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Spore
The dead are coming back.
Ten naked people walk from a cemetery into artist Sean Casey’s ten Spore People who used to be dead. One, Mindy, stays with Sean while trying to reclaim her life, but her ex would rather she return to her grave. Sean struggles to protect Mindy and other Spores while battling his recurring—and worsening—nightmares. Meanwhile, the media feeds a panicked frenzy that leads both the hopeful and hateful to Sean’s front door.
As the Spore fungus spreads, so does the fear. When mutilated children match Sean’s nightmares, he realizes his own worst terror may be closer than he thinks.
Ten naked people walk from a cemetery into artist Sean Casey’s ten Spore People who used to be dead. One, Mindy, stays with Sean while trying to reclaim her life, but her ex would rather she return to her grave. Sean struggles to protect Mindy and other Spores while battling his recurring—and worsening—nightmares. Meanwhile, the media feeds a panicked frenzy that leads both the hopeful and hateful to Sean’s front door.
As the Spore fungus spreads, so does the fear. When mutilated children match Sean’s nightmares, he realizes his own worst terror may be closer than he thinks.
301 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 2, 2015
3 people are currently reading
460 people want to read
About the author
Tamara Jones
11 books80 followers Tamara Jones is also known as Tambo Jones and Tamara Siler Jones.
Tamara started her academic career as a science geek, earned a degree in art, and, when she's not making quilts or herding cats, writes tense thrillers as Tamara Jones and the award-winning Dubric Byerly Mysteries series (Bantam Spectra), as Tamara Siler Jones. Despite the violent nature of her work, Tam's easygoing and friendly. Not sick or twisted at all. Honest.
Also see Tamara Siler Jones for Twitter link, blog link.
Tamara started her academic career as a science geek, earned a degree in art, and, when she's not making quilts or herding cats, writes tense thrillers as Tamara Jones and the award-winning Dubric Byerly Mysteries series (Bantam Spectra), as Tamara Siler Jones. Despite the violent nature of her work, Tam's easygoing and friendly. Not sick or twisted at all. Honest.
Also see Tamara Siler Jones for Twitter link, blog link.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
September 18, 2024
I stayed up waaaaay past my bedtime to finish this novel. Spore is a "zombie" novel that is certainly different. It's compelling and riveting. I wanted to see how it all ended. I think this is the only zombie book I've ever enjoyed.
Struggling comic artist, Sean Casey is an ordinary guy, living in a small town, in a small house with his long-time partner. Next thing he knows, ten naked and confused people are wondering around his back yard, including his Uncle Paul. Ten supposedly very dead and long buried people. One of those formerly-dead-people, Mindy, has an ex-husband who would rather she stayed dead, and is willing to pay a lot of money to arrange that. Then there are all those mutilated, dead children that are cropping up again... who eerily resemble Sean's recurring nightmares. Of course, once the media get wind of the zombie story, even more chaos ensures - usually on Sean's front step. Sean, and his partner Mare, try to figure out what caused the dead to rise from the cemetery behind his neighbour's Holiday Farm, and just generally, what is going on, all while trying to help Mindy get some semblance of life back and deal with her obnoxious ex-husband.
This isn't the usual zombie story with half-rotted corpses trying to eat the living. These spore people are real people (just confused and scared), they had lives and want to regain some sort of life again. I loved that all the characters in this novel were three dimensional. Even the bit-part characters had relevant roles, and weren't just scenery. Relationships and interactions (especially spore-Mindy, the sheriff Todd, Sean, his partner Mare and, his mysophobic mother) are well written. There is realistic character growth, which made me cheer for those characters. This is a novel that examines humanity - fear of the strange and unknown, kindness, the darker sides of humanity, grief, and a whole lot of other things. The narrative gets straight into the story, with no waffling or extraneous blather. I liked that the reaction of the characters to incredible events was at least credible, and the nature and origin story of the fungus raising the dead was at least vaguely realistic rather than supernatural.
There were a lot of things going on in this novel, but Jones manages to write in a manner which doesn't confuse the reader. However, I think the large scale, society-changing effect involving the spread of the resurrecting fungus is somewhat subsumed by the child-serial killer story line and the vicious ex-husband story line. On the other hand, it would have been a poorer novel without all those interwoven narratives. This compelling story has an original concept with great characterization and clean writing, making for an entertaining reading experience.
Struggling comic artist, Sean Casey is an ordinary guy, living in a small town, in a small house with his long-time partner. Next thing he knows, ten naked and confused people are wondering around his back yard, including his Uncle Paul. Ten supposedly very dead and long buried people. One of those formerly-dead-people, Mindy, has an ex-husband who would rather she stayed dead, and is willing to pay a lot of money to arrange that. Then there are all those mutilated, dead children that are cropping up again... who eerily resemble Sean's recurring nightmares. Of course, once the media get wind of the zombie story, even more chaos ensures - usually on Sean's front step. Sean, and his partner Mare, try to figure out what caused the dead to rise from the cemetery behind his neighbour's Holiday Farm, and just generally, what is going on, all while trying to help Mindy get some semblance of life back and deal with her obnoxious ex-husband.
This isn't the usual zombie story with half-rotted corpses trying to eat the living. These spore people are real people (just confused and scared), they had lives and want to regain some sort of life again. I loved that all the characters in this novel were three dimensional. Even the bit-part characters had relevant roles, and weren't just scenery. Relationships and interactions (especially spore-Mindy, the sheriff Todd, Sean, his partner Mare and, his mysophobic mother) are well written. There is realistic character growth, which made me cheer for those characters. This is a novel that examines humanity - fear of the strange and unknown, kindness, the darker sides of humanity, grief, and a whole lot of other things. The narrative gets straight into the story, with no waffling or extraneous blather. I liked that the reaction of the characters to incredible events was at least credible, and the nature and origin story of the fungus raising the dead was at least vaguely realistic rather than supernatural.
There were a lot of things going on in this novel, but Jones manages to write in a manner which doesn't confuse the reader. However, I think the large scale, society-changing effect involving the spread of the resurrecting fungus is somewhat subsumed by the child-serial killer story line and the vicious ex-husband story line. On the other hand, it would have been a poorer novel without all those interwoven narratives. This compelling story has an original concept with great characterization and clean writing, making for an entertaining reading experience.
October 22, 2015
I really got into this book from the very first page. Why? The main character. I have this thing about the sarcastic anti-hero and really don't think it can ever be overdone, as long as it's done well. That and the fact that there are ten naked people in his backyard. I mean, does that actually happen?
The story itself is really good - different - and I couldn't stop reading because I wanted to know what was going to happen next. There are a lot of amazing moments, and some memorable twists, in this book. The nightmares that Sean has are well written and freaky, especially when reality starts to look like those dreams.
I loved the way she expresses how people are feeling, the confusion, the fear. She does a good job getting into their heads and helping the reader to feel what her characters are feeling. I enjoyed how she wrote Sean, not just because he's sarcastic and not the one you would expect to be the hero, but because there are a lot of levels to him, and I liked how he took charge and protected these people, some that he didn't even know until this began.
I have to give her a standing ovation - She took zombies and made them fun for me again. She did it in a different way and made them enjoyable. I've grown so tired of the way that most authors depict them, and the fact that so many include them in their stories anymore, but she did a fantastic job. And I very much enjoyed the ending. I can't wait to read more from her.
The story itself is really good - different - and I couldn't stop reading because I wanted to know what was going to happen next. There are a lot of amazing moments, and some memorable twists, in this book. The nightmares that Sean has are well written and freaky, especially when reality starts to look like those dreams.
I loved the way she expresses how people are feeling, the confusion, the fear. She does a good job getting into their heads and helping the reader to feel what her characters are feeling. I enjoyed how she wrote Sean, not just because he's sarcastic and not the one you would expect to be the hero, but because there are a lot of levels to him, and I liked how he took charge and protected these people, some that he didn't even know until this began.
I have to give her a standing ovation - She took zombies and made them fun for me again. She did it in a different way and made them enjoyable. I've grown so tired of the way that most authors depict them, and the fact that so many include them in their stories anymore, but she did a fantastic job. And I very much enjoyed the ending. I can't wait to read more from her.
July 5, 2015
“Fear drives most people...Change. Uncertainty. When known rhythms suddenly shift, it knocks a lot of beliefs out of whack and makes people doubt their faith and beliefs. This is a very unusual time. A frightening time.”
Sean Casey is a struggling comic book artist with enough problems of his own including recurring nightmares from an abduction during his childhood and a germaphobe mother who hates his girlfriend. When naked people start coming out of the woods and onto his property, Sean can’t think of anything to do but help them. When the naked people turn out to be people who have all died, including his own Uncle, Sean still attempts to help any way he can. As the media storm gathers, stories of zombies, dangerous chemicals and possible miracles ensue and the fungus that has helped people come back to life is spreading, helping some and hurting others. Sean is trying to help one of the Spore people, Mindy, get back on her feet; but Sean’s nightmares about his childhood abduction worsen and the killer that kidnapped Sean all those years ago seems to have resurfaced.
I really liked that this is not a typical horror story and definitely not a normal zombie story. The dead are rising, yes, but the method behind the reanimation is discriminatory. The people reanimated by the spores are also not out for your brains, they are just confused and scared. Most of the horror comes from the living who wanted their dead to stay dead and their secrets to stay buried with them. I really liked the spores as a method of the reanimation, adding a science fiction aspect and a bit of a mystery. The addition of the kidnapper’s reappearance adds another dimension. The characters were all well done and I’m glad that the focus was only on a few as opposed to all of the reanimated characters. Sean’s mother Helene was great, although I had guessed one of her secrets a little early. Sean’s girlfriend Mare and Helene’s interactions were awesome. There were a variety of reactions to the Spore people showcased by each character; also the social media coverage was really interesting. Overall, a unique genre-bending horror/science-fiction/mystery read that displays all facets of human nature.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
Sean Casey is a struggling comic book artist with enough problems of his own including recurring nightmares from an abduction during his childhood and a germaphobe mother who hates his girlfriend. When naked people start coming out of the woods and onto his property, Sean can’t think of anything to do but help them. When the naked people turn out to be people who have all died, including his own Uncle, Sean still attempts to help any way he can. As the media storm gathers, stories of zombies, dangerous chemicals and possible miracles ensue and the fungus that has helped people come back to life is spreading, helping some and hurting others. Sean is trying to help one of the Spore people, Mindy, get back on her feet; but Sean’s nightmares about his childhood abduction worsen and the killer that kidnapped Sean all those years ago seems to have resurfaced.
I really liked that this is not a typical horror story and definitely not a normal zombie story. The dead are rising, yes, but the method behind the reanimation is discriminatory. The people reanimated by the spores are also not out for your brains, they are just confused and scared. Most of the horror comes from the living who wanted their dead to stay dead and their secrets to stay buried with them. I really liked the spores as a method of the reanimation, adding a science fiction aspect and a bit of a mystery. The addition of the kidnapper’s reappearance adds another dimension. The characters were all well done and I’m glad that the focus was only on a few as opposed to all of the reanimated characters. Sean’s mother Helene was great, although I had guessed one of her secrets a little early. Sean’s girlfriend Mare and Helene’s interactions were awesome. There were a variety of reactions to the Spore people showcased by each character; also the social media coverage was really interesting. Overall, a unique genre-bending horror/science-fiction/mystery read that displays all facets of human nature.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
August 9, 2015
When Geoff Brown, the publisher of Cohesion press raves about a new work of horror, one that he isn't even responsible for, I tend to pay attention. I'm so glad I did, the end result was getting to read Spore, the new novel by Tamara Jones, a new author for me, but one I hope to revisit soon.
Sean Casey is just an ordinary guy trying to get by as an artist for the Graphic novel Ghoulies. He and his longtime girlfriend, Mare, live in Pinell, Iowa right by the Hobson Holiday Farm. What comes out of the farm on a Sunday morning in July will change their lives forever.
Spore is one of those novels filled with extraordinary circumstances, but with completely believable reactions.
There is so much going on in this story. People long dead, living again. Children being abducted, tortured, and killed The twenty-year-old secret behind most of what is occurring, finally seeing the light of day.
The characters are so well conceived and brought to life brilliantly. Some you can love and want to become friends with, others are so sick you just want to kill them yourself. I particularly liked the fight scene between Mare and Sean's overbearing mother, Helene. Brilliant.
Spore is like a really good B-Movie filled with twists I never saw coming and an unforgettable ending.
Available now in both paperback and as an e-book from Samhaim Horror.
Highly recommended.
Sean Casey is just an ordinary guy trying to get by as an artist for the Graphic novel Ghoulies. He and his longtime girlfriend, Mare, live in Pinell, Iowa right by the Hobson Holiday Farm. What comes out of the farm on a Sunday morning in July will change their lives forever.
Spore is one of those novels filled with extraordinary circumstances, but with completely believable reactions.
There is so much going on in this story. People long dead, living again. Children being abducted, tortured, and killed The twenty-year-old secret behind most of what is occurring, finally seeing the light of day.
The characters are so well conceived and brought to life brilliantly. Some you can love and want to become friends with, others are so sick you just want to kill them yourself. I particularly liked the fight scene between Mare and Sean's overbearing mother, Helene. Brilliant.
Spore is like a really good B-Movie filled with twists I never saw coming and an unforgettable ending.
Available now in both paperback and as an e-book from Samhaim Horror.
Highly recommended.
April 3, 2015
Spore: "A primitive usually unicellular often environmentally resistant dormant or reproductive body produced by plants, fungi, and some microorganisms and capable of development into a new individual either directly or after fusion with another spore" (Merriam-Webster).
I included the Webster's dictionary definition to emphasize one very important point: Spore is not about zombies. In fact, if anything it is about the exact opposite. As a novel, Spore doesn't try to cash-in on current fiction trends. It isn't riding the coattails of the last great book as so many attempted with Harry Potter or The Hunger Games. Instead, Tamara Jones has presented us with a gripping and wonderfully singular novel. A not-zombie novel.
As we know, a book is only as good as its plot and its characters. I can honestly say that Spore earns the highest marks on both. We meet Sean Casey in quick order. He is a wonderfully sympathetic main character that you can't help but fall in love with. Sean is relatable and well-layered. We share in his triumphs and his defeats, and through him glimpse the darker side of human nature. Jones doesn't leave Sean Casey to drive the narrative alone however. She introduces us to two of my new favorite female characters. Mare, Sean's girlfriend is a loving, no nonsense young woman. I love that she doesn't shrink from conflict, or suffer from catastrophic indecision as so many female characters do. Instead, she is only too willing to meet adversity head on, aluminum baseball bat in hand. To contrast Mare, we are introduced to Mindy. Without a doubt, Mindy was my favorite character. She is wonderfully complex and provides the greatest range of character development from cover to cover. Through trials of life and death, Mindy becomes the standard bearer for the oppressed and mistreated, all the while proving that a person really can reforge their identity.
Spore’s plot is crisp, clean, and well-paced, sparing us from needless exposition. There is no run up either, as the intrigue starts right away. Perspective transitions often and seamlessly, providing each of Jones’ characters ample time in the humid Iowa sunshine. Jones also integrates some wonderful and very subtle elements to this book. Each chapter header contains bits and blurbs from social media mainstays such as Twitter and Facebook. These inclusions aren't simply cosmetic. Through these small social glimpses you are afforded a deeper, or in some cases a wider grasp of the plot as it unfolds. The premise, although decidedly complex, is not bogged down by the science at work behind the scenes. But that doesn't mean that the science is disregarded either. It comes into play when it matters most, and oh boy, will you have some revelations! Like so many good novels before it, you learn on the fly with Spore, and as soon as you think you have it figured out, Jones pulls the rug out from underneath you. Speaking honestly, I can say that Spore has some of the best hooks and twists I have seen in fiction, period. Yes, this is a lofty statement, but I stand behind it. I was fully invested in this book within 5 minutes, and struggled mightily to put it down.
I highly recommend this book. And by highly, I mean you should read it!
I included the Webster's dictionary definition to emphasize one very important point: Spore is not about zombies. In fact, if anything it is about the exact opposite. As a novel, Spore doesn't try to cash-in on current fiction trends. It isn't riding the coattails of the last great book as so many attempted with Harry Potter or The Hunger Games. Instead, Tamara Jones has presented us with a gripping and wonderfully singular novel. A not-zombie novel.
As we know, a book is only as good as its plot and its characters. I can honestly say that Spore earns the highest marks on both. We meet Sean Casey in quick order. He is a wonderfully sympathetic main character that you can't help but fall in love with. Sean is relatable and well-layered. We share in his triumphs and his defeats, and through him glimpse the darker side of human nature. Jones doesn't leave Sean Casey to drive the narrative alone however. She introduces us to two of my new favorite female characters. Mare, Sean's girlfriend is a loving, no nonsense young woman. I love that she doesn't shrink from conflict, or suffer from catastrophic indecision as so many female characters do. Instead, she is only too willing to meet adversity head on, aluminum baseball bat in hand. To contrast Mare, we are introduced to Mindy. Without a doubt, Mindy was my favorite character. She is wonderfully complex and provides the greatest range of character development from cover to cover. Through trials of life and death, Mindy becomes the standard bearer for the oppressed and mistreated, all the while proving that a person really can reforge their identity.
Spore’s plot is crisp, clean, and well-paced, sparing us from needless exposition. There is no run up either, as the intrigue starts right away. Perspective transitions often and seamlessly, providing each of Jones’ characters ample time in the humid Iowa sunshine. Jones also integrates some wonderful and very subtle elements to this book. Each chapter header contains bits and blurbs from social media mainstays such as Twitter and Facebook. These inclusions aren't simply cosmetic. Through these small social glimpses you are afforded a deeper, or in some cases a wider grasp of the plot as it unfolds. The premise, although decidedly complex, is not bogged down by the science at work behind the scenes. But that doesn't mean that the science is disregarded either. It comes into play when it matters most, and oh boy, will you have some revelations! Like so many good novels before it, you learn on the fly with Spore, and as soon as you think you have it figured out, Jones pulls the rug out from underneath you. Speaking honestly, I can say that Spore has some of the best hooks and twists I have seen in fiction, period. Yes, this is a lofty statement, but I stand behind it. I was fully invested in this book within 5 minutes, and struggled mightily to put it down.
I highly recommend this book. And by highly, I mean you should read it!
June 9, 2015
Spore really surprised me. There is sooooo much going on I wondered how in the heck Ms. Jones was going to bring it all together--and satisfyingly. Well, she damn well did. This book has it all, terror, mystery, great characters, murder, hints of sci fi and excitement. It's small town horror, but there's a huge scale here. When you read it, you'll see what I mean. And the "concept" is wonderful and you don't get all bogged down with scientific details. There's just enough to explain things satisfactorily. This one kinda reminds me of Body Snatchers, but with a totally new spin, almost a reverse. If you're looking for an original tale of terror, grab this one now.
May 27, 2015
A copy of Spore was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the author Tamara Jones in exchange for an honest review. This is said review. This book is published by Samhain Publishing.
I seem to be saying this a lot lately, but, I have seen the name Tamara Jones floating around but I never read her stuff before. I can only ask myself why the hell not. I will be rectifying that mistake by adding more of Mrs Jones to my ever growing “To Be Read” pile.
Sean Casey is an artist. He draws the pictures for a comic called Ghoulbane. On a normal day he takes a break from his sketching and goes to his back yard for a breather. One after another, ten random people appear out of nowhere and walk onto his property. They are all naked and confused.
It transpires these people are all dead and have been for varying amounts of time. Something has happened to the water by the local cemetery and they have all “Spored”. Brought back from the dead in perfect condition, better, in fact, than they were when they died.
Sean has to try and deal with this phenomenon the best way he can. He finds fame from television interviews he gave. He finds scorn when he allows Mindy, one of the Spore’s to move into his house until she can get settled and rebuild her “life”. He finds violence when Mindy’s ex tries to put her back underground. He finds constant torture from his nightmares about his troubled childhood. Old evils come to life again. Quite literally. Who will survive? The living or the dead?
Think zombie story. Now scrap that and think of a zombie story with a difference. Living, breathing zombies that are trying to earn their place back in society. Do they deserve it? Should they be scorned? This story raises a lot of questions about our society in general. What we believe in. What we have faith in. What, some you may consider to be insane, believe in. Interesting? It is when it’s told as masterfully as this.
Tamara Jones has created a story that turns most zombie / horror stories on their heads. It is a fascinating idea. It’s been done before where alien species have come to earth and tried to integrate into “our” society. What is it like though for someone to literally come back from the dead trying to catch up with technology? Trying to deal with friends and family who have died while they were dead? Trying to deal with living relatives that want nothing to do with them, believing it’s all just one big con? Mix this in with murder, growing disease, years old secrets and vicious, evil people and you have a story that is gripping from the first page right to the last.
Characters wise in this book? Brilliant. All of them. Our main character, Sean is just a normal guy trying to make a living to keep his head above water and keep his girlfriend Mare. They fit together so well. Sean’s mother? I just wanted to slap her at the beginning. By about three quarters of the way through I wanted to punch and kick her. The spore Mindy? I just wanted to cuddle her and tell her everything would be ok. Other smaller characters all have their own gifts to bring to the story. The policeman Todd who grows as the story grows into a man you would trust with your life and cheer to the end. Sean’s uncle Paul, also a spore is quite possibly one of the most hateful characters I have ever read but again, his role fits perfectly into the story.
I really do not want to tell you much more about the plot itself. I must admit I wondered what you could possibly do with this sort of scenario but, believe me, Tamara Jones does it perfectly. This book has thrills and spills. It has murder. It has zombies. It has intrigue. It has disgustingly harrowing scenes that at times made me feel sick to my stomach but they just added to the story and the level of hatred you will end up feeling for one of the characters.
Is it horror? This is my only negative. I didn’t find it that scary. But, and this is a big but, I mean scary in the jump out of your seat or hide behind a cushion type of scary. It is scary in so many other ways though. When you sit back and think about what is actually happening as the story progresses, your mind works overtime in trying to figure out how you would deal with things. Above all for me this is a very thrilling read.
To summarise: honestly? Just buy it when it comes out. You will love it. When I do my end of year list of favourite books, this will definitely be in it.
General rating:
★★★★★ Perfect story.
Horror rating:
★★★ Could have been a lot scarier for me.
I seem to be saying this a lot lately, but, I have seen the name Tamara Jones floating around but I never read her stuff before. I can only ask myself why the hell not. I will be rectifying that mistake by adding more of Mrs Jones to my ever growing “To Be Read” pile.
Sean Casey is an artist. He draws the pictures for a comic called Ghoulbane. On a normal day he takes a break from his sketching and goes to his back yard for a breather. One after another, ten random people appear out of nowhere and walk onto his property. They are all naked and confused.
It transpires these people are all dead and have been for varying amounts of time. Something has happened to the water by the local cemetery and they have all “Spored”. Brought back from the dead in perfect condition, better, in fact, than they were when they died.
Sean has to try and deal with this phenomenon the best way he can. He finds fame from television interviews he gave. He finds scorn when he allows Mindy, one of the Spore’s to move into his house until she can get settled and rebuild her “life”. He finds violence when Mindy’s ex tries to put her back underground. He finds constant torture from his nightmares about his troubled childhood. Old evils come to life again. Quite literally. Who will survive? The living or the dead?
Think zombie story. Now scrap that and think of a zombie story with a difference. Living, breathing zombies that are trying to earn their place back in society. Do they deserve it? Should they be scorned? This story raises a lot of questions about our society in general. What we believe in. What we have faith in. What, some you may consider to be insane, believe in. Interesting? It is when it’s told as masterfully as this.
Tamara Jones has created a story that turns most zombie / horror stories on their heads. It is a fascinating idea. It’s been done before where alien species have come to earth and tried to integrate into “our” society. What is it like though for someone to literally come back from the dead trying to catch up with technology? Trying to deal with friends and family who have died while they were dead? Trying to deal with living relatives that want nothing to do with them, believing it’s all just one big con? Mix this in with murder, growing disease, years old secrets and vicious, evil people and you have a story that is gripping from the first page right to the last.
Characters wise in this book? Brilliant. All of them. Our main character, Sean is just a normal guy trying to make a living to keep his head above water and keep his girlfriend Mare. They fit together so well. Sean’s mother? I just wanted to slap her at the beginning. By about three quarters of the way through I wanted to punch and kick her. The spore Mindy? I just wanted to cuddle her and tell her everything would be ok. Other smaller characters all have their own gifts to bring to the story. The policeman Todd who grows as the story grows into a man you would trust with your life and cheer to the end. Sean’s uncle Paul, also a spore is quite possibly one of the most hateful characters I have ever read but again, his role fits perfectly into the story.
I really do not want to tell you much more about the plot itself. I must admit I wondered what you could possibly do with this sort of scenario but, believe me, Tamara Jones does it perfectly. This book has thrills and spills. It has murder. It has zombies. It has intrigue. It has disgustingly harrowing scenes that at times made me feel sick to my stomach but they just added to the story and the level of hatred you will end up feeling for one of the characters.
Is it horror? This is my only negative. I didn’t find it that scary. But, and this is a big but, I mean scary in the jump out of your seat or hide behind a cushion type of scary. It is scary in so many other ways though. When you sit back and think about what is actually happening as the story progresses, your mind works overtime in trying to figure out how you would deal with things. Above all for me this is a very thrilling read.
To summarise: honestly? Just buy it when it comes out. You will love it. When I do my end of year list of favourite books, this will definitely be in it.
General rating:
★★★★★ Perfect story.
Horror rating:
★★★ Could have been a lot scarier for me.
May 27, 2015
I received an ARC of this eBook in exchange for an honest review. This is in no way reflected in my opinion of this novel.
Spore is a fast paced story that will have you glued to the pages. Some of the subject matter in Spore is very dark and disturbing so I can't say it was a fun read but it was a very good one. The characters were very believable and realistic. I couldn't wait to find out what was happening with Sean, Mare, and Mindy. Parts of this story made me feel both anger and sadness, and others made me laugh. This was my first book by Tamara Jones but it won't be my last, I can't wait to see what she does next! A solid 4 star read.
May 15, 2015
A rare five-star read.
Get. This. Book.
Even though the plot is what drives this to a large degree, for me the characters were the best part.
I believed them. I felt like I knew them. And I HAD to find out what happened to them.
I read the last third of the book in one sitting. Could not put it down.
Read it. You need to.
Get. This. Book.
Even though the plot is what drives this to a large degree, for me the characters were the best part.
I believed them. I felt like I knew them. And I HAD to find out what happened to them.
I read the last third of the book in one sitting. Could not put it down.
Read it. You need to.
October 18, 2015
Tamara Jones’ ambitious novel Spore has a great not-a-zombie premise. Horror comic artist Sean Casey wakes up to find ten naked people wandering in his back yard. They are disoriented and are not aware they died years ago. They look and act just like when they were originally alive. Sean become sort of a reluctant hero to some of them as they and the world find out what is happening.
There are many layers to this novel. It is not a spoiler, since the title sort hints at it, to say that a fungal outbreak is responsible which inspires the naming of this people “spores”. Where it comes from and what else happens though will remain a mystery until you have read the novel. The author has packed a lot of ideas and sub-plots in her novel. Yet most of it centers on Sean Casey who is troubled himself due to a childhood kidnapping that not only never been solved but seem to be related to a new outbreak of child murders and to his dreams that features mutilated children. Sean is the moral center of the novel, often seeming to be the only one who cares about the spores while other consequences of whatever is infesting the waters is becoming evident.
It’s a really interesting plot nicely weaved together by the author. Jones has a skill with this type of quiet horror novel that also brings up social concerns. There is a nice touch where a reporter calls the newly revived people,”Fungaloids”. Sean bristles at this, saying they should be called spores, and chiding the reporter for using a thinly disguised insult related to other demeaning words. It is touches like that that brought the novel to Earth for me. At other times, Sean becomes so involved with the spores, it endangers the person he loved and also blinds him to more devastating aspects of the outbreak.
There is a lot to think about in Spore, perhaps too much. The downside of this novel is Jones, despite her skilled ability to bring many things together, is trying to do too much. It starts out as a science-fiction based horror tale. Then it morphs into a mystery involving child murders. There is also a sub-plot about a spore person who husband is terrorizing her. There is so much that when the global stakes become higher, that global crisis is almost an afterthought. The author does bring it together at the end yet the various sub-plots slows down the basic idea that, for me, in the appearance of the spores and how it affects a troubled man.
Yet when all is said and done, Spore is an effective horror thriller bordering on science fiction rather than the supernatural. It is one of those novels that will entertain most people although it should be cautioned that there are some mentions of child abuse and mutilation that may be hard for some people to handle. All in all, despite what I would call an overcrowding of plot, it is well worth reading.
There are many layers to this novel. It is not a spoiler, since the title sort hints at it, to say that a fungal outbreak is responsible which inspires the naming of this people “spores”. Where it comes from and what else happens though will remain a mystery until you have read the novel. The author has packed a lot of ideas and sub-plots in her novel. Yet most of it centers on Sean Casey who is troubled himself due to a childhood kidnapping that not only never been solved but seem to be related to a new outbreak of child murders and to his dreams that features mutilated children. Sean is the moral center of the novel, often seeming to be the only one who cares about the spores while other consequences of whatever is infesting the waters is becoming evident.
It’s a really interesting plot nicely weaved together by the author. Jones has a skill with this type of quiet horror novel that also brings up social concerns. There is a nice touch where a reporter calls the newly revived people,”Fungaloids”. Sean bristles at this, saying they should be called spores, and chiding the reporter for using a thinly disguised insult related to other demeaning words. It is touches like that that brought the novel to Earth for me. At other times, Sean becomes so involved with the spores, it endangers the person he loved and also blinds him to more devastating aspects of the outbreak.
There is a lot to think about in Spore, perhaps too much. The downside of this novel is Jones, despite her skilled ability to bring many things together, is trying to do too much. It starts out as a science-fiction based horror tale. Then it morphs into a mystery involving child murders. There is also a sub-plot about a spore person who husband is terrorizing her. There is so much that when the global stakes become higher, that global crisis is almost an afterthought. The author does bring it together at the end yet the various sub-plots slows down the basic idea that, for me, in the appearance of the spores and how it affects a troubled man.
Yet when all is said and done, Spore is an effective horror thriller bordering on science fiction rather than the supernatural. It is one of those novels that will entertain most people although it should be cautioned that there are some mentions of child abuse and mutilation that may be hard for some people to handle. All in all, despite what I would call an overcrowding of plot, it is well worth reading.
May 28, 2015
First, I have an autographed, prerelease copy of Spore shipped directly to me from Tambo, one of my previous Facebook profile pics is used in a couple of the chapter header graphics, I was in on the beta reading for this novel and, prior to that I was (and still am) a huge fan of her Dubric Byerly mystery/fantasy novels before becoming friends with her via FB. So!! (lol) I might be a bit biased, but given the quality of her work here, with Dubric, and with some of her unpublished works (you'd better hope a publisher feels the same or you'll miss out on some awesome stories), I tend to think it's just simple recognition of talent instead of any particular fanboi-ism/bias.
Spore, in it's simplest form, is, well...there is no simple form. Like all of her other work, Tam writes what she feels is a good story without adhering to or even acknowledging genre boundaries. As her Dubric novels are often reduced down to "CSI meets Terry Brooks", you're only grazing the surface in order to catch the attention of the least common denominator. Her characters are permutations of everyday life, rendered in easily accessible and completely human squabbles, foibles and something that you can't measure without cracking open the spine of one of her books.
If you enjoy a good story, read this book. If you want to be introduced to an author that you will most likely come to love, read this book. If you have a shelf called "Mystery/Drama/Comedy/Revenge/Rebirth/Not-Zombies/Sorta-but-not-really-Horror/Love-Stories" then you really, really, really need to read this book.
Spore, in it's simplest form, is, well...there is no simple form. Like all of her other work, Tam writes what she feels is a good story without adhering to or even acknowledging genre boundaries. As her Dubric novels are often reduced down to "CSI meets Terry Brooks", you're only grazing the surface in order to catch the attention of the least common denominator. Her characters are permutations of everyday life, rendered in easily accessible and completely human squabbles, foibles and something that you can't measure without cracking open the spine of one of her books.
If you enjoy a good story, read this book. If you want to be introduced to an author that you will most likely come to love, read this book. If you have a shelf called "Mystery/Drama/Comedy/Revenge/Rebirth/Not-Zombies/Sorta-but-not-really-Horror/Love-Stories" then you really, really, really need to read this book.
December 26, 2015
Riveting! Different! Unique! Thrilling! Edgy! Terrifying!
If you want a book that you literally have trouble putting down and will keep you on the edge of your seat, this is the book for you! With characters that draw you in and rip at your heart strings! I was entranced from beginning to the end! I cannot wait to read more books by this very talented author! I am officially a huge fan!!
If you want a book that you literally have trouble putting down and will keep you on the edge of your seat, this is the book for you! With characters that draw you in and rip at your heart strings! I was entranced from beginning to the end! I cannot wait to read more books by this very talented author! I am officially a huge fan!!
February 22, 2016
Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/mini-rev...
The dead return, but with a twist. From the synopsis I thought I would like it but not love it, but I did love it! There’s so much going on and Tamara Jones is an excellent storyteller, and manages to combine multiple storylines into an amazing tale.
The dead return, but with a twist. From the synopsis I thought I would like it but not love it, but I did love it! There’s so much going on and Tamara Jones is an excellent storyteller, and manages to combine multiple storylines into an amazing tale.
May 6, 2017
As wonderful this time as it was the first! Love the new cover.
May 28, 2017
I really liked this book. It was like a cross between "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" mixed with a bit of "Pet Cemetary" and then toss in a bit of mystery. The characters were believable as well, talking like you or me. Would definitely recommend this if you're in the mood for a thrill!
March 20, 2016
I'll confess that I was somewhat nervous to read Spore. When I first connected with Tamara, she was getting ready to head to Horror Hound Weekend in Cincinnati. I am not a fan of anything horror related. I get freaked out by the tornado in The Wizard of Oz, I wasn't sure how I was going to deal with people rising from the dead in a book set only a couple of hours from where I live.
I was pleasantly surprised by Spore. It falls more into the mystery and suspense category as the rising dead in the novel aren't anything like zombies. The plot moved along quite quickly and I felt engaged through the entire book. The book's location offered an element of familiarity that made it easier for me to settle into the story.
Jones puts a unique twist on the those individuals that rise from the dead in Spore. All I can say is that they are not brain-eating zombies and most probably don't pose a threat to the general population. As the novel progresses, Jones raises some excellent discussion points about what it means to be human, what it means do be alive and when do our civil liberties start and end. What does the pursuit of happiness mean? These questions do not overtake the main plot of Spore, but as the story moves forward, and the characters started to question the ins and outs of the Rising, I started to wonder about these questions along with them. They would be good discussions points for a book club.
There were just a couple of technical points within the book I struggled with and one of them, most readers probably wouldn't pick up on.
Night Photography: Early on in the book, Sean and Mare venture to the location where the dead are rising to snap some photographs. It's night and it's starting to rain. It is very difficult, in my experience, to take handheld photos at night. They did have a flashlight, but I have doubts the photos would have been successful because of the low light situation and the overly powerful light most flashlights emit.
I don't read many mysteries and I've always struggled when reading mysteries with how the story is paced and how the reveal happens. I felt that Sean's experiences as child that were connected to the rising dead were paced oddly. I wanted to feel more connection with Sean as he started his investigations, but his denial of his past experiences seemed to hinder the reveal.
I did enjoy Spore. I would consider it a bit out of my normal range of the type of books I tend to read, but I have found it is good to stretch outside your comfort zone as a reader. The questions Jones raises about what it means to be human and where our civil liberties start and end are questions many are asking and others are challenging us to answer. By stopping to listen, as many of the main characters do in the book, an understanding is gained and the world becomes a little better because of it. Spore receives a thumbs up for challenging me as a reader and for challenging me to look at the world a different way.
I received this book for free in exchange for a honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
This review was originally posted on Second Run Reviews.
I was pleasantly surprised by Spore. It falls more into the mystery and suspense category as the rising dead in the novel aren't anything like zombies. The plot moved along quite quickly and I felt engaged through the entire book. The book's location offered an element of familiarity that made it easier for me to settle into the story.
Jones puts a unique twist on the those individuals that rise from the dead in Spore. All I can say is that they are not brain-eating zombies and most probably don't pose a threat to the general population. As the novel progresses, Jones raises some excellent discussion points about what it means to be human, what it means do be alive and when do our civil liberties start and end. What does the pursuit of happiness mean? These questions do not overtake the main plot of Spore, but as the story moves forward, and the characters started to question the ins and outs of the Rising, I started to wonder about these questions along with them. They would be good discussions points for a book club.
There were just a couple of technical points within the book I struggled with and one of them, most readers probably wouldn't pick up on.
Night Photography: Early on in the book, Sean and Mare venture to the location where the dead are rising to snap some photographs. It's night and it's starting to rain. It is very difficult, in my experience, to take handheld photos at night. They did have a flashlight, but I have doubts the photos would have been successful because of the low light situation and the overly powerful light most flashlights emit.
I don't read many mysteries and I've always struggled when reading mysteries with how the story is paced and how the reveal happens. I felt that Sean's experiences as child that were connected to the rising dead were paced oddly. I wanted to feel more connection with Sean as he started his investigations, but his denial of his past experiences seemed to hinder the reveal.
I did enjoy Spore. I would consider it a bit out of my normal range of the type of books I tend to read, but I have found it is good to stretch outside your comfort zone as a reader. The questions Jones raises about what it means to be human and where our civil liberties start and end are questions many are asking and others are challenging us to answer. By stopping to listen, as many of the main characters do in the book, an understanding is gained and the world becomes a little better because of it. Spore receives a thumbs up for challenging me as a reader and for challenging me to look at the world a different way.
I received this book for free in exchange for a honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
This review was originally posted on Second Run Reviews.
April 7, 2015
Courtesy of Horror Novel Reviews:
I picked up SPORE pre-release at Horror Hound Cincinnati where I got the pleasure of meeting Tamara Jones and having her sign my copy. It was a much different book than I generally read, and to be honest, I wasn’t sure if I would like it. Samhain however has very rarely let me down, so if this novel was good enough for Don D’Auria, it’s probably going to be pretty good.
The concept isn’t one that’s seen in novels all that much. It involves people returning from the dead, but unlike your typical zombie-fare, these folks all look normal, have all their senses. The only thing that comes even close to the concept that I’ve read is Handling the Undead by John Ajvide Lindqvist. The exception here is that the only thing missing is the time gap from when they died, to when they “woke up” naked in Sean Casey’s back yard, rather than being a typical “undead”.
With the time gap comes a new world for a lot of people. For instance, the houses they once lived in are now owned by other people, cars are different, people in charge a different. It’s a wholly different life for a lot of people, and this is explored some, but not enough to detract from the main part of the story.
The main part revolves around Sean, his girlfriend Mare, and her friend, the newly resurrected Mindy. While there is much more going on in the world than the scope of this book, you really get drawn into the plots surrounding Sean and company. Each character has their own quirks and reactions of what’s happening, but you’ll most likely find yourself more empathetic to the character of Mindy. As the story progresses you really start wondering what her new life is going to be like, or even if there is going to be a new life. Like, does this new lease on life expire or not? Are they going to drop dead….again?
Another great aspect of this book is the little social media quips at the top of each chapter. In one little snapshot you get a really good feel for the effect of social media on the news. You get to see in little doses how quickly lies and misinformation spreads. Kind of a neat little social media experiment really.
Both of these instances are also kind of the downfall of the book too. Through social media you get this vision of the world, but you never really know anything else. You get this limited scope of the world, and it tries to mix science-fiction and horror, with quite a bit of intense personal drama, but you never really find out the “why” or see how much of this impacts other parts of the country. For that reason I find the book lacking quite a bit of resolution. Sure, the main characters all have their issues resolved for good or for bad, but because you get just a little glimpse of the much wider picture, you kind of want to know more thus closing the book a bit un-satisfied because absolutely nothing outside of the little town of Pinell.
The Bottom Line: The book is good for what it does. It pulls on the heart strings and gets you really asking the question about “what if” people did come back from the dead, and were, for the most part, normal. It feels like a great “first book” in a series setting up the Spores and getting peoples knee jerk reactions. With each continuing book pulling the camera lens back ala Scott Sigler’s Infected series until we get the full picture. I can’t say it’s a definite buy, but I don’t think you’ll be wholly disappointed either.
I picked up SPORE pre-release at Horror Hound Cincinnati where I got the pleasure of meeting Tamara Jones and having her sign my copy. It was a much different book than I generally read, and to be honest, I wasn’t sure if I would like it. Samhain however has very rarely let me down, so if this novel was good enough for Don D’Auria, it’s probably going to be pretty good.
The concept isn’t one that’s seen in novels all that much. It involves people returning from the dead, but unlike your typical zombie-fare, these folks all look normal, have all their senses. The only thing that comes even close to the concept that I’ve read is Handling the Undead by John Ajvide Lindqvist. The exception here is that the only thing missing is the time gap from when they died, to when they “woke up” naked in Sean Casey’s back yard, rather than being a typical “undead”.
With the time gap comes a new world for a lot of people. For instance, the houses they once lived in are now owned by other people, cars are different, people in charge a different. It’s a wholly different life for a lot of people, and this is explored some, but not enough to detract from the main part of the story.
The main part revolves around Sean, his girlfriend Mare, and her friend, the newly resurrected Mindy. While there is much more going on in the world than the scope of this book, you really get drawn into the plots surrounding Sean and company. Each character has their own quirks and reactions of what’s happening, but you’ll most likely find yourself more empathetic to the character of Mindy. As the story progresses you really start wondering what her new life is going to be like, or even if there is going to be a new life. Like, does this new lease on life expire or not? Are they going to drop dead….again?
Another great aspect of this book is the little social media quips at the top of each chapter. In one little snapshot you get a really good feel for the effect of social media on the news. You get to see in little doses how quickly lies and misinformation spreads. Kind of a neat little social media experiment really.
Both of these instances are also kind of the downfall of the book too. Through social media you get this vision of the world, but you never really know anything else. You get this limited scope of the world, and it tries to mix science-fiction and horror, with quite a bit of intense personal drama, but you never really find out the “why” or see how much of this impacts other parts of the country. For that reason I find the book lacking quite a bit of resolution. Sure, the main characters all have their issues resolved for good or for bad, but because you get just a little glimpse of the much wider picture, you kind of want to know more thus closing the book a bit un-satisfied because absolutely nothing outside of the little town of Pinell.
The Bottom Line: The book is good for what it does. It pulls on the heart strings and gets you really asking the question about “what if” people did come back from the dead, and were, for the most part, normal. It feels like a great “first book” in a series setting up the Spores and getting peoples knee jerk reactions. With each continuing book pulling the camera lens back ala Scott Sigler’s Infected series until we get the full picture. I can’t say it’s a definite buy, but I don’t think you’ll be wholly disappointed either.
March 14, 2016
(This is the place where I tell you that I was my privilege a beta reader for this book, gosh, a year or more ago...Not sure why Tambo let me read it but I am glad she did. So I'm biased. But I really think this book deserves the rating I gave it.)
(Okay, a second disclaimer. I am rarely a horror reader or viewer because I will often find myself yelling "Get out of the house!" or "Just Drive away!" and shaking my fist at the book or movie. And I am really tired of zombies...so my biases balance out.)
(BTW I'm not going to summarize the plot. There's plenty of that info out already)
ENOUGH OF THAT!
At first glance this looks like a zombie book, you know dead coming back to life. But that isn't it at all. The people who are coming back to life are coming back not as mindless monsters, but as people with all of the energy, fear, emotions, and drives they had before. It's just that they were dead for months or years or decades. But what happens when they come back to life? How do they reintegrate? Do they have any legal status?
This is a thriller with tons of suspense, excitement, and horror, but after finishing it--or stopping for the night--it asks some really interesting questions about what it means to be a person, and what would happen to people, and how others would react. I would love to spend more time as a reader in this world at some point in the future. In short this is a really cool world built around an amazing and original event.
But that's not all, not by a long shot. This book is most certainly not just a cool idea. The characters, Sean and Mare and Mindy especially, are real people with real problems, real focus, real stress, and drives. They have urgency and growth and just wonderfully created. I feel their excitement and pain and laugh at their humor and worry about them. This is also the best novel capturing people living in poverty, worrying about food budgets and the next check, that I've read in a long time.
The pacing is strong, and the book just, just moves. On my reread I was upset that they were so quick to change my oil because I was completely absorbed. And this is when I knew what was going to happen!
Just because there are great characters and interesting ideas, it doesn't mean this is literary fiction where people just talk. No, there's some scary {expletive} stuff going on here. Really terrifying {expletive.}
So if you want to read a scary and at times vicious book with a great idea and wonderful characters, that is at times hilarious and thought-provoking this is a book for you.
If you want a book that's funny and thought provoking with well-rounded characters that have lots of agency, but you want a lot of tension, twists and turns and some scares. This is also book for you.
However, if you want a boring book about people getting eaten by zombies this isn't the book for you. Correction, you should read this book ALSO!
(Okay, a second disclaimer. I am rarely a horror reader or viewer because I will often find myself yelling "Get out of the house!" or "Just Drive away!" and shaking my fist at the book or movie. And I am really tired of zombies...so my biases balance out.)
(BTW I'm not going to summarize the plot. There's plenty of that info out already)
ENOUGH OF THAT!
At first glance this looks like a zombie book, you know dead coming back to life. But that isn't it at all. The people who are coming back to life are coming back not as mindless monsters, but as people with all of the energy, fear, emotions, and drives they had before. It's just that they were dead for months or years or decades. But what happens when they come back to life? How do they reintegrate? Do they have any legal status?
This is a thriller with tons of suspense, excitement, and horror, but after finishing it--or stopping for the night--it asks some really interesting questions about what it means to be a person, and what would happen to people, and how others would react. I would love to spend more time as a reader in this world at some point in the future. In short this is a really cool world built around an amazing and original event.
But that's not all, not by a long shot. This book is most certainly not just a cool idea. The characters, Sean and Mare and Mindy especially, are real people with real problems, real focus, real stress, and drives. They have urgency and growth and just wonderfully created. I feel their excitement and pain and laugh at their humor and worry about them. This is also the best novel capturing people living in poverty, worrying about food budgets and the next check, that I've read in a long time.
The pacing is strong, and the book just, just moves. On my reread I was upset that they were so quick to change my oil because I was completely absorbed. And this is when I knew what was going to happen!
Just because there are great characters and interesting ideas, it doesn't mean this is literary fiction where people just talk. No, there's some scary {expletive} stuff going on here. Really terrifying {expletive.}
So if you want to read a scary and at times vicious book with a great idea and wonderful characters, that is at times hilarious and thought-provoking this is a book for you.
If you want a book that's funny and thought provoking with well-rounded characters that have lots of agency, but you want a lot of tension, twists and turns and some scares. This is also book for you.
However, if you want a boring book about people getting eaten by zombies this isn't the book for you. Correction, you should read this book ALSO!
July 21, 2015
What would you do if a bunch of confused, naked people walked into your back yard from the woods next door? It happened to Sean Casey in Boone County, Iowa this past Sunday*!
This book was impossible to put down after Sean's house becomes ground zero. As quickly as he was running through sheets and towels to help the confused no-longer-dead folks cover up, I was reading through the pages trying to find out what would happen next!
You might think that having loved ones return from death would be a good thing. Some people don't see it that way. And it seems that only the folks who died from accidental causes are coming back. Aunt Jenny died of cancer? Not likely to see her again... Jones does a great job of explaining the ins and outs of why some dead come back and others don't. In the Spore universe, it all makes perfect sense.
Unfortunately, this mass resurrection sets in motion a nearly insurmountable catastrophe in the small communities of Boone County, Iowa. (I just LOVE that the story is set in a location so close to where I live!) Is is just a coincidence that kids start disappearing about the same time? And that the M.O. is eerily familiar to a crime spree that happened 20 years ago?
Also coinciding with the miraculous return, Sean's nightmares from his own childhood abduction are increasing and intensifying. What is his subconscious mind trying to tell him?
If you're a fan of horror, enjoy putting the pieces of a mystery together, or get a kick out of books set close to home (in this case, central Iowa), you are going to want to get your hands on a copy of Jones' book, Spore--ASAP! I'm thrilled mine came from a book signing event where the author herself signed my copy!
[Do note: the book contains coarse language and references to child sexual/physical abuse. If these offend you, just know that you are going to encounter them in this text.]
*The book lists the event as happening on July 19, 2015.
From the Publisher . . .
The dead are coming back.
Ten naked people walk from a cemetery into artist Sean Casey’s backyard: ten Spore People who used to be dead. One, Mindy, stays with Sean while trying to reclaim her life, but her ex would rather she return to her grave. Sean struggles to protect Mindy and other Spores while battling his recurring—and worsening—nightmares. Meanwhile, the media feeds a panicked frenzy that leads both the hopeful and hateful to Sean’s front door.
As the Spore fungus spreads, so does the fear. When mutilated children match Sean’s nightmares, he realizes his own worst terror may be closer than he thinks.
About the Author . . .
Tamara started her academic career as a science geek, earned a degree in art, and, when she's not making quilts or herding cats, writes tense thrillers as Tamara Jones and Tamara Siler Jones. Despite the violent nature of her work, Tam's easygoing and friendly. Not sick or twisted at all. Honest.
This book was impossible to put down after Sean's house becomes ground zero. As quickly as he was running through sheets and towels to help the confused no-longer-dead folks cover up, I was reading through the pages trying to find out what would happen next!
You might think that having loved ones return from death would be a good thing. Some people don't see it that way. And it seems that only the folks who died from accidental causes are coming back. Aunt Jenny died of cancer? Not likely to see her again... Jones does a great job of explaining the ins and outs of why some dead come back and others don't. In the Spore universe, it all makes perfect sense.
Unfortunately, this mass resurrection sets in motion a nearly insurmountable catastrophe in the small communities of Boone County, Iowa. (I just LOVE that the story is set in a location so close to where I live!) Is is just a coincidence that kids start disappearing about the same time? And that the M.O. is eerily familiar to a crime spree that happened 20 years ago?
Also coinciding with the miraculous return, Sean's nightmares from his own childhood abduction are increasing and intensifying. What is his subconscious mind trying to tell him?
If you're a fan of horror, enjoy putting the pieces of a mystery together, or get a kick out of books set close to home (in this case, central Iowa), you are going to want to get your hands on a copy of Jones' book, Spore--ASAP! I'm thrilled mine came from a book signing event where the author herself signed my copy!
[Do note: the book contains coarse language and references to child sexual/physical abuse. If these offend you, just know that you are going to encounter them in this text.]
*The book lists the event as happening on July 19, 2015.
From the Publisher . . .
The dead are coming back.
Ten naked people walk from a cemetery into artist Sean Casey’s backyard: ten Spore People who used to be dead. One, Mindy, stays with Sean while trying to reclaim her life, but her ex would rather she return to her grave. Sean struggles to protect Mindy and other Spores while battling his recurring—and worsening—nightmares. Meanwhile, the media feeds a panicked frenzy that leads both the hopeful and hateful to Sean’s front door.
As the Spore fungus spreads, so does the fear. When mutilated children match Sean’s nightmares, he realizes his own worst terror may be closer than he thinks.
About the Author . . .
Tamara started her academic career as a science geek, earned a degree in art, and, when she's not making quilts or herding cats, writes tense thrillers as Tamara Jones and Tamara Siler Jones. Despite the violent nature of her work, Tam's easygoing and friendly. Not sick or twisted at all. Honest.
August 29, 2015
Tamara Jones’s new novel Spore is, at first glance, a pretty standard looking zombie novel. When the reader gets into the story, which takes no time at all, it becomes clear that this isn’t necessarily a zombie novel at all. Sure, there are people rising from the dead, but not in ways that populate so many novels in the subgenre. Jones uses the zombie and pandemic ideas of horror to create something unique, a novel of pure horror that stays away from cliche and never let’s up on the suspense until the end.
Spore succeeds mainly on the author’s commitment to keeping the story about the small town, the few main characters that the reader really gets to know. Stories like this, dealing with the undead or spreading infection, tend to have a sprawling plot and cast of characters that may come together at the novel’s end. That’s not the case here, as the story never loses its focus on just a few characters in a small town. This allows for the realistic human element to shine through the fantastic elements.
The lead character is comic book creator and artist Sean Casey, a good man working to have a happy life and escape a troubled past. The tale opens as a number of naked people walk through the treeline at the read of Sean’s property, likely having come from the cemetery on the far side of the trees. It takes very little time for it to become clear that these are not run of the mill zombies. Actually, they may not be zombies at all. These “Pine People”, or Spores as they will come to be known, are fully functioning and aware people. Their shared trait is a lack of memory, some for weeks, some months and some for decades. They can remember everything about their lives up to a point and then they find themselves naked at Sean’s house.
Sean reaction is unexpected and perfect and sets the tone for the remainder of the novel. He talks to the Spores, realizes that they are people like himself and he helps them. He invites them into his home to cover up and try to contact family as he calls the local police for help. The police arrive, one of them a friend of Sean’s, Todd, and they take the Spores to the hospital where the staff tries to figure out what is causing their strange circumstance.
This is the strength of the book, it’s reliance on the characters and what the human reaction to such a situation would be. In a genre where the focus is often on the situation, the cause of the horror, and the gore, the result of the horror, Tamara Jones has written a book that is about the people. It never comes at the expense of the gore and situation either, as both are present and well done. In focusing the story on the micro instead of the macro Spore elevates itself to the level of a superior novel.
Spore succeeds mainly on the author’s commitment to keeping the story about the small town, the few main characters that the reader really gets to know. Stories like this, dealing with the undead or spreading infection, tend to have a sprawling plot and cast of characters that may come together at the novel’s end. That’s not the case here, as the story never loses its focus on just a few characters in a small town. This allows for the realistic human element to shine through the fantastic elements.
The lead character is comic book creator and artist Sean Casey, a good man working to have a happy life and escape a troubled past. The tale opens as a number of naked people walk through the treeline at the read of Sean’s property, likely having come from the cemetery on the far side of the trees. It takes very little time for it to become clear that these are not run of the mill zombies. Actually, they may not be zombies at all. These “Pine People”, or Spores as they will come to be known, are fully functioning and aware people. Their shared trait is a lack of memory, some for weeks, some months and some for decades. They can remember everything about their lives up to a point and then they find themselves naked at Sean’s house.
Sean reaction is unexpected and perfect and sets the tone for the remainder of the novel. He talks to the Spores, realizes that they are people like himself and he helps them. He invites them into his home to cover up and try to contact family as he calls the local police for help. The police arrive, one of them a friend of Sean’s, Todd, and they take the Spores to the hospital where the staff tries to figure out what is causing their strange circumstance.
This is the strength of the book, it’s reliance on the characters and what the human reaction to such a situation would be. In a genre where the focus is often on the situation, the cause of the horror, and the gore, the result of the horror, Tamara Jones has written a book that is about the people. It never comes at the expense of the gore and situation either, as both are present and well done. In focusing the story on the micro instead of the macro Spore elevates itself to the level of a superior novel.
June 2, 2015
First reviewed at Keeper Bookshelf
What exactly is a viable life? If death isn’t absolute, then what is? And what exactly is in the water down by the cemetery?
While I would classify Spore as more mystery than horror, it still is a fascinating concept. There are so many twists and turns within the story that to delve too deeply in this review could, most likely, spoil the reading experience for you. The cover blurb above gives you the basic premise of this story, so I’m not going to go much beyond that. You need to feel and experience Spore firsthand.
What I am willing to do is give you my feelings, my reactions to this story. Do not give in to the impulse of believing this is a zombie novel. It is not. Yes, somehow the dead have been reanimated. How is both obvious and part of the mystery. These returning, former dead people are not out to eat anyone’s brains. There is no rotting flesh, if anything the former dead appear to look better than they did at the time of their original death. They are confused, scared, angry, happy to be.. alive, and clueless to know what to do with this new “life” now. They come from different times in history. So some have families that either are overjoyed or terrified that the dead are walking once again. But what does this mean for the entire population? Are they still the same people they were before death? Or are they something completely new to our world? This is where I have to say – you need to read this novel.
I was drawn into the story. At times nervous, at other times repulsed and then I’d laugh or tear up at something. I could honestly say that there is a rollercoaster of emotions you will experience while living in the Spore world. I would recommend this novel for several genre readers, obviously horror readers, but also mystery, paranormal, thrillers and, honestly, anyone who enjoys a really good tense, interesting story will find themselves captivated by Spore. Set aside everything you think you know about the reanimated dead (zombies) and take a risk on a novel that might be a bit outside of your usual read. I do not believe you would be disappointed by this story. It draws you in and then takes you on a fast paced adventure.
*I received an e-ARC of Spore from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*
What exactly is a viable life? If death isn’t absolute, then what is? And what exactly is in the water down by the cemetery?
While I would classify Spore as more mystery than horror, it still is a fascinating concept. There are so many twists and turns within the story that to delve too deeply in this review could, most likely, spoil the reading experience for you. The cover blurb above gives you the basic premise of this story, so I’m not going to go much beyond that. You need to feel and experience Spore firsthand.
What I am willing to do is give you my feelings, my reactions to this story. Do not give in to the impulse of believing this is a zombie novel. It is not. Yes, somehow the dead have been reanimated. How is both obvious and part of the mystery. These returning, former dead people are not out to eat anyone’s brains. There is no rotting flesh, if anything the former dead appear to look better than they did at the time of their original death. They are confused, scared, angry, happy to be.. alive, and clueless to know what to do with this new “life” now. They come from different times in history. So some have families that either are overjoyed or terrified that the dead are walking once again. But what does this mean for the entire population? Are they still the same people they were before death? Or are they something completely new to our world? This is where I have to say – you need to read this novel.
I was drawn into the story. At times nervous, at other times repulsed and then I’d laugh or tear up at something. I could honestly say that there is a rollercoaster of emotions you will experience while living in the Spore world. I would recommend this novel for several genre readers, obviously horror readers, but also mystery, paranormal, thrillers and, honestly, anyone who enjoys a really good tense, interesting story will find themselves captivated by Spore. Set aside everything you think you know about the reanimated dead (zombies) and take a risk on a novel that might be a bit outside of your usual read. I do not believe you would be disappointed by this story. It draws you in and then takes you on a fast paced adventure.
*I received an e-ARC of Spore from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*
July 6, 2015
Edited: I first wrote this review on my iPad mini while sitting at a campfire surrounded by friends and family. It was a little distracting. I've decided to add a bit more to this review now that I'm in front of a computer.
Don't be fooled by my start and end dates on this one. I added the book to my Goodreads account before I really had a chance to start reading it. I had other books I needed to finish first. When I finally started this one, it was a quick, enjoyable read.
This novel doesn't fit neatly into the zombie horror genre. It's also not a religious story even though the dead are resurrected. If I were to attempt to classify it, I would call it horror-suspense with a dose of science and the supernatural (remember the resurrection element).
The plot was well executed. It certainly kept me turning the pages! I am always afraid of posting spoilers, so I'm going to try really hard to not give away any major plot points.
As a writer, I find Tamara Siler Jones's work fascinating. She's so very good at weaving backstory into the plot. If a character is a certain way because of some trauma they've suffered in the past, she's telling you this because it's not only relevant to character development but to the current and unfolding plot. The reveal of the inter-connectedness between past and present is skillfully done and often exposes a layer of complexity that goes mostly unseen until the author chooses to reveal it. For example, in this book, Sean's mother is OCD, smothering, and often in denial. The reasons behind the severity of her disorder are revealed only through confrontation and evidence. This moment in the book changed my perception of this secondary character. She went from the stereotypical crazy mom (mother-in-law) figure to a tormented and mentally ill woman whose coping mechanisms were manifest in her OCD. This moment forced me to reanalyze my earlier perceptions and realign them to fit the new information I had been given.
I love writing that suprises me and makes me think. Tamara Jones does this again and again, in this book and her others. (If you haven't read her fantasy series, you should. Of course, you may need a strong stomach as her fantasy novels definitely run dark and touch on uncomfortable subjects.)
Don't be fooled by my start and end dates on this one. I added the book to my Goodreads account before I really had a chance to start reading it. I had other books I needed to finish first. When I finally started this one, it was a quick, enjoyable read.
This novel doesn't fit neatly into the zombie horror genre. It's also not a religious story even though the dead are resurrected. If I were to attempt to classify it, I would call it horror-suspense with a dose of science and the supernatural (remember the resurrection element).
The plot was well executed. It certainly kept me turning the pages! I am always afraid of posting spoilers, so I'm going to try really hard to not give away any major plot points.
As a writer, I find Tamara Siler Jones's work fascinating. She's so very good at weaving backstory into the plot. If a character is a certain way because of some trauma they've suffered in the past, she's telling you this because it's not only relevant to character development but to the current and unfolding plot. The reveal of the inter-connectedness between past and present is skillfully done and often exposes a layer of complexity that goes mostly unseen until the author chooses to reveal it. For example, in this book, Sean's mother is OCD, smothering, and often in denial. The reasons behind the severity of her disorder are revealed only through confrontation and evidence. This moment in the book changed my perception of this secondary character. She went from the stereotypical crazy mom (mother-in-law) figure to a tormented and mentally ill woman whose coping mechanisms were manifest in her OCD. This moment forced me to reanalyze my earlier perceptions and realign them to fit the new information I had been given.
I love writing that suprises me and makes me think. Tamara Jones does this again and again, in this book and her others. (If you haven't read her fantasy series, you should. Of course, you may need a strong stomach as her fantasy novels definitely run dark and touch on uncomfortable subjects.)
June 5, 2015
There were moments I thought this book to be a 'slow-burn', but I found the characters so engaging and unique that when time slowed, I was still fascinated in how these people would react to little things. Requests like, 'can I bury my mother's ashes in your backyard' came up and so-on-and-so-forth. Their individual reactions differed from one another and their reasonings couldn't be more plain to the reader. This clear cut path to their personalities is something I really enjoyed.
That's not to say this isn't a horror. There are some severely dark moments that put this high on the horror shelf. I liked Sean's past troubles and how the puzzle came together bit by bit. It's not entirely unpredictable, but I found I was more intrigued by how the character would react. They had a way of veering the story in a whole new direction. Mindy, for example, had a wonderful character arc and I found myself rooting for her.
The writing is smooth, quick and doesn't waste a second of the readers time. I thought the whole concept was also fascinating. Jones doesn't stop at "goo", she goes into detail, explaining the spores, the substance that started it all and how different people would react.
Jones created a world where the living and dead could co-exist-ish. She snapped a quick twist which I think readers will really like. It's the harsh, cold reality of Darwinism that I found perfectly suited for this novel.
I absolutely loved the characters, especially Sean and Mindy. They were both went through dramatic changes that I was glued to.
*Received this book in exchange for an honest review* @ The Reader's Hollow Blog
That's not to say this isn't a horror. There are some severely dark moments that put this high on the horror shelf. I liked Sean's past troubles and how the puzzle came together bit by bit. It's not entirely unpredictable, but I found I was more intrigued by how the character would react. They had a way of veering the story in a whole new direction. Mindy, for example, had a wonderful character arc and I found myself rooting for her.
The writing is smooth, quick and doesn't waste a second of the readers time. I thought the whole concept was also fascinating. Jones doesn't stop at "goo", she goes into detail, explaining the spores, the substance that started it all and how different people would react.
Jones created a world where the living and dead could co-exist-ish. She snapped a quick twist which I think readers will really like. It's the harsh, cold reality of Darwinism that I found perfectly suited for this novel.
I absolutely loved the characters, especially Sean and Mindy. They were both went through dramatic changes that I was glued to.
*Received this book in exchange for an honest review* @ The Reader's Hollow Blog
July 30, 2015
Tamara Jones has written the Dubric Byerly Mysteries series, forensic murder mysteries in a fantasy setting, as Tamara Siler Jones. However, these dark and gripping novels are not hallmarks of her personality at all. In addition to writing gory murder scenes, Ms. Jones also likes quilting and cats. Her newest book, Spore, is a departure from the fantasy setting, but it keeps the mysterious and creepy vibe that Jones does so well.
When Sean Casey wakes up that morning, he has no idea the entire world is about to change. It’s a normal day, and he plans to spend it working at his normal job, artist for the comic Ghoulbane. Until the first naked person wanders into his back yard from the cemetery next door.
The ten people are naked, confused…and they used to be dead. Now they’ve regenerated and want to reclaim their old lives. One of them, Mindy, stays with Sean while they try to figure out what’s going on. Her ex-husband prefers that she stays dead, and will do anything to make that happen. And Sean’s nightmares, relic of childhood terror, grow worse, spilling over into his waking world. A world now inhabited by the spreading Spore People and all of the horrors from the past.
Spore is a fast-paced novel filled with action, a bit of gore, and haunting terror from bygone days. Sean falls headfirst into the new world created by the awakening of the Spore People. As he tries to help them, and others desperate to bring back the past, he becomes a target for the fear and anger of those surrounding him. Spore is tightly written, compelling, and will appeal to readers who love mysteries, a touch of horror, or even zombies (though this is not a zombie story). Definitely a must-read for anyone looking to liven up their reading list!
When Sean Casey wakes up that morning, he has no idea the entire world is about to change. It’s a normal day, and he plans to spend it working at his normal job, artist for the comic Ghoulbane. Until the first naked person wanders into his back yard from the cemetery next door.
The ten people are naked, confused…and they used to be dead. Now they’ve regenerated and want to reclaim their old lives. One of them, Mindy, stays with Sean while they try to figure out what’s going on. Her ex-husband prefers that she stays dead, and will do anything to make that happen. And Sean’s nightmares, relic of childhood terror, grow worse, spilling over into his waking world. A world now inhabited by the spreading Spore People and all of the horrors from the past.
Spore is a fast-paced novel filled with action, a bit of gore, and haunting terror from bygone days. Sean falls headfirst into the new world created by the awakening of the Spore People. As he tries to help them, and others desperate to bring back the past, he becomes a target for the fear and anger of those surrounding him. Spore is tightly written, compelling, and will appeal to readers who love mysteries, a touch of horror, or even zombies (though this is not a zombie story). Definitely a must-read for anyone looking to liven up their reading list!
August 3, 2015
Tamara Jones is a master of genre mash-ups and Spore is no exception.
For those of you afraid of the horror tag, it’s not what you think. Things that happen in the story are horrific, but I wouldn’t categorize it as horror in the traditional sense. There’s a touch of romance. Not idealized, but real world romance, in the form of a committed relationship. A rarity in many books I read. Suspense is off the charts and kept me second guessing and questioning the breadcrumbs tossed along the path by Jones.
Spore is not about the ‘infection’ itself, it’s about the people. How society deals with the newly risen, how Sean copes with his past, how Mindy tackles the present and her future. This is what sets Spore apart from other books. It makes you think, it makes you feel, it makes you question everything around you. Spore makes you wonder how you would handle a second chance at life.
For those of you afraid of the horror tag, it’s not what you think. Things that happen in the story are horrific, but I wouldn’t categorize it as horror in the traditional sense. There’s a touch of romance. Not idealized, but real world romance, in the form of a committed relationship. A rarity in many books I read. Suspense is off the charts and kept me second guessing and questioning the breadcrumbs tossed along the path by Jones.
Spore is not about the ‘infection’ itself, it’s about the people. How society deals with the newly risen, how Sean copes with his past, how Mindy tackles the present and her future. This is what sets Spore apart from other books. It makes you think, it makes you feel, it makes you question everything around you. Spore makes you wonder how you would handle a second chance at life.
May 25, 2015
The dead rise and arrive in Sean’s backyard. But this isn’t the worn-out zombie tale back for another retread. These dead are resurrected whole, reborn without blemish, and have all the memories and consciousness of the person they were when they died. And that’s what makes this story so compelling.
While this story definitely had a full dose of horror, there is some deep storytelling going on as well. By giving her walking dead full personality and characterization, Tamara Jones can explore some excellent themes about revenge and rebirth, as well as the problems of reintegrating outsiders into society, because these “spores” as the resurrected are called, are indeed human beings.
There are plenty of plot twists right through the final chapter, and the pace accelerates all the way through to the last page. I’ll be on the lookout for more Samhain Horror from this author.
While this story definitely had a full dose of horror, there is some deep storytelling going on as well. By giving her walking dead full personality and characterization, Tamara Jones can explore some excellent themes about revenge and rebirth, as well as the problems of reintegrating outsiders into society, because these “spores” as the resurrected are called, are indeed human beings.
There are plenty of plot twists right through the final chapter, and the pace accelerates all the way through to the last page. I’ll be on the lookout for more Samhain Horror from this author.
October 22, 2015
I won this book as a Goodread Giveaway.
Man, did the end of this book just pull me in and not let me go! Spore begins as our lead Sean Casey is confused to find naked strangers wandering through his yard. As the situation unravels, it is learned that these strangers have actually risen from the dead with no recollection of dying or how they arrived at his home. The middle of the book did drag on for me which is why I give it four stars, but the ending was action packed and enclosed on you so you cannot put the book down. I hope there is a second to this book as I feel more can be added to what happens next.
Man, did the end of this book just pull me in and not let me go! Spore begins as our lead Sean Casey is confused to find naked strangers wandering through his yard. As the situation unravels, it is learned that these strangers have actually risen from the dead with no recollection of dying or how they arrived at his home. The middle of the book did drag on for me which is why I give it four stars, but the ending was action packed and enclosed on you so you cannot put the book down. I hope there is a second to this book as I feel more can be added to what happens next.
December 9, 2015
Ms. Jones' Spore is a zombie book, yet not a zombie book and all the more refreshing for it. It's well-written, unsettling and unpredictable. The lead characters are interesting and different. I particularly liked the background color about how different factions, groups and cults spring up about the dead coming back to life, both pro and con. It's a wrinkle not usually covered in horror fiction. And there's a twist at the end that truly caught me off-guard, never saw it coming. Highly recommended if you're into horror and even if you're not (it has enough sci-fi and thriller trappings to satisfy most genre fans).
February 14, 2016
This book was such a different, interesting, scary ride. It's a really cool mystery/sci-fi/dystopia/horror story. I really enjoyed the unique storyline with all the cool imagery and foreshadowing. There were great characters. Sean, Mare, and Mindy were pretty amazing. My only complaint was there was tons of profanity and I'm just not a fan of profanity. I found it distracting. And like Nicole's daughter, each time a character swore I wanted them to have to drop a quarter in the bucket for using bad language. A really interesting story. Tamara Jones is a great mystery thriller writer.
April 23, 2015
I wish I could give this book more than 5 stars! It had me entranced from the beginning, from the characters to the concept. Oh, the concept. This story wrapped me up and swept me away. There was even a twist that I didn't see coming and I love when I can be surprised. I became irritated with the real world, being forced to leave behind the world in the book and even now I'm a little sad that I've finished it. I'm sure I will read it again throughout the years.
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