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Urbantasm #2
The Empty Room
Urbantasm: The Empty Room is the second book in the magical teen noir serial novel inspired by the author’s experiences growing up in and around Flint, Michigan.
John Bridge is only two months into junior high and his previously boring life has already been turned upside-down. His best friend has gone missing, his father has been laid-off from the factory, and John keeps looking over his shoulder for a mysterious adversary: a man with a knife and some perfect blue sunglasses.As if all this wasn’t bad enough, John must now confront his complicated feelings for a classmate who has helped him out of one scrape after another, although he knows little about who she is and what she wants.
What does it mean to want somebody? How can you want them if you don’t understand them? Does anybody understand anyone, ever?
These are hard questions made harder in the struggling city of Akawe, where the factories are closing, the schools are crumbling, and even the streetlights can’t be kept on all night. John and his friends are only thirteen, but they are fighting for their lives and futures. Will they save Akawe, will they escape, or are they doomed? They might find their answers in an empty room… in a city with ten thousand abandoned houses, there will be plenty to choose from.
John Bridge is only two months into junior high and his previously boring life has already been turned upside-down. His best friend has gone missing, his father has been laid-off from the factory, and John keeps looking over his shoulder for a mysterious adversary: a man with a knife and some perfect blue sunglasses.As if all this wasn’t bad enough, John must now confront his complicated feelings for a classmate who has helped him out of one scrape after another, although he knows little about who she is and what she wants.
What does it mean to want somebody? How can you want them if you don’t understand them? Does anybody understand anyone, ever?
These are hard questions made harder in the struggling city of Akawe, where the factories are closing, the schools are crumbling, and even the streetlights can’t be kept on all night. John and his friends are only thirteen, but they are fighting for their lives and futures. Will they save Akawe, will they escape, or are they doomed? They might find their answers in an empty room… in a city with ten thousand abandoned houses, there will be plenty to choose from.
499 pages, Paperback
First published September 28, 2019
9 people want to read
About the author
Connor Coyne
29 books76 followersConnor Coyne is a writer living and working in Flint, Michigan.
He's published several novels, including the award winning serial novel Urbantasm, as well as a short story collection. His work has been featured in Vox.com, Belt Magazine, and elsewhere. He lives with his wife, two daughters, and a geriatric rabbit in Flint's College Cultural Neighborhood (aka the East Village), less than a mile from the house where he grew up.
He's published several novels, including the award winning serial novel Urbantasm, as well as a short story collection. His work has been featured in Vox.com, Belt Magazine, and elsewhere. He lives with his wife, two daughters, and a geriatric rabbit in Flint's College Cultural Neighborhood (aka the East Village), less than a mile from the house where he grew up.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
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August 30, 2024Okay, is this cringe? I'm rereading my own book. But hear me out for a second: I haven't read Urbantasm since it was published, and I'm curious about whether it is, well, good! There is utterly no point in reviewing my own work (can you imagine how absurd to give it a star rating?!?) but if I don't post it then it won't count toward my Reading Challenge, and I really want to hit 50 books this year.
May 10, 2022
This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: Urbantasm: The Empty Room
Author: Connor Coyne
Star Rating: 4 Stars
Number of Readers: 15
Stats
Editing: 8/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Content: 7/10
Cover: 3/5
Of the 15 readers:
12 would read another book by this author.
10 thought the cover was good or excellent.
15 felt it was easy to follow.
12 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 6 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 6 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
Of all the readers, 3 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
10 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
12 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
“I wouldn´t recommend this novel to anybody younger than 14, as it´s such a miserable setting and I think a lot of younger teenagers might find it too much. But I´m 15 and I lived in New York for 6 years, so I know how tough life (and high school) can be! Enjoyed it although, possibly, ENJOY is not the correct word.” Female reader, aged 15
“I think this novel would be excellent as a class reader. It looks at so many difficult subjects that are ´real´ to many people – and young people too. Horrible schools, no work, all in a crumbling, run down city. I wonder if they will save the city although I don´t know if it´s the sort of place I would want to save.” Male reader, aged 17
“This novel is dark and sort of moody. I liked John a lot; he´s like a shining star in a dark night.” Female reader, aged 16
“This is NOT a happy, light novel. The setting is depressing and the problems facing the teenage characters are not Harry Potter sort of problems, but the sort of real problems young adults can face in rough parts of the world or an inner city. I enjoyed it a lot, although a little humour here and there might help it to be not so depressing! Talented author. But I do think the first book is stronger.” Male reader, aged 16
To Sum It Up:
‘Strong characters facing a host of ´real´ problems many teenager might relate to.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
Title: Urbantasm: The Empty Room
Author: Connor Coyne
Star Rating: 4 Stars
Number of Readers: 15
Stats
Editing: 8/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Content: 7/10
Cover: 3/5
Of the 15 readers:
12 would read another book by this author.
10 thought the cover was good or excellent.
15 felt it was easy to follow.
12 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 6 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 6 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
Of all the readers, 3 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
10 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
12 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
“I wouldn´t recommend this novel to anybody younger than 14, as it´s such a miserable setting and I think a lot of younger teenagers might find it too much. But I´m 15 and I lived in New York for 6 years, so I know how tough life (and high school) can be! Enjoyed it although, possibly, ENJOY is not the correct word.” Female reader, aged 15
“I think this novel would be excellent as a class reader. It looks at so many difficult subjects that are ´real´ to many people – and young people too. Horrible schools, no work, all in a crumbling, run down city. I wonder if they will save the city although I don´t know if it´s the sort of place I would want to save.” Male reader, aged 17
“This novel is dark and sort of moody. I liked John a lot; he´s like a shining star in a dark night.” Female reader, aged 16
“This is NOT a happy, light novel. The setting is depressing and the problems facing the teenage characters are not Harry Potter sort of problems, but the sort of real problems young adults can face in rough parts of the world or an inner city. I enjoyed it a lot, although a little humour here and there might help it to be not so depressing! Talented author. But I do think the first book is stronger.” Male reader, aged 16
To Sum It Up:
‘Strong characters facing a host of ´real´ problems many teenager might relate to.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
September 11, 2022
A coming of age story
This is turning out to be an incredible coming of age story. This book captures the awkwardness and travails of adolescence with a visceral vividness. Looking forward to the next installment.
This is turning out to be an incredible coming of age story. This book captures the awkwardness and travails of adolescence with a visceral vividness. Looking forward to the next installment.
January 9, 2022
I was lucky enough to read the first book in this series not too long ago so the story was fresh in my mind as Book Two starts right in where we left off. In Book One we left John Bridge and his friends in Awake, a city near Detroit, riddled with crime, drugs and unemployment. In Book Two we find John grounded by his parents and forced to face some things on his own. His father is facing being laid off, his best friend Adam is in and out of his life, he’s facing bullying at school and he’s obsessed with a new girl. There is a lot more introspection from John as he thinks about what is going on around him and the people in his life.
This book so thoroughly captures the 1990’s, the way people talked, people attitudes towards issues like AIDS, unions, crime, etc. all captured realistically from the point of view of a teenager. I felt fully immersed in this world that the author describes. The story is filled out with more details on some history about Michigan adding to the already rich atmosphere of the story and characters. We still get aspects of fantasy and mystery throughout that are compelling.
As I was approaching the end of the book I was pleasantly surprised that there’s a Book Three! I’m so happy to be able to dip back into this story to see how it ends. I highly recommend this series; it’s been a fun ride so far.
This book so thoroughly captures the 1990’s, the way people talked, people attitudes towards issues like AIDS, unions, crime, etc. all captured realistically from the point of view of a teenager. I felt fully immersed in this world that the author describes. The story is filled out with more details on some history about Michigan adding to the already rich atmosphere of the story and characters. We still get aspects of fantasy and mystery throughout that are compelling.
As I was approaching the end of the book I was pleasantly surprised that there’s a Book Three! I’m so happy to be able to dip back into this story to see how it ends. I highly recommend this series; it’s been a fun ride so far.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews