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Bitten
In the not-too-distant future, Italy is in disarray. It has voted to leave the EU in an attempt to regain control of its laws, finances and commerce. Even so, the country's economy is shrinking and its national debt rising. There is a marked escalation, too, in unemployment, bank loans and immigration. Production and service companies are in difficulty. The only thriving business areas are the black market and organised crime. There is discontent and protest on all sides. In Florence, the local Mafia boss, more accustomed to gunrunning and trading in plutonium, is involved in organising a silent auction for the sale of one of the world's most valuable lost paintings - a sixteenth-century masterpiece, which was appropriated in World War II by Stalin's Trophy Brigade. A British art expert is set to buy the picture on behalf of his client, a South American billionaire - yet surprisingly two Italian undercover intelligence agents, acting as antique dealers, submit the winning bid. All the while, human beings continue to harm the Earth by destroying land, sea, air, animals and trees. Global climate change, polluting the atmosphere, depleting the ozone layer: these are some of man's crimes against Nature. But time is running out. Nature has lost patience with humans. Unless something is done immediately to reverse the destruction of the ecosystem, Nature will retaliate by deploying the terrifying forces at her command. And as a first step in wreaking her revenge, she instigates a reign of terror by the deadliest creature on Earth.
440 pages, Paperback
Published February 7, 2018
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76 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 1, 2018
Bitten is one of those novels that’s very difficult to try to pigeonhole. Yes, it’s dystopian in that it’s set in the future when the consequences of global warming are affecting the earth. But much of the story has absolutely nothing to do with any normal science fiction trope. True, many passages can be best classified as horror. Others are best defined as belonging to the thriller genre. In short, many of the plot lines take us to places and down roads no reader could predict. I think that’s a good thing.
One major character is ecologist Claudia Mattioli, one of the world’s most important experts on mosquitoes. That’s a key role to play as climate change has produced a horrifying increase in the size and potency of all species of mosquitoes. Bearing all manner of deadly and incapacitating diseases, they’re attacking humans and animals in swarms that are eating up flesh in major cities all over Italy. At first, Claudia’s job is to gather samples of the types of mosquitoes in various regions before she’s asked to come up with a plan to eradicate them. Problem: Claudia doesn’t think humans should declare war on mosquitoes but rather find a way to live with them.
Claudia’s much older lover is New York publisher and editor Scott Lee who wants to make a deal to produce high-quality art books of Italian painters. As author Moore spent twenty-five years as a publisher and considering many of the pleasures Lee enjoys in Bitten, it’s hard not to wonder if Lee’s experiences are a bit of wish-fulfillment for his creator. Whatever the case, Lee is on hand with Claudia threw a series of shocking adventures, including a human-set fire that destroys much of Venice. That’s before Lee is tempted to go over to the dark side by the alluring femme fatale, Francesca Maruichi.
A third important player is Lee’s friend, Lawrence Spencer, an Italian intelligence officer using the cover of being an art expert. He’s called on by the Mafia in Florence to certify whether or not a certain painting reputedly by Raphael is genuine or not. After all, the criminals are very familiar with the black market, arms smuggling, sales of plutonium to Iran, but not art reportedly stolen in World War II by the Russians. An ongoing mystery involves those who have the painting wanting to set up a silent auction without anyone actually seeing the merchandise before the stolen art is stolen again.
So what has all this intrigue in the art world have to do with climate change and the theme Moore tells us is the important purpose of his book, that of demonstrating how nature will have revenge on humanity in response to thousands of years of poor stewardship of the planet? Are mosquito swarms but the opening shots of Mother Nature giving humanity fair warning of what she can do?
I can’t answer that. I can say I was continually kept interested in the various plot twists and turns because of the engaging, well-sketched characters, the vividly described settings, and the surprises at the end of many of the passages. That sometimes-kinky wish fulfillment Scott, Claudia, and Francesca enjoy is a bonus for, at least, male readers until the kinkiness goes a bit over the edge. One genre Bitten doesn’t fit in is YA.
In addition, Moore adds verisimilitude with an obvious familiarity with colorful Italian cities, the process of authenticating Renaissance paintings, and gives his science credibility by occasionally referring us to the two non-fiction appendices at the end. Bitten is a book for readers who like the unexpected and who don’t need their stories defined by a particular genre. It’s a page-turner with Moore keeping reader interest with a fast pace and all the ingredients spelled out above.
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on March 1, 2018:
https://waa.ai/zp53
June 4, 2018
An excellent novel that really pushes you to open your mind and examine your own actions with how you treat the environment and the limited power have as humans versus Mother Nature.
The novel starts off examining politics in Italy with a focus on finances, job unemployment and general dissatisfaction with the government. At first, I did not understand how this would tie into the novel but as you keep reading everything comes full circle. At the heart of the story is Mother Nature and her power to keep humans in check. As humans, we think we are the greatest species. We build remarkable architecture, make great discoveries all at the same time ignoring the signs of Mother Nature that she is not happy with how we are treating her. No matter how strong we think we are, we are truly at the mercy of Mother Nature and yet we do not fully respect her power. We make rash decisions based on cause and effect without thinking about the longer affects these decisions could make.
Claudia is an intelligent young woman who is investigating the evolution of the mosquito and their spread into Europe and for the purpose of this book, Italy. Mosquitos have evolved to be bigger, stronger and hungrier than ever, while carrying even more deadly diseases then before. After the mosquitoes begin to fight back with deadly attacks on citizens throughout Italy (even playing a role in the devastation of Venice) Claudia valiantly tries to make her co-workers and others understand that you can't just deal with the problem by eradicating mosquitoes as this in turn causes even greater problems. This is a significant idea throughout the novel but people continue to ignore it thus causing even greater problems. This is all in the backdrop of art smuggling, narcotics, politics and murder! Claudia is one of the best characters I have had the pleasure of reading about - she is strong, intelligent and passionate about her work, the environment.
This novel is thrilling, suspenseful but full of important messages for all. It is a great read for older young adults and adults alike. A definite must read that does not disappoint!
June 6, 2018
Wow. I am really at a loss as to what to write.
First and foremost, this book was rated as ‘R’ on the book tour site for “profanities, intermittent sex and violence, incl. one violent sex episode, together with scenes of explicit disaster, distress and death”. Honestly, I have read ‘R’ rated and this was definitely on the verge of more than R.
I would say the most disturbing aspects of the book were a very detailed specific scene which lasted probably two chapters that was – gruesome. There is no better way to put it. It was something that even two days after reading that specific event, has still left a disturbing memory and though. It was horrible.
It wasn’t a sex scene (I did not find that aspect of the book to horrific) but was more distress and death.
Throughout the book, there are detailed accounts of distress and death which were disturbing, but none more so than that specific scene.
With that said; I felt the book opened with a rather odd starting. I still don’t know how the initial paragraph of the opening was relevant. I’m not sure I am supposed.
Additionally, the ending was rather… odd. Sort of abrupt.
The story line followed two main aspects – a stolen (and recovered) piece of art that the Mafia is selling off and the increase of mosquitoes and how they are attacking the human population.
I don’t necessarily see how the two connect other than being two separate plot lines (both filled with suspense) and bringing characters together.
I really feel that the underlying story line related to global warming and the human effect on our environment – thus resulting in the punishment of mosquito attacks that killed, ravages, and diseased the population.
Overall, it was a suspenseful read that kept me reading, wanting to know how everything connected, how things were resolved, and what would happen to the characters we had grown to enjoy.
If you enjoy heart pumping suspense that leaves you thinking of the book for days later; this is a book you should pick up and read.
First and foremost, this book was rated as ‘R’ on the book tour site for “profanities, intermittent sex and violence, incl. one violent sex episode, together with scenes of explicit disaster, distress and death”. Honestly, I have read ‘R’ rated and this was definitely on the verge of more than R.
I would say the most disturbing aspects of the book were a very detailed specific scene which lasted probably two chapters that was – gruesome. There is no better way to put it. It was something that even two days after reading that specific event, has still left a disturbing memory and though. It was horrible.
It wasn’t a sex scene (I did not find that aspect of the book to horrific) but was more distress and death.
Throughout the book, there are detailed accounts of distress and death which were disturbing, but none more so than that specific scene.
With that said; I felt the book opened with a rather odd starting. I still don’t know how the initial paragraph of the opening was relevant. I’m not sure I am supposed.
Additionally, the ending was rather… odd. Sort of abrupt.
The story line followed two main aspects – a stolen (and recovered) piece of art that the Mafia is selling off and the increase of mosquitoes and how they are attacking the human population.
I don’t necessarily see how the two connect other than being two separate plot lines (both filled with suspense) and bringing characters together.
I really feel that the underlying story line related to global warming and the human effect on our environment – thus resulting in the punishment of mosquito attacks that killed, ravages, and diseased the population.
Overall, it was a suspenseful read that kept me reading, wanting to know how everything connected, how things were resolved, and what would happen to the characters we had grown to enjoy.
If you enjoy heart pumping suspense that leaves you thinking of the book for days later; this is a book you should pick up and read.
June 5, 2018
The whole world is in disarray and Italy may be getting the worst of it. In the future Italy has left the EU, their economy is shrinking and their National debt is rising. The only financial market in the world that is doing well is the black market. The Russian Mafia is trying to find a buyer for a stolen rare painting which sets off an important chain of events.
Organized crime and financial problems in the world aren’t even the planets biggest problem. Humans are ruining the environment and the damage is irreversible. The ozone layer is depleting, global warming is on the rise and Nature has had enough. The planet starts fighting back by using the deadliest creatures on Earth to kill every person alive.
Bitten by Alan Moore is not an easy book to describe. The reason I was curious about it was because I couldn’t figure out what genre it was from its description. Even when I looked at some of the reviews for it they said that this book doesn’t fir neatly into any genre. I had to give Bitten points for originality right off the bat since it didn’t fit neatly into any category. Name a genre and this book has some elements of it: horror, Science Fiction, Detective novel, Erotica and Thriller, it’s all here. There is a lot going on in this novel, almost too much.
The novel had the feeling of a TV series with all of the different plot lines and the length of the book. What I liked most is all the information given on the effects of global warming. Alan Moore is trying to entertain you with good characters and a lot of action, but most importantly he’s trying to point out the repercussions of not taking care of our planet. If you are looking for a book that goes deeper than your usual novel into a topic that concerns us all then this is a good book for you.
Organized crime and financial problems in the world aren’t even the planets biggest problem. Humans are ruining the environment and the damage is irreversible. The ozone layer is depleting, global warming is on the rise and Nature has had enough. The planet starts fighting back by using the deadliest creatures on Earth to kill every person alive.
Bitten by Alan Moore is not an easy book to describe. The reason I was curious about it was because I couldn’t figure out what genre it was from its description. Even when I looked at some of the reviews for it they said that this book doesn’t fir neatly into any genre. I had to give Bitten points for originality right off the bat since it didn’t fit neatly into any category. Name a genre and this book has some elements of it: horror, Science Fiction, Detective novel, Erotica and Thriller, it’s all here. There is a lot going on in this novel, almost too much.
The novel had the feeling of a TV series with all of the different plot lines and the length of the book. What I liked most is all the information given on the effects of global warming. Alan Moore is trying to entertain you with good characters and a lot of action, but most importantly he’s trying to point out the repercussions of not taking care of our planet. If you are looking for a book that goes deeper than your usual novel into a topic that concerns us all then this is a good book for you.
June 12, 2018
Bitten offers a unique blend of thrills for readers. As readers navigate two storylines--with intertwined characters and plots--they encounter suspenseful thrillers from multiple angles. Part crime/political thriller and part thought provoking, futuristic environmental/science thriller--the author keeps readers interested through a series of twists, disasters, and dramatic turns.
Bitten is both disturbing and thought provoking. This novel has a number of graphic scenes and dark, disturbing events for readers. The author's writing style does allow the written words to become quite visual for readers--and some of the scenes will stay with readers for some time. Aside from the graphic nature of parts of the novel--there is also a lot for readers to think about as the environmental factors involved come to light.
Would I recommend Bitten by Alan Moore? This novel was a different sort of thriller. While set in a future time--with a bit of a horror or science fiction element--the author kept it a bit grounded and realistic and thought provoking for readers. While some of the romance borders on erotica and some of the violence/death scenes are more graphic than I anticipated--I enjoyed reading a thriller that both makes me think and worry about "what-if's" and "could happens". If you enjoy thrillers with a slight futuristic/science or medical theme--along with romantic suspense and political/social suspense--and are comfortable reading more graphic, adult themed content--this book will keep you interested to the end.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author or publisher for use in a blog review. All opinions are my own.
Bitten is both disturbing and thought provoking. This novel has a number of graphic scenes and dark, disturbing events for readers. The author's writing style does allow the written words to become quite visual for readers--and some of the scenes will stay with readers for some time. Aside from the graphic nature of parts of the novel--there is also a lot for readers to think about as the environmental factors involved come to light.
Would I recommend Bitten by Alan Moore? This novel was a different sort of thriller. While set in a future time--with a bit of a horror or science fiction element--the author kept it a bit grounded and realistic and thought provoking for readers. While some of the romance borders on erotica and some of the violence/death scenes are more graphic than I anticipated--I enjoyed reading a thriller that both makes me think and worry about "what-if's" and "could happens". If you enjoy thrillers with a slight futuristic/science or medical theme--along with romantic suspense and political/social suspense--and are comfortable reading more graphic, adult themed content--this book will keep you interested to the end.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author or publisher for use in a blog review. All opinions are my own.
June 17, 2018
I am a big sci fi fan and get little chance to indulge, so was looking forward to reading Bitten. While an interesting idea, the book just doesn't quite hold together. It really is two separate stories that run parallel with each other without ever really connecting. Either could have been taken out without affecting the other's plot line. So perhaps this should have been two books.
One story is that of the Italian mafia trying to sell not only arms, but what could be an original work of art by a master. The process to authenticate and bid on it consumes one story line. The second is a sci fi themed story of mosquitoes of many types banding together in devastating attacks that leave many dead. We follow a female expert as she researches and tries to find solutions other than mass extermination. The only connection to both stories is this women as she knows most of the men involved. As a sideline we are introduced to the woman's demanding sex drive which may sell books, but doesn't add to either story.
Another area that could use work is the romantic dialogue. It doesn't sound natural. And the book is wrapped up without us clearly seeing how and why the researcher came to her conclusion on how to deal with the mosquito problem. Instead we are given a speech by her sharing thoughts to wrap every up in a tidy package. No proof is offered, it's just her ideas.
For the most part the author's storytelling is strong, he just tries to do too much in one book and could use some fine tuning in several areas. As Tim Gunn would say, "Edit, edit, edit." With some hard work, the core of this book could become a strong story.
One story is that of the Italian mafia trying to sell not only arms, but what could be an original work of art by a master. The process to authenticate and bid on it consumes one story line. The second is a sci fi themed story of mosquitoes of many types banding together in devastating attacks that leave many dead. We follow a female expert as she researches and tries to find solutions other than mass extermination. The only connection to both stories is this women as she knows most of the men involved. As a sideline we are introduced to the woman's demanding sex drive which may sell books, but doesn't add to either story.
Another area that could use work is the romantic dialogue. It doesn't sound natural. And the book is wrapped up without us clearly seeing how and why the researcher came to her conclusion on how to deal with the mosquito problem. Instead we are given a speech by her sharing thoughts to wrap every up in a tidy package. No proof is offered, it's just her ideas.
For the most part the author's storytelling is strong, he just tries to do too much in one book and could use some fine tuning in several areas. As Tim Gunn would say, "Edit, edit, edit." With some hard work, the core of this book could become a strong story.
September 15, 2018
Mosquitoes are a worldwide problem, even here in Uruguay they are a threat in certain seasons. These little devils bring chaos in fear when people start to get sick by their bite. Now, imagine a future Italy where on top of economical problems you start to witness the consequences of global warming and all the damage we have done to Earth. Huge mosquitoes and mayhem start to happen and Claudia is the one that could have all the answers. And.. also add a stolen piece of art of invaluable price, the mafia, black market, betrayal, blackmail, violence, and death... I mean, we have a varied mix.
I don't know why but somehow the different themes and plots work together to create an intriguing and fascinating story. It seems that the only thing linking the stories is that the characters are all connected or related. But still, the story feels as one despite the fact that we have a story about nature and global warming on one side and a story about the mafia, stolen art and the black market on the other.
The characters are really great. I loved Claudia, she is really smart, real and human. Her personality is amazing, a totally independent woman who knows what she wants. The mobsters are really violent and cruel, totally believable. The rest of the characters are also really great.
I have to mention that some scenes are a bit strong, not only some that involve sex, there is a lot of violence too. Of course, if the mafia is involved you can expect some hard moments.
I enjoyed Alan's writing, is easy to read, interesting and solid. The book is something different and was very enjoyable.
*** I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. ***
I don't know why but somehow the different themes and plots work together to create an intriguing and fascinating story. It seems that the only thing linking the stories is that the characters are all connected or related. But still, the story feels as one despite the fact that we have a story about nature and global warming on one side and a story about the mafia, stolen art and the black market on the other.
The characters are really great. I loved Claudia, she is really smart, real and human. Her personality is amazing, a totally independent woman who knows what she wants. The mobsters are really violent and cruel, totally believable. The rest of the characters are also really great.
I have to mention that some scenes are a bit strong, not only some that involve sex, there is a lot of violence too. Of course, if the mafia is involved you can expect some hard moments.
I enjoyed Alan's writing, is easy to read, interesting and solid. The book is something different and was very enjoyable.
*** I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. ***
June 14, 2018
As you might have gathered from the synopsis, Bitten is a very politically and socially conscious piece of speculative fiction. I never felt like the author tried to hard to push a certain agenda, making this book a much better experience. I just despise being preached at, especially in fiction.
Rather fast paced, even with all the information provided, Bitten takes the reader on a fascinating and tumultuous journey that forces you to examine the "what ifs" of our destructive tendencies and blase attitude towards our effect on the planet.
Though the story was utterly engrossing, I didn't find quite as much character development as I would have hoped for,thus the book comes across as a bit dry at times. If you're someone looking for a deep emotional connection, this might not be the book for you. However, if you rather enjoy a book that grabs you and keeps you reading to find out what happens, you'll definitely want to read Bitten.
Fans of Michael Crichton and T.C. Boyle may very well find a new favorite author in Mr. Alan Moore!
3.5 stars and my sincere thanks to the author and tour host for the opportunity
Rather fast paced, even with all the information provided, Bitten takes the reader on a fascinating and tumultuous journey that forces you to examine the "what ifs" of our destructive tendencies and blase attitude towards our effect on the planet.
Though the story was utterly engrossing, I didn't find quite as much character development as I would have hoped for,thus the book comes across as a bit dry at times. If you're someone looking for a deep emotional connection, this might not be the book for you. However, if you rather enjoy a book that grabs you and keeps you reading to find out what happens, you'll definitely want to read Bitten.
Fans of Michael Crichton and T.C. Boyle may very well find a new favorite author in Mr. Alan Moore!
3.5 stars and my sincere thanks to the author and tour host for the opportunity
June 21, 2018
I chose to read this book after receiving a free copy. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.
This is a difficult book to review. It has two separate plots and the only way that they're related is through some of the characters. Speaking of characters, there are a lot of them and it took me quite a while to keep them all straight. There wasn't a lot of character development, I'm sure because there were so many and there was so much going on.
Claudia is an ecologist who specializes in mosquitoes. She works for an institute in Rome but is sent to Florence and Venice to collect specimens of mosquitoes because it seems that they're growing in size. There have also been vicious attacks by mosquitoes and the attacks are growing in size and frequency.
At the same time, a sixteenth century painting has surfaced and an art expert has been commissioned by the Mafia to authenticate the painting. The painting is part of a big arms deal and with all of the criminals involved, it's questionable if the painting will even make it to Italy to be authenticated. Two undercover agents want to submit the highest bid for the painting so that they can take down some of the big players in the Mafia.
Bitten is a book that is difficult to put down because you want to find out what is going to happen. Unfortunately, while one of the plots had a lot of twists and a good result, the other one was horrifying but a bit lacking at the end.
This is a difficult book to review. It has two separate plots and the only way that they're related is through some of the characters. Speaking of characters, there are a lot of them and it took me quite a while to keep them all straight. There wasn't a lot of character development, I'm sure because there were so many and there was so much going on.
Claudia is an ecologist who specializes in mosquitoes. She works for an institute in Rome but is sent to Florence and Venice to collect specimens of mosquitoes because it seems that they're growing in size. There have also been vicious attacks by mosquitoes and the attacks are growing in size and frequency.
At the same time, a sixteenth century painting has surfaced and an art expert has been commissioned by the Mafia to authenticate the painting. The painting is part of a big arms deal and with all of the criminals involved, it's questionable if the painting will even make it to Italy to be authenticated. Two undercover agents want to submit the highest bid for the painting so that they can take down some of the big players in the Mafia.
Bitten is a book that is difficult to put down because you want to find out what is going to happen. Unfortunately, while one of the plots had a lot of twists and a good result, the other one was horrifying but a bit lacking at the end.
June 22, 2018
A book about friendship, lies, disaster and love
This book is an amazing read. It is a book about friendship and their wildest dream. It is a book about lies and individuals just want their evil needs to conquer and ruin other people. It is a book about disaster. Humans are the only ones that ruin the earth and the nature. When you do not take care of nature, it will haunt you and make big damages that kill thousands of people and their homes. This book is about love which is my favorite part. Love moves in a mysterious way and happens to two people who are deeply in-love with each other.
This book is an amazing read. It is full of adventures especially if Italy is in your bucket list. The book is so informative too which can help and prevent if that disaster will happens to you. It is also a book about compassion which is my other favorite character of a person in real life. This book has an everything you need to enjoy your alone time and reflect life.
June 5, 2018
I struggled with this book. Which, from the thoughts of other readers; it seems that I am the minority. This is why I tried to stick with this book. I wanted to find that "magic" that the other readers had found in this book. The issue for me were the characters. There was no strong connection with any of them for me. This is a shame as the story did seem to have an interesting plot. Yet, without strong characters the storyline is lost.
If you can stick with this book as it starts out slow and find that human connection with the characters; than, you may find yourself liking this book. It just was not my cup of tea but it might be yours.
If you can stick with this book as it starts out slow and find that human connection with the characters; than, you may find yourself liking this book. It just was not my cup of tea but it might be yours.
May 20, 2018
Bitten is a dystopian novel that is set in the future with consequences of global warming on earth. The plot line takes you on a roller coaster of a ride into a world that no reader could predict with a group of characters that are relatable and realistic. They have interesting backgrounds that help to create an overall remarkable read. A story that is unlike any other, one that is sure to stay with you. ** I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. **
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews