Epicenter

by Sonia O'Brien, David L. Walker (Narrator)

Book by

Genres: Lds Fiction, Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Suspense, Christian Fiction, Church

248 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Glen · Rating 2 out of 5]

A member of the LDS church is trapped in a highrise with a serial killer after an earthquake.

Not quite ready for prime time.

[Nikki · Rating 2 out of 5]

I knew it was a bad sign when there was not a goodreads cover image available, but I listened to this book on cd anyway. I like a little distraction when I am cleaning the kitchen for the hundredth time of the day.

Epicenter was not one story, but the stories of several people and how they experienced a fictional 9.4 earthquake in a skyscraper in downtown LA. There was a rash of trendy, obnoxious names (Peyson, Lissa, Justice, Manuel), a few too many scenes where people were straining beyond the realms of human endurance, several relationship problems that the crisis helped solve, and a blackmailing, money extorting, murderer on the loose- just to keep things interesting.

While the story was mildly annoying, at least it was CLEAN. No swear words, inappropriate material, many happy endings, etc. Kudos to LDS authors who can put together a clean story good enough to wash dishes to (and it sure is fun to write reviews for them!- I'm not trying to say that I could do any better writing stories myself).

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was on the edge of your seat movie good. A must read. It centers in LA where an earthquake has hit and a building is callapsing down on the people still remaining. Its about people putting their own safety at risk to help someone else. It's a pregnant women giving birth in an elevator with cables about to collapse, its a would've been fiance telling the quy she loves that she broke it off with him because she has cancer, its about friendship turning to realized love, It's a killer on the loose, its a boy grown man who only has wanted to serve a mission from age 12, and its about the veil being really thin and forgiveness. great book. Characters: jaz, Hunter,payson, Gwen, Sam, anna, Chad, mckenna, James

[Shanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! I don't give out my 5 stars easily, but this book earned it. I felt like I was "watching" an action-packed movie. I didn't over-analyze or nit-pick little details, not that there was much to criticize in the first place, and I was taken on an intense thrill ride. Just make sure you have a few hours to dedicate to reading- you won't want to put this book down.

[Hollie Robb · Rating 2 out of 5]

It took the hole book for one guy to die a slow agonizing death. She jest dragged his death on and on it It was agonizing for me to read. I think that she should have killed him off fast and quick and have it done with. I jest thought that the hole book was long.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't put it down...I had to find out what happened to the characters, thus I ended up reading it in one night. Loved the three different groups of characters that ended up intertwined. Had suspense, mystery, romance, drama, spirituality....

[Vickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so intense, it kept me on the edge of my seat. I couldn't put it down. Sonia is my favorite author. She has written three books and each one gets more exciting.
Vickie

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Loved how this book ended. It brough back evrything full circle. I even cried at the end, and not very many do that. It will stay with me for some time.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mediocre story, mediocre characters, ... a little boring when the storyline should be riveting.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me laugh, made me angry, made me happy, made me smile, made me hurry to finish it, and made me cry like a baby. I rarely find a book that does all of the above, well done.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! That is all I have to say. This book was amazing! I couldn't put it down and ended up reading it in one day.

[Sharlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it in one day!! Loved it!

[Dail Allen]

Massive earthquake in Los Angeles - people trapped in building

[McKenzie Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a hard book to read because of how emotional it is, but it was so good!

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!!!

[Teri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Epicenter by Sonia O'Brien

This novel starts out with a thunderous, riveting roar!!! McKenna Bradford, Defense Attorney, meets an unwelcome business client for lunch in the top floor of the 40 floor Lincoln Tower. What shocks her is his confessing murder. What is even more frightening is all of Los Angeles is hit by a massive 9.5 earthquake and she's trapped with a cold-blooded killer. Can her best friend James and her father help to save her before the building crumbles?

Can Payson, Hunter and Jax, best friends and roommates at BYU, who travel to LA to find Payson's former girlfriend Gwen and to know why she broke off their relationship. Hunter is getting ready to serve a mission he's wanted ever since he was twelve. Jax has stopped thinking of a mission, not thinking it important. Hunter and Jax are stuck in the parking garage when the massive quake hits.

Anna Stevens, a recent convert, is stuck with the prospect of delivering her baby in an elevator shaft, while her firefighter hubby fights the blazes that are coming ever closer to Lincoln Tower. These stalwart and courageous friends risk life and limb to save lives in this thrilling and heroic novel.

Forever Friends Rating 5 Stars by Teri
Until Next Time, See You Around The Book Nook.

Publisher: Covenant Communications, Incorporated
Pub. Date: September 2008
ISBN-13: 9781598115987
248pp

[Jantzen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wonder if Gwen ever ended up being cancer free. I hope she did so her and Payson could have a long happy life together.
I was reminded of the movie San Andreas. Because there was a major earthquake in both on that fault line.
I think that Jax and Tristin will end up together after he comes back from his mission.
I'm surprised that James and Mckenna ended up alive after the crazy stuff that went down with Sutherland on the roof.
I'd like to know if Mckenna and James ended up getting married. I hope that they did.
If I were Gwen I would have not broke up with Payson. I would have just told him that I had cancer instead of just ending it for no reason.
One consequence of Anna inviting the missionaries over could be that Justice ends up joining the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
If Justice's fellow fire fighter had not given Justice his breathing mask, then Justice would have surely died.
Overall I really enjoyed this book, and the transition of four stories in it. It was super intense, a heart jerker, and a thriller.

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked it! There was enough romance and suspense to keep me happy. The story is about an earthquake that happens in L.A. trapping several people in a high rise building who are now trying to find their way out before it collapses on them. There are actually 5 or 6 main characters so the story keeps switching back and forth between them, but it wasn't confusing. In fact I think that's what made it so suspenseful and entertaining. Each character struggles to deal with the aftershock of the earthquake for instance, one lady is pregnant and trapped in an elevator, one character is trying to escape a killer, etc. etc. It was pretty well written and very entertaining.

[Annemarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book! I couldn't put it down. In fact, I couldn't take a break from it and read it all at once. It had so much action in it that it kept me on the edge of my seat. I didn't think that there were too many characters to keep track of, like many of my other "co-commenters" said. I think it helped to keep the story going and to keep you reading. It really was an intense book, just how I like them. The only little complaint I'd have would be the parts with the firefighters. It just seemed a little unrealistic, but I still thoroughly enjoyed the book. :)

[Darla · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Genre:LDS fiction) This is a multi-story within a story that follows the lives of several individuals, some LDS and some not, who are all in downtown LA when a major earthquake hits and the building that they are in sustains heavy damage. It was okay and there were parts that I enjoyed. I did feel that the stories and their details were simplified somewhat and therefore not as believable. That may be due to my medical background, though. But I enjoyed the characters and it was fun to follow their journeys, even if they were predictable at times.

[Lacey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would give this story 2.5 stars. This story was just okay. It did make me nervous, because earthquakes really scare me. However, there were too many characters with too many stories going on. I have a hard time keeping things straight as it is. It seemed as though the book was really drawn out and long...I was mostly finishing it because I felt obligated too.

However, this is one of the only books that has made me cry. The last 3 pages is what made me cry. I won't spoil the book, but Hunter was by far my favorite character.

[Cathi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was fast-paced and very easy to read and follow. It starts out as a few individual stories but they all intersect before the end. Having never experienced an earthquake it was interesting to see how different people react to the situation and how it affected them long term. I couldn't put it down (which, as my buddies know, isn't unusual for me when it comes to books) and I found myself totally immersed in the book waiting to see what would happen next.

[Jana at ThatArtsyReaderGirl.com · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is draining! It's pretty fast-paced with so much going on at once. It's heartbreaking, scary, sad, happy, romantic, tragic, and suspenseful all at the same time. My main complaint was that I did not really grow attached to any of the characters because there were so many. I had two favorites. One of them actually did not even make it to the end of the book and the other played a very small role until the end when he saved the day. I did like the book, but it was not my faovrite.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice story with historical facts and incidents. The author does not like Russia or Russians. The author has a solid interpretation of the Bible......which I hope is not true. I began to pray for peace and mutual respect as I drummed thru this not-so-optimistic book of possible futuristic events. A great read.

[Rachael Dorronsoro · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good book I had on my book shelf for a long time. It was really good following the lives of some people who are in the wrong place at the wrong time, but work together to stay alive. This author was amazing the way she followed each of their lives, there was lots of suspense a little mystery a few tears on my part and of course my favorite romance.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing and terrifying! I really felt that the situations in the story were very real. It also made me wonder about how I would actually react if I found myself in the middle of a devastating and destructive earthquake.

[Alisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a great book with a great story, but be warned before you read it: There are a lot of characters to keep up with. I thought all the different characters made it a little confusing to follow at times, but I really liked the core story!

[T.K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! Despite the poorly researched legal side of it, the earthquake parts seemed authentic (however, I'm no seismologist). The characters were entertaining, the plot compelling, and of course, I had to read it all in one day. :)

[Rosemary · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like suspense, with an LDS bent to it, this is a pretty good one. It was almost a little too much action for me--earthquakes, fires, falling elevators, being chased by a murderer one right after another.

[Stefjo81 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite books!!! I'd gladly read it again. It will make you laugh and cry. What more could you ask from a book?? I don't give "5 Stars" away in a care free manner, this one is worth reading!!!