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Tin Crickets
A blistering sci-fi thrill-ride, Tin Crickets follows a crew of misfit journalists into the heart of a grim conspiracy. Every day, the loudspeakers of Fallback broadcast propaganda and lies. Every night, Tommy Molotov breaks curfew to film the truth. With a 16mm camera and a handful of stolen key-cards, Tommy and his friends sneak into the restricted sectors, gathering footage of brutality and corruption -- footage they show in secret screenings to anyone who will watch. Little by little, their Riot Reels are starting a revolution. When Tommy and his friends break into a well-guarded research lab and film evidence of a seditious cover-up, revolution seems closer at hand than ever before. But first they have to get home alive, and with the footage intact. It’s going to be a long night.
510 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 22, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 21, 2019
Dystopian horror. While this may seem redundant as a genre let me explain what makes this genre (and Tin Crickets) a little different. The best example I have to correlate to this is The Road by Cormac McCarthy (which I was unable to get through; I also bailed on the movie as it was far too horrifying for me). These are books where the reality is so harsh it's horrific. Because not all dystopian books are at this level. Think of The Hunger Games, Divergent, and Station Eleven. These are all dystopian books that have possibly horrifying elements to them but do not belong in the horror genre. Tin Crickets belongs in the horror genre right next to Stephen King and Mira Grant.
What Makes it Horror
I've often argued with my husband (who loves horror) what makes a book or movie horrific. We've come to the conclusion that there are a few things that always seem to be present:
- blood, blood and more blood
- the likelihood of the main character(s) surviving
- major injury, illness or mental distress to a human or human-esque character
Think about it. These are always present traits. Whether you're encountering Pennywise, cannibalistic mermaids, a plague or 'the evil' it's always about human peril.
Joseph Wise has given us all these things and a little more in Tin Crickets. And he's done it with teenagers at the helm.
Characters
Tin Crickets is told through the eyes of an ambitious and frustrated teenage boy. He wants change to happen in his dystopian, messed up city (where he is trapped, as leaving means death) and so he takes to the streets with his friends and a trusty handi-cam video camera to capture all the injustice being done by the people in charge of the city. His hope is that it will incite anger, riots and eventually change.
Along his side we have three other teens. Each with their own complex and personality to bring to the table. I wasn't a huge fan of the only girl included in the quartet but did appreciate that Wise didn't immediately sacrifice her as many male authors are prone to do. Our pushy and in-charge lead boy gives us the story of Tin Crickets in a way that may be a bit skewed. And certainly there is room to infer for yourself the information he is given along his journey.
The First Half
I adored the first 50% of this book. Absolutely loved it. It's engaging, fast and different. While a dystopian story Wise gives us an entirely unique setting and backstory that isn't as cliche as some dystopian books have used recently. The politics and ethics touched upon during the first 100+ pages are brilliant.
And then it all goes a bit sideways.
Suddenly I'm in a Horror Movie
I don't really expect dystopian books to turn into horror movies. Maybe I'm naive but the extent to which Wise takes the plot, gore and twisted reality of Tin Crickets was a bit more than I expected. At about the 50% mark I started to realize that this was no longer a political commentary on society and our downfalls but was becoming a straight up gore fest. With evils encountered that are both 'healthy' human, ill human and less-than human popping up. Our crew runs into horrors that include: mutilated animals, medical experimentation's, and straight-up murder in a variety of different ways. I kept reading because I was desperate to learn what happened to our teens and how it would all resolve.
The Ending
Obviously I don't want to give spoilers; but let's just say the ending was a bit disappointing. I was expecting a little more carnage (like we experience around the 75% mark) and a lot more loss overall; whether that be of humans, infrastructure, society, etc. It should be noted that the last 15% or so slows down a lot. This is not a high-climax and then over book. Wise takes us through some aftermath of the horror experienced and brings us to a satisfying (if not complete) conclusion.
Overall
For an independently written novel Wise has done a good job. I would have liked a little less of the telling in the horror-esque sections and a little more of the politics and conspiracy that we had at the beginning. Tin Crickets would make a great movie and perhaps with some tweaks and pulls of the politics through the entire book would elevate it to into 4-5 star territory. I would say if you are intrigued by the premise it's a decent read. You likely won't be shouting from the rafters about it but you are unlikely to walk away disappointed in having read it.
I would certainly read Joseph Wise's writing again and hope to read more stories with a conspiracy or political center point from him.
Please note I received a free copy of this book from BookSirens in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
What Makes it Horror
I've often argued with my husband (who loves horror) what makes a book or movie horrific. We've come to the conclusion that there are a few things that always seem to be present:
- blood, blood and more blood
- the likelihood of the main character(s) surviving
- major injury, illness or mental distress to a human or human-esque character
Think about it. These are always present traits. Whether you're encountering Pennywise, cannibalistic mermaids, a plague or 'the evil' it's always about human peril.
Joseph Wise has given us all these things and a little more in Tin Crickets. And he's done it with teenagers at the helm.
Characters
Tin Crickets is told through the eyes of an ambitious and frustrated teenage boy. He wants change to happen in his dystopian, messed up city (where he is trapped, as leaving means death) and so he takes to the streets with his friends and a trusty handi-cam video camera to capture all the injustice being done by the people in charge of the city. His hope is that it will incite anger, riots and eventually change.
Along his side we have three other teens. Each with their own complex and personality to bring to the table. I wasn't a huge fan of the only girl included in the quartet but did appreciate that Wise didn't immediately sacrifice her as many male authors are prone to do. Our pushy and in-charge lead boy gives us the story of Tin Crickets in a way that may be a bit skewed. And certainly there is room to infer for yourself the information he is given along his journey.
The First Half
I adored the first 50% of this book. Absolutely loved it. It's engaging, fast and different. While a dystopian story Wise gives us an entirely unique setting and backstory that isn't as cliche as some dystopian books have used recently. The politics and ethics touched upon during the first 100+ pages are brilliant.
And then it all goes a bit sideways.
Suddenly I'm in a Horror Movie
I don't really expect dystopian books to turn into horror movies. Maybe I'm naive but the extent to which Wise takes the plot, gore and twisted reality of Tin Crickets was a bit more than I expected. At about the 50% mark I started to realize that this was no longer a political commentary on society and our downfalls but was becoming a straight up gore fest. With evils encountered that are both 'healthy' human, ill human and less-than human popping up. Our crew runs into horrors that include: mutilated animals, medical experimentation's, and straight-up murder in a variety of different ways. I kept reading because I was desperate to learn what happened to our teens and how it would all resolve.
The Ending
Obviously I don't want to give spoilers; but let's just say the ending was a bit disappointing. I was expecting a little more carnage (like we experience around the 75% mark) and a lot more loss overall; whether that be of humans, infrastructure, society, etc. It should be noted that the last 15% or so slows down a lot. This is not a high-climax and then over book. Wise takes us through some aftermath of the horror experienced and brings us to a satisfying (if not complete) conclusion.
Overall
For an independently written novel Wise has done a good job. I would have liked a little less of the telling in the horror-esque sections and a little more of the politics and conspiracy that we had at the beginning. Tin Crickets would make a great movie and perhaps with some tweaks and pulls of the politics through the entire book would elevate it to into 4-5 star territory. I would say if you are intrigued by the premise it's a decent read. You likely won't be shouting from the rafters about it but you are unlikely to walk away disappointed in having read it.
I would certainly read Joseph Wise's writing again and hope to read more stories with a conspiracy or political center point from him.
Please note I received a free copy of this book from BookSirens in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
October 16, 2019
I received a copy of this book for free from BookSirens in exchange for an honest review.
Tommy and his friends Reggie, Poplar and Gibbsy are teenagers in Fallback, a submerged city attached to the Antarctic ice at the edge of existence - Fallback is the last bastion of humanity on Earth after the outbreak of an epidemic called Spanish Flu, and is ruled with the strictness and severity that the last remaining outpost of mankind needs to be. Tommy and co however are filmic terrorists - sneaking around the dark underbelly of the city to shoot 'reels' with their 16mm camera Cassandra, showing the city for what it is - corrupt, fascist, and lying.
I quite enjoyed Tin Crickets - it reminded me quite a lot of a China Miéville book, as it throws you uncompromisingly into an unfamiliar world with unfamiliar language and expects you to nut up and figure it out as you go along. The vocabulary of Fallback (or at least of the main characters) reminded me a bit of The Knife of Never Letting Go and sequels, and in a good way. Citizens = Friends, Jigger = Gun, Trembler = Coward, Tilt = Loiter/intimidate.
I immediately felt immersed in Fallback, and whilst the layout of the city isn't particularly well explored I still got a decent idea of it from what is in the book, and it reads as quite unique amongst the bloated genre of 'post-apocalyptic cities/silos/trains/ships/etc.'. The narration of different 'riot reels', the film shown in the city's underground, between chapters was quite well implemented.
Our protagonists aren't particularly well developed - the bare minimum is put into them, but they don't really need much more than that as they are more a vehicle to experience the story through. The first half of Tin Crickets is fairly standard kids-in-over-their-head stuff, and then it slowly morphs into a bit of a horror story.
Which brings me to my main criticisms of the book - firstly the setting, while well realised, is not suited to what is at the base of it, a chase novel. After the first third of the book, the endless hallways, checkpoints, glass cells, bulkheads run together and I could almost feel my eyes glazing over.
Secondly, the horror which is represented by the Spanish Flu-afflicted (the 'crackjaws') isn't well executed, which is a shame - I got a real impression that, had it been described in more detail or more evocatively that I would honestly have found it unsettling and scary, but details and information are so scantly provided that it was hard to feel much other than confusion.
Lastly, the length and the ending - I feel as if Tin Crickets was probably about 75~ pages too long. It felt like a chore by the end, despite honestly enjoying it quite a lot - and the end didn't reward me for dragging myself there. The finale is much more a whimper than a bang, a bit of a confused mess really. Feels like Wise wasn't sure how to end the book - which is a shame, because I can think of a couple of ways it could be wrapped up a couple dozen pages earlier and feel more satisfying.
Despite the negativity of this review, I actually really enjoyed my time with Tin Crickets, and it is probably more a 3.5 stars than straight 3 for me. It's a decent romp, well and confidently written.
Tommy and his friends Reggie, Poplar and Gibbsy are teenagers in Fallback, a submerged city attached to the Antarctic ice at the edge of existence - Fallback is the last bastion of humanity on Earth after the outbreak of an epidemic called Spanish Flu, and is ruled with the strictness and severity that the last remaining outpost of mankind needs to be. Tommy and co however are filmic terrorists - sneaking around the dark underbelly of the city to shoot 'reels' with their 16mm camera Cassandra, showing the city for what it is - corrupt, fascist, and lying.
I quite enjoyed Tin Crickets - it reminded me quite a lot of a China Miéville book, as it throws you uncompromisingly into an unfamiliar world with unfamiliar language and expects you to nut up and figure it out as you go along. The vocabulary of Fallback (or at least of the main characters) reminded me a bit of The Knife of Never Letting Go and sequels, and in a good way. Citizens = Friends, Jigger = Gun, Trembler = Coward, Tilt = Loiter/intimidate.
I immediately felt immersed in Fallback, and whilst the layout of the city isn't particularly well explored I still got a decent idea of it from what is in the book, and it reads as quite unique amongst the bloated genre of 'post-apocalyptic cities/silos/trains/ships/etc.'. The narration of different 'riot reels', the film shown in the city's underground, between chapters was quite well implemented.
Our protagonists aren't particularly well developed - the bare minimum is put into them, but they don't really need much more than that as they are more a vehicle to experience the story through. The first half of Tin Crickets is fairly standard kids-in-over-their-head stuff, and then it slowly morphs into a bit of a horror story.
Which brings me to my main criticisms of the book - firstly the setting, while well realised, is not suited to what is at the base of it, a chase novel. After the first third of the book, the endless hallways, checkpoints, glass cells, bulkheads run together and I could almost feel my eyes glazing over.
Secondly, the horror which is represented by the Spanish Flu-afflicted (the 'crackjaws') isn't well executed, which is a shame - I got a real impression that, had it been described in more detail or more evocatively that I would honestly have found it unsettling and scary, but details and information are so scantly provided that it was hard to feel much other than confusion.
Lastly, the length and the ending - I feel as if Tin Crickets was probably about 75~ pages too long. It felt like a chore by the end, despite honestly enjoying it quite a lot - and the end didn't reward me for dragging myself there. The finale is much more a whimper than a bang, a bit of a confused mess really. Feels like Wise wasn't sure how to end the book - which is a shame, because I can think of a couple of ways it could be wrapped up a couple dozen pages earlier and feel more satisfying.
Despite the negativity of this review, I actually really enjoyed my time with Tin Crickets, and it is probably more a 3.5 stars than straight 3 for me. It's a decent romp, well and confidently written.
June 27, 2019
3.5 Stars
Review:
*I received an ecopy of this book via BookSirens. This has not influenced my review.*
This is one of those books that I just felt drawn to. The cover, the title, the premise. But it's also one of those books for which the blurb is accurate and yet somehow not wholly accurate, so the story turned out to be different than I thought it would be. It was kind of a dystopian/horror combo, although I'm not someone who usually reads horror, so maybe others would disagree. It was essentially about a bunch of teens trapped in a creepy maze-like facility with monsters (both figurative and literal) on the loose, blood and death everywhere. It wasn't super scary or anything, but it still seemed more horror than dystopian for a good portion of the book.
That's not to say the book wasn't good for what it was though! There was a lot of suspense and some creepiness. There was also an element of mystery as to what was really going on in this place.
It also did have a dystopian setting. Not everything was really explained, there are still things I only half understand, so that is one big issue I had. From what I do understand though, the book took place in an underwater bunker sort of place where people were forced to retreat some decades prior, and there was a corrupt and overly controlling government in place with different types of enforcers and conspiracies and whatnot. There was also the whole concept of the Riot Reels (videos the main characters filmed in secret to expose the darkness of the city).
As for the characters, they were pretty interesting. They were flawed and rough around the edges and had a lot of contention between them, but they still looked out for each other. Tommy especially was super passionate about exposing the truth and fighting back against the bad things the city was doing---even at the risk of his and his friends' safety. He had a unique voice to match his personality that included a fair bit of slang. He was also adorably protective of Gibbsy, who wasn't as stereotypically tough as the others, and I loved their friendship. Bonus: Tommy had some feelings for one of the characters, but there was no actual romance plotline.
The ending is not what I would necessarily call open-to-interpretation, but everything is not wrapped up with a neat little bow. According to the site where I got this book, it is a standalone, which means all your questions will not be answered, and I know that might bother some people. I don't mind endings that don't wrap things up too neatly though.
Also just wanted to mention that the book is listed as being 510 pages, but I don't know if that's correct because it was a fairly quick read.
Overall, this wasn't quite what I was expecting, but it was a unique take in the YA dystopian genre with a bit of horror and a lot of conspiracy thrown into the mix and characters who were rough but still ones I could root for.
Recommended For:
Anyone who likes young adult dystopian and horror, creepy conspiracies, flawed characters, and friendship.
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
Review:
*I received an ecopy of this book via BookSirens. This has not influenced my review.*
This is one of those books that I just felt drawn to. The cover, the title, the premise. But it's also one of those books for which the blurb is accurate and yet somehow not wholly accurate, so the story turned out to be different than I thought it would be. It was kind of a dystopian/horror combo, although I'm not someone who usually reads horror, so maybe others would disagree. It was essentially about a bunch of teens trapped in a creepy maze-like facility with monsters (both figurative and literal) on the loose, blood and death everywhere. It wasn't super scary or anything, but it still seemed more horror than dystopian for a good portion of the book.
That's not to say the book wasn't good for what it was though! There was a lot of suspense and some creepiness. There was also an element of mystery as to what was really going on in this place.
It also did have a dystopian setting. Not everything was really explained, there are still things I only half understand, so that is one big issue I had. From what I do understand though, the book took place in an underwater bunker sort of place where people were forced to retreat some decades prior, and there was a corrupt and overly controlling government in place with different types of enforcers and conspiracies and whatnot. There was also the whole concept of the Riot Reels (videos the main characters filmed in secret to expose the darkness of the city).
As for the characters, they were pretty interesting. They were flawed and rough around the edges and had a lot of contention between them, but they still looked out for each other. Tommy especially was super passionate about exposing the truth and fighting back against the bad things the city was doing---even at the risk of his and his friends' safety. He had a unique voice to match his personality that included a fair bit of slang. He was also adorably protective of Gibbsy, who wasn't as stereotypically tough as the others, and I loved their friendship. Bonus: Tommy had some feelings for one of the characters, but there was no actual romance plotline.
The ending is not what I would necessarily call open-to-interpretation, but everything is not wrapped up with a neat little bow. According to the site where I got this book, it is a standalone, which means all your questions will not be answered, and I know that might bother some people. I don't mind endings that don't wrap things up too neatly though.
Also just wanted to mention that the book is listed as being 510 pages, but I don't know if that's correct because it was a fairly quick read.
Overall, this wasn't quite what I was expecting, but it was a unique take in the YA dystopian genre with a bit of horror and a lot of conspiracy thrown into the mix and characters who were rough but still ones I could root for.
Recommended For:
Anyone who likes young adult dystopian and horror, creepy conspiracies, flawed characters, and friendship.
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
April 24, 2019
"If you tell someone what you mean, they wonder if you’re lying. If you make them guess, they don’t.” -Pop, Tin Crickets
Tin Crickets is not for the faint of heart–or stomach. It is the type of book that has your knuckles turning white and 100% of your focus because you truly do not know what to expect to happen next.
Goodreads and Amazon both say it has 510 pages, and I find that hard to believe because I started and finished it in the same day. If that is really true, that is the fastest I have ever read in my life and it’s largely to do to the fact that there are no stopping points. I mean, you’re not going to pause a movie in the middle of the action right? Well, the same goes for this book, and it is all completely action. I literally couldn’t stop.
My favorite aspect of the book is the characters. They are all so dynamic, passionate about their own things, different from each other, and yet they all worked together incredibly well. They made mistakes, they got angry, but they also each had a part to play in the plot, there was no “one man show”. This group will truly have their readers rooting for them at all twists and turns.
However, the ending of the book left me a little disappointed. I am unsure if Tin Crickets is supposed to be a standalone novel, or the opening to a series, and because of that I am really on the fence of how to rate it. If it’s a standalone novel, I think the ending left a lot of unanswered questions and a lot of the hype and terror about “Blankface” was terribly disappointing if that is the case, I won’t say why to avoid spoilers. But if this is an opening to a series, then it was excellent, because there is a lot of unfinished plotline, and even after flipping the final page, we are still asking questions. If there was a sequel right now, I’d buy it, no hesitation. Because this book was published in 2017, I am going to assume that it is a standalone until further notice.
The action is incredibly detailed and gritty, and the cursing is very high, though it was lower than I expected for a punk novel (many uses of the smaller curse words, “SOB”, and”gd”, as well as only a few uses of the “f-bomb”). There is absolutely no sexual content at all, also surprising for a punk novel.
So overall, I am going to rate Tin Crickets 3 out of 5 stars, because though I was incredibly interested in the story, in the end, I feel like a lot of the challenges and terror that the characters faced didn’t answer some of the biggest questions I had that certainly seemed promised. But I do recommend it as an enthralling read and if you like Dystopian Suspense (some reviewers are calling it “horror”, though I think it teeters on that line just barely–it’s more like the Maze Runner series in my opinion. In fact, fans of the Maze Runner series would actually really like this book a lot.).
I received this book from the author via BookSirens for the purpose of this review. All comments and opinions are entirely my own.
This is a LiteratureApproved.com Review.
Tin Crickets is not for the faint of heart–or stomach. It is the type of book that has your knuckles turning white and 100% of your focus because you truly do not know what to expect to happen next.
Goodreads and Amazon both say it has 510 pages, and I find that hard to believe because I started and finished it in the same day. If that is really true, that is the fastest I have ever read in my life and it’s largely to do to the fact that there are no stopping points. I mean, you’re not going to pause a movie in the middle of the action right? Well, the same goes for this book, and it is all completely action. I literally couldn’t stop.
My favorite aspect of the book is the characters. They are all so dynamic, passionate about their own things, different from each other, and yet they all worked together incredibly well. They made mistakes, they got angry, but they also each had a part to play in the plot, there was no “one man show”. This group will truly have their readers rooting for them at all twists and turns.
However, the ending of the book left me a little disappointed. I am unsure if Tin Crickets is supposed to be a standalone novel, or the opening to a series, and because of that I am really on the fence of how to rate it. If it’s a standalone novel, I think the ending left a lot of unanswered questions and a lot of the hype and terror about “Blankface” was terribly disappointing if that is the case, I won’t say why to avoid spoilers. But if this is an opening to a series, then it was excellent, because there is a lot of unfinished plotline, and even after flipping the final page, we are still asking questions. If there was a sequel right now, I’d buy it, no hesitation. Because this book was published in 2017, I am going to assume that it is a standalone until further notice.
The action is incredibly detailed and gritty, and the cursing is very high, though it was lower than I expected for a punk novel (many uses of the smaller curse words, “SOB”, and”gd”, as well as only a few uses of the “f-bomb”). There is absolutely no sexual content at all, also surprising for a punk novel.
So overall, I am going to rate Tin Crickets 3 out of 5 stars, because though I was incredibly interested in the story, in the end, I feel like a lot of the challenges and terror that the characters faced didn’t answer some of the biggest questions I had that certainly seemed promised. But I do recommend it as an enthralling read and if you like Dystopian Suspense (some reviewers are calling it “horror”, though I think it teeters on that line just barely–it’s more like the Maze Runner series in my opinion. In fact, fans of the Maze Runner series would actually really like this book a lot.).
I received this book from the author via BookSirens for the purpose of this review. All comments and opinions are entirely my own.
This is a LiteratureApproved.com Review.
May 1, 2019
CONTAINS VAGUE SPOILERS
While the story itself is very interesting, and nothing is spoon-fed to the reader, the delivery of the story almost ruined it for me. First person narrated by a character I almost despised by the end of the book. The narrator used too many colloquialisms and slang to get a solid grasp on many things. And while he did show remorse for some of his bull-headed decisions throughout the story, I didn't see any redemption or growth in the character; he was somewhat vindicated at the end. He generally came off as a cocky, know-it-all ass throughout the entire story.
I'd like to know about this world, but not at the risk of over explaining and losing its mystique. The world that is created has enough mystery and hints to make a compelling series of stories, but it needs a different delivery.
While the story itself is very interesting, and nothing is spoon-fed to the reader, the delivery of the story almost ruined it for me. First person narrated by a character I almost despised by the end of the book. The narrator used too many colloquialisms and slang to get a solid grasp on many things. And while he did show remorse for some of his bull-headed decisions throughout the story, I didn't see any redemption or growth in the character; he was somewhat vindicated at the end. He generally came off as a cocky, know-it-all ass throughout the entire story.
I'd like to know about this world, but not at the risk of over explaining and losing its mystique. The world that is created has enough mystery and hints to make a compelling series of stories, but it needs a different delivery.
July 13, 2018
The writing style and subject matter of this book typically fall outside the scope of my interest, but I've been branching out from my traditional pleasure reading to other genres in order to expand my horizons. Wise's book is engaging and unique (in my experience), and an enjoyable read. I was admittedly a bit disappointed at the ending, but not enough to cause me concern or to reduce my recommendation to anyone who wishes to read something along these lines.
Pick it up!
Pick it up!
April 28, 2018
I couldn’t put this book down!
The characters in this story were real and full of heart, you can’t help finding a soft spot for each and every one of them. I don’t want to give spoilers but I found this story to be refreshingly different than any dystopian type book that I have read.
The characters in this story were real and full of heart, you can’t help finding a soft spot for each and every one of them. I don’t want to give spoilers but I found this story to be refreshingly different than any dystopian type book that I have read.
February 25, 2020
Fun read
Could've used a glossary for this one but figured things out as the story rolled along. Fast paced though a bit confusing as it seems like it's part of a bigger story and not written to stand alone. Nothing really ties off, which is both mildly annoying and thought provoking. Overall, a good story, but i would've liked for there to have been more of it.
Could've used a glossary for this one but figured things out as the story rolled along. Fast paced though a bit confusing as it seems like it's part of a bigger story and not written to stand alone. Nothing really ties off, which is both mildly annoying and thought provoking. Overall, a good story, but i would've liked for there to have been more of it.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews