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Security
The terrible truth about Manderley is that someone is always watching. Manderley Resort is a gleaming, new twenty-story hotel on the California coast. It’s about to open its doors, and the world--at least those with the means to afford it--will be welcomed into a palace of opulence and unparalleled security. But someone is determined that Manderley will never open. The staff has no idea that their every move is being watched, and over the next twelve hours they will be killed off, one by one.
Writing in the tradition of Edgar Allan Poe and Stephen King, and with a deep bow to Daphne du Maurier, author Gina Wohlsdorf pairs narrative ingenuity and razor-wire prose with quick twists, sharp turns, and gasp-inducing terror. Security is grand guignol storytelling at its very best.
A shocking thriller, a brilliant narrative puzzle, and a multifaceted love story unlike any other, Security marks the debut of a fearless and gifted writer.
Writing in the tradition of Edgar Allan Poe and Stephen King, and with a deep bow to Daphne du Maurier, author Gina Wohlsdorf pairs narrative ingenuity and razor-wire prose with quick twists, sharp turns, and gasp-inducing terror. Security is grand guignol storytelling at its very best.
A shocking thriller, a brilliant narrative puzzle, and a multifaceted love story unlike any other, Security marks the debut of a fearless and gifted writer.
229 pages, Hardcover
First published June 6, 2016
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11390 people want to read
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June 21, 2018
"That's not food. It's meat, but it's not."
this book is not going to win the pulitzer, but if ponies ever become wishes and they start giving out literary awards in the category of "fun, funny slasher novels," this book will have a very good chance at winning one. it's a very simple premise centering around the manderley - an ultra-luxe hotel with an ominous name, complete with a mandatory horror-hotel hedge maze, secret passages, an excruciatingly slow glass elevator, and asking-for-it white carpeting. on the eve before its opening night gala, the staff, hurrying from room to room making sure everything is impeccable for the overbearingly perfectionist owner charles destin, are spectacularly, splatteringly murdered one by one by unknown assailants, while security cameras feed footage to the twentieth floor monitors and to the individual within who is watching everything unfold. because, as we are told - The best security is invisible security. The most thorough safety is safety one's object of protection doesn't know about, so there are cameras that the guests and staff know about, and then there are … other cameras. so many other cameras.
it's a slow reveal book which operates within the understanding fans make with the slasher genre - you know what's going to happen to all the poor souls within the frame of the story, but you don't know how or when. and, as far as modern horror understandings go, you know that at the center of it all will be a strong and capable woman who's gonna dig deep and surprise all comers with her fight-back skills and her lateral thinking in a crisis.
and - spoiler alert for the movie you're next:
oh, indeed.
so here, the sharni vinson role is played by tessa, the most efficient hotel manager ever. a good hotel manager can smile politely in the face of a cranky overprivileged guest's tantrum and find a solution to placate and mollify their outrage. a great hotel manager can do that while covered in someone else's blood.
"Look, Charles thinks this is a game. And what you and your team mostly do is cry wolf. But if a wolf comes at me? Last thing I'm doing? Is crying about it."
tessa's got a hundred-tick checklist to deal with and the last thing she needs is a man from her past popping up again after eleven years and stirring up emotions when she's dealing with a french chef's hissy fits, a broken dishwasher, an owner verbally abusing the entire staff, electricians who are ready to walk, and now this head on the mantel.
the obvious criticism one could make (and may already have made - i haven't looked) is that "it reads like a screenplay," but to me it doesn't. in my head, i can see someone excited to film this, but i think it would make a really mediocre movie. there's something about this that works as a book that wouldn't as a movie, and i think a lot of it has to do with the power of a reader's imagination vs. the budget limitations of your average horror film and the same vs. the average acting ability of actors willing to appear in slasher films, regardless of how clever they are. (minus christian bale, who looked like he was having a fun time in a shitty adaptation) i think this would be a completely forgettable movie, but as a book, although it follows horror movie conventions to a t: insert sex scene here, place close call here, foreshadow object here, use as murder weapon there, &etc., it was genuinely intense and it surprised me with some of its moves. i also loved the voice of the "watcher," who is responsible for the tone of the story; equal parts detached/robotic and funny, which tone would be lost in a cinematic version.
Brian is attacking the grease on his hands with a kitchen towel. The towel has red stains on it, most likely cherry coulis. One cannot rule out the possibility that the stains are not cherry coulis.
which, now that i think about it, is one of the reasons that adaptation of American Psycho didn't work for me - the narrative tone being the strongest appeal of the novel and sidelined in the film.
it's very cleverly done, and as the "camera" of the narrative pans back to show us more of what it is we thought we were looking at, it just gets better and better until the end actually did make me feel something. ME! with FEELS!
it's not as high-concept as cabin in the woods, and it's definitely more horror than humor, but it's smart, funny, and bloody, which is all good things as far as i'm concerned.
come to my blog!
this book is not going to win the pulitzer, but if ponies ever become wishes and they start giving out literary awards in the category of "fun, funny slasher novels," this book will have a very good chance at winning one. it's a very simple premise centering around the manderley - an ultra-luxe hotel with an ominous name, complete with a mandatory horror-hotel hedge maze, secret passages, an excruciatingly slow glass elevator, and asking-for-it white carpeting. on the eve before its opening night gala, the staff, hurrying from room to room making sure everything is impeccable for the overbearingly perfectionist owner charles destin, are spectacularly, splatteringly murdered one by one by unknown assailants, while security cameras feed footage to the twentieth floor monitors and to the individual within who is watching everything unfold. because, as we are told - The best security is invisible security. The most thorough safety is safety one's object of protection doesn't know about, so there are cameras that the guests and staff know about, and then there are … other cameras. so many other cameras.
it's a slow reveal book which operates within the understanding fans make with the slasher genre - you know what's going to happen to all the poor souls within the frame of the story, but you don't know how or when. and, as far as modern horror understandings go, you know that at the center of it all will be a strong and capable woman who's gonna dig deep and surprise all comers with her fight-back skills and her lateral thinking in a crisis.
and - spoiler alert for the movie you're next:
oh, indeed.
so here, the sharni vinson role is played by tessa, the most efficient hotel manager ever. a good hotel manager can smile politely in the face of a cranky overprivileged guest's tantrum and find a solution to placate and mollify their outrage. a great hotel manager can do that while covered in someone else's blood.
"Look, Charles thinks this is a game. And what you and your team mostly do is cry wolf. But if a wolf comes at me? Last thing I'm doing? Is crying about it."
tessa's got a hundred-tick checklist to deal with and the last thing she needs is a man from her past popping up again after eleven years and stirring up emotions when she's dealing with a french chef's hissy fits, a broken dishwasher, an owner verbally abusing the entire staff, electricians who are ready to walk, and now this head on the mantel.
the obvious criticism one could make (and may already have made - i haven't looked) is that "it reads like a screenplay," but to me it doesn't. in my head, i can see someone excited to film this, but i think it would make a really mediocre movie. there's something about this that works as a book that wouldn't as a movie, and i think a lot of it has to do with the power of a reader's imagination vs. the budget limitations of your average horror film and the same vs. the average acting ability of actors willing to appear in slasher films, regardless of how clever they are. (minus christian bale, who looked like he was having a fun time in a shitty adaptation) i think this would be a completely forgettable movie, but as a book, although it follows horror movie conventions to a t: insert sex scene here, place close call here, foreshadow object here, use as murder weapon there, &etc., it was genuinely intense and it surprised me with some of its moves. i also loved the voice of the "watcher," who is responsible for the tone of the story; equal parts detached/robotic and funny, which tone would be lost in a cinematic version.
Brian is attacking the grease on his hands with a kitchen towel. The towel has red stains on it, most likely cherry coulis. One cannot rule out the possibility that the stains are not cherry coulis.
which, now that i think about it, is one of the reasons that adaptation of American Psycho didn't work for me - the narrative tone being the strongest appeal of the novel and sidelined in the film.
it's very cleverly done, and as the "camera" of the narrative pans back to show us more of what it is we thought we were looking at, it just gets better and better until the end actually did make me feel something. ME! with FEELS!
it's not as high-concept as cabin in the woods, and it's definitely more horror than humor, but it's smart, funny, and bloody, which is all good things as far as i'm concerned.
come to my blog!
Read
March 26, 2016With sincere thanks to Netgalley and Algonquin Books, I offer my thoughts on Security by Gina Wohlsdorf, due to be published June 7, 2016.
Now that was different! Just when you think there’s nothing new an author can do to shock or astonish along comes a book like Security. Gina Wohlsdorf has been compared to so many horrors’ twisty writers but I’ve got a new one to add. I’d call Security the book Agatha Christie gone mad might have written instead of And Then There Were None. It’s got all the elements. It’s a locked room mystery where the bodies continue to pile up but in a maniacal, yet calculated way. There are herrings thrown about if you look closely. Dark, funny, and unique, Security may not be for everyone, there's lots of gruesome scenes, but should appeal to speculative readers, horror fans, and thriller enthusiasts alike.
Now that was different! Just when you think there’s nothing new an author can do to shock or astonish along comes a book like Security. Gina Wohlsdorf has been compared to so many horrors’ twisty writers but I’ve got a new one to add. I’d call Security the book Agatha Christie gone mad might have written instead of And Then There Were None. It’s got all the elements. It’s a locked room mystery where the bodies continue to pile up but in a maniacal, yet calculated way. There are herrings thrown about if you look closely. Dark, funny, and unique, Security may not be for everyone, there's lots of gruesome scenes, but should appeal to speculative readers, horror fans, and thriller enthusiasts alike.
July 18, 2019
So, this book was amazing.
I think perhaps I owe Joe Abercrombie an apology. I almost gave up on this book once the violence started. It's graphic, horrible, detailed violence and honestly it made me sick. I don't enjoy reading about people being horribly, painfully and slowly murdered.
However, I had it on good authority that this was a great novel. And my authority was correct: actually this is stunning, amazing novel. Five stars. On my favorites shelf, which is no joke.
What does that have to do with Joe Abercrombie?
Well, as you know, Joe Abercrombie is an amazing author. But I find it hard to truly enjoy his books because they are so dark. Brilliant, wonderfully written, but very dark. Wohlsdorf is NOT as dark as Abercrombie, despite being just as - if not more - violent than him in her writing. But she has a rather jaunty attitude and a more cheerful one than him, whereas he feels like he has to permeate every corner of his novels with darkness. That's why she is getting five stars and he is getting four. Even though one could make a solid, convincing argument that he deserves five.
As for the plot of this book, it's hard for me to describe it to you without giving anything away. It's part slasher-horror film, part romance novel, part action-adventure novel. It's creative, non-stop, thrilling, both romantic and sexual, both horrifying and yet uplifting, both showcasing both the worst parts of humanity and the best. It's also funny.
I feel like I am not writing the best review for it, because I gobbled it down this morning without posting any updates. So I don't have any pithy excerpts or witty comments on it.
It's wonderful, amazing, surprising. Wohlsdorf is immensely skilled.
RELATED MATERIALS
Die Hard - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095016/
Vertical Run
by Joseph R. Garber - one of the best books ever written
Rebecca
by Daphne du Maurier
Perv
by Dakota Gray - Another stellar book
Deadpool - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1431045/
The Shining
by Stephen King - Another stunning book
All Systems Red
by Martha Wells
I know this review could be better. Perhaps I'll come back later and flesh it out. I'm not lying about the crass disgustingness that's in here, though. I seriously almost DNFed. If you are squeamish, if you don't like some crass, disgusting, deliberate and gleeful violence - this may not be for you. It almost was too much for me. Luckily for me there isn't any sexual violence, I wouldn't have been able to tolerate that - another difference between her and Joe Abercrombie. People are comparing her to Stephen King, but come on. There's only one Stephen King. No one is "like" Stephen King and no one can be like Stephen King. Not because I'm some blind fan, okay, I'm not, just because Stephen King is unique and no one can come close to him. Which doesn't mean Wohlsdorf and others don't deserve five stars, of course they do, but I never believe Stephen King comparisons because the whole idea of making Stephen King comparisons is ridiculous.
I feel like this was a very bizarre review. But I highly recommend the book! Go read it! I didn't regret it, in fact, I ended up loving it. Very exciting and the writing is brilliant. If you like ACTION-ADVENTURE, if you like EXCITING, NON-STOP ACTION - then this is the book for you. If you like SLASHER FILMS, and/or films like DEADPOOL, then this book is for you.
I think perhaps I owe Joe Abercrombie an apology. I almost gave up on this book once the violence started. It's graphic, horrible, detailed violence and honestly it made me sick. I don't enjoy reading about people being horribly, painfully and slowly murdered.
However, I had it on good authority that this was a great novel. And my authority was correct: actually this is stunning, amazing novel. Five stars. On my favorites shelf, which is no joke.
What does that have to do with Joe Abercrombie?
Well, as you know, Joe Abercrombie is an amazing author. But I find it hard to truly enjoy his books because they are so dark. Brilliant, wonderfully written, but very dark. Wohlsdorf is NOT as dark as Abercrombie, despite being just as - if not more - violent than him in her writing. But she has a rather jaunty attitude and a more cheerful one than him, whereas he feels like he has to permeate every corner of his novels with darkness. That's why she is getting five stars and he is getting four. Even though one could make a solid, convincing argument that he deserves five.
As for the plot of this book, it's hard for me to describe it to you without giving anything away. It's part slasher-horror film, part romance novel, part action-adventure novel. It's creative, non-stop, thrilling, both romantic and sexual, both horrifying and yet uplifting, both showcasing both the worst parts of humanity and the best. It's also funny.
I feel like I am not writing the best review for it, because I gobbled it down this morning without posting any updates. So I don't have any pithy excerpts or witty comments on it.
It's wonderful, amazing, surprising. Wohlsdorf is immensely skilled.
RELATED MATERIALS
Die Hard - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095016/
Vertical Run
by Joseph R. Garber - one of the best books ever writtenRebecca
by Daphne du MaurierPerv
by Dakota Gray - Another stellar bookDeadpool - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1431045/
The Shining
by Stephen King - Another stunning bookAll Systems Red
by Martha WellsI know this review could be better. Perhaps I'll come back later and flesh it out. I'm not lying about the crass disgustingness that's in here, though. I seriously almost DNFed. If you are squeamish, if you don't like some crass, disgusting, deliberate and gleeful violence - this may not be for you. It almost was too much for me. Luckily for me there isn't any sexual violence, I wouldn't have been able to tolerate that - another difference between her and Joe Abercrombie. People are comparing her to Stephen King, but come on. There's only one Stephen King. No one is "like" Stephen King and no one can be like Stephen King. Not because I'm some blind fan, okay, I'm not, just because Stephen King is unique and no one can come close to him. Which doesn't mean Wohlsdorf and others don't deserve five stars, of course they do, but I never believe Stephen King comparisons because the whole idea of making Stephen King comparisons is ridiculous.
I feel like this was a very bizarre review. But I highly recommend the book! Go read it! I didn't regret it, in fact, I ended up loving it. Very exciting and the writing is brilliant. If you like ACTION-ADVENTURE, if you like EXCITING, NON-STOP ACTION - then this is the book for you. If you like SLASHER FILMS, and/or films like DEADPOOL, then this book is for you.
April 19, 2022
This is a slasher novel, so I guess it's redundant to say that it is gory ("the Killer is throwing organs out of X as if she were a toy box") and unpleasant. Hapless victims are picked off one by one. It also has a romantic coupling with a back story straight out of a soap opera, leading to some icky, semi-incestuous soft core porn. If I could have skimmed my way past the "love" story, I would have, but the two threads of the story were generally jumbled together in the same paragraph so it was hard to avoid.
The basic premise is that a fancy resort is undergoing last minute preparations for its opening. Two motiveless, knife-loving, masked killers are stalking the resort's employees and also the foster brother of the woman in charge who, unfortunately for him, picks this day to come visit her and spill his deepest secrets. The unnamed narrator is watching all of this unfold from security cameras that cover the entire resort. I didn't get the point of any of this. If you want to kill a bunch of defenseless people, get them together in one place and shoot them. If you want to terrorize them, then they need to know that they are facing some threat. Neither of these things happened until the end.
The book has an unusual feature (gimmick). At certain points in the book, the pages are split and the simultaneous actions at 2 or more locations are described side by side. It reminded me of a power point presentation. I was reading a physical book, but I can imagine this might be tricky to read on an e-reader.
My final problem with the book is that the author (for no reason that I could detect) makes the only gay character a villian and a source of annoyance to the other employees and the only employee unqualified for his job. I was not comfortable with this.
I kept reading to find out how it would end and because who can look away from a car wreck, but I didn't enjoy the experience.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
The basic premise is that a fancy resort is undergoing last minute preparations for its opening. Two motiveless, knife-loving, masked killers are stalking the resort's employees and also the foster brother of the woman in charge who, unfortunately for him, picks this day to come visit her and spill his deepest secrets. The unnamed narrator is watching all of this unfold from security cameras that cover the entire resort. I didn't get the point of any of this. If you want to kill a bunch of defenseless people, get them together in one place and shoot them. If you want to terrorize them, then they need to know that they are facing some threat. Neither of these things happened until the end.
The book has an unusual feature (gimmick). At certain points in the book, the pages are split and the simultaneous actions at 2 or more locations are described side by side. It reminded me of a power point presentation. I was reading a physical book, but I can imagine this might be tricky to read on an e-reader.
My final problem with the book is that the author (for no reason that I could detect) makes the only gay character a villian and a source of annoyance to the other employees and the only employee unqualified for his job. I was not comfortable with this.
I kept reading to find out how it would end and because who can look away from a car wreck, but I didn't enjoy the experience.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 5, 2019
"The best security is invisible security."
First off, I'd like to thank Kim, one of the best book reviewers ever and a dear friend, who personally recommended this book to me. Thanks a bunch, Kim, you've introduced me to some pretty awesome books, but this one takes the cake.
Read Kim's review of Security here .
"The most thorough safety is safety one's object of protection doesn't know about."
Coming back to the review: This is an INSANELY AMAZING book!!!
I loved Security for more than a dozen reasons. If I'll try and explain all of them, I'll probably go nuts because I'm already feeling too excited to even write a review for this book. So I'll just list a few reasons why I loved this book so much without getting into details:
◆ Unique concept. Security is written from the point of view of a stranger who sees the entire hotel through a number of cameras.
◆ The sheer brilliance of the plot.
◆ Remarkable characterization. In order to bring out the best in the main characters, the author intentionally made more than half of the side characters only two-dimensional in a way that only gives half the picture while smartly concealing the other half for build-up purposes.
◆ Exceptional pacing. I was up all night reading this book and couldn't put it down for even a second (I had to miss a meal too in order to finish it!)
◆ Ingenious execution of the plot. I'm in love with the author's writing style.
Apart from these, there a couple more things that I'd like to highlight that made the book more enjoyable:
◆ The shamelessly brutal dissection of human emotions.
◆ Brilliant writing and a clever style of execution of highs and lows.
◆ Fluent dialogues.
◆ Eloquent and effective sarcasm.
◆ Awfully brilliant gory stuff.
◆ The abrupt scene cuts delivered a sense of urgency quite beautifully.
◆ A heartbreaking and gut-wrenching end.
I'm still so upset about how the book ended that it's literally making me go crazy. It didn't make me weep (that would have been weird) but it really unsettled me because I literally fell for the unknown POV guy - Mr Head Of Security.
I'd recommend this book to each and everyone out there who read books. You should read this book simply because if you don't, then you'll miss out on a really, really, really GOOD book. And I'm sure you wouldn't want to do that. Do you?
You can also read this review on www.thereadingbud.com
April 13, 2023
My introduction to the fiction of Gina Wohlsdorf is her debut novel Security. Published in 2016, this was hyped by CrimeReads, whose standards, I'm learning, for a good thriller seem to be that it's not a telephone or a cow but a book. Recommended three times ("9 Crime Novels You Should Read In August," "Six Great Novels with Mysterious Protagonists," "Six Thrillers That Use Unusual Structures To Build Suspense"), the story seems to involve a luxury hotel in Santa Barbara which on the eve of its grand opening is plagued by a killer on the loose.
What's going on or what the nature of reality is seem to be at play, but I abandoned this on page 36/229 due to its perplexing points of view, unconventional formatting, bewildering action and superficial characters. The author tips her hat to Daphne du Maurier and Rebecca, but that was a novel with concise and powerful prose, excellent dialogue and vivid characters. We wanted to figure out what type of novel it was exactly--gothic romance, murder mystery, ghost story--because the scenario was so intoxicating. Reading Security is like being hung over.
Wohlsdorf introduces a hotel manager named Tessa who seems to be the protagonist. A daredevil who may be either a foster brother or ex-boyfriend shows up to follow her on her rounds. The hotel's owner has personally berated every employee before leaving for the day, you know, like wealthy men do. A killer (referred to as The Killer) wearing a Michael Myers mask speaks in first person. A chef darts out of a door and slices Tessa's hand with a knife accidentally then farts while she continues on her rounds with the daredevil following her around for God knows why.
At the 15% mark, I had no idea if this was a slasher movie script in book form, a video game simulation, or a dream. I am not at all the reader for these postmodern slasher novels like The Last Final Girl that attempt to reimagine what a novel is, not because I dislike '70s or '80s slasher movies, but because I hate writing that calls attention to itself. I don't want to read a construct, I want to read something real. This book seems to have designs to be a puzzle for reader. That's easy: puzzle me whether the author has ever read a book. I see no evidence Wohlsdorf has.
What's going on or what the nature of reality is seem to be at play, but I abandoned this on page 36/229 due to its perplexing points of view, unconventional formatting, bewildering action and superficial characters. The author tips her hat to Daphne du Maurier and Rebecca, but that was a novel with concise and powerful prose, excellent dialogue and vivid characters. We wanted to figure out what type of novel it was exactly--gothic romance, murder mystery, ghost story--because the scenario was so intoxicating. Reading Security is like being hung over.
Wohlsdorf introduces a hotel manager named Tessa who seems to be the protagonist. A daredevil who may be either a foster brother or ex-boyfriend shows up to follow her on her rounds. The hotel's owner has personally berated every employee before leaving for the day, you know, like wealthy men do. A killer (referred to as The Killer) wearing a Michael Myers mask speaks in first person. A chef darts out of a door and slices Tessa's hand with a knife accidentally then farts while she continues on her rounds with the daredevil following her around for God knows why.
At the 15% mark, I had no idea if this was a slasher movie script in book form, a video game simulation, or a dream. I am not at all the reader for these postmodern slasher novels like The Last Final Girl that attempt to reimagine what a novel is, not because I dislike '70s or '80s slasher movies, but because I hate writing that calls attention to itself. I don't want to read a construct, I want to read something real. This book seems to have designs to be a puzzle for reader. That's easy: puzzle me whether the author has ever read a book. I see no evidence Wohlsdorf has.
September 24, 2019
Me: I want to read a slasher book set in close quarters where a group of people who aren't necessarily close to one another is killed off one by one
This book: *is a slasher book set in close quarters where a group of people who aren't necessarily close to one another is killed off one by one*
Me: I'm shocked. I'm positively shocked that every character I grow attached to dies eventually.
Security is most probably one of the most uniquely structured novels that I've ever had the pleasure of reading in a while. Following one of my favorite tropes where unsuspecting characters are stuck in one setting (a strangely structured hotel that is being constantly monitored by a group of security guards) where a killer is set out to cut them down, one by one.
At first, I started listening to this novel on audiobook and immediately knew that I was missing something , so I decided to hop over to my library and take out the physical copy, and boy was I missing a LOT. If one were to read this book, I would highly recommend reading it physically as the author sometimes splits the narrative into two, three, or even four columns or sections on a single page to follow a handful of characters' perspectives as they occur at the same time.
Because the author does this, we get to swing back and forth between characters so seamlessly it almost feels like a film cutting between scenes every so often within a chapter. While we have a character narrating the entire story because they are somewhat omnipresent, we also get to see each character go off on their own throughout the hotel that is so intricately structured, I wish this book would be adapted into a film because the set design would be awe-inspiring. It is most definitely one of the most innovative settings I've read about in years, and I don't think I'll ever be over it.
What makes this story shine is the fact that it's such a short novel that is so flawlessly paced, it's impossible to say that it dragged on in any scene. Every moment of this novel is crucial to the overall storyline, and I even found myself feeling upset whenever we lost another character to this sadistic killer who brushes off his murders so flippantly that I had my mouth open during certain scenes, in utter shock of how gruesome and cruel this book became. While it was such a short novel, we still got to learn a lot about each characters' struggles, past, and motivations, which makes you somewhat attached to them whenever they're being killed off, and I have to give Wohlsdorf a lot of credit for managing to make be get attached to characters I spent such a short amount of time with. Her writing is quick, gruesome, complex, unparalleled, and I cannot stop raving about it.
If you're looking for a weekend read for the autumn season to get in the spooky vibe, I would highly recommend this novel that had me screaming at the end of it all because every moment in this story was a surprise thrown my way and I was on a journey I never wanted to end. What a fantastic and disturbing read. Wow.
AT A GLANCE
- one-setting / close quarter slasher book set in a hotel
- unique story structure
- quick, weekend read
This book: *is a slasher book set in close quarters where a group of people who aren't necessarily close to one another is killed off one by one*
Me: I'm shocked. I'm positively shocked that every character I grow attached to dies eventually.
Security is most probably one of the most uniquely structured novels that I've ever had the pleasure of reading in a while. Following one of my favorite tropes where unsuspecting characters are stuck in one setting (a strangely structured hotel that is being constantly monitored by a group of security guards) where a killer is set out to cut them down, one by one.
At first, I started listening to this novel on audiobook and immediately knew that I was missing something , so I decided to hop over to my library and take out the physical copy, and boy was I missing a LOT. If one were to read this book, I would highly recommend reading it physically as the author sometimes splits the narrative into two, three, or even four columns or sections on a single page to follow a handful of characters' perspectives as they occur at the same time.
Because the author does this, we get to swing back and forth between characters so seamlessly it almost feels like a film cutting between scenes every so often within a chapter. While we have a character narrating the entire story because they are somewhat omnipresent, we also get to see each character go off on their own throughout the hotel that is so intricately structured, I wish this book would be adapted into a film because the set design would be awe-inspiring. It is most definitely one of the most innovative settings I've read about in years, and I don't think I'll ever be over it.
What makes this story shine is the fact that it's such a short novel that is so flawlessly paced, it's impossible to say that it dragged on in any scene. Every moment of this novel is crucial to the overall storyline, and I even found myself feeling upset whenever we lost another character to this sadistic killer who brushes off his murders so flippantly that I had my mouth open during certain scenes, in utter shock of how gruesome and cruel this book became. While it was such a short novel, we still got to learn a lot about each characters' struggles, past, and motivations, which makes you somewhat attached to them whenever they're being killed off, and I have to give Wohlsdorf a lot of credit for managing to make be get attached to characters I spent such a short amount of time with. Her writing is quick, gruesome, complex, unparalleled, and I cannot stop raving about it.
If you're looking for a weekend read for the autumn season to get in the spooky vibe, I would highly recommend this novel that had me screaming at the end of it all because every moment in this story was a surprise thrown my way and I was on a journey I never wanted to end. What a fantastic and disturbing read. Wow.
AT A GLANCE
- one-setting / close quarter slasher book set in a hotel
- unique story structure
- quick, weekend read
June 19, 2016
Tessa take her job as the hotel manager at the new Manderley Resort in Santa Barbara very seriously. She has her staff working on all the last minute details before the opening coming up in twenty four hours to make sure everything ends up perfect. The only problem is Tessa and the staff don't know there is a killer at large in the building and now this luxury resort is becoming one of nightmares despite the top of the line high tech security.
Security by Gina Wohlsdorf is one of the books when finished I'd love to see this done on the big screen. A mix of horror and thriller it's one intriguing read as you follow along and watch the grisly murders unfold on the security feeds and hope that someone will be able to stop the killer. It really made me think of a mix of Die Hard with that brand new top of the line building type of setting mixed with Psycho with the killer in the hotel.
Reading this one a Kindle I do think you lose a bit of the set up with the cameras and a hard copy would probably be the best bet but with an early copy I can't say that for sure because the format may change in the final e-copy. It's meant to have the story of what's happening on cameras side by side at the same time but what you get in the electronic version comes off as jumpy switching the action.
As with a slasher story we need to have a couple at the forefront to root for. The relationship developing in the story also involves Tessa and a man from her past that she was raised with. They aren't related but sort of raised that way in a foster home so beware if that may bother some. For me I didn't mind as at least their past is a reasoning for the relationship instead of something like insta-love being tossed into the mix.
Overall, basically a slasher book instead of a movie with sex and violence involved set in a top of the line hotel with secret passages and fun gadgets.
I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
Security by Gina Wohlsdorf is one of the books when finished I'd love to see this done on the big screen. A mix of horror and thriller it's one intriguing read as you follow along and watch the grisly murders unfold on the security feeds and hope that someone will be able to stop the killer. It really made me think of a mix of Die Hard with that brand new top of the line building type of setting mixed with Psycho with the killer in the hotel.
Reading this one a Kindle I do think you lose a bit of the set up with the cameras and a hard copy would probably be the best bet but with an early copy I can't say that for sure because the format may change in the final e-copy. It's meant to have the story of what's happening on cameras side by side at the same time but what you get in the electronic version comes off as jumpy switching the action.
As with a slasher story we need to have a couple at the forefront to root for. The relationship developing in the story also involves Tessa and a man from her past that she was raised with. They aren't related but sort of raised that way in a foster home so beware if that may bother some. For me I didn't mind as at least their past is a reasoning for the relationship instead of something like insta-love being tossed into the mix.
Overall, basically a slasher book instead of a movie with sex and violence involved set in a top of the line hotel with secret passages and fun gadgets.
I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
November 17, 2016
I can't think of the last time I had this much fun with a book. Security was pure enjoyment from start to finish. A high-rise hotel is about to have its grand opening, but before that can happen some assassins get in, and blood will be spattered like ketchup over a plate of fries before it's all over. Hotel manager Tessa is brisk and businesslike, but she's thrown for an understandable loop when a man from her past shows up unexpectedly...and when her coworkers start turning up violently dead. The story is told from the varying perspectives of the many security cameras throughout the property, which provides a seamless, omnipresent feel that only adds to the tension—we can see the bad thing that's about to happen, but we're powerless to stop it. Just like everyone inside the doomed hotel.
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
June 7, 2025
I feel like I’m being generous with two stars. This book had a gross, borderline incestuous love story (with a nice line about two brothers who discussed trading off their “sister.” So classy.) and tons of violence with absolutely no rationale at all. Skip this.
Read for Horror Aficionados Summer Horror Reading Challenge, Read a book set in a hotel, resort or campground.
Read for Horror Aficionados Summer Horror Reading Challenge, Read a book set in a hotel, resort or campground.
December 17, 2021
This was a unique and thrilling read!
I felt like a voyeur while reading this. The writing style is unusual and may not be for everybody, but I found it captivating. The story is told from different camera perspectives and reminded me of Rewind. In addition to the unique narration, this book delivered on the thrills, suspense and (surprisingly) gore. Some of these death scenes put horror movies to shame!
I felt like a voyeur while reading this. The writing style is unusual and may not be for everybody, but I found it captivating. The story is told from different camera perspectives and reminded me of Rewind. In addition to the unique narration, this book delivered on the thrills, suspense and (surprisingly) gore. Some of these death scenes put horror movies to shame!
December 8, 2015
First, I much prefer the red cover opposed to the one pictured now.
This book was a bit of a head scratcher for me. I couldn't quite figure out the point. There wasn't much of a plot other than murder.
It felt like the author tried to give us a subplot with the main character's love story - which was really only a weak back story ending in current sex. I STILL don't understand the point of their story being told.
The killer(s)- there was NO plot. They killed. Period. There weren't any reasons why, we never found out who they were. Nothing.
The reason I gave this 3 stars was because I actually enjoyed the unique pov and the way the story was told. I'm still a bit confused if there will be another book or this is it....
** I received an ecopy from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review **
This book was a bit of a head scratcher for me. I couldn't quite figure out the point. There wasn't much of a plot other than murder.
It felt like the author tried to give us a subplot with the main character's love story - which was really only a weak back story ending in current sex. I STILL don't understand the point of their story being told.
The killer(s)- there was NO plot. They killed. Period. There weren't any reasons why, we never found out who they were. Nothing.
The reason I gave this 3 stars was because I actually enjoyed the unique pov and the way the story was told. I'm still a bit confused if there will be another book or this is it....
** I received an ecopy from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review **
October 15, 2021
Yea I um didn't like this 😅
April 10, 2017
Actual Rating: 3.75
*I won an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
The writing style for this was definitely something! It's a while before the identity of the narrator is revealed, and therefore the book is written in third person omniscient, which really adds to the eerie tone of the story.
There were some really cool formatted pages too - meant to depict the multi-view security perspective; I've read a few reviews who talk about the formatting made it difficult to understand. However, I've noticed that most of those reviewers were going off of e-copies; I received a hardback ARC, and I didn't have a problem! (With that being said, if you're going to buy this book, definitely buy a physical copy to get the full experience.)
Continuing on with writing style, there is the factor of "jumping around" that some people have trouble with. But for me, this type of writing really worked! It provided an aspect of suspense and chaos that I think really added to the mood of the book as well.
In terms of plot, there were so many twists and secrets to this: secret elevators, locked rooms, gory violence - everything needed to make a good horror story.
I think another thing that really made this book a success for me was the love story that came along with it.
I know, I know. A horror and a love story? But Gina Wohlsdorf really made it work. It's hard to describe, but what this book did was combine emotional and physical chaos - and this plus the writing style really set up the contrast in setting and intertwined scenes that would otherwise seem disconnected.
I'd say that the characters were really likeable as well - as a murder mystery, obviously some would be killed off - but it was always a question of who would be next. (NO, NOT THAT ONE. THEY'RE MY FAVOURITE. PLEASE.)
Anyways, this was a wild ride, and I'm so glad I got to experience what this author can do - looking forward to anything else they come up with!
-
05/21/2016 - My ARC of this just came in the mail; I'll be reading it after I finish Me Before You and After You - I'm so excited!
*I won an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
The writing style for this was definitely something! It's a while before the identity of the narrator is revealed, and therefore the book is written in third person omniscient, which really adds to the eerie tone of the story.
There were some really cool formatted pages too - meant to depict the multi-view security perspective; I've read a few reviews who talk about the formatting made it difficult to understand. However, I've noticed that most of those reviewers were going off of e-copies; I received a hardback ARC, and I didn't have a problem! (With that being said, if you're going to buy this book, definitely buy a physical copy to get the full experience.)
Continuing on with writing style, there is the factor of "jumping around" that some people have trouble with. But for me, this type of writing really worked! It provided an aspect of suspense and chaos that I think really added to the mood of the book as well.
In terms of plot, there were so many twists and secrets to this: secret elevators, locked rooms, gory violence - everything needed to make a good horror story.
I think another thing that really made this book a success for me was the love story that came along with it.
I know, I know. A horror and a love story? But Gina Wohlsdorf really made it work. It's hard to describe, but what this book did was combine emotional and physical chaos - and this plus the writing style really set up the contrast in setting and intertwined scenes that would otherwise seem disconnected.
I'd say that the characters were really likeable as well - as a murder mystery, obviously some would be killed off - but it was always a question of who would be next. (NO, NOT THAT ONE. THEY'RE MY FAVOURITE. PLEASE.)
Anyways, this was a wild ride, and I'm so glad I got to experience what this author can do - looking forward to anything else they come up with!
-
05/21/2016 - My ARC of this just came in the mail; I'll be reading it after I finish Me Before You and After You - I'm so excited!
May 15, 2016
After all the hype I've read about this book and how it was going to be the book of the summer, I gotta say I was thoroughly disappointed. For me, the book was just okay. I finished it with a lot of unanswered questions and I skipped a lot of pages that were just seeming redundant. I also had a hard time reading it. I'm not sure if it's because it was an advance copy or not, but the editing was horrible.
I guess my biggest question is what was the point? Who were the killers and why were they doing this? I'm just glad that I didn't have to pay for this and really wish I could get my six hours back.
I want to thank Algonquin Books and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
I guess my biggest question is what was the point? Who were the killers and why were they doing this? I'm just glad that I didn't have to pay for this and really wish I could get my six hours back.
I want to thank Algonquin Books and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
January 19, 2016
I received an advance reader copy from NetGalley for this title and was really excited about it, since the blurb compared it to "A Visit from the Goon Squad."
I don't know if it was the copy I received, but the formatting was all off. Sure, there was the quirky way the book was narrated, flipping from story to story the way a security camera might, but there were also glaring incongruences like sentences finishing with the ending of lines a few lines down so you get sentences like this:
"The Killer puts Delores is apologizing to Tessa -- this is
Delores's favored greeting to Tessa-- before the main elevator's doors have fully opened."
Or this one:
"The Thinker solitaire, and the Killer is -- again -- sitting on the is -- still-- playing
bed in Room 717."
Even the acknowledgements get squeezed to resemble some sort of William Carlos Williams homage.
So I don't think that was the intention, but I think it contributed to me feeling less than charitable towards the book.
We follow (ostensibly through the security cameras) Tessa and other hotel workers as they shuttle up and down the slow-moving elevator (past the distinct lack of a thirteenth floor, we're told again and again and again), up and down the stairs, and begin preparations for the big grand opening. By the end of the book I felt like if I were ever to forget what it would be like to walk up and down 15-20 floors of a hotel and maybe take the elevator, too, to relieve the monotony, I could re-read this book and be 100% satisfied.
The story line in which a Killer (or Killers) is killing everyone in the hotel is a little bit suspenseful, but it's paired with an odd, flatly described burgeoning romance between two foster siblings that I just didn't get. Perhaps that was the point, because of who the narrator was, but it made for very dull, labored reading ("Her hips move like a clock's third hand."). For example:
"Her eyes were depthless when she stared past a straining neck, palmed a contorting shoulder blade, ran another hand down perfect vertebrae to a strong ass, and cupped. Stared at the ceiling, where she was seeing someone she wished were with her instead."
It feels like a second-by-second blow. I get that maybe this was a deliberate choice based on the way the book was narrated, but it just didn't work for me.
I don't know if it was the copy I received, but the formatting was all off. Sure, there was the quirky way the book was narrated, flipping from story to story the way a security camera might, but there were also glaring incongruences like sentences finishing with the ending of lines a few lines down so you get sentences like this:
"The Killer puts Delores is apologizing to Tessa -- this is
Delores's favored greeting to Tessa-- before the main elevator's doors have fully opened."
Or this one:
"The Thinker solitaire, and the Killer is -- again -- sitting on the is -- still-- playing
bed in Room 717."
Even the acknowledgements get squeezed to resemble some sort of William Carlos Williams homage.
So I don't think that was the intention, but I think it contributed to me feeling less than charitable towards the book.
We follow (ostensibly through the security cameras) Tessa and other hotel workers as they shuttle up and down the slow-moving elevator (past the distinct lack of a thirteenth floor, we're told again and again and again), up and down the stairs, and begin preparations for the big grand opening. By the end of the book I felt like if I were ever to forget what it would be like to walk up and down 15-20 floors of a hotel and maybe take the elevator, too, to relieve the monotony, I could re-read this book and be 100% satisfied.
The story line in which a Killer (or Killers) is killing everyone in the hotel is a little bit suspenseful, but it's paired with an odd, flatly described burgeoning romance between two foster siblings that I just didn't get. Perhaps that was the point, because of who the narrator was, but it made for very dull, labored reading ("Her hips move like a clock's third hand."). For example:
"Her eyes were depthless when she stared past a straining neck, palmed a contorting shoulder blade, ran another hand down perfect vertebrae to a strong ass, and cupped. Stared at the ceiling, where she was seeing someone she wished were with her instead."
It feels like a second-by-second blow. I get that maybe this was a deliberate choice based on the way the book was narrated, but it just didn't work for me.
June 4, 2017
Ever since I first came across Security, there was something intriguing about the book; it has a “big brother” aspect about it that piqued by interest. I downloaded the sample, something I would recommend, and was captivated and strangely intrigued by the point-of-view from which the story was told.
I find it strange to say that the point-of-view was the best part of the book. It is told in first person, but who is this person? I ran with many theories as I continued through the story. The narrator has omnipotent knowledge, and complete access to everything going on within the Manderley Resort and its grounds, yet does nothing to influence what is going on.
Wohlsdorf has created a unique premise with her cast of characters being hunted through the hotel as they are in their final preparations for the grand opening. The story was filled with some great twists and turns. It kept my interest and I wanted to know who was responsible for all of this mayhem.
My biggest issue with Security was with the characters. I just didn’t care. I don’t know if I was just preoccupied with the narrator or if they were just lacking in development. Perhaps, as in any slasher movie, I knew that they would all have to go eventually.
The strength of Security lies squarely on the narrator. Who is it? Well, the question does get answered, and it all comes together then. If you like to try new perspectives within a good story, Security could be a great change of pace.
*4 Stars
I find it strange to say that the point-of-view was the best part of the book. It is told in first person, but who is this person? I ran with many theories as I continued through the story. The narrator has omnipotent knowledge, and complete access to everything going on within the Manderley Resort and its grounds, yet does nothing to influence what is going on.
Wohlsdorf has created a unique premise with her cast of characters being hunted through the hotel as they are in their final preparations for the grand opening. The story was filled with some great twists and turns. It kept my interest and I wanted to know who was responsible for all of this mayhem.
My biggest issue with Security was with the characters. I just didn’t care. I don’t know if I was just preoccupied with the narrator or if they were just lacking in development. Perhaps, as in any slasher movie, I knew that they would all have to go eventually.
The strength of Security lies squarely on the narrator. Who is it? Well, the question does get answered, and it all comes together then. If you like to try new perspectives within a good story, Security could be a great change of pace.
*4 Stars
May 21, 2016
Original, twisted, gory, and an unexpected tragic love story all wrapped in one. Excellent, excellent read for fans of Stephen King. Had me sweating/gasping out loud on public transportation during its breakneck finale!! Full review to come on CBTB!
February 7, 2017
This book started out really good but then it progressed so slowly that it started boring me. It was ok, not horrible and not really good. Just meh. Though I do think this has a better potential for a movie.
September 27, 2018
So I got this book on audio which from what I read in the reviews was a good thing because the formatting seems to make this a difficult book to read. The audio can't make up for all the bad in this book, and there's a lot of it. I could only make myself listen to about 2 hours of a 6 hour audiobook.
I have a couple of serious issues with the book. Short version: bad characters, slightly incestuous adopted sibling relationship, and in the two hours I listened to there was one named gay character. He was described as disliked by everyone and then he was the only one killed that was described in very gory detail. The two characters killed before him were killed off screen.
Slightly more in depth complaints. So I realize that one of 'tropes' of a slasher movie is to have deeply unlikeable characters so you don't feel as bad when they inevitably get killed. Well, this book does that quite well. There was not a single character that I liked.
And on that subject, the main character Tessa and her foster brother have a super awkward relationship. Apparently they were in the same foster house together from when they were kids and yet somehow as adults end up in some kind of sexual relationship? It was uncomfortable all around.
As for the one character that gets mentioned as gay he is introduced by saying how everyone hates him. But supposedly it isn't because he's gay he's just a jerk. He is the third person to die but the only one who was killed explicitly and brutally. Which is a giant barrel of nope. What was the point of introducing a gay character if he's going to be the only one that gets a gory death? There are so many layers of 'nope' to that that I'm not even sure I have time to get into it in this review. Basically that was the point that I realized I needed to bow out of this train wreck of a book.
I just wish I could get my two hours of time back.
I have a couple of serious issues with the book. Short version: bad characters, slightly incestuous adopted sibling relationship, and in the two hours I listened to there was one named gay character. He was described as disliked by everyone and then he was the only one killed that was described in very gory detail. The two characters killed before him were killed off screen.
Slightly more in depth complaints. So I realize that one of 'tropes' of a slasher movie is to have deeply unlikeable characters so you don't feel as bad when they inevitably get killed. Well, this book does that quite well. There was not a single character that I liked.
And on that subject, the main character Tessa and her foster brother have a super awkward relationship. Apparently they were in the same foster house together from when they were kids and yet somehow as adults end up in some kind of sexual relationship? It was uncomfortable all around.
As for the one character that gets mentioned as gay he is introduced by saying how everyone hates him. But supposedly it isn't because he's gay he's just a jerk. He is the third person to die but the only one who was killed explicitly and brutally. Which is a giant barrel of nope. What was the point of introducing a gay character if he's going to be the only one that gets a gory death? There are so many layers of 'nope' to that that I'm not even sure I have time to get into it in this review. Basically that was the point that I realized I needed to bow out of this train wreck of a book.
I just wish I could get my two hours of time back.
September 11, 2021
DNF @ about 55%
I noticed a lot of people complaining about the formatting of the text version of the book so I decided to try the audio instead. While it does jump around and change scenes a lot I didn't find it particularly confusing or annoying so my issue with this wasn't with the formatting and if you're going to try it I would probably recommend doing the audio version.
My issue was that I just didn't care about any of the characters and it seemed more like a soap opera than horror most of the time. Most of the page space is devoted to and I just couldn't care less. I think the idea to use the security cameras to set the scenes was an interesting idea but I was going into it expecting it to be a pretty straightforward slasher story and got a bunch of weird introspection instead. It's possible that the story ended up resolving in a satisfying way but I just couldn't bring myself to muddle through all the sex stuff anymore.
I noticed a lot of people complaining about the formatting of the text version of the book so I decided to try the audio instead. While it does jump around and change scenes a lot I didn't find it particularly confusing or annoying so my issue with this wasn't with the formatting and if you're going to try it I would probably recommend doing the audio version.
My issue was that I just didn't care about any of the characters and it seemed more like a soap opera than horror most of the time. Most of the page space is devoted to and I just couldn't care less. I think the idea to use the security cameras to set the scenes was an interesting idea but I was going into it expecting it to be a pretty straightforward slasher story and got a bunch of weird introspection instead. It's possible that the story ended up resolving in a satisfying way but I just couldn't bring myself to muddle through all the sex stuff anymore.
September 21, 2021
I always enjoy when an author plays with structure in a new and interesting way, and this book definitely did that. It did get a bit repetitive at times and a bit hard to follow as new pieces revealed themselves, but I'm glad I read it for its unique take on how to tell a story.
CW: a whole lot of gory violence and blood, death & murder, gun violence, domestic abuse, marital affair
CW: a whole lot of gory violence and blood, death & murder, gun violence, domestic abuse, marital affair
dnf
February 2, 2016Have you ever read a book that's not very long, but by the nature of its plot and pacing, feels like War and Peace? That's Security. I feel like I read it for hours and only made it about halfway. Then I gave up and read the end and still didn't understand what was going on.
At its core, Security is a locked-room murder mystery, only it takes place during the murders. Honestly, these stories are a dime a dozen, so in order for Security to succeed, it needed to be tightly plotted, with interesting characters, and a grounded sense of place. Also menace. Menace is very helpful when writing horror.
Instead we get a lukewarm story about a weird hotel with secret floors and the world's slowest elevator. The killer, known in the story as The Killer (wow. So creative. Much words.) goes around systematically stabbing everyone. Then--surprise--there are two killers, plus the narrator of the book, who is ensconced on the ultra-secret and impregnable 20th floor of the hotel, giving us a play-by-play via security cameras.
The story-via-camera schtick would have worked better had it been more consistent. Instead, the narration goes on these weird, rambling tangents (unless my eARC was poorly formatted) where a sentence will start and then another sentence starts and the first sentence ends at the bottom of the page. Or it never ends--it just hangs there, turning into a question. The author also tries for some interesting turns of phrase that just don't make sense. Take this one: "her nails buried to the cuticles in her husband's biceps." First of all: OW. Secondly, does the author know where the cuticle is? It's at the bottom of the nail. This character would have the tips of her fingers embedded in her husband's arm for this description to be accurate. And since's he's not screaming, "OH GOD YOU'RE STABBING ME WITH YOUR NAILS!" I assume that's not actually the case.
Plus, we have character insights that the person on the top floor couldn't possibly know.
Our main characters, about whom, presumably, we are supposed to care, wander about the Manderley (yes, that's the hotel's name. Yeesh.) and try to work out their romantic frustrations instead of noticing that a bunch of the staff have disappeared. Tessa is overseeing final preparations for a gala to be held by Manderley's psychopathic, but rich, owner, Charles Destin. Tessa is, as most female leads are nowadays, "pretty, but not in an obvious way." Ah yes, the good ol' "I'm so weird looking but all these guys area so into me what's up with THAT?" syndrome. She has a clipboard and a list of items to be checks off. She checks them off for several chapters. All this opulence and you can't give your aide-de-camp a tablet?
For most of the book, Tessa worries about a) the hotel and b) the arrival of her foster brother Brian, for whom she obviously lusts. There's so much tension here that I felt smothered. Plus, the author really felt the need to shove Tessa and Brian's attraction in our faces. Tessa's hips swivel uncontrollably whenever Brian is near.
ANYWAY. We also meet some of the supporting characters, like Franklin, the hotel manager, who is cheerily described as "short, muscular, hairy, and gay." He also plays practical jokes. There's Henri, the manic chef whose chief action in the narrative is to fart. Justin and Jules are a husband and wife team who gave up on their academic pursuits for more practical ones. Jules' main character attribute is that she is taking anti-depressants but won't tell her husband. I care about precisely zero of these characters--either way! I mean, make me love them or make me hate them, but don't make me pull out The Gallic Shrug.
I WARNED YOU.
I had to stop reading about halfway through because nothing was happening except Tessa's hips started gyrating every time she got close to Brian, and two killers very confusedly slaughtered everyone except for our Intrepid Heroine and Her Man.
See Gallic shrug above.
That's really all I've got! There's nothing compelling here. The writing tries so hard to be fancy, but it sounds like Guy in your MFA's essay that was shredded and taped back together by monkeys. I think there was also supposed to be some sort of commentary about how the best security system can't protect you, but dude, we already got that message in Jurassic Park.
If anyone actually figures out what's going on at the end, let me know. Or maybe not. I'd prefer not to dredge this one up from my memory banks.
I received an ARC of this title from Netgalley.
At its core, Security is a locked-room murder mystery, only it takes place during the murders. Honestly, these stories are a dime a dozen, so in order for Security to succeed, it needed to be tightly plotted, with interesting characters, and a grounded sense of place. Also menace. Menace is very helpful when writing horror.
Instead we get a lukewarm story about a weird hotel with secret floors and the world's slowest elevator. The killer, known in the story as The Killer (wow. So creative. Much words.) goes around systematically stabbing everyone. Then--surprise--there are two killers, plus the narrator of the book, who is ensconced on the ultra-secret and impregnable 20th floor of the hotel, giving us a play-by-play via security cameras.
The story-via-camera schtick would have worked better had it been more consistent. Instead, the narration goes on these weird, rambling tangents (unless my eARC was poorly formatted) where a sentence will start and then another sentence starts and the first sentence ends at the bottom of the page. Or it never ends--it just hangs there, turning into a question. The author also tries for some interesting turns of phrase that just don't make sense. Take this one: "her nails buried to the cuticles in her husband's biceps." First of all: OW. Secondly, does the author know where the cuticle is? It's at the bottom of the nail. This character would have the tips of her fingers embedded in her husband's arm for this description to be accurate. And since's he's not screaming, "OH GOD YOU'RE STABBING ME WITH YOUR NAILS!" I assume that's not actually the case.
Plus, we have character insights that the person on the top floor couldn't possibly know.
Our main characters, about whom, presumably, we are supposed to care, wander about the Manderley (yes, that's the hotel's name. Yeesh.) and try to work out their romantic frustrations instead of noticing that a bunch of the staff have disappeared. Tessa is overseeing final preparations for a gala to be held by Manderley's psychopathic, but rich, owner, Charles Destin. Tessa is, as most female leads are nowadays, "pretty, but not in an obvious way." Ah yes, the good ol' "I'm so weird looking but all these guys area so into me what's up with THAT?" syndrome. She has a clipboard and a list of items to be checks off. She checks them off for several chapters. All this opulence and you can't give your aide-de-camp a tablet?
For most of the book, Tessa worries about a) the hotel and b) the arrival of her foster brother Brian, for whom she obviously lusts. There's so much tension here that I felt smothered. Plus, the author really felt the need to shove Tessa and Brian's attraction in our faces. Tessa's hips swivel uncontrollably whenever Brian is near.
ANYWAY. We also meet some of the supporting characters, like Franklin, the hotel manager, who is cheerily described as "short, muscular, hairy, and gay." He also plays practical jokes. There's Henri, the manic chef whose chief action in the narrative is to fart. Justin and Jules are a husband and wife team who gave up on their academic pursuits for more practical ones. Jules' main character attribute is that she is taking anti-depressants but won't tell her husband. I care about precisely zero of these characters--either way! I mean, make me love them or make me hate them, but don't make me pull out The Gallic Shrug.
I WARNED YOU.
I had to stop reading about halfway through because nothing was happening except Tessa's hips started gyrating every time she got close to Brian, and two killers very confusedly slaughtered everyone except for our Intrepid Heroine and Her Man.
See Gallic shrug above.
That's really all I've got! There's nothing compelling here. The writing tries so hard to be fancy, but it sounds like Guy in your MFA's essay that was shredded and taped back together by monkeys. I think there was also supposed to be some sort of commentary about how the best security system can't protect you, but dude, we already got that message in Jurassic Park.
If anyone actually figures out what's going on at the end, let me know. Or maybe not. I'd prefer not to dredge this one up from my memory banks.
I received an ARC of this title from Netgalley.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 9, 2020
WOW. This book took all of my expectations and dumped them upside down, then twisted them into pretzels and cut their heads off and put the heads on a mantelpiece (err...spoiler alert??). I loved so much how unpredictable this story is, it's just twist after twist after jaw-dropping realization (I am thinking of a specific jaw-dropping realization, somewhere around the middle of the story, which might have changed me as a person and definitely changed me as a reader. Talk about unreliable narration!) Another thing I loved about this story was that Gina Wohlsdorf is 100% in control of the narrative the whole time - she takes her sweet time setting up the characters, the plot, the setting, the particular narration style, and she doesn't let it get away from her or dissolve into a confusing mess for one single second. Even when I had no idea what was going on, as a reader I had total confidence in the story and I could tell that if I stuck with it it was going to be awesome. And boy, did this deliver. Wohlsdorf did more in 229 pages than many authors manage with 500. This is genuine authorial craft, and I am in awe.
I can't belive that this book has such a low rating. I can't believe I almost didn't read this book because of the low rating!! Let this be a lesson to us all: don't let other people's garbage opinions stop you from trying new things that sound awesome. Sure, I had a couple of nitpicky complaints. But I'm not even going to discuss them because they are completely irrelevant. If you like thrillers and you don't mind gore, READ THIS BOOK.
I can't belive that this book has such a low rating. I can't believe I almost didn't read this book because of the low rating!! Let this be a lesson to us all: don't let other people's garbage opinions stop you from trying new things that sound awesome. Sure, I had a couple of nitpicky complaints. But I'm not even going to discuss them because they are completely irrelevant. If you like thrillers and you don't mind gore, READ THIS BOOK.
January 24, 2016
Any time a mystery/horror novel can change the game, I am interested. And Security definitely has a gimmick. It's an ambitious one, too, so I recommend it solely to have the experience of getting into this book, being really thrown off by this book, and trying to figure out what is actually happening.
The formatting in my e-galley was wonky, so I don't actually know how well some of the structural decisions work, but even if Security can't hold up under much scrutiny (guns! why not just use guns??) a good 75% of it is rip-roaring suspense-fest. But I do have to warn: the Visit from the Goon Squad comparisons are absolutely nonsensical. This is a slasher novel. And if you come in expecting literary fiction, you'll be really disappointed. Bad move from the publisher.
The formatting in my e-galley was wonky, so I don't actually know how well some of the structural decisions work, but even if Security can't hold up under much scrutiny (guns! why not just use guns??) a good 75% of it is rip-roaring suspense-fest. But I do have to warn: the Visit from the Goon Squad comparisons are absolutely nonsensical. This is a slasher novel. And if you come in expecting literary fiction, you'll be really disappointed. Bad move from the publisher.
April 21, 2016
LOVED this. I know people have had certain issues with e-copies and my first thing is - even well formatted I don't believe Security would work nearly as well in E-book so my strong recommendation would be you go for real book. Its a beautiful little hardback so worth the extra pennies.
Full Review soon. But this was great for me as a complete sucker for those "pick your survivor" slasher movies with plenty of innovative death scenes - this was that. With added extra's. And stuff. Really clever. Great styling. And something different. All good.
Full Review soon. But this was great for me as a complete sucker for those "pick your survivor" slasher movies with plenty of innovative death scenes - this was that. With added extra's. And stuff. Really clever. Great styling. And something different. All good.
June 14, 2016
Hoo boy, this was a perfect gut shot of gore & terror & who knows why any of this horrific stuff is even happening and WHO IS THE NARRATOR? & someone calls a guy "you Tantric whippet-bodied woman-stealer," so it was pretty incredible.
February 27, 2018
The premise looked good, but the execution was poor. Too much unnecessary description. Tried too hard to create plot twists. Too many silly holes in the story. I abandoned about 2/3 through. No longer cared what happened to the characters.
July 2, 2016
DNF. Don't waste your time, folks.
May 25, 2017
Stunning premise, steady writing, and original presentation but the plot fell flat for me and it was too confusing to keep track of what was going on to whom in which room.. This was not my style.
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