immediately thinks of the Pittacus Lore series. Overall this could hold enough interest for a young teen but probably not much beyond the junior high set.
February 22, 2018
Delightfully Exciting!
The story starts out with six teenagers celebrating a shared birthday. The upcoming storyline is a little vague and I almost lost interest with the repetition experienced in the first 4 chapters. By the 5th chapter, the story rebounds and the excitement factor goes up 20 notches. I was hooked!
Anyone who loves time travel between dimensions will love this science fiction adventure!
The story starts out with six teenagers celebrating a shared birthday. The upcoming storyline is a little vague and I almost lost interest with the repetition experienced in the first 4 chapters. By the 5th chapter, the story rebounds and the excitement factor goes up 20 notches. I was hooked!
Anyone who loves time travel between dimensions will love this science fiction adventure!
March 24, 2020
Teen action adventure, sci-fi,
Six teens with the same birthday, having all grown up together, have just turned 18. Their families have always been close, but their origins and the deaths of some of the parents have always been a mystery.
The individual fighting skills that each of them possesses suddenly become very useful when a dark man and his murderous little minions suddenly appear.
Good adventure, interesting multi universe theme, and zombies, of course!
Six teens with the same birthday, having all grown up together, have just turned 18. Their families have always been close, but their origins and the deaths of some of the parents have always been a mystery.
The individual fighting skills that each of them possesses suddenly become very useful when a dark man and his murderous little minions suddenly appear.
Good adventure, interesting multi universe theme, and zombies, of course!
October 20, 2017
Great book!!!!
This story is so fascinating to me! I'm obsessed with anything supernatural or paranormal. The courage and dedication to each other is absolutely amazing, considering the world we live in today! I love this storyline and can't wait to read each and every book in this series! I can't wait to see who Joey ends up with, Samantha or poly!
This story is so fascinating to me! I'm obsessed with anything supernatural or paranormal. The courage and dedication to each other is absolutely amazing, considering the world we live in today! I love this storyline and can't wait to read each and every book in this series! I can't wait to see who Joey ends up with, Samantha or poly!
July 1, 2018
Great read. Kept me on the edge of my seat. Fast paced and exciting story . How did very special kid start an adventure that grave through worlds to save humanity. I can't wait to read the remaining like in the series!
Read this book as fast as you can! If you are a science fiction fan, this is the book for you!!!! 😂😂😂
Read this book as fast as you can! If you are a science fiction fan, this is the book for you!!!! 😂😂😂
November 8, 2019
Rise of the six worth your time to read. There was good character development, an interesting plot, and good action. The story moved quickly but was not predictable.
This was a very interesting story. It left me wanting to know what happened to the characters. I want to read more of the series.
This was a very interesting story. It left me wanting to know what happened to the characters. I want to read more of the series.
July 10, 2020
Great start to an interesting series!
This book hits the ground running pretty quickly. Kept the adrenaline pumping for most of the duration and of course left me wanting more. I was a little surprised by the zombies, but am curious to see what other worlds these teens might encounter. A great start to an intriguing storyline. :)
This book hits the ground running pretty quickly. Kept the adrenaline pumping for most of the duration and of course left me wanting more. I was a little surprised by the zombies, but am curious to see what other worlds these teens might encounter. A great start to an intriguing storyline. :)
June 2, 2017
Positives... A lot of action and scenes don't slow down. Makes for a quick read and keeps things interesting. I like the characters, they are all different and unique. Negatives... Way over the top and unbelievable. Too many miraculous "recoveries" and "saves".
June 9, 2017
Great story line
One of the best books I've read in a long time. The characters and story made me feel like I was part of the plot. It had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Looking forward to reading the other in books in the series.
One of the best books I've read in a long time. The characters and story made me feel like I was part of the plot. It had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Looking forward to reading the other in books in the series.
October 14, 2020
I really wanted to love this book, but found it dry...very dry. I finished it, but was not tempted to move on to the next book in the series. I think the concept was okay, it just wasn’t as interesting as I had hoped it to be.
September 11, 2022
Rise of the Preston Six
This was a fun book to read. Exciting enough to keep my attention, but not too scary. I love science fiction and this was great.
I want to know the whole back story now.
This was a fun book to read. Exciting enough to keep my attention, but not too scary. I love science fiction and this was great.
I want to know the whole back story now.
November 3, 2023
A great book
A book that will make you want to keep reading and forget about the world. This book kept me going for 2days and did not want to stop till it was done. Anyone that likes scifi books will enjoy this book.
A book that will make you want to keep reading and forget about the world. This book kept me going for 2days and did not want to stop till it was done. Anyone that likes scifi books will enjoy this book.
May 16, 2017
I don't know how I feel about this book. It was ok, I got bored a bit and still debating if I want to continue with these series.
June 14, 2017
A different kind of story
I really enjoyed this book. The characters are very interesting. The characters backstory and their families built to be very interesting.
I really enjoyed this book. The characters are very interesting. The characters backstory and their families built to be very interesting.
July 30, 2017
Good read
Well written makes you want to know what happens next. Has an easy flow to it and is thought provoking.
Well written makes you want to know what happens next. Has an easy flow to it and is thought provoking.
September 8, 2017
Interesting story. I like the back story and world(s) described. The characters could be a bit more fleshed out, but maybe that will come later in the series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews