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The Starved: Inception
Two men. A brutal experiment. And only one shocking way out…
Based on real life events, STARVED: INCEPTION takes place in a little-known laboratory of human suffering in the waning days of World War II.
The Laboratory of Physiological Hygiene at University of Minnesota was headed by Dr. Ancel Keyes, the man behind the K-ration. Keyes studied the effects of wartime starvation by depriving two dozen young men, all volunteers, of adequate food.
In STARVED: INCEPTION, volunteers Carl Yoder and Hank Phipps—both religious conscientious objectors—bond over their pacifist convictions and the rigors of surviving on scant calories. As the months pass and their starvation progresses, however, the two men take desperate measures to sustain themselves. Years after the study's end, after both men have jobs and families, the choices they made come back to haunt them, with brutal results ...
For fans of Joe Hill and Blake Crouch, STARVED: INCEPTION, the first installment in a two-part series, is a must-read.
Based on real life events, STARVED: INCEPTION takes place in a little-known laboratory of human suffering in the waning days of World War II.
The Laboratory of Physiological Hygiene at University of Minnesota was headed by Dr. Ancel Keyes, the man behind the K-ration. Keyes studied the effects of wartime starvation by depriving two dozen young men, all volunteers, of adequate food.
In STARVED: INCEPTION, volunteers Carl Yoder and Hank Phipps—both religious conscientious objectors—bond over their pacifist convictions and the rigors of surviving on scant calories. As the months pass and their starvation progresses, however, the two men take desperate measures to sustain themselves. Years after the study's end, after both men have jobs and families, the choices they made come back to haunt them, with brutal results ...
For fans of Joe Hill and Blake Crouch, STARVED: INCEPTION, the first installment in a two-part series, is a must-read.
- GenresHorror
189 pages, ebook
First published May 4, 2015
4 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 2, 2015
This copy kindly provided by NetGalley on behalf of the publisher
I have a few thoughts running through my head after this one, but I can't put them in here without giving away the story. So instead, here's what I can say:
Parts of the story were, not so much "predictable", just that there was a clear path that was being taken, with plenty of clues along the way if you were paying attention.
I didn't see the end coming, but in hindsight, of course that's how it all worked, why certain friendships were forged or neglected, and more importantly why some ultimately crucial conversations were had.
I quite liked the story, but can't say I was a huge fan of the style of writing. At times I thought it was almost as if it'd been written in the time the book was set, rather than simply about that time. But then it is written in first person, almost like a journal... It's also has multiple POV.
I have a few thoughts running through my head after this one, but I can't put them in here without giving away the story. So instead, here's what I can say:
Parts of the story were, not so much "predictable", just that there was a clear path that was being taken, with plenty of clues along the way if you were paying attention.
I didn't see the end coming, but in hindsight, of course that's how it all worked, why certain friendships were forged or neglected, and more importantly why some ultimately crucial conversations were had.
I quite liked the story, but can't say I was a huge fan of the style of writing. At times I thought it was almost as if it'd been written in the time the book was set, rather than simply about that time. But then it is written in first person, almost like a journal... It's also has multiple POV.
May 4, 2015
Ho-hum!! Poorly executed beginning which I tend to believe is to confuse the reader into thinking this book's plot is any different than the hundreds of others out there, all the same just written with different circumstances
Anyone who has watched TWILIGHT ZONE has seen this story and/or Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Highly predictable once you sieve through the confusing beginning
The beginning had me utterly confused as the author jumped back & forth, here & there, hoping to confuse this simplistic overdone plot, thinking that by keeping the reader confused he has a new story. I had a very hard time figuring out the beginning of this book but once I did, I had my predictions in my mind where it was headed & they were cemented & fixed by 35% way through the book. The rest of the book was just confirmation that my earlier predictions were boringly correct. Thriller/horror? I guess. Predictable --most definitely!!
I wouldn't recommend this book unless maybe you've been hiding under a rock for the past 50 years or so
I received a digital copy from Net Galley in return for an honest review
Anyone who has watched TWILIGHT ZONE has seen this story and/or Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Highly predictable once you sieve through the confusing beginning
The beginning had me utterly confused as the author jumped back & forth, here & there, hoping to confuse this simplistic overdone plot, thinking that by keeping the reader confused he has a new story. I had a very hard time figuring out the beginning of this book but once I did, I had my predictions in my mind where it was headed & they were cemented & fixed by 35% way through the book. The rest of the book was just confirmation that my earlier predictions were boringly correct. Thriller/horror? I guess. Predictable --most definitely!!
I wouldn't recommend this book unless maybe you've been hiding under a rock for the past 50 years or so
I received a digital copy from Net Galley in return for an honest review
April 26, 2015
I loved the idea of the book, but I thought the story was over long.
Hank and Carl are old war buddies who take part in an experiment involving starvation. The chapters jump from 1945 to 1957, which had me checking which year I was reading about often.
I've given 3 stars because I can't give 3.5.
Hank and Carl are old war buddies who take part in an experiment involving starvation. The chapters jump from 1945 to 1957, which had me checking which year I was reading about often.
I've given 3 stars because I can't give 3.5.
March 22, 2017
Started out well and then floundered. There was even a glaring typo where characters' names had been switched. Since this book has so much to do with food, I find it difficult not to compare it to such. Imagine smelling a delicious meal after having to skip lunch. Then dinner is served and you find yourself seated in front of a reheated goulash. You're left disappointed and unsatisfied and wondering what had tempted you to the table in the first place. That's how I felt with this book. Still, maybe the sequel will complete the story and give more satisfaction to the reader.
July 24, 2015
The Starved: Inception, by Rick Ochre, is an interesting new horror novel set against a unique and genuinely creepy backdrop. The story is set between the years 1944 and 1958, turbulent times when one of the world’s greatest concerns was the recovery of Europe from the Second World War. One of the most pressing issues was how to feed people affected by the war, where infrastructures that would provide nutrition were destroyed, and how to treat those who had been malnourished during the war, how to return them to health.
Author Rick Ochre does a very good job of rendering the world of the story in the era in which it is set. The characters feel like they really live in the 1940s and 1950s and the world around them is consistently that of the time. The timeframe is key to the story, without it the motivations of the characters would not work. The main characters, Carl Yoder and Hank Phipps, are sharp and realistic and the arcs of the characters through more than ten years of life are compelling. The supporting characters are likewise good, mainly existing in one time, not over the same decade, and they serve to support the main players and advance the plot.
The real highlight of the book is the University of Minnesota scientific study Yoder and Phipps volunteer to be subjects for.
“ Minnesota Starvation Experiment, 1944: “Will you starve that they may eat?” ”
The men subject themselves willingly to allow the effects of starvation to be studied in an academic, scientific environment. The researchers want to see what effects starvation has on the human body and mind, and what can be done to help people recover from serious starvation. Impressively, the men’s motivations for entering the study are actually reasonable. The real horror of the story pops up here as the reader is forced to endure the brutal realities of starvation along with the main players.
The only real flaw in the book is present throughout the second act. Too much of the narrative focuses on the relationship between Yoder and his self-conscious, suspicious wife. There is certainly good reason for playing up this marital dynamic, but the author spends altogether too much time on it.
The Starved: Inception is the first of two Starved books. Inception is set for early May with the second set for September. After reading the first book, readers will be looking forward to the second, much in part to a great one-two-punch of twists at the end of the book. Few will see the twists coming, but once they hit they make sense as the only way the book should have ended.
Author Rick Ochre does a very good job of rendering the world of the story in the era in which it is set. The characters feel like they really live in the 1940s and 1950s and the world around them is consistently that of the time. The timeframe is key to the story, without it the motivations of the characters would not work. The main characters, Carl Yoder and Hank Phipps, are sharp and realistic and the arcs of the characters through more than ten years of life are compelling. The supporting characters are likewise good, mainly existing in one time, not over the same decade, and they serve to support the main players and advance the plot.
The real highlight of the book is the University of Minnesota scientific study Yoder and Phipps volunteer to be subjects for.
“ Minnesota Starvation Experiment, 1944: “Will you starve that they may eat?” ”
The men subject themselves willingly to allow the effects of starvation to be studied in an academic, scientific environment. The researchers want to see what effects starvation has on the human body and mind, and what can be done to help people recover from serious starvation. Impressively, the men’s motivations for entering the study are actually reasonable. The real horror of the story pops up here as the reader is forced to endure the brutal realities of starvation along with the main players.
The only real flaw in the book is present throughout the second act. Too much of the narrative focuses on the relationship between Yoder and his self-conscious, suspicious wife. There is certainly good reason for playing up this marital dynamic, but the author spends altogether too much time on it.
The Starved: Inception is the first of two Starved books. Inception is set for early May with the second set for September. After reading the first book, readers will be looking forward to the second, much in part to a great one-two-punch of twists at the end of the book. Few will see the twists coming, but once they hit they make sense as the only way the book should have ended.
June 16, 2015
Dr. Ancel Keyes studied the effects of wartime starvation by depriving two dozen young men, all volunteers, of adequate food. Carl Yoder and Hank Phipps are two of the participants. They become good friends during the experiment and they are determined to survive it together. In order to do so, they have to take some desperate measures that come back to haunt them years after the study’s end…
This book was marketed “for fans of Joe Hill”. I adore Joe Hill’s books, so naturally I wanted to read The Starved as well. On top of that, I loved the idea of the book. An experiment with drastic measures that have a lasting effect? Count me in!
But alas, this book was not what I thought (and wanted) it to be. The beginning was solid, exciting, and thrilling but almost immediately after that I had a difficult time actually getting through the story. The focus is mostly on Carl & Hank and their friendship then and now. Don’t expect much of a horror story, because for about 80% of the book it really isn’t. The beginning and ending is what it’s all about in this one, everything in between was just meeeh, and I felt it could’ve been a lot shorter.
All in all, it was a cool idea to start with, but the executing just wasn’t what I wanted it to be. Mostly it was boring and it took a lot of willpower to actually finish. Glad I did though, because the concluding chapters were actually worth reading.
I received this book for free through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book was marketed “for fans of Joe Hill”. I adore Joe Hill’s books, so naturally I wanted to read The Starved as well. On top of that, I loved the idea of the book. An experiment with drastic measures that have a lasting effect? Count me in!
But alas, this book was not what I thought (and wanted) it to be. The beginning was solid, exciting, and thrilling but almost immediately after that I had a difficult time actually getting through the story. The focus is mostly on Carl & Hank and their friendship then and now. Don’t expect much of a horror story, because for about 80% of the book it really isn’t. The beginning and ending is what it’s all about in this one, everything in between was just meeeh, and I felt it could’ve been a lot shorter.
All in all, it was a cool idea to start with, but the executing just wasn’t what I wanted it to be. Mostly it was boring and it took a lot of willpower to actually finish. Glad I did though, because the concluding chapters were actually worth reading.
I received this book for free through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 12, 2015
Review to come
July 5, 2015
An okay but ultimately disappointing novel
For a full review, please go to http://www.examiner.com/review/the-st... and follow me on Twitter @josenher
For a full review, please go to http://www.examiner.com/review/the-st... and follow me on Twitter @josenher
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews