What do you think?
Rate this book
Jack Bishop #1
Residue
Residue follows 17-year-old Jack Bishop after his father is abducted and a monster is let loose in his small town. As he looks for his father, he begins to notice that he can see the psychic residue left behind by monsters and murder victims. Along with the mind-reading Alexandra (Alex) Courtney, Jack uses his growing ESP abilities to stop the deaths in the town, and find out why his father was taken.
344 pages, Paperback
First published April 19, 2015
71 people are currently reading
214 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
June 20, 2016
I felt the first half of the book worked much better than the second half. The author did a good job of establishing a paranormal world, with a variety of interesting creatures, but then turned it into a "let's get big guns and shoot the hell out of anything that moves" story. This was a basic, one-dimensional move, that robbed the book of many of its pleasures, and diminished the appeal of the two main characters -- they were intriguing in the early stages because they were different to everyone else, but in the latter half they were just a pair of trigger-hungry teenagers. With a bit more thought, and a less simplistic, head-on approach, this could have been a first-rate read, as it promised to be in those early chapters, but ultimately it lost me along the way, which was a pity, as there's lots of promise here. Hopefully Mr Diamond will learn from this and move on to bigger, better and more subtle things -- he certainly has the potential to improve, and just needs to trust in the weirdness of his world a bit more.
April 21, 2015
Review Copy
Jack Bishop's father has gone missing. The fact that his disappearance coincides with an incident involving something that escaped from Helix, the town's principle employer, where both jack and his father work, is no coincidence.
Residue is a YA novel that is a bit simplistic for my taste. I prefer my horror with a bit more bite. Not to say there's no violence, there is. There's even a good bit of death, but I feel somewhat shielded from most of it.
The characters are a bit one-dimensional and the monsters are not very well fleshed out.
The good news would be the overall story. There are some good ideas here, but it seems evident that this is a first novel and there is a lot of room for growth. It looks like Steve Diamond will get a chance at that growth as there is a sequel in the works.
Residue is the latest offering from Angelic Knight Press, the horror imprint of Ragnarok Publications. As such, I'm a bit disappointed as I'm used to a higher standard from both of these outlets. I just hope that future installments will offer more to sink my teeth into.
Jack Bishop's father has gone missing. The fact that his disappearance coincides with an incident involving something that escaped from Helix, the town's principle employer, where both jack and his father work, is no coincidence.
Residue is a YA novel that is a bit simplistic for my taste. I prefer my horror with a bit more bite. Not to say there's no violence, there is. There's even a good bit of death, but I feel somewhat shielded from most of it.
The characters are a bit one-dimensional and the monsters are not very well fleshed out.
The good news would be the overall story. There are some good ideas here, but it seems evident that this is a first novel and there is a lot of room for growth. It looks like Steve Diamond will get a chance at that growth as there is a sequel in the works.
Residue is the latest offering from Angelic Knight Press, the horror imprint of Ragnarok Publications. As such, I'm a bit disappointed as I'm used to a higher standard from both of these outlets. I just hope that future installments will offer more to sink my teeth into.
May 2, 2015
Damn good story
While the book starts a little slow, the action quickly picks up and soon you are sucked into the writer's world. This is a fresh and entertaining take on paranormal worlds. I would have given five stars but the prose drags at times and the are several obvious grammatical errors that should have been fixed. All in all I can't wait till the next book in the series.
While the book starts a little slow, the action quickly picks up and soon you are sucked into the writer's world. This is a fresh and entertaining take on paranormal worlds. I would have given five stars but the prose drags at times and the are several obvious grammatical errors that should have been fixed. All in all I can't wait till the next book in the series.
July 20, 2015
Residue is a Young Adult novel which I was initially rather leery of. I, you see, am unnaturally prejudiced against the YA label despite the fact a lot of my favorite books being inside it. Some of the best fantasy today is being written for Young Adults and my favorite series growing up would be classified underneath it today. Besides, it's not even a particularly meaningful label given Amazon.com has termed the Rules of Supervillainy to be a Young Adult novel.
Apparently, I should have put more sex and violence in my book.
Hehe.
The premise is there are two teen protagonists: Jack Bishop and his hyper-competent classmate Alex(andra) Courtney. Jack is the son of the security chief at a genetics firm which, no spoilers as this is revealed in the first chapter, is doing Umbrella Corporation-style experiments on monsters. Discovering that he has ESP to go alongside Alex's more advanced telepathic abilities, the two teens start investigating the disappearance of Alex's father.
So is it any good?
Quite.
Residue isn't an action-filled novel but mostly relies on the interaction between its two leads who have a great pair of contrasting personalities. Alex being cool, professional, and extremely mature for her age while Jack being all-too-normal. Indeed, of the two, I think Alex probably would have made a better POV character than Jack but I didn't hate Mister Bishop and like mentally casting a young Joshua Jackson for him (in part because of the last name but also their mannerisms).
Much of the plot is dealing with Jack coming to terms with his powers, learning about the history of the corporation his father works for, and his slow developing relationship with Alex. While the pair do start a romantic interest in one another, it's only at the very end they even consider dating and they're taking it slow--which is a nice change of pace from many YA fiction. I think the general lack of worry he displays regarding his father's disappearance was a bit unbelievable but that's, generally, a mild complaint.
The title of the book comes from the weird words and symbols he's able to see on objects which appears as a kind of goo sticking to them. I think this is an excellent and creepy set of imagery to apply to the story and works well for the horror-based mood.
I also liked Jack growing in his powers like being able to block telepaths, which isn't exactly an ability of immense utility but is small and steady progress which is quite useful. I do think, realistically, he'd be trying to block Alex from his thoughts on a regular basis, though due to what exactly teenage boys think about their attractive female classmates all the time.
Hehe.
The monsters are well-done and inhuman, which is always a welcome change in science-fiction/fantasy. Too often, they're utterly lacking in teeth. Here, they're treated as genuinely terrifying and vile. I mentioned the Resident Evil comparison but I also think it reminds me a bit of Silent Hill. The fact we get a genuine sense of mystery about them and only have a couple of violent encounters contributes to their menace. It isn't Buffy the Vampire Slayer where monsters are killed left and right, which makes the actual moments where they arrive all the scarier. The scene at the prom isn't quite to Carrie levels for pants-wetting terror but it goes in an unexpected direction I enjoyed.
In conclusion, while not the most action-packed or pure awesome novel I've ever read, Residue is quietly creepy, suitable for young teens to adults, and possessed of strong leads who feel believable and fun.
10/10
Apparently, I should have put more sex and violence in my book.
Hehe.
The premise is there are two teen protagonists: Jack Bishop and his hyper-competent classmate Alex(andra) Courtney. Jack is the son of the security chief at a genetics firm which, no spoilers as this is revealed in the first chapter, is doing Umbrella Corporation-style experiments on monsters. Discovering that he has ESP to go alongside Alex's more advanced telepathic abilities, the two teens start investigating the disappearance of Alex's father.
So is it any good?
Quite.
Residue isn't an action-filled novel but mostly relies on the interaction between its two leads who have a great pair of contrasting personalities. Alex being cool, professional, and extremely mature for her age while Jack being all-too-normal. Indeed, of the two, I think Alex probably would have made a better POV character than Jack but I didn't hate Mister Bishop and like mentally casting a young Joshua Jackson for him (in part because of the last name but also their mannerisms).
Much of the plot is dealing with Jack coming to terms with his powers, learning about the history of the corporation his father works for, and his slow developing relationship with Alex. While the pair do start a romantic interest in one another, it's only at the very end they even consider dating and they're taking it slow--which is a nice change of pace from many YA fiction. I think the general lack of worry he displays regarding his father's disappearance was a bit unbelievable but that's, generally, a mild complaint.
The title of the book comes from the weird words and symbols he's able to see on objects which appears as a kind of goo sticking to them. I think this is an excellent and creepy set of imagery to apply to the story and works well for the horror-based mood.
I also liked Jack growing in his powers like being able to block telepaths, which isn't exactly an ability of immense utility but is small and steady progress which is quite useful. I do think, realistically, he'd be trying to block Alex from his thoughts on a regular basis, though due to what exactly teenage boys think about their attractive female classmates all the time.
Hehe.
The monsters are well-done and inhuman, which is always a welcome change in science-fiction/fantasy. Too often, they're utterly lacking in teeth. Here, they're treated as genuinely terrifying and vile. I mentioned the Resident Evil comparison but I also think it reminds me a bit of Silent Hill. The fact we get a genuine sense of mystery about them and only have a couple of violent encounters contributes to their menace. It isn't Buffy the Vampire Slayer where monsters are killed left and right, which makes the actual moments where they arrive all the scarier. The scene at the prom isn't quite to Carrie levels for pants-wetting terror but it goes in an unexpected direction I enjoyed.
In conclusion, while not the most action-packed or pure awesome novel I've ever read, Residue is quietly creepy, suitable for young teens to adults, and possessed of strong leads who feel believable and fun.
10/10
May 7, 2015
Great characters, good story, interesting world, mediocre prose, unsatisfying ending. Four stars probably seems generous, but I finished this book in a couple of sittings based on the strength of the characters and plot.
June 5, 2015
4.5 stars. Finally, a girl character who is strong and doesn't obsess about her looks! Loved it! Concept was way cool; plot was well timed. Excited to read the next book in the series!
Read
July 9, 2024Horror is not really my thing, so I'm not going to rate, but this is a solid first novel with some interesting features. It does feel strongly influenced by Fringe, which I also enjoyed but found a little dark. I mostly read it because I've enjoyed Steve on the WriterDojo podcast. This had the curious effect that all of Jack's POV chapters (a bit over half the book) came out in the author's actual voice and accent in my head. Which is fair enough as Jack basically thinks in Steve's speech patterns.
December 10, 2025
Loved every minute of this! I love how down to earth the characters are, and that despite being young, they jump into action rather than whining or waiting for people to solve the problems for them. Love that it has a male lead too, since a lot of books featuring younger character seem to be aimed at girls. As of now, I will probably be recommending this series to my teenage boy because I think he will really find Jack compelling. I can’t wait to read more in the series!
July 20, 2022
I liked the ending. Found some of the romance a bit annoying though lol.
June 19, 2015
I love that Steve Diamond wrote this book. I am a huge fan of Elitist Book Reviews so this was a must read for me. Overall I would recommend it without hesitation. That said it's not without it's faults. Those faults, I think, stem from having two main characters being written seemingly random first and third person perspectives. While that does lead to some stumbles along the way I think that, in the end, Diamond does well and really finds his path.
The magic/supernatural system is intriguing but I felt it was underdeveloped. I would have liked to see more of the inner workings of Helix dropped in, even if it increased the page count. I felt it could have been done without taking away from the thriller aspects of the story. However the way this book wrapped up promises more development of the world in the next volume, which I am unabashedly looking forward to reading. This is one area where I think Diamond shines even with having admitted I'd like more detail because his use of of powers here, and I'm trying not include spoilers, is anything but a trope. Well done, Mr. Diamond, well done.
Jack Bishop is our male lead here and I think he's written very well. The trope of unsuspecting, normal teenager tossed in to the world of the supernatural is well played and I think the fact that, at the end of the book, Jack is still not alright with everything going on, and hasn't become a superhero is refreshing, at least based on the YA that I read.
The character of Alexandra Courtney is where I think most of the stumbles come from. She is written in the third person, mostly, and the switches between perspectives are a bit jarring at times and the way backstory is inserted can seem clunky at times. However as far as the character goes I think that by the end of the book Diamond really does recover from the minor stumbles along the way and gives a strong female lead.
The big reveal in this one isn't foreshadowed much, which is absolutely fine, but I guessed it along the way. Not the actual reveal but close enough that I felt vindicated for thinking what I thought. I don't mind that sort of thing at all. It's fun to guess and it's even more fun when you're right.
The one area in which I didn't think Mr. Diamond did really well by the end of the book was Helix and their actions. Some of them just seem like they are there to further the story or make you hate Helix even more. I hope to see this piece better written in the next book. This one point is why I gave the book three stars instead of four. Yes, it's a first book and yes, I do give allowances for first books and this could have been four stars even with the stumbles I've pointed out, however, the Helix acts wasn't well done or smooth and didn't get cleaned up by the end of the book. I reserve the right to revisit this view in light of whatever happens in the second book.
The magic/supernatural system is intriguing but I felt it was underdeveloped. I would have liked to see more of the inner workings of Helix dropped in, even if it increased the page count. I felt it could have been done without taking away from the thriller aspects of the story. However the way this book wrapped up promises more development of the world in the next volume, which I am unabashedly looking forward to reading. This is one area where I think Diamond shines even with having admitted I'd like more detail because his use of of powers here, and I'm trying not include spoilers, is anything but a trope. Well done, Mr. Diamond, well done.
Jack Bishop is our male lead here and I think he's written very well. The trope of unsuspecting, normal teenager tossed in to the world of the supernatural is well played and I think the fact that, at the end of the book, Jack is still not alright with everything going on, and hasn't become a superhero is refreshing, at least based on the YA that I read.
The character of Alexandra Courtney is where I think most of the stumbles come from. She is written in the third person, mostly, and the switches between perspectives are a bit jarring at times and the way backstory is inserted can seem clunky at times. However as far as the character goes I think that by the end of the book Diamond really does recover from the minor stumbles along the way and gives a strong female lead.
The big reveal in this one isn't foreshadowed much, which is absolutely fine, but I guessed it along the way. Not the actual reveal but close enough that I felt vindicated for thinking what I thought. I don't mind that sort of thing at all. It's fun to guess and it's even more fun when you're right.
The one area in which I didn't think Mr. Diamond did really well by the end of the book was Helix and their actions. Some of them just seem like they are there to further the story or make you hate Helix even more. I hope to see this piece better written in the next book. This one point is why I gave the book three stars instead of four. Yes, it's a first book and yes, I do give allowances for first books and this could have been four stars even with the stumbles I've pointed out, however, the Helix acts wasn't well done or smooth and didn't get cleaned up by the end of the book. I reserve the right to revisit this view in light of whatever happens in the second book.
August 24, 2024
I had the pleasure of meeting the author of the book, Steve Diamond, in Salt Lake City at the FanX convention in 2016. We talked for a little bit, he really liked my shirt, and I purchased this book from him, having previously read the sample on my Kindle a while back. He graciously signed my book, but it wasn't until after I got home that I read the inscription "enjoy the prom." along with his signature.
This phrase perplexed me. After all, I am a man in my 30s, so my days of prom going are far behind me (and truth be told, even in high school I was far to shy/introverted to attend many school dances anyways). It is also a credit to my lack of perception that I didn't notice the book blurb from Larry Correia, who is fast becoming one of my favorite authors, on the front of the book proclaiming that it had one of the best prom scenes since "Carrie" until I finally picked up the book to read it a few days ago.
Without going too deep into spoiler territory (a might late for that, I suppose), the school dance scene was enough for me to congratulate my young shy self for being wise enough to avoid a situation where such a thing might happen. According to all reports, nothing like what occurs in the book happened at any of the school dances I didn't attend...but really, why risk it?
All told, I greatly enjoyed Residue. It is an extremely solid debut novel. I read through it in just a couple of days, and when I got to the end immediately wanted more. I liked both Jack and Alex, the two main characters, and really enjoyed the interaction between the two. The story was solidly paced (most of the time) and kept me coming back to the book like I hadn't been tempted to for a while. The writing was good enough that I even got teary eyed a few times...which again, doesn't happen all that often for me while reading. Full marks all around.
However, I do have a couple of nitpicks, which kept me from giving this book a full 5-star rating. My biggest complaint is that the ending, more explicitly felt a bit rushed. A lot happens in the last few pages of the book, but not all it in a good way. It wasn't nearly enough to ruin the book for me, as I still jumped on my computer shortly after reading it to see if the sequel had come out while I hadn't been paying attention...but no such luck.
Residue was a happy surprise for me. I thought I would like it, but I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. Steve Diamond is now solidly on my radar, and I look forward to the release of the next book in this series, whenever it may be.
And what can I say? The author has great tastes in shirts, too.
This phrase perplexed me. After all, I am a man in my 30s, so my days of prom going are far behind me (and truth be told, even in high school I was far to shy/introverted to attend many school dances anyways). It is also a credit to my lack of perception that I didn't notice the book blurb from Larry Correia, who is fast becoming one of my favorite authors, on the front of the book proclaiming that it had one of the best prom scenes since "Carrie" until I finally picked up the book to read it a few days ago.
Without going too deep into spoiler territory (a might late for that, I suppose), the school dance scene was enough for me to congratulate my young shy self for being wise enough to avoid a situation where such a thing might happen. According to all reports, nothing like what occurs in the book happened at any of the school dances I didn't attend...but really, why risk it?
All told, I greatly enjoyed Residue. It is an extremely solid debut novel. I read through it in just a couple of days, and when I got to the end immediately wanted more. I liked both Jack and Alex, the two main characters, and really enjoyed the interaction between the two. The story was solidly paced (most of the time) and kept me coming back to the book like I hadn't been tempted to for a while. The writing was good enough that I even got teary eyed a few times...which again, doesn't happen all that often for me while reading. Full marks all around.
However, I do have a couple of nitpicks, which kept me from giving this book a full 5-star rating. My biggest complaint is that the ending, more explicitly felt a bit rushed. A lot happens in the last few pages of the book, but not all it in a good way. It wasn't nearly enough to ruin the book for me, as I still jumped on my computer shortly after reading it to see if the sequel had come out while I hadn't been paying attention...but no such luck.
Residue was a happy surprise for me. I thought I would like it, but I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. Steve Diamond is now solidly on my radar, and I look forward to the release of the next book in this series, whenever it may be.
And what can I say? The author has great tastes in shirts, too.
July 3, 2015
YA Thriller Keeps you turning the Pages.
I took a chance on the book from Larry Correia' s blog list. I read it over a rainy day in the NC Mountains while on vacation. It is a perfect story for a lazy summer day.
Jack Bishop is a typical high school student in the Redwood Country of California who's life is turned upside down when his father disappears after an accident at the Mysterious company where he works. Jack discovers the Helix Corporation is really a government research installation investigating the weird and paranormal and his Dad is head of security who was investigating the escape of a research subject that escaped.
With the help of schoolmate Alexandra who worked at Helix with his father Jack begins a journey that involves his family's past and finds himself blessed or cursed with the same Psychic powers that belonged to his Grandfather Wyatt. He can trust no one, not Alex nor his strange benefactor if he wants to find his father and stop the monster unleashed by the incident.
I took a chance on the book from Larry Correia' s blog list. I read it over a rainy day in the NC Mountains while on vacation. It is a perfect story for a lazy summer day.
Jack Bishop is a typical high school student in the Redwood Country of California who's life is turned upside down when his father disappears after an accident at the Mysterious company where he works. Jack discovers the Helix Corporation is really a government research installation investigating the weird and paranormal and his Dad is head of security who was investigating the escape of a research subject that escaped.
With the help of schoolmate Alexandra who worked at Helix with his father Jack begins a journey that involves his family's past and finds himself blessed or cursed with the same Psychic powers that belonged to his Grandfather Wyatt. He can trust no one, not Alex nor his strange benefactor if he wants to find his father and stop the monster unleashed by the incident.
October 3, 2018
I think this is meant to be a horror novel, but it never gave me that shiver that I look for in horror. There are some dark things that happen, sure, but they didn’t feel visceral to me. I never really believed that the main characters were in true danger. That disappointed me. I wanted to feel what was at stake.
The characters are interesting, but aren’t given a whole lot of depth. Alex’s main character traits are “reads minds” and “likes guns a LOT”. Jake… uh… is a nice guy, I guess. We know he’s supposed to grow into some funky powers, but that doesn’t go all that far in this volume. We never get to see what these two are like under “normal” circumstances, so we have nothing to compare to when they’re under fire.
It would be nice if Jake had any real agency in his own story. Instead, he spends nearly the whole time being told what to do by Alex or by a mysterious man they call merely “the Insider”. He doesn’t particularly go off and do anything on his own. When he isn’t being told what to do, he mostly waits to be told what to do. Also, the Insider is pretty much a full-time deus ex machina. He sees all, knows all, can accomplish all.
If there’s anything in here that might hold my interest, it’s either the budding relationship between Alex and Jake or the mysterious “Sentinel program” of which Jake is an unknowing part. However, both are barely hinted at here, and it isn’t enough to make me want to seek out and read the next volume.
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2018/10/r...
The characters are interesting, but aren’t given a whole lot of depth. Alex’s main character traits are “reads minds” and “likes guns a LOT”. Jake… uh… is a nice guy, I guess. We know he’s supposed to grow into some funky powers, but that doesn’t go all that far in this volume. We never get to see what these two are like under “normal” circumstances, so we have nothing to compare to when they’re under fire.
It would be nice if Jake had any real agency in his own story. Instead, he spends nearly the whole time being told what to do by Alex or by a mysterious man they call merely “the Insider”. He doesn’t particularly go off and do anything on his own. When he isn’t being told what to do, he mostly waits to be told what to do. Also, the Insider is pretty much a full-time deus ex machina. He sees all, knows all, can accomplish all.
If there’s anything in here that might hold my interest, it’s either the budding relationship between Alex and Jake or the mysterious “Sentinel program” of which Jake is an unknowing part. However, both are barely hinted at here, and it isn’t enough to make me want to seek out and read the next volume.
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2018/10/r...
February 7, 2025
Now, you may think that me giving this book 3 stars is a bad thing, but I assure you it isn’t.
Residue is an exciting and thrilling novel about a boy trying to find his missing father; however, sinister organizations and supernatural fiends are getting in the way of that. Discover how he confronts these dangers by reading.
The book honestly made me think of Stranger Things (which I’m not a fan of) except the characters in Reside are likable and actually have arcs and change throughout the story.
There is one character in particular who is meant to be played of as paranoid, perhaps unhinged, but just made me roll my eyes every time he did something quirky. I also felt that a lot of the dialogue was unnecessarily broken up by dialogue tags or actions that weren’t necessarily placed.
HOWEVER! I liked this book a lot. The action is great and how psychic abilities are presented in this novel are unique and interesting. The book ends on a note that makes me excited to read the next one, which I fully intend to do.
I recommend this to anyone who loves thrillers and the supernatural.
Residue is an exciting and thrilling novel about a boy trying to find his missing father; however, sinister organizations and supernatural fiends are getting in the way of that. Discover how he confronts these dangers by reading.
The book honestly made me think of Stranger Things (which I’m not a fan of) except the characters in Reside are likable and actually have arcs and change throughout the story.
There is one character in particular who is meant to be played of as paranoid, perhaps unhinged, but just made me roll my eyes every time he did something quirky. I also felt that a lot of the dialogue was unnecessarily broken up by dialogue tags or actions that weren’t necessarily placed.
HOWEVER! I liked this book a lot. The action is great and how psychic abilities are presented in this novel are unique and interesting. The book ends on a note that makes me excited to read the next one, which I fully intend to do.
I recommend this to anyone who loves thrillers and the supernatural.
August 4, 2017
The book immediately throws you into a paranormal event in a Western small town, and you are presented without preamble with magic, monsters and extraordinary people. I would have appreciated some sense of normalcy to be established first but it certainly starts with a bang. It follows the lives of teenagers, life (and death) in high school and the disappearance of one boy's dad. Evil corporations, a female action hero, it's a fun ride though it has its flaws. Will be interested in a sequel.
November 12, 2025
I discovered this book after an author friend recommended it. I figured that if an author of books I like likes it then it must be ok. it's a great read. A young man comes into his new powers while searching for his missing father. on the way he finds love, monsters and a developing conspiracy.
it's another one of those books that is an easy read. a nice writing style by Steve Diamond and a good story. One of those books that I can relax to after a busy day or after reading something complicated like an Asher or Hamilton.
it's another one of those books that is an easy read. a nice writing style by Steve Diamond and a good story. One of those books that I can relax to after a busy day or after reading something complicated like an Asher or Hamilton.
January 16, 2024
genuinely fun read
It’s tough to review books like this. Is Residue high literature? No. Is it loaded with cliches? Absolutely. Is it fun? 100%
If you’re looking for the next Frank Herbert, he’s not here. But if you want to kill a few hours enjoying the book equivalent of a bag of tortilla chips, salsa, and Corona with lime, I think this book more than suffices.
It’s tough to review books like this. Is Residue high literature? No. Is it loaded with cliches? Absolutely. Is it fun? 100%
If you’re looking for the next Frank Herbert, he’s not here. But if you want to kill a few hours enjoying the book equivalent of a bag of tortilla chips, salsa, and Corona with lime, I think this book more than suffices.
February 1, 2017
I absolutely loved this book! I have never been a big fan of fantasy & supernatural creatures, but Mr. Diamond did an excellent job of keeping me interested and in suspense throughout the book. I can't wait to read the next book!
February 23, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I heard about it from a writing podcast the author does with Larry Correia and I was not disappointed. As a high school teacher, it’s nice to have a high school horror story with competent student characters. It gives me hope for some of my students!
November 24, 2022
3.5 stars. While not described as a YA novel it certainly reads as such. The 2 main protagonists are 17 year old high school students. It's a hidden supernatural world with 2 primary organizations in charge of keeping it hidden and also experimenting to create new supes.
November 12, 2023
Good intro!
I like the introduction of physics and and corporation genetic werewolves and stuff. This has some good possibilities and I hope it keeps going well. Neither corporation seems good so it will be interesting which side jack decides to join
I like the introduction of physics and and corporation genetic werewolves and stuff. This has some good possibilities and I hope it keeps going well. Neither corporation seems good so it will be interesting which side jack decides to join
September 1, 2024
Fantastic urban fantasy/mystery
This book has feet in several genres. Urban fantasy....thriller...mystery. The author does a great job with all three genres! If you like paranormal mysteries, this the the book for you!!!
I read the book in just over a day. I couldn't put it down!
This book has feet in several genres. Urban fantasy....thriller...mystery. The author does a great job with all three genres! If you like paranormal mysteries, this the the book for you!!!
I read the book in just over a day. I couldn't put it down!
May 29, 2025
This is one of the best books I've read
This is one of the best books I have read in a long time! I mean it jumped off from the start and total cliffhanger at the end. I can't wait to read the next one!
This is one of the best books I have read in a long time! I mean it jumped off from the start and total cliffhanger at the end. I can't wait to read the next one!
February 19, 2019
Nothing special with some missed opportunities.
Not my cup of tea.
Not my cup of tea.
November 17, 2022
Really liked this book. It did leave me wanting more. It's a fast read. Really hoping we get more of Jack and Alex.
November 3, 2023
Residue
Wow! Great story so far want to see if there is a “next” book! Nice twist and turns. Kind of creepy to think that someone could be doing this!
Wow! Great story so far want to see if there is a “next” book! Nice twist and turns. Kind of creepy to think that someone could be doing this!
November 6, 2023
Interesting start
Well thought out characters, backgrounds, and setting. Has great potential. Look forward to another book. Hope another is on the way.
Well thought out characters, backgrounds, and setting. Has great potential. Look forward to another book. Hope another is on the way.
December 31, 2023
Excellent!
What an interesting story with an excellent story line, lots of action, and incredible quality. A step above the usual ku books.
What an interesting story with an excellent story line, lots of action, and incredible quality. A step above the usual ku books.
January 7, 2024
mature writing
Believable characters, tight action. Just might buy the next one. Alex as a security consultant so young is pushing it, but overall I was able to buy the premise.
Believable characters, tight action. Just might buy the next one. Alex as a security consultant so young is pushing it, but overall I was able to buy the premise.
June 27, 2024
Good idea. Juvenile execution. Full of tropes and at times heavy handed in its message. Meh
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews