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Highway Twenty
An engineer from out of town disappears.Then Conor Mitchell’s girlfriend. Then his parents. The townspeople of Sedrow Woolley, Washington are vanishing at a horrifying rate. But they come back. They all come back days later, and they’re Hungry. Insectile. Creatures posing as humans. Because Conor knows the truth, and because the entire police force has already been changed, and because there’s nowhere to run from an evil that only wants to spread, his sole option is to fight. But they have no intention of letting him leave town.
- GenresHorror
311 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 25, 2019
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44 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
January 3, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. Right from the start I was drawn in and hooked, and actually could not stop reading. The first thing I really enjoyed, was the pacing of the book. I liked how things moved along nicely, you met some characters and the story progressed along at a great pace, I wasn’t bored at all. I also enjoyed how everything that the writer showed you was useful. There wasn’t anything that I read and it had no purpose. Everything that was included or mentioned had a purpose and you clearly understood it. I liked all of the characters, I thought they were written really well and very believable. I also identified really well with the main character, and found myself right there with him through his struggles, Triumphs, and heartbreaks. Really loved all of the elements of horror, suspense, action, and some good tender moments and even sad ones. This was a fun book to read, it got a five out of five stars from me, and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone. Great first book of 2020!
November 19, 2019
Full disclosure: I was provided an e-copy of this book from Hellbound Books.
With that out of the way, I enjoyed this novel. It is certainly a "creature feature" of the classic stripe, right in there with Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Slither...but in book form. The main character, Conor, was totally likable and I was interested to see where events would take him. I wasn't such a fan of his girlfriend though.
I do have to say that I really enjoyed the climax to this story too. I think that was my favorite part of the story. The build up had a good pace to it, the invasion wasn't rushed nor did it straggle. If you like monster/creature horror, then give this novel a chance.
With that out of the way, I enjoyed this novel. It is certainly a "creature feature" of the classic stripe, right in there with Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Slither...but in book form. The main character, Conor, was totally likable and I was interested to see where events would take him. I wasn't such a fan of his girlfriend though.
I do have to say that I really enjoyed the climax to this story too. I think that was my favorite part of the story. The build up had a good pace to it, the invasion wasn't rushed nor did it straggle. If you like monster/creature horror, then give this novel a chance.
February 17, 2020
Creature horror with a nostalgic feel I write this review as a member of Rosie’s Book Review Team, and I freely chose to review an ARC copy of this novel.
This is the first book by this author I’ve read (no, he is not “the” Michael Moore we have all heard about), and I was attracted by the description and the genre. It reminded me of TV series and movies I’d enjoyed, and it delivered on its promise.
I think the description shares enough information for most readers to get a good sense of what the story is about. I guess readers of horror would classify it as “creature” horror, and as I read it, quite a number of titles, mostly of movies and TV series, came to my mind: The Invasion of the Body Snatchers, V, Slither, Star Trek’s The Borg, The Blob, and a novella I read a while back that I thoroughly enjoyed, Broken Shells. Although I love horror, the more I read in this genre, the more I realise I haven’t read yet, and I must admit not having read many in this subgenre, so I am not sure what its usual fans would think, or how original they would find it. As I said, for me it brought to mind some aspects of many movies and TV series I had watched, and it grabbed my attention and kept me reading. Is it scary? It’s creepy, and rather than making one jump or scream, imagining what it would be like to fall victim to these creatures is the stuff of nightmares and it will keep playing in one’s mind.
This book is pretty action driven, with short scenes that keep the story moving, and although like many stories about alien invasion they can be read in a variety of ways, and they seem to pick up on underlying fears (issues of identity, what is true and what is not, what makes us what we are, illnesses and epidemics, the end of the world…), the book does not delve too deep into any of those and it never makes openly acknowledges such connections, or veers into conspiracy theory terrain. It is just what it is, and that’s pretty refreshing.
Although the book follows a number of characters, the two main characters are Conor Mitchell —a man in his early twenties, who loves his car, enjoys his job as a mechanic, has a sort of girlfriend, some family issues, and does not appear to be hero material—, and Percly, the town’s homeless man, who sleeps in a disused train and does not bother anybody. The figure of the reluctant hero is a common trope in literature, and particularly prominent in American Literature, and these two are prime examples of it. They are thrown into a critical situation, and by a fluke of fate, both of them seem to be in a better position than most to fight the creatures. We learn more about them both as the story progresses, and they are fairly likeable, although, as I said, not standard heroes. We get snippets of other characters during the story, but due to the nature of the story, we don’t get a chance to learn much about them, and other than because many of them end up being victims of the events, we hardly have time to feel attached or even sorry for them.
The story is narrated in the third person, from alternating points of view. In fact, this is what most made me think of movies and TV series in this genre when I was reading this novel, because suddenly there would be a chapter where a new character would be introduced, and we would follow them for a while, learning how they feel about things, and perhaps thinking they would become a major player in the story, only for the rug to be pulled from under our feet. Yes, nobody is safe, and like in movies where a murderer picks at characters and kills them one by one, here although some of the characters keep “returning”, and we even peep into the minds of the creatures, we are not allowed to get comfortable in our seats. Readers need to be attentive, as the changes in point of view, although clearly marked, can be quite sudden. Ah, and I must admit the prologue is fantastic. For all the advice on writing books against including a prologue, Moore here clearly demonstrates that when used well, they can drag readers into the story, kicking and screaming, and keep them firmly hooked.
I’ve mentioned the short scenes and the cinematic style of writing. There are no long descriptions, and although there is plenty of creepy moments, and some explicit content, in my opinion the author plays more with the psychological aspects of fear, the fact that we don’t know who anybody is and what is real and what is not, and he is excellent at making readers share in the confusion of the main characters, and in their uncertainty about what to do next. Run, fight, hide? Although there is the odd moment of reflection, that allows readers to catch their breath a bit and also helps fill in some background details about the characters, mostly the book moves at a fast pace, and it will keep lovers of the genre turning the pages.
The ending is particularly interesting. I enjoyed it, and it ends with a bang, as it should, but there is also an epilogue that puts things into perspective, and it works in two ways: on the one hand, it fills in the gaps for readers who prefer a closed ending with everything settled; on the other, it qualifies the ending of the story, putting an ambiguous twist on it. (And yes, I liked the epilogue as well).
All in all, this is an action book, with fairly solid characters who although are not by-the-book heroes are easy to warm to, with a somewhat disorienting and peculiar style of narration that enhances the effect of the story on the reader. I’d recommend it to those who love creature horror, and to people not too squeamish, who enjoy B-series movies, and who love to be kept on their toes. An author to watch.
This is the first book by this author I’ve read (no, he is not “the” Michael Moore we have all heard about), and I was attracted by the description and the genre. It reminded me of TV series and movies I’d enjoyed, and it delivered on its promise.
I think the description shares enough information for most readers to get a good sense of what the story is about. I guess readers of horror would classify it as “creature” horror, and as I read it, quite a number of titles, mostly of movies and TV series, came to my mind: The Invasion of the Body Snatchers, V, Slither, Star Trek’s The Borg, The Blob, and a novella I read a while back that I thoroughly enjoyed, Broken Shells. Although I love horror, the more I read in this genre, the more I realise I haven’t read yet, and I must admit not having read many in this subgenre, so I am not sure what its usual fans would think, or how original they would find it. As I said, for me it brought to mind some aspects of many movies and TV series I had watched, and it grabbed my attention and kept me reading. Is it scary? It’s creepy, and rather than making one jump or scream, imagining what it would be like to fall victim to these creatures is the stuff of nightmares and it will keep playing in one’s mind.
This book is pretty action driven, with short scenes that keep the story moving, and although like many stories about alien invasion they can be read in a variety of ways, and they seem to pick up on underlying fears (issues of identity, what is true and what is not, what makes us what we are, illnesses and epidemics, the end of the world…), the book does not delve too deep into any of those and it never makes openly acknowledges such connections, or veers into conspiracy theory terrain. It is just what it is, and that’s pretty refreshing.
Although the book follows a number of characters, the two main characters are Conor Mitchell —a man in his early twenties, who loves his car, enjoys his job as a mechanic, has a sort of girlfriend, some family issues, and does not appear to be hero material—, and Percly, the town’s homeless man, who sleeps in a disused train and does not bother anybody. The figure of the reluctant hero is a common trope in literature, and particularly prominent in American Literature, and these two are prime examples of it. They are thrown into a critical situation, and by a fluke of fate, both of them seem to be in a better position than most to fight the creatures. We learn more about them both as the story progresses, and they are fairly likeable, although, as I said, not standard heroes. We get snippets of other characters during the story, but due to the nature of the story, we don’t get a chance to learn much about them, and other than because many of them end up being victims of the events, we hardly have time to feel attached or even sorry for them.
The story is narrated in the third person, from alternating points of view. In fact, this is what most made me think of movies and TV series in this genre when I was reading this novel, because suddenly there would be a chapter where a new character would be introduced, and we would follow them for a while, learning how they feel about things, and perhaps thinking they would become a major player in the story, only for the rug to be pulled from under our feet. Yes, nobody is safe, and like in movies where a murderer picks at characters and kills them one by one, here although some of the characters keep “returning”, and we even peep into the minds of the creatures, we are not allowed to get comfortable in our seats. Readers need to be attentive, as the changes in point of view, although clearly marked, can be quite sudden. Ah, and I must admit the prologue is fantastic. For all the advice on writing books against including a prologue, Moore here clearly demonstrates that when used well, they can drag readers into the story, kicking and screaming, and keep them firmly hooked.
I’ve mentioned the short scenes and the cinematic style of writing. There are no long descriptions, and although there is plenty of creepy moments, and some explicit content, in my opinion the author plays more with the psychological aspects of fear, the fact that we don’t know who anybody is and what is real and what is not, and he is excellent at making readers share in the confusion of the main characters, and in their uncertainty about what to do next. Run, fight, hide? Although there is the odd moment of reflection, that allows readers to catch their breath a bit and also helps fill in some background details about the characters, mostly the book moves at a fast pace, and it will keep lovers of the genre turning the pages.
The ending is particularly interesting. I enjoyed it, and it ends with a bang, as it should, but there is also an epilogue that puts things into perspective, and it works in two ways: on the one hand, it fills in the gaps for readers who prefer a closed ending with everything settled; on the other, it qualifies the ending of the story, putting an ambiguous twist on it. (And yes, I liked the epilogue as well).
All in all, this is an action book, with fairly solid characters who although are not by-the-book heroes are easy to warm to, with a somewhat disorienting and peculiar style of narration that enhances the effect of the story on the reader. I’d recommend it to those who love creature horror, and to people not too squeamish, who enjoy B-series movies, and who love to be kept on their toes. An author to watch.
June 11, 2020
Every once in a while, you start reading a novel with a beginning that’s so hooking, you can’t look away.
That's the prologue of this book. I literally didn’t know what was going to happen next. I felt awkward and uncomfortable. And dirty. I needed to take a shower after. That’s extremely hard to achieve with writing.
Unfortunately, the prologue is an encapsulation of the novel which, despite its potential, really starts to reveal its flaws early on and never really improves. It only gets more chaotic and broken because I don’t think the author knows how to craft a novel. No one in this novel has a plan; not our hero, not our villain(s), and I don’t think that the author did either. That is the theme for the story - no plan.
This review has been a long time coming. It contains spoilers, but I'll try my best to keep them separate from the body of the review. For full disclosure, a publicist from Hellbound Books (which produced this book) did reach out to me and asked me to write a review. It has taken me over a month to finish which is not a particularly long book (my digital copy is barely 300 pages long). And even still, I read slow and was stopping to take notes for my review. But truthfully, one of the reasons why it took me so long to finish reading is a testament to how much I struggled.
I have given this review alot of thought and put effort into it because no matter what, all authors and their work deserve a chance. Taste is very subjective, and someone out there might enjoy this book or hopefully find my review helpful.
The main character, Conor, lives in a small Northwest town. You know the kind; one with some more-than-slightly-racist folk. He works a blue collar job and has an ambiguous relationship with his girlfriend, Shelby. They seem to be kind of dating and not-serious but there might be something else there. There's alot of ambiguity surrounding Conor's motivations because of how the character is written. We do get some backstory via internal dialogue about his complicated feelings concerning getting attached (IE an abusive stepfather makes him feel guarded), but these traits while a great start feel undeveloped. Even if some of his past or motivations are a bit cagey, I would expect a MC with more agency and presence. He should be doing something interesting. He should have an arc and change or grow. It needs to feel earned. Things happen TO Conor, but I didn't feel like he was actually accomplishing anything central to the plot. When things do happen, it felt like the reader is back on a railroad and the plot course-corrected itself to keep Conor a major player. I didn't like Conor, and that's a problem. It wasn't so much that he was inherently unlikable (I could've liked him more - he could have been endearing and charismatic and heroic), he just didn't do much of anything or care much for anything or seem very interesting. Ironically, the local town drunk, Percly Valentine, seemed much more engaging.
The antagonist(s) are a vaguely described and understood...alien species? It's really not clear where they came from (through exposition it's suggested that they're rather inter-dimensional creatures), and for most of the book I was wondering what their goals were. In terms of their descriptions and motivations, they feel a bit muddy. They're described as a large bipedal species looking like a mix between insects and reptiles, and are variously called bug, insects, roaches, and locusts throughout the book. Whenever I tried to visualize them I just saw the prawns in the movie District 9.
They may have some latent intelligence but sometimes display little to no thinking and behave more like swarming insects or a rapidly spreading virus. They reproduce by killing a human and burying them in the ground with a belly full of eggs. This causes the offspring to breach the ground as an adult…bug, but with a powerful psychic ability which causes humans see them as their human host. We get their POV several times (shifting POVs is another issue I want to discuss). Of course, the book suggests that the bugs only retain some of the host's intelligence while not actually possessing any of their own. When we switch to their POV, it feels like an unreliable narrator situation where they're like walking zombies or vampires - motivated by some preternatural instincts to feed and reproduce but not always behaving logically. Even their "personalities" if they can be called such are more like imprints of the people that they hatched out of.
There is no central plan or hierarchic organized strategy to their actions, and IMO it's almost impossible to understand the mindset of beings like that so having a story told in their POV seemed a bit odd. In addition to the memories of their host they can telepathically communicate with each other and with humans who have survived an attack (their bite causes near-instantaneous paralysis while they do their deed). The mechanics of the telepathy seemed to change based on the need of the plot. Their ability to seem human works...except for when it doesn't. It can work both ways and allow a human to tap into their collective, but it can also be like a one-on-one direct link. A psychic connection can also seem like a dream (or a wet dream). At one point Conor says that he can only make a direct connection if he's asleep or unconscious, so we get a comical scene where secondary characters are constantly knocking him unconscious so that he can access the Borg...I mean the "bug" collective. As a bug and SF guy I actually like the setup and premise - the rules just get a bit muddled for me. Maybe our hero doesn’t need a Locutus of Borg, but the bugs in this story didn’t seem like a real threat. At one point in the story they mindlessly switch off their disguises and swarm a town center attacking people like a scene from The Blob. The US military swoops out of the sky conveniently and unleashes hell, eventually wiping them all out with long-range missile strikes. An alien that can imitate a human can be a great way to use things like paranoia in the story and have other characters (or even readers) doubt out hero, but just wasn’t utilized well.
Pacing – This novel begins with a prologue that's really engaging and seems promising. It sets a great tone and got me excited to read the rest. I read maybe forty or fifty pages before alot of the flaws started to reveal themselves, with one of them being the slow pacing. The book has long chapters with lots of chapter breaks and switching POVs and a third of the way in, I was dying for something big to happen and disrupt Conor's status quo. After that, the pacing felt uneven - speeding up and slowing down but not moving forward based on a logical clock system that I could discern.
POV – one of the aspects of this novel that demonstrates some of the author's (perhaps) lack of experience is the frequency and constant shifting of POVs. I'm not exaggerating when I say that it will jump POVs mid-action to get the reaction of a just-introduced and unimportant character, or have two POVs running simultaneously to get two perspectives of the same event at the same time. There was one section that had a pretty jarring jump from close third person to omniscient.
I don't think that this was intended or meant to be experimental. There are ways to handle POV shifts, and there are some real wordsmiths out there who can do this in their sleep. And then there are times when POV shifts are utterly jarring and completely take you out of the experience. To me this just screams that the author doesn't know how to use POV in a scene, because the shifts are unnecessary the majority of the time and only add confusion.
Amidst the shifting POVs we also join some children on a school trip (to a...chap-stick factory?) These are characters who have no role in the plot and never have a chance to get developed. They pop up something like halfway into the story, which would have been a weird place to introduce a secondary plot even if it wasn't a 300 page novel. Needless to say, this thread gets abandoned, which is part of a trend of plot points that don't go anywhere. EG we go into the head of a female cop named Lori Sims. She literally just gives straight up exposition like ‘this is what I think of this person and this is what I’m going to do and this is what I think if that.’ She just ends up getting killed rather unceremoniously after being set up as a potential secondary character with concrete traits and characteristics.
Dialogue – sometimes it feels minimalist, which I didn't particularly mind. There were a few scenes with Conor and Shelby for example that felt pretty realistic and organic. They just felt natural and the writing captured how mundane and banal alot of talking actually is. There were even some awkward lines and bad jokes that felt hyper-realistic. This could be a great way to demonstrate their character traits by what isn't being said and subtext (their relationship is in a kind of limbo with Conor not seeming quite committed and them sharing feelings that aren't clearly love, etc.).
And then there are other times when the characters are just plowing through dialogue; awkward wording and bad jokes included. There are also alot of scenes were characters are just barreling through exposition and clearly railroading the reader so that we know the bare minimum to move ahead to the next scene. I felt like this was a missed opportunity – the dialogue could have been a reals strength especially because in a few places the author tried to use vernacular and Northwest slang, colloquialisms, etc. That can be risky, but gives writing a real life and flavor that stands out from alot of other work that sounds like it was written by an English major (because they often are).
Prose – I would have liked more variation of form – fig. language etc. Alo of the prose is easy to read but gets a bit dry and on-the-head with the exposition. We're told about Conor, his abusive stepfather, and complicated feelings about Shelby up front. Alot of this could have been achieved in other ways.
Editing - I can't harp too much on this, because from what I understand, it's not uncommon for publishers to send out for-review copies of their book that might have typos or other and grammatical errors that haven't been corrected yet. What I can say is that my copy had quite a few - not just misspellings here and there but a few times I hit pages that had some wonky typesetting, spacing, etc. I hope that the publishers catch these before they put up for-sale copies because they really owe it to the author and their customers.
In conclusion, I would regrettably not recommend Highway Twenty. I don't think it's a finished, polished story or ready for publication. I tried to be polite if not honest and detailed with my review. As a reviewer and a writer myself this is something that I take seriously. I know how much work goes into making a novel, and that's why I can't ignore the flaws in something that is being sold as a product. I want to be clear that I wouldn't discount anything and everything that this author has written, because the book does have its moments and I believe that Michael Moore has some talent. I've been told to never assume the worst in people - and to never compare my insides to someone elses' outsides. If you read this book, that’s a kind of joke that only we can share and enjoy.
That's the prologue of this book. I literally didn’t know what was going to happen next. I felt awkward and uncomfortable. And dirty. I needed to take a shower after. That’s extremely hard to achieve with writing.
Unfortunately, the prologue is an encapsulation of the novel which, despite its potential, really starts to reveal its flaws early on and never really improves. It only gets more chaotic and broken because I don’t think the author knows how to craft a novel. No one in this novel has a plan; not our hero, not our villain(s), and I don’t think that the author did either. That is the theme for the story - no plan.
This review has been a long time coming. It contains spoilers, but I'll try my best to keep them separate from the body of the review. For full disclosure, a publicist from Hellbound Books (which produced this book) did reach out to me and asked me to write a review. It has taken me over a month to finish which is not a particularly long book (my digital copy is barely 300 pages long). And even still, I read slow and was stopping to take notes for my review. But truthfully, one of the reasons why it took me so long to finish reading is a testament to how much I struggled.
I have given this review alot of thought and put effort into it because no matter what, all authors and their work deserve a chance. Taste is very subjective, and someone out there might enjoy this book or hopefully find my review helpful.
The main character, Conor, lives in a small Northwest town. You know the kind; one with some more-than-slightly-racist folk. He works a blue collar job and has an ambiguous relationship with his girlfriend, Shelby. They seem to be kind of dating and not-serious but there might be something else there. There's alot of ambiguity surrounding Conor's motivations because of how the character is written. We do get some backstory via internal dialogue about his complicated feelings concerning getting attached (IE an abusive stepfather makes him feel guarded), but these traits while a great start feel undeveloped. Even if some of his past or motivations are a bit cagey, I would expect a MC with more agency and presence. He should be doing something interesting. He should have an arc and change or grow. It needs to feel earned. Things happen TO Conor, but I didn't feel like he was actually accomplishing anything central to the plot. When things do happen, it felt like the reader is back on a railroad and the plot course-corrected itself to keep Conor a major player. I didn't like Conor, and that's a problem. It wasn't so much that he was inherently unlikable (I could've liked him more - he could have been endearing and charismatic and heroic), he just didn't do much of anything or care much for anything or seem very interesting. Ironically, the local town drunk, Percly Valentine, seemed much more engaging.
The antagonist(s) are a vaguely described and understood...alien species? It's really not clear where they came from (through exposition it's suggested that they're rather inter-dimensional creatures), and for most of the book I was wondering what their goals were. In terms of their descriptions and motivations, they feel a bit muddy. They're described as a large bipedal species looking like a mix between insects and reptiles, and are variously called bug, insects, roaches, and locusts throughout the book. Whenever I tried to visualize them I just saw the prawns in the movie District 9.
They may have some latent intelligence but sometimes display little to no thinking and behave more like swarming insects or a rapidly spreading virus. They reproduce by killing a human and burying them in the ground with a belly full of eggs. This causes the offspring to breach the ground as an adult…bug, but with a powerful psychic ability which causes humans see them as their human host. We get their POV several times (shifting POVs is another issue I want to discuss). Of course, the book suggests that the bugs only retain some of the host's intelligence while not actually possessing any of their own. When we switch to their POV, it feels like an unreliable narrator situation where they're like walking zombies or vampires - motivated by some preternatural instincts to feed and reproduce but not always behaving logically. Even their "personalities" if they can be called such are more like imprints of the people that they hatched out of.
There is no central plan or hierarchic organized strategy to their actions, and IMO it's almost impossible to understand the mindset of beings like that so having a story told in their POV seemed a bit odd. In addition to the memories of their host they can telepathically communicate with each other and with humans who have survived an attack (their bite causes near-instantaneous paralysis while they do their deed). The mechanics of the telepathy seemed to change based on the need of the plot. Their ability to seem human works...except for when it doesn't. It can work both ways and allow a human to tap into their collective, but it can also be like a one-on-one direct link. A psychic connection can also seem like a dream (or a wet dream). At one point Conor says that he can only make a direct connection if he's asleep or unconscious, so we get a comical scene where secondary characters are constantly knocking him unconscious so that he can access the Borg...I mean the "bug" collective. As a bug and SF guy I actually like the setup and premise - the rules just get a bit muddled for me. Maybe our hero doesn’t need a Locutus of Borg, but the bugs in this story didn’t seem like a real threat. At one point in the story they mindlessly switch off their disguises and swarm a town center attacking people like a scene from The Blob. The US military swoops out of the sky conveniently and unleashes hell, eventually wiping them all out with long-range missile strikes. An alien that can imitate a human can be a great way to use things like paranoia in the story and have other characters (or even readers) doubt out hero, but just wasn’t utilized well.
Pacing – This novel begins with a prologue that's really engaging and seems promising. It sets a great tone and got me excited to read the rest. I read maybe forty or fifty pages before alot of the flaws started to reveal themselves, with one of them being the slow pacing. The book has long chapters with lots of chapter breaks and switching POVs and a third of the way in, I was dying for something big to happen and disrupt Conor's status quo. After that, the pacing felt uneven - speeding up and slowing down but not moving forward based on a logical clock system that I could discern.
POV – one of the aspects of this novel that demonstrates some of the author's (perhaps) lack of experience is the frequency and constant shifting of POVs. I'm not exaggerating when I say that it will jump POVs mid-action to get the reaction of a just-introduced and unimportant character, or have two POVs running simultaneously to get two perspectives of the same event at the same time. There was one section that had a pretty jarring jump from close third person to omniscient.
I don't think that this was intended or meant to be experimental. There are ways to handle POV shifts, and there are some real wordsmiths out there who can do this in their sleep. And then there are times when POV shifts are utterly jarring and completely take you out of the experience. To me this just screams that the author doesn't know how to use POV in a scene, because the shifts are unnecessary the majority of the time and only add confusion.
Amidst the shifting POVs we also join some children on a school trip (to a...chap-stick factory?) These are characters who have no role in the plot and never have a chance to get developed. They pop up something like halfway into the story, which would have been a weird place to introduce a secondary plot even if it wasn't a 300 page novel. Needless to say, this thread gets abandoned, which is part of a trend of plot points that don't go anywhere. EG we go into the head of a female cop named Lori Sims. She literally just gives straight up exposition like ‘this is what I think of this person and this is what I’m going to do and this is what I think if that.’ She just ends up getting killed rather unceremoniously after being set up as a potential secondary character with concrete traits and characteristics.
Dialogue – sometimes it feels minimalist, which I didn't particularly mind. There were a few scenes with Conor and Shelby for example that felt pretty realistic and organic. They just felt natural and the writing captured how mundane and banal alot of talking actually is. There were even some awkward lines and bad jokes that felt hyper-realistic. This could be a great way to demonstrate their character traits by what isn't being said and subtext (their relationship is in a kind of limbo with Conor not seeming quite committed and them sharing feelings that aren't clearly love, etc.).
And then there are other times when the characters are just plowing through dialogue; awkward wording and bad jokes included. There are also alot of scenes were characters are just barreling through exposition and clearly railroading the reader so that we know the bare minimum to move ahead to the next scene. I felt like this was a missed opportunity – the dialogue could have been a reals strength especially because in a few places the author tried to use vernacular and Northwest slang, colloquialisms, etc. That can be risky, but gives writing a real life and flavor that stands out from alot of other work that sounds like it was written by an English major (because they often are).
Prose – I would have liked more variation of form – fig. language etc. Alo of the prose is easy to read but gets a bit dry and on-the-head with the exposition. We're told about Conor, his abusive stepfather, and complicated feelings about Shelby up front. Alot of this could have been achieved in other ways.
Editing - I can't harp too much on this, because from what I understand, it's not uncommon for publishers to send out for-review copies of their book that might have typos or other and grammatical errors that haven't been corrected yet. What I can say is that my copy had quite a few - not just misspellings here and there but a few times I hit pages that had some wonky typesetting, spacing, etc. I hope that the publishers catch these before they put up for-sale copies because they really owe it to the author and their customers.
In conclusion, I would regrettably not recommend Highway Twenty. I don't think it's a finished, polished story or ready for publication. I tried to be polite if not honest and detailed with my review. As a reviewer and a writer myself this is something that I take seriously. I know how much work goes into making a novel, and that's why I can't ignore the flaws in something that is being sold as a product. I want to be clear that I wouldn't discount anything and everything that this author has written, because the book does have its moments and I believe that Michael Moore has some talent. I've been told to never assume the worst in people - and to never compare my insides to someone elses' outsides. If you read this book, that’s a kind of joke that only we can share and enjoy.
December 8, 2019
I received an e-copy of this and really enjoyed reading it. It took a little while to get going but once characters had been established and the plot was clearer I found this really easy to binge-read and I was keen to see how things would end. It is my first book I'd read by this author but I'll be looking for past and future releases of his. Great introduction!
July 23, 2020
I received this book through Twitter in exchange for a review. I was very curious, because this is a completely different book than I normally read.
Highway Twenty by Michael J. Moore is about Conor who is being startled by some kind of insect-like aliens trying to take over his city. One by one he seems to lose his family and friends who later return in a really unpleasant way.
It is a horror / science fiction genre, of which I had not read much (or nothing).
There is a lot of action, different perspectives are used and the monsters are really creepy. I can imagine that if this is your genre, you would like to read this book.
The book reads smoothly. I think it is clearly written by a man, but that can also be due to my inexperience in the genre. A horror / science fiction film could easily be made from this story.
Conclusion: it met my expectations. It was indeed something completely different.
Unfortunately not quite my genre, but it probably is for horror / science fiction fans.
Highway Twenty by Michael J. Moore is about Conor who is being startled by some kind of insect-like aliens trying to take over his city. One by one he seems to lose his family and friends who later return in a really unpleasant way.
It is a horror / science fiction genre, of which I had not read much (or nothing).
There is a lot of action, different perspectives are used and the monsters are really creepy. I can imagine that if this is your genre, you would like to read this book.
The book reads smoothly. I think it is clearly written by a man, but that can also be due to my inexperience in the genre. A horror / science fiction film could easily be made from this story.
Conclusion: it met my expectations. It was indeed something completely different.
Unfortunately not quite my genre, but it probably is for horror / science fiction fans.
November 25, 2021
I loved this book. Highway twenty is everything that I want from a horror book. It was gripping and so well executed, and the type of story that I could really picture on the Big Screen. Moore sets this up flawlessly and delivers a lasting punch. This is the first full length that I have read by Mr. Moore and it will not be the last.
May 20, 2020
An engineer from out of town disappears. Then Conor Mitchell’s girlfriend. Then his parents. The townspeople of Sedrow Woolley, Washington, are vanishing at a horrifying rate. But they come back. They all come back days later, and they’re different: Hungry. Insectile. Creatures posing as humans. Because Conor knows the truth, and because the entire police force has already been changed, and because there’s nowhere to run from an evil that only wants to spread, his sole option is to fight. But they have no intention of letting him leave town.
I don’t read a lot of horror (I read crime fiction mainly, as readers of my reviews will know) not out of any dislike for the genre, but mainly because I'm a big scaredy-cat. When I do read horror, it’s more often what might be termed the “softer” edge of the genre. I don’t go in for demonic possession, I’m not much for what used to be called “torture porn”. I do like the Aliens movie franchise, and my favourite two films are the original version of The Thing and The Parallax View (the latter not a horror, but a political thriller). So I’m tender when it comes to horror (emotionally tender, I'm scared basically), and while I loved The Thing, actually that’s an exception. I generally am averse to creepy stuff. My horror taste is much closer to dystopia really. This isn't a criticism of the genre, just an explanation that I’m a big wuss.
So, when I was offered the chance to read Highway Twenty by the publishers, and then got hold of the book, I have to confess that the description gave me goosebumps. It scared me a little. It was foreboding and gave me the chills. I dipped into the book and this perception was reinforced. I don’t mind admitting that I was kinda worried as to what I had signed up for.
Now I’ve finally read the whole book and these perceptions were correct. It’s very well written, the story is compelling, the tension ratchets up nicely. The characters are very well drawn. This is a real creature feature, but of the creepier kind and I have to admit that it kind of freaked me out. It’s scary in that creepy sort of way that some horror is and I found this a very unnerving read. But it's a very good book, and for fans of the genre, and for those who just want to try something new, they could do way worse.
I don’t want to give away too many spoilers, to be honest, the description in the first paragraph (taken from the book blurb) does the title justice. This is a good, solid effort and if horror is your thing, and you don’t mind being kept awake at night, then this might well be for you.
I don’t read a lot of horror (I read crime fiction mainly, as readers of my reviews will know) not out of any dislike for the genre, but mainly because I'm a big scaredy-cat. When I do read horror, it’s more often what might be termed the “softer” edge of the genre. I don’t go in for demonic possession, I’m not much for what used to be called “torture porn”. I do like the Aliens movie franchise, and my favourite two films are the original version of The Thing and The Parallax View (the latter not a horror, but a political thriller). So I’m tender when it comes to horror (emotionally tender, I'm scared basically), and while I loved The Thing, actually that’s an exception. I generally am averse to creepy stuff. My horror taste is much closer to dystopia really. This isn't a criticism of the genre, just an explanation that I’m a big wuss.
So, when I was offered the chance to read Highway Twenty by the publishers, and then got hold of the book, I have to confess that the description gave me goosebumps. It scared me a little. It was foreboding and gave me the chills. I dipped into the book and this perception was reinforced. I don’t mind admitting that I was kinda worried as to what I had signed up for.
Now I’ve finally read the whole book and these perceptions were correct. It’s very well written, the story is compelling, the tension ratchets up nicely. The characters are very well drawn. This is a real creature feature, but of the creepier kind and I have to admit that it kind of freaked me out. It’s scary in that creepy sort of way that some horror is and I found this a very unnerving read. But it's a very good book, and for fans of the genre, and for those who just want to try something new, they could do way worse.
I don’t want to give away too many spoilers, to be honest, the description in the first paragraph (taken from the book blurb) does the title justice. This is a good, solid effort and if horror is your thing, and you don’t mind being kept awake at night, then this might well be for you.
February 17, 2020
I write this review as a member of Rosie’s Book Review Team, and I freely chose to review an ARC copy of this novel.
This is the first book by this author I’ve read (no, he is not “the” Michael Moore we have all heard about), and I was attracted by the description and the genre. It reminded me of TV series and movies I’d enjoyed, and it delivered on its promise.
I think the description shares enough information for most readers to get a good sense of what the story is about. I guess readers of horror would classify it as “creature” horror, and as I read it, quite a number of titles, mostly of movies and TV series, came to my mind: The Invasion of the Body Snatchers, V, Slither, Star Trek’s The Borg, The Blob, and a novella I read a while back that I thoroughly enjoyed, Broken Shells. Although I love horror, the more I read in this genre, the more I realise I haven’t read yet, and I must admit not having read many in this subgenre, so I am not sure what its usual fans would think, or how original they would find it. As I said, for me it brought to mind some aspects of many movies and TV series I had watched, and it grabbed my attention and kept me reading. Is it scary? It’s creepy, and rather than making one jump or scream, imagining what it would be like to fall victim to these creatures is the stuff of nightmares and it will keep playing in one’s mind.
This book is pretty action driven, with short scenes that keep the story moving, and although like many stories about alien invasion they can be read in a variety of ways, and they seem to pick up on underlying fears (issues of identity, what is true and what is not, what makes us what we are, illnesses and epidemics, the end of the world…), the book does not delve too deep into any of those and it never makes openly acknowledges such connections, or veers into conspiracy theory terrain. It is just what it is, and that’s pretty refreshing.
Although the book follows a number of characters, the two main characters are Conor Mitchell —a man in his early twenties, who loves his car, enjoys his job as a mechanic, has a sort of girlfriend, some family issues, and does not appear to be hero material—, and Percly, the town’s homeless man, who sleeps in a disused train and does not bother anybody. The figure of the reluctant hero is a common trope in literature, and particularly prominent in American Literature, and these two are prime examples of it. They are thrown into a critical situation, and by a fluke of fate, both of them seem to be in a better position than most to fight the creatures. We learn more about them both as the story progresses, and they are fairly likeable, although, as I said, not standard heroes. We get snippets of other characters during the story, but due to the nature of the story, we don’t get a chance to learn much about them, and other than because many of them end up being victims of the events, we hardly have time to feel attached or even sorry for them.
The story is narrated in the third person, from alternating points of view. In fact, this is what most made me think of movies and TV series in this genre when I was reading this novel, because suddenly there would be a chapter where a new character would be introduced, and we would follow them for a while, learning how they feel about things, and perhaps thinking they would become a major player in the story, only for the rug to be pulled from under our feet. Yes, nobody is safe, and like in movies where a murderer picks at characters and kills them one by one, here although some of the characters keep “returning”, and we even peep into the minds of the creatures, we are not allowed to get comfortable in our seats. Readers need to be attentive, as the changes in point of view, although clearly marked, can be quite sudden. Ah, and I must admit the prologue is fantastic. For all the advice on writing books against including a prologue, Moore here clearly demonstrates that when used well, they can drag readers into the story, kicking and screaming, and keep them firmly hooked.
I’ve mentioned the short scenes and the cinematic style of writing. There are no long descriptions, and although there is plenty of creepy moments, and some explicit content, in my opinion the author plays more with the psychological aspects of fear, the fact that we don’t know who anybody is and what is real and what is not, and he is excellent at making readers share in the confusion of the main characters, and in their uncertainty about what to do next. Run, fight, hide? Although there is the odd moment of reflection, that allows readers to catch their breath a bit and also helps fill in some background details about the characters, mostly the book moves at a fast pace, and it will keep lovers of the genre turning the pages.
The ending is particularly interesting. I enjoyed it, and it ends with a bang, as it should, but there is also an epilogue that puts things into perspective, and it works in two ways: on the one hand, it fills in the gaps for readers who prefer a closed ending with everything settled; on the other, it qualifies the ending of the story, putting an ambiguous twist on it. (And yes, I liked the epilogue as well).
All in all, this is an action book, with fairly solid characters who although are not by-the-book heroes are easy to warm to, with a somewhat disorienting and peculiar style of narration that enhances the effect of the story on the reader. I’d recommend it to those who love creature horror, and to people not too squeamish, who enjoy B-series movies, and who love to be kept on their toes. An author to watch.
This is the first book by this author I’ve read (no, he is not “the” Michael Moore we have all heard about), and I was attracted by the description and the genre. It reminded me of TV series and movies I’d enjoyed, and it delivered on its promise.
I think the description shares enough information for most readers to get a good sense of what the story is about. I guess readers of horror would classify it as “creature” horror, and as I read it, quite a number of titles, mostly of movies and TV series, came to my mind: The Invasion of the Body Snatchers, V, Slither, Star Trek’s The Borg, The Blob, and a novella I read a while back that I thoroughly enjoyed, Broken Shells. Although I love horror, the more I read in this genre, the more I realise I haven’t read yet, and I must admit not having read many in this subgenre, so I am not sure what its usual fans would think, or how original they would find it. As I said, for me it brought to mind some aspects of many movies and TV series I had watched, and it grabbed my attention and kept me reading. Is it scary? It’s creepy, and rather than making one jump or scream, imagining what it would be like to fall victim to these creatures is the stuff of nightmares and it will keep playing in one’s mind.
This book is pretty action driven, with short scenes that keep the story moving, and although like many stories about alien invasion they can be read in a variety of ways, and they seem to pick up on underlying fears (issues of identity, what is true and what is not, what makes us what we are, illnesses and epidemics, the end of the world…), the book does not delve too deep into any of those and it never makes openly acknowledges such connections, or veers into conspiracy theory terrain. It is just what it is, and that’s pretty refreshing.
Although the book follows a number of characters, the two main characters are Conor Mitchell —a man in his early twenties, who loves his car, enjoys his job as a mechanic, has a sort of girlfriend, some family issues, and does not appear to be hero material—, and Percly, the town’s homeless man, who sleeps in a disused train and does not bother anybody. The figure of the reluctant hero is a common trope in literature, and particularly prominent in American Literature, and these two are prime examples of it. They are thrown into a critical situation, and by a fluke of fate, both of them seem to be in a better position than most to fight the creatures. We learn more about them both as the story progresses, and they are fairly likeable, although, as I said, not standard heroes. We get snippets of other characters during the story, but due to the nature of the story, we don’t get a chance to learn much about them, and other than because many of them end up being victims of the events, we hardly have time to feel attached or even sorry for them.
The story is narrated in the third person, from alternating points of view. In fact, this is what most made me think of movies and TV series in this genre when I was reading this novel, because suddenly there would be a chapter where a new character would be introduced, and we would follow them for a while, learning how they feel about things, and perhaps thinking they would become a major player in the story, only for the rug to be pulled from under our feet. Yes, nobody is safe, and like in movies where a murderer picks at characters and kills them one by one, here although some of the characters keep “returning”, and we even peep into the minds of the creatures, we are not allowed to get comfortable in our seats. Readers need to be attentive, as the changes in point of view, although clearly marked, can be quite sudden. Ah, and I must admit the prologue is fantastic. For all the advice on writing books against including a prologue, Moore here clearly demonstrates that when used well, they can drag readers into the story, kicking and screaming, and keep them firmly hooked.
I’ve mentioned the short scenes and the cinematic style of writing. There are no long descriptions, and although there is plenty of creepy moments, and some explicit content, in my opinion the author plays more with the psychological aspects of fear, the fact that we don’t know who anybody is and what is real and what is not, and he is excellent at making readers share in the confusion of the main characters, and in their uncertainty about what to do next. Run, fight, hide? Although there is the odd moment of reflection, that allows readers to catch their breath a bit and also helps fill in some background details about the characters, mostly the book moves at a fast pace, and it will keep lovers of the genre turning the pages.
The ending is particularly interesting. I enjoyed it, and it ends with a bang, as it should, but there is also an epilogue that puts things into perspective, and it works in two ways: on the one hand, it fills in the gaps for readers who prefer a closed ending with everything settled; on the other, it qualifies the ending of the story, putting an ambiguous twist on it. (And yes, I liked the epilogue as well).
All in all, this is an action book, with fairly solid characters who although are not by-the-book heroes are easy to warm to, with a somewhat disorienting and peculiar style of narration that enhances the effect of the story on the reader. I’d recommend it to those who love creature horror, and to people not too squeamish, who enjoy B-series movies, and who love to be kept on their toes. An author to watch.
January 3, 2021
Michael J. Moore’s Highway Twenty introduces us to Conor Mitchell and his sleepy hometown of Sedrow Wooley, Washington. Conor is just about as normal as you can get. He’s got an average job working as a mechanic, a regular girlfriend and a decent place to live. But his average life and quiet town are being turned upside-down. Slowly, the people of Sedrow Wooley start to vanish. A few days later, they return. But they’re different. Those who return are changed; they’re hungry monsters masquerading as human. As more and more of the town is slowly changed, Conor has to figure out just what in the hell is going on and hope he can do it in time to save his town.
Right off the bat, I’ve gotta say that Highway Twenty sort of defies categorization. It’s definitely horror, but a weird mix of subgenres. It’s got elements of cosmic horror and creature feature. It’s something of a fast-paced thriller, but with deeply psychological elements with quite a bit of mystery thrown in for good measure. And it’s definitely a little bizzaro. Simply put, Highway Twenty is a story that refuses to be placed neatly into a little box. Moore has woven a fascinating and unique tale unlike any I’ve read before. This crazy mix made for some seriously enthralling reading. There were certainly moments in which the story got a bit bizarre, but it absolutely kept me hooked.
One strong point of Moore’s work is in his everyman hero, Conor Mitchell. The everyman is a classic literary archetype, so Conor isn’t necessarily breaking new ground here. However, despite the commonality of this character type, I still think that Moore did a simply amazing job with Conor. He is the epitome of the average dude, making him very relatable. He is certainly no hero, but is met with extraordinary circumstances. Like any great everyman, Conor has to rise to the occasion when he realizes what’s on the line. I think that what makes Conor such a great character is the skillful way in which Moore has crafted Conor’s flaws. He is far from perfect, and throughout the story we see him fighting against his own inner turmoil as well as the external threat. Being inside Conor’s head as his world slowly crumbles is a deeply emotional experience. As things go from bad to worse, Conor continually has to make tough choices and sacrifices if he has any hope to survive. Despite this being a horror novel, some scenes were absolutely emotionally gut-wrenching.
In addition to the top-notch protagonist, Moore’s antagonistic force of evil is 100% pure badass. I can’t say too much about the big baddies, cause the fun comes in slowly realizing what Conor is up against. Moore keeps you on your feet and guessing as you, alongside Conor, try to figure out what in the world is going on in Sedrow Wooley. Along with the killer creatures that Moore has devised comes an overbearing sense of inevitable doom. The worse things get, the more and more it looks like Conor has no chance to survive himself, let alone save the world from this threat. Despite that exponentially growing sense of futility and doom, Conor keeps fighting and you keep reading.
Highway Twenty is a masterful combination of awesome monsters, lightning-paced action and genuine, emotional characters. You’ll laugh, your heart will pound, and you might even shed a tear. Good horror always evokes emotion, and Moore does so in spades. Fans of cosmic horror or creature features will love this one; as will fans of psychological horror and emotional, character-driven story lines. If you’re looking for something totally fresh and unlike anything you’ve read before, that will draw you in and really get you thinking, give Michael J. Moore’s Highway Twenty a shot.
Right off the bat, I’ve gotta say that Highway Twenty sort of defies categorization. It’s definitely horror, but a weird mix of subgenres. It’s got elements of cosmic horror and creature feature. It’s something of a fast-paced thriller, but with deeply psychological elements with quite a bit of mystery thrown in for good measure. And it’s definitely a little bizzaro. Simply put, Highway Twenty is a story that refuses to be placed neatly into a little box. Moore has woven a fascinating and unique tale unlike any I’ve read before. This crazy mix made for some seriously enthralling reading. There were certainly moments in which the story got a bit bizarre, but it absolutely kept me hooked.
One strong point of Moore’s work is in his everyman hero, Conor Mitchell. The everyman is a classic literary archetype, so Conor isn’t necessarily breaking new ground here. However, despite the commonality of this character type, I still think that Moore did a simply amazing job with Conor. He is the epitome of the average dude, making him very relatable. He is certainly no hero, but is met with extraordinary circumstances. Like any great everyman, Conor has to rise to the occasion when he realizes what’s on the line. I think that what makes Conor such a great character is the skillful way in which Moore has crafted Conor’s flaws. He is far from perfect, and throughout the story we see him fighting against his own inner turmoil as well as the external threat. Being inside Conor’s head as his world slowly crumbles is a deeply emotional experience. As things go from bad to worse, Conor continually has to make tough choices and sacrifices if he has any hope to survive. Despite this being a horror novel, some scenes were absolutely emotionally gut-wrenching.
In addition to the top-notch protagonist, Moore’s antagonistic force of evil is 100% pure badass. I can’t say too much about the big baddies, cause the fun comes in slowly realizing what Conor is up against. Moore keeps you on your feet and guessing as you, alongside Conor, try to figure out what in the world is going on in Sedrow Wooley. Along with the killer creatures that Moore has devised comes an overbearing sense of inevitable doom. The worse things get, the more and more it looks like Conor has no chance to survive himself, let alone save the world from this threat. Despite that exponentially growing sense of futility and doom, Conor keeps fighting and you keep reading.
Highway Twenty is a masterful combination of awesome monsters, lightning-paced action and genuine, emotional characters. You’ll laugh, your heart will pound, and you might even shed a tear. Good horror always evokes emotion, and Moore does so in spades. Fans of cosmic horror or creature features will love this one; as will fans of psychological horror and emotional, character-driven story lines. If you’re looking for something totally fresh and unlike anything you’ve read before, that will draw you in and really get you thinking, give Michael J. Moore’s Highway Twenty a shot.
May 14, 2020
Take a bit of Camus’ La Peste and a bit of Alien and a bit of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde stir them together through the sense of humor of a talented horror writer and you get something like this.
Which is to say this is a book that doesn’t always know what it’s trying to do or where its coming from but is a great read none the less so who cares about the rest?
A little town has been invaded by horrible alien creatures that eat human beings – a LOT of human beings. They seem to eat all the time. Some humans they just eat and others they lay their eggs in and when their not at all cute baby aliens hatch they take over some parts of the personality and use the human as a vehicle or a disguise or something. I wasn’t quite sure how this worked I would have like a few diagrams… Anyway after a while the whole town is crawling with aliens who look like people and it’s getting worse by the day.
Weaving through this unexpectedly compelling monster story there’s a nicely written romance between the central character and his girlfriend - living or undead but let’s not throw in vampires as they never improve a story. Their love affair definitely isn’t the stuff of Mills & Boon in fact it made me a bit queasy but this was offset by the brilliant depiction of a relationship that seemed disconcertingly like the kind that actually happen in the world. I like to think this author will go far but if writing horror stories doesn’t prove lucrative he could probably make a reasonable living giving master classes in writing dialogue.
There’s always a problem with a plague novel knowing how to end it because in the end most plagues just fizzle out and where’s the excitement in THAT? In this story the ending is OK but I was hoping for something more ingenious. Or that packed a bit more of a punch. So read the book for the middle and the build up. Those are the bit you’ll remember afterwards.
Which is to say this is a book that doesn’t always know what it’s trying to do or where its coming from but is a great read none the less so who cares about the rest?
A little town has been invaded by horrible alien creatures that eat human beings – a LOT of human beings. They seem to eat all the time. Some humans they just eat and others they lay their eggs in and when their not at all cute baby aliens hatch they take over some parts of the personality and use the human as a vehicle or a disguise or something. I wasn’t quite sure how this worked I would have like a few diagrams… Anyway after a while the whole town is crawling with aliens who look like people and it’s getting worse by the day.
Weaving through this unexpectedly compelling monster story there’s a nicely written romance between the central character and his girlfriend - living or undead but let’s not throw in vampires as they never improve a story. Their love affair definitely isn’t the stuff of Mills & Boon in fact it made me a bit queasy but this was offset by the brilliant depiction of a relationship that seemed disconcertingly like the kind that actually happen in the world. I like to think this author will go far but if writing horror stories doesn’t prove lucrative he could probably make a reasonable living giving master classes in writing dialogue.
There’s always a problem with a plague novel knowing how to end it because in the end most plagues just fizzle out and where’s the excitement in THAT? In this story the ending is OK but I was hoping for something more ingenious. Or that packed a bit more of a punch. So read the book for the middle and the build up. Those are the bit you’ll remember afterwards.
March 23, 2020
3.5*
I read this via an ARC from the author, for Rosie Amber's Book Review Team. The fact that it was free has not affected this honest review.
I enjoyed reading this—I like books set in small-town America, and this had a rather B-movie, pulp fiction feel to it, suitable for the genre.
The townspeople of Sedrow Woolley, Washington State, are disappearing—then they come back and they're ... different. The book starts off with a man abducting a small boy, and finding that he has bitten off more than he can chew; a most compelling, if shocking, beginning. The main characters are a mechanic called Conor and a homeless man, Percly, who sleeps in a disused train, and the story alternates between their chapters, written in third person point of view.
The great strength of this story is the characterisation and dialogue, which was spot on and totally convincing, particularly the highly likeable Conor, his wild and boozy girlfriend, Shelby, and his colleague, John. It's a very easy read, a page-turner, and flowed well; Mr Moore can certainly spin a yarn, and the suspense was delivered well, too, with the story unravelling at a good pace.
My only complaint is that it did feel a bit too pulp fiction at times; I could imagine it being a slim volume that one might pick up in a 'dime store' in 1950s Sedrow Woolley, with a picture of a cartoon damsel in distress running away from a monster, on the front—it does need a better proofreader/copy editor, as I found more errors than I would expect, with issues like backwards apostrophes at the beginning of words, and the odd wrongly assigned dependent clause. But it's good, and basically well-written. If you enjoy these sort of stories and aren't too picky about minor errors, I think you'll love it.
I read this via an ARC from the author, for Rosie Amber's Book Review Team. The fact that it was free has not affected this honest review.
I enjoyed reading this—I like books set in small-town America, and this had a rather B-movie, pulp fiction feel to it, suitable for the genre.
The townspeople of Sedrow Woolley, Washington State, are disappearing—then they come back and they're ... different. The book starts off with a man abducting a small boy, and finding that he has bitten off more than he can chew; a most compelling, if shocking, beginning. The main characters are a mechanic called Conor and a homeless man, Percly, who sleeps in a disused train, and the story alternates between their chapters, written in third person point of view.
The great strength of this story is the characterisation and dialogue, which was spot on and totally convincing, particularly the highly likeable Conor, his wild and boozy girlfriend, Shelby, and his colleague, John. It's a very easy read, a page-turner, and flowed well; Mr Moore can certainly spin a yarn, and the suspense was delivered well, too, with the story unravelling at a good pace.
My only complaint is that it did feel a bit too pulp fiction at times; I could imagine it being a slim volume that one might pick up in a 'dime store' in 1950s Sedrow Woolley, with a picture of a cartoon damsel in distress running away from a monster, on the front—it does need a better proofreader/copy editor, as I found more errors than I would expect, with issues like backwards apostrophes at the beginning of words, and the odd wrongly assigned dependent clause. But it's good, and basically well-written. If you enjoy these sort of stories and aren't too picky about minor errors, I think you'll love it.
March 21, 2020
Giant cockroaches, body snatchers, and a race against time to save humanity! Highway Twenty by Michael J. Moore is classic horror at its best!
Conor Mitchell, a young man in his twenties, is at loose ends. He has a job at Skagit Break & Muffler and a girlfriend who is more of a sex buddy then a companion for life. Conor seems to be drifting, however, he longs for more. He just begins to believe that his relationship with the girl, Shelby Metcalf, is beginning to become something substantial, when the world as he knows it shifts and tilts on its end.
People begin disappearing – only to reappear days later somewhat altered – somewhat different. Homeless man, Percly, who sleeps in an old locomotive, is one of the first to see them for what they really are – insectile creatures who have a propensity to propagate their species. Yet, to most people, they look normal – like the regular townsfolk they are masquerading as.
This was a fun read with pages turning effortlessly as Conor and Percly race against time to save their town and humanity. Fans of old time horror movies like Them! will especially enjoy this read.
Highly recommended for fans of horror and dystopian novels. I’ll be looking for more from Mr. Moore in the future.
I received a free copy of this novel as a member of the Horror Writers Association in consideration for a Bram Stoker Award.
Conor Mitchell, a young man in his twenties, is at loose ends. He has a job at Skagit Break & Muffler and a girlfriend who is more of a sex buddy then a companion for life. Conor seems to be drifting, however, he longs for more. He just begins to believe that his relationship with the girl, Shelby Metcalf, is beginning to become something substantial, when the world as he knows it shifts and tilts on its end.
People begin disappearing – only to reappear days later somewhat altered – somewhat different. Homeless man, Percly, who sleeps in an old locomotive, is one of the first to see them for what they really are – insectile creatures who have a propensity to propagate their species. Yet, to most people, they look normal – like the regular townsfolk they are masquerading as.
This was a fun read with pages turning effortlessly as Conor and Percly race against time to save their town and humanity. Fans of old time horror movies like Them! will especially enjoy this read.
Highly recommended for fans of horror and dystopian novels. I’ll be looking for more from Mr. Moore in the future.
I received a free copy of this novel as a member of the Horror Writers Association in consideration for a Bram Stoker Award.
January 10, 2020
Wow, what a crazy, wonderful read this was! It was like a classic 1980s creature feature and such great fun.
In Highway Twenty we're introduced to a bunch of repulsive insectile creatures who try to take over the human race by hatching their eggs inside human hosts. Yuck, I hear you cry! Not only are they darn revolting critters but they have the ability to appear in physical form as the humans whose bodies they invaded.
Are you still following this? Ok good! Then comes along Sedrow Woolley inhabitant Conor Mitchell who gets bitten by his 'dog' (who is really a creature incognito) and discovers it's given him the amazing power to see the creatures as they really are. But here's the thing — can he convince the few remaining 'unchanged' humans in Sedrow Woolley of what's happening and how in the heck is he going to save the planet from annihilation?!!
I really enjoyed this book. Everything about it was right up my alley. It didn't set out to be a serious horror novel and that's what made it a quality read. The main characters felt real and the pacing was good. It contained the correct balance of humour, gore and twists, with a thrilling finale.
Book Source: Review copy from the publisher
Read my review on my blog: https://bit.ly/2t8t0hw
In Highway Twenty we're introduced to a bunch of repulsive insectile creatures who try to take over the human race by hatching their eggs inside human hosts. Yuck, I hear you cry! Not only are they darn revolting critters but they have the ability to appear in physical form as the humans whose bodies they invaded.
Are you still following this? Ok good! Then comes along Sedrow Woolley inhabitant Conor Mitchell who gets bitten by his 'dog' (who is really a creature incognito) and discovers it's given him the amazing power to see the creatures as they really are. But here's the thing — can he convince the few remaining 'unchanged' humans in Sedrow Woolley of what's happening and how in the heck is he going to save the planet from annihilation?!!
I really enjoyed this book. Everything about it was right up my alley. It didn't set out to be a serious horror novel and that's what made it a quality read. The main characters felt real and the pacing was good. It contained the correct balance of humour, gore and twists, with a thrilling finale.
Book Source: Review copy from the publisher
Read my review on my blog: https://bit.ly/2t8t0hw
June 28, 2020
This is the first book I have read by this author. I was immediately pulled in by the genre (horror being my favourite) and the synopsis- oh, and the prologue! It hooked me from the first page.
The main character (Conor) is super likable and realistic! He is not your usual hero - which I find refreshing. His girlfriend however was meh. The other main character, Percly, a homeless man who likes to drink. He is a good character but I guess I preferred Conor. Although taste is subjective. We learn more about them as the story progresses.
My favourite parts were when the story was narrated by the antagonist(s) - sorta aliens. Some bits were confusing but it was still really enjoyable. Speaking of POVs, I do recommend slower shifting as to not to confuse the reader at the times.
The book is full of action, and even though, I am not so much fan of action in books, I think it was executed really well. The pacing was slower but it made it more engaging for me - I am a sucker for a slow-paced books.
The narration is fantastic as well as the ending!
The main character (Conor) is super likable and realistic! He is not your usual hero - which I find refreshing. His girlfriend however was meh. The other main character, Percly, a homeless man who likes to drink. He is a good character but I guess I preferred Conor. Although taste is subjective. We learn more about them as the story progresses.
My favourite parts were when the story was narrated by the antagonist(s) - sorta aliens. Some bits were confusing but it was still really enjoyable. Speaking of POVs, I do recommend slower shifting as to not to confuse the reader at the times.
The book is full of action, and even though, I am not so much fan of action in books, I think it was executed really well. The pacing was slower but it made it more engaging for me - I am a sucker for a slow-paced books.
The narration is fantastic as well as the ending!
January 4, 2020
I love the idea of body snatchers, be they the Jack Finney book, John Carpenter’s The Thing, or the X Files episode Folie a deux, it’s always a frightening and intriguing concept. What would you do if everyone you knew was changed, and you were the only person who knew about it? How would you persuade others of what was happening? This is the dilemma faced by 22 year old diesel mechanic, Conor Mitchell, when the inhabitants of sleepy Sedrow Woolley, where he lives, suddenly start acting odd. The author provides the tension, thrills and paranoia to keep you reading, as well as embuing the characters with so much humanity that you feel emotionally invested in their fates and the dilemmas they face linger with you long after reading. A fitting update for the 21st century. I will be looking out for more by this author.
March 3, 2020
This was a seriously pleasurable read from start to finish. A great creepy story that I definitely shouldn’t have started reading in the afternoon - when I finally went to bed the next day after breakfast, I was sorry to have reached the end. An impressive achievement technically - the pace, the quality of the writing, consummate handling of dialogue and POV. I loved the solidity of the characters and their relationships. Intricately plotted, a clever accretion of characters in which no personality is wasted. Billed to me as ‘horror’ I was expecting something else: this story crosses a lot of genres, and the horror is so intelligently done that it doesn’t need a lot of gore: I was much more chilled by the tender affection of the aliens towards their victims. Most of all, I think, I loved the exploration of the aliens’ point of view. I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time.
February 3, 2020
This was an ambitious book. The world is almost taken over by an alien, bug-like species but is stopped by a homeless man and another man with a rough past. I have to say, this would generally not be my type of book. That being said, it started out powerfully. Very dark, very well, written, and I bought in all the way.
If you like almost apocalyptic tales with an Invasion of the Body Snatcher type feel and characters with Boo Radley everyone thinks he's bad, but he isn't (the homeless man) and characters with rough childhoods triumphing over evil (Conor), then this is your read.
Because it is a fun book. Fast, hard-hitting, and dark. Yeah, this is a fun book and even though, as I said, this is not my type of book, I read it all and had a good time doing so.
If you like almost apocalyptic tales with an Invasion of the Body Snatcher type feel and characters with Boo Radley everyone thinks he's bad, but he isn't (the homeless man) and characters with rough childhoods triumphing over evil (Conor), then this is your read.
Because it is a fun book. Fast, hard-hitting, and dark. Yeah, this is a fun book and even though, as I said, this is not my type of book, I read it all and had a good time doing so.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 2, 2020
This was a dark, well written, and unsettling horror story. Michael Moore’s prose was great, and really kept me hooked the whole way through. The pacing was absolutely fantastic, and never allowed the plot to drag at any point. The prologue to this book served as one of the eeriest and well done openings I’ve read in quite some time. While there wasn’t anything about the character development or story that blew me away, I was thoroughly entertained from start to finish. If you are a seasoned fan of horror and creature features, I think you’ll have a blast with this.
December 5, 2019
What an amazing story, like right out of Twilight Zone. This book would make a great movie! I love the main character, Coner because he faces up to the truth alone and fights against evil. This author is very talented and I am very impressed by his writing style. I will be watching for more books by this author.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 27, 2019
I picked this up as I'd read other books by this author, and enjoyed them. I loved the blurb, the idea of a creepy invasion to a sleepy town, and only one man knows the truth. It started off a little slow, but picked up the pace pretty quick and then I just couldn't put it down. The story was engaging, but terrifying, the plot moving through with twists and turns and the ending was amazing. I loved it completely, and the perfect read on these dark spooky nights. Recommended!
January 2, 2020
What the hell did I just read? *shivers* This book is spine chillingly scary. Not my cup of tea, but all the same I couldn't put it down! I'm a huge fan of watching supernatural horror (think Supernatural T.v. show, rather than saw movies.) So when this fell into my lap, I wasn't certain what I'd end up thinking. But color me surprised! I really enjoyed it!
If you like reading horror, pick up this book readers! You might find it surprisingly enjoyable!
If you like reading horror, pick up this book readers! You might find it surprisingly enjoyable!
December 23, 2019
This is the 2nd book I've read written by Michael J. Moore; he has done a great job at writing a good book; I will definitely be reading more of his books.
The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.
I loved the characters.
I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.
The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.
I loved the characters.
I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.
May 18, 2020
When creatures take over it is a true horror story! You get a lot of horror here. The description of the insects made me a little sick. I also found the way the insects made their selections interesting. I found this book to be one I would not read at night for fear of waking my neighbors screaming.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 3, 2019
I started reading the sample on the train home and the first few pages kept me interested. The gore and horror is quite visceral and grim, which is appropriate for the tone of the book. The characters are well-written and interesting. I’d recommend this to any horror fan.
January 2, 2020
Ah! This book is beautifully written and creepy! I'm not the one to usually pick up books in this genre, so I'm quite surprised I enjoyed it as much as I did. For horror fans, this is a must read for sure!
February 4, 2020
Review coming soon at horrorbound.net
July 14, 2020
I listened to this on Audio. Great narration. Complicated but once you got into the story scary stuff. Great read or listen recommended to all.
August 25, 2020
Great book!
I loved the thriller. it was exciting and it definitely exceeded my expectations. Definitely one of the best books i read in a long time.
I loved the thriller. it was exciting and it definitely exceeded my expectations. Definitely one of the best books i read in a long time.
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