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Cells
CELLS tells the story of an unofficial, covert prison designed to remove repeat offenders who have upset the balance of society. Jim, a troubled seventeen year old, finds that he is imprisoned with his absent father. Jim is torn between his desire to expose his violent abductors and the desperate need for a new beginning.
244 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 9, 2020
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21 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
June 27, 2020
Waw
This book is amazing! Not like other books I have read, it's so unique and definitely worth the read especially if you enjoy story's that make your heart race! I didnt want to put this book down and I will definitely be reading more from this author's collection!
This book is amazing! Not like other books I have read, it's so unique and definitely worth the read especially if you enjoy story's that make your heart race! I didnt want to put this book down and I will definitely be reading more from this author's collection!
September 13, 2020
If you have ever dreamed of revenge, you will find this read interesting – or helpful, depending on how far you take that dream.
Justice is the other dream and when laws are broken to gain justice, well, revenge is about the only thing gained.
With more dialogue, this debut novel would be more exciting. It felt like a 1920’s melodrama because it was private and engaging, about overcoming and was silent.
Justice is the other dream and when laws are broken to gain justice, well, revenge is about the only thing gained.
With more dialogue, this debut novel would be more exciting. It felt like a 1920’s melodrama because it was private and engaging, about overcoming and was silent.
February 4, 2021
Lock 'em up and throw away the key.
Who hasn't thought this a great idea after watching the news or reading the paper and absorbing the grisly details of some horrific crime?
But there is a fine line between justice and revenge and Cells by Julia Cowan takes us up to this line and invites us to step across it.
This book is brilliant. The author forces us to make up our minds as to whether these people deserved to be locked up and the key thrown away and she does it in a way that we cannot be sure if they deserved their punishment or not. We have sympathy for some of the characters, and we have some sympathy for the two men who hold the keys, but there are a few who we want to see left there to rot. And in the end, we realise that revenge is not justice.
This page-turner had me hooked from the beginning until the end and it is definitely one of the best books I have read.
Who hasn't thought this a great idea after watching the news or reading the paper and absorbing the grisly details of some horrific crime?
But there is a fine line between justice and revenge and Cells by Julia Cowan takes us up to this line and invites us to step across it.
This book is brilliant. The author forces us to make up our minds as to whether these people deserved to be locked up and the key thrown away and she does it in a way that we cannot be sure if they deserved their punishment or not. We have sympathy for some of the characters, and we have some sympathy for the two men who hold the keys, but there are a few who we want to see left there to rot. And in the end, we realise that revenge is not justice.
This page-turner had me hooked from the beginning until the end and it is definitely one of the best books I have read.
April 29, 2020
Jim is a troubled teen from a difficult background having grown up without a proper role model. He finds himself on the wrong side of the law after breaking into a house one night. But his attempted petty crime is going to change his life in ways he couldn’t possibly imagine.
David and Joe are two friends, doling out their own brand of vigilante justice after tragedy strikes David’s family twice. The book’s title alludes to the undercover prison the two men construct when David’s daughter’s murder walks free.
Cowen’s debut novel is a well-constructed, fast paced psychological thriller. I found it easy to empathize with Jim and appreciated the complex interplay between the characters. This story will grip you from the first line and you will not be able to put it down.
David and Joe are two friends, doling out their own brand of vigilante justice after tragedy strikes David’s family twice. The book’s title alludes to the undercover prison the two men construct when David’s daughter’s murder walks free.
Cowen’s debut novel is a well-constructed, fast paced psychological thriller. I found it easy to empathize with Jim and appreciated the complex interplay between the characters. This story will grip you from the first line and you will not be able to put it down.
September 26, 2020
This book had me hooked from the beginning with it’s absorbing and creepy premise whereby seventeen-year-old Jim breaks into a house and finds that he cannot leave. The book is well written and the characters developed and sympathetic. The theme that the book tackles is interesting – that the punishments the judicial system serves are not adequate for the crimes being committed, and vigilante prison officers step in to remedy this. I really enjoyed the premise and thought the book was well executed. This book is a great read and I would highly recommend it!
September 15, 2020
A well written book that follows several characters, this is well written, to the extent that you feel sorry for the culprits at some points! The book makes you change your views towards the characters, this is a strength shown by the author, and thesill within the plot. The story is full of twists and turns with a strong suspense throughout. The book is not only written in the first person but also the third and it works well. A good insight into a teenager who is on the wrong road, as the book progresses, we learn about motives and backgrounds. Great read and recommended.
March 19, 2021
Such a fantastic read. I couldn't put it down. Edge of the seat reading. I felt like I was part of the characters lives. A very compelling and well written book. Well done
April 15, 2020
An engaging and original debut that takes readers down the ‘well’ of crime…
Cells is a story that begins with intrigue and mystery and keeps you reading all the way to the end. There aren’t many books that manage to carry the mystery element throughout and for her efforts Julia Cowan has done quite well. Somewhere between psychological and crime thriller, the story is told though multiple points of view, a perhaps different choice as it switches between various characters in third person and then first person for main character James – this would be my only real critique as many of James’s scenes feel a little repetitive in writing style but in the same breath pages are turned quickly.
While being about many different things, Cells explores the morality of rehabilitating criminal offenders by way of what is a dark experiment of sorts that aligns with vigilante justice. James never really had a chance from a young age and is caught up in some rather unfortunate circumstances by way of coincidence, or perhaps that’s how it was always supposed to be. His father’s influence is a central theme to his character arc.
What follows is a cat and mouse account that switches back and forth in time while overlapping in what I imagine took some real thought and work to put together by the author. From police corruption, blackmail and even a complicated love triangle this story ticks many of the boxes that fans of crime thrillers will enjoy. In some places it’s brutal and doesn’t hold back with the darker edges readers will experience. The question readers will face at the end of it all is whether or not James is any better for the journey he has been on.
Cells is a story that begins with intrigue and mystery and keeps you reading all the way to the end. There aren’t many books that manage to carry the mystery element throughout and for her efforts Julia Cowan has done quite well. Somewhere between psychological and crime thriller, the story is told though multiple points of view, a perhaps different choice as it switches between various characters in third person and then first person for main character James – this would be my only real critique as many of James’s scenes feel a little repetitive in writing style but in the same breath pages are turned quickly.
While being about many different things, Cells explores the morality of rehabilitating criminal offenders by way of what is a dark experiment of sorts that aligns with vigilante justice. James never really had a chance from a young age and is caught up in some rather unfortunate circumstances by way of coincidence, or perhaps that’s how it was always supposed to be. His father’s influence is a central theme to his character arc.
What follows is a cat and mouse account that switches back and forth in time while overlapping in what I imagine took some real thought and work to put together by the author. From police corruption, blackmail and even a complicated love triangle this story ticks many of the boxes that fans of crime thrillers will enjoy. In some places it’s brutal and doesn’t hold back with the darker edges readers will experience. The question readers will face at the end of it all is whether or not James is any better for the journey he has been on.
February 21, 2021
James Hall hadn't had the best start in life, his father had brushes with the law, his home felt anything but safe. As he grew older, he too was tempted. He had his brushes with the law, but then one day he crossed the wrong person. It had seemed like a simple opportunity, too easy, too good to overlook. He wasn't sure why he had even done it, and if he'd know the cost maybe he would have just walked away. But he hadn't, and he found himself drawn into something he could never have imagined. Confused, disorientated, he wakes in a cell, no way out, alone, and a choice awaits him, one that may seem impossible to make.
Cells by Julia Cowan is a psychological fiction that delves into crime, punishment, and justice, Sick of seeing criminals walk away scot free, two men decide to take the law into their owns hands to ensure the scum of the land get what they deserve, get punished in a way fitting their crime. James Hall is unlucky enough to find himself in one such place, but maybe, if he plays his cards right, there is still hope for him. This book has so many connecting threads woven in that the deeper you get into the story the more you connect the dots and events. I really enjoyed how we move between current and past events, filling in the pieces of a puzzle that is, at first, too large to see. This is masterfully written, intriguing and suspenseful with a strong cast of characters. It certainly held my attention from beginning to end.
Cells by Julia Cowan is a psychological fiction that delves into crime, punishment, and justice, Sick of seeing criminals walk away scot free, two men decide to take the law into their owns hands to ensure the scum of the land get what they deserve, get punished in a way fitting their crime. James Hall is unlucky enough to find himself in one such place, but maybe, if he plays his cards right, there is still hope for him. This book has so many connecting threads woven in that the deeper you get into the story the more you connect the dots and events. I really enjoyed how we move between current and past events, filling in the pieces of a puzzle that is, at first, too large to see. This is masterfully written, intriguing and suspenseful with a strong cast of characters. It certainly held my attention from beginning to end.
September 10, 2020
Cells is a complex novel that flows easily and allows the reader to quickly become engaged. The basic synopsis is that two men feel the justice system has failed after one of the men's daughter was murdered and her killer is set free based on a faux alibi. The men decide vigilantism is what is needed to fix the loopholes in a system they deem broken. The primary focus of the book is the character named Jim and the story of how he becomes a target and prisoner of this new vigilante prison system. Jim is a young man who has suffered a harsh life. Once confined in this underground prison system, Jim is reunited with the very father that abandoned him and created the harsh realities Jim endured. While Jim and his story is the central plot in this psychological thriller, he is far from the only individual spotlighted in this intriguing novel. Several of the men imprisoned in the cells have their individual stories told. Some of these characters and their plight in life is written in a way that many readers will likely feel some empathy, possibly even sympathy, for these additional characters. The book is written in a way that catches the attention of the reader and keeps you wanting to read on just to see what comes next. Excellent Read and highly recommended.
August 31, 2020
Cells is a mystery story, but I felt it was a little different to my previous reads. The story is amazing and the prospect of writing is also very wonderful. I took a long time to read the book, partly because of my other professional commitments but over all I am glad I read this book.
The base line of the story is around rehabilitation of criminals but in a different approach. The story runs around a girl’s murder and the connected victims who are part of the same, directly or indirectly. The story has many inner lines, a small triangle love story, a boy who gets away small crimes till caught when broken into a house. A father’s and a god father’s revenge, all these are well connected and the ending too was so well written, to make it a very nice book to read.
I recommend the book to read, it sure is a little different but worth it.
The base line of the story is around rehabilitation of criminals but in a different approach. The story runs around a girl’s murder and the connected victims who are part of the same, directly or indirectly. The story has many inner lines, a small triangle love story, a boy who gets away small crimes till caught when broken into a house. A father’s and a god father’s revenge, all these are well connected and the ending too was so well written, to make it a very nice book to read.
I recommend the book to read, it sure is a little different but worth it.
September 12, 2020
Amazing story, this book centers on Jim, a boy who has had a troublesome past for which he's now in a quite peculiar prison, ruled by men who have a more than questionable way to punish the prisoners.
One of the more remarkable aspects in this story is how Jim grows as a character, how he notices all the mistakes he has commited in the past and how he learns from them.
The plot was really entertaining, full of suspense and fast paced.
I really liked the metaphor behind this story, about how bad decisions can actually lead to real trouble, and how also things can be made up most of the time.
Highly recommended.
One of the more remarkable aspects in this story is how Jim grows as a character, how he notices all the mistakes he has commited in the past and how he learns from them.
The plot was really entertaining, full of suspense and fast paced.
I really liked the metaphor behind this story, about how bad decisions can actually lead to real trouble, and how also things can be made up most of the time.
Highly recommended.
May 18, 2020
James came from a rough and trouble childhood lead to a life of crime. When a small crime lands in a not a normal prison. A prison run by two men who want justice that the criminal justice system wouldn't give. They took people who wasn't punished like they should be or repeat offenders. Throw in a hole until they die.
Jame land here for his crime and learn about himself and how he need to turn his life around and as well find his dad who he thought left years ago. It was a very interesting story and make you think about what a little bad decision can land you.
Jame land here for his crime and learn about himself and how he need to turn his life around and as well find his dad who he thought left years ago. It was a very interesting story and make you think about what a little bad decision can land you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 3, 2020
It pulled me in and didn’t let go!
This psychological thriller story is about vigilante justice led by the law. It is full of suspense with a well laid out plot, great editing and a nice flow. Some unexpected plot twists kept me on the edge of my seat. This isn’t my main genre, so I found it both chilling and heart wrenching because of the human realism. My heart broke for many of the characters, including both Jill and Emily (Don’t want Spoilers here so I won’t list them all) I would read a book by this author again.
This psychological thriller story is about vigilante justice led by the law. It is full of suspense with a well laid out plot, great editing and a nice flow. Some unexpected plot twists kept me on the edge of my seat. This isn’t my main genre, so I found it both chilling and heart wrenching because of the human realism. My heart broke for many of the characters, including both Jill and Emily (Don’t want Spoilers here so I won’t list them all) I would read a book by this author again.
August 8, 2020
Cells is gripping with a secret society of guilty members that capture others who have done wrongful things. Nice strong character development. I really enjoyed each character's storyline. Intense and twisting plot which leads to a great explaination of the cells and guilt in them. Jim's character is by far the most interesting and has that "in the wrong place at the wrong time" situation where you feel empathy for him right from the start. The ending is very thrilling and surprising!! If you like books about murder, mysteries, suspense and complexity...this is the read for you!!
May 18, 2021
Justice or Injustice?
This book could easily be made into a movie! A great plot, characters that you love and hate and plenty of action, twists and turns. It has suspense, tragedy, violence and suffering with a unique storyline, that makes you ask yourself... do the criminals deserve this? Have they all lied? Is this justice? Well maybe they do. An exciting and gripping book that does keep you intrigued as to what direction it will take next and will justice prevail. Excellent read. Thoroughly enjoyed.
This book could easily be made into a movie! A great plot, characters that you love and hate and plenty of action, twists and turns. It has suspense, tragedy, violence and suffering with a unique storyline, that makes you ask yourself... do the criminals deserve this? Have they all lied? Is this justice? Well maybe they do. An exciting and gripping book that does keep you intrigued as to what direction it will take next and will justice prevail. Excellent read. Thoroughly enjoyed.
May 11, 2020
A gripping page turner!
Cells had me hooked from the very first page. The plot is based around an interesting and unusual concept where an unofficial prison has been created for serial offenders.
Jim wakes up and finds himself held against his will. Why is he there and does he deserve it?
With each character introduced, you can’t help but feel sympathy. All in all, I highly recommend this book and will be looking out for future releases from Julia Cowan.
Cells had me hooked from the very first page. The plot is based around an interesting and unusual concept where an unofficial prison has been created for serial offenders.
Jim wakes up and finds himself held against his will. Why is he there and does he deserve it?
With each character introduced, you can’t help but feel sympathy. All in all, I highly recommend this book and will be looking out for future releases from Julia Cowan.
June 8, 2020
One of the best books I've read in a long time!
I enjoyed this book because it’s plot kept me guessing the whole way through. I loved the characters and learning their motives throughout.
This book would really appeal to people who love fast-paced, psychological thrillers. I just couldn’t put it down! The author has done a great job of immersing the reader in right at the start and keeping the tension going all the way through.
I enjoyed this book because it’s plot kept me guessing the whole way through. I loved the characters and learning their motives throughout.
This book would really appeal to people who love fast-paced, psychological thrillers. I just couldn’t put it down! The author has done a great job of immersing the reader in right at the start and keeping the tension going all the way through.
June 14, 2020
I imagine this is classed as young adult as the main character is seventeen, but this book can be enjoyed by all ages. The vocabulary is easy, the plot involving and fast paced. It's an original idea well expressed in a direct writing style. The initial scenes well evoke a sense of claustrophobia and bewilderment. The character s are well drawn and believable, the plot plausible and the elements dovetail nicely. An entertaining read.
July 27, 2020
Warning: you may get addicted to this book!!
I found myself walking around constantly thinking about what might happen next and often being wrong! It's unpredictable, with many twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat.
Fast-paced and thought provoking with an original plotline, this book explores what it means to serve justice to people, whether punishment should be corrective or retributive, and if some people are incapable of being rehabilitated.
I found myself walking around constantly thinking about what might happen next and often being wrong! It's unpredictable, with many twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat.
Fast-paced and thought provoking with an original plotline, this book explores what it means to serve justice to people, whether punishment should be corrective or retributive, and if some people are incapable of being rehabilitated.
August 7, 2020
I loved this book, it is dark and believable with a touch of madness thrown in. I think because the characters are so well drawn and realistic means I could relate to this story. It is a tale of normal people turned by circumstances.
The author draws you into their world and doesn't hold back with the punches. An excellent tale that isn't for the faint hearted. Will definitely read more of her work.
The author draws you into their world and doesn't hold back with the punches. An excellent tale that isn't for the faint hearted. Will definitely read more of her work.
August 9, 2020
The question is simple on what can be done if bad people can be taken away from the world. That would be good for all. The story was addicting and very powerful. Jim did not know what was good or bad. Due to his lifestyle. It was amazing that it was hard for me to put it down! No joke! I highly recommend this book to readers. The imagination of this author is beyond amazing! Kudos! Cannot wait to read more from this author.
August 21, 2020
This book was a great and gripping read. It has took me a while to get into this book as it is a different style than I usually read. The character building is great. There are so many plot twist it keeps you guessing and you don't want to put the book down. As I made my way through the book I am found the jumping between characters and past and present a little confusing, but this didn't affect the story in any way.
Jim wakes up and finds himself held against his will. Why is he there?
Jim wakes up and finds himself held against his will. Why is he there?
August 30, 2020
An excellent thought-provoking story.
Julia Cowan has delivered a very well thought out story in which two individuals take justice into their own hands. It would be easy to imagine this frightening scenario playing out somewhere in the world. The innovative mix of 1st and 3rd person perspectives works well and keeps the story flowing at a page-turning pace. Thoroughly enjoyable novel, which I would highly recommend.
Julia Cowan has delivered a very well thought out story in which two individuals take justice into their own hands. It would be easy to imagine this frightening scenario playing out somewhere in the world. The innovative mix of 1st and 3rd person perspectives works well and keeps the story flowing at a page-turning pace. Thoroughly enjoyable novel, which I would highly recommend.
October 5, 2020
Will inflicting punishment in return for an offense be carried out? Teenaged Jim is sandwiched between his wanting to bring to light his vicious captors or have a fresh start in life. Already a distressed young man, he is confined in a jail with no other than his estranged dad. This story shadows quite a few characters and has twists and turns throughout. It gives a well-thought-out perception of the choices and paths taken by an adolescent. As the story unfolds you will absorb the motives and circumstances of what transpired. Right off the bat author, Julia Cowan, captures her readers attention with her wonderful descriptive writing. The narrative reads from the viewpoint of various characters and is vividly carried through with an astute, captivating plot.
October 17, 2020
An exciting page turner
This was a great story about a teenage boy who makes a mistake and finds himself in a jail cell. He soon discovers that he is in a prison run by two men who feel the regular justice system has failed them. I loved this original concept. It was a well written story, and I literally could not put it down. Normally it takes me weeks to read a book, but I finished this one in a couple of days. I would definitely recommend it.
This was a great story about a teenage boy who makes a mistake and finds himself in a jail cell. He soon discovers that he is in a prison run by two men who feel the regular justice system has failed them. I loved this original concept. It was a well written story, and I literally could not put it down. Normally it takes me weeks to read a book, but I finished this one in a couple of days. I would definitely recommend it.
October 23, 2020
A must read
Cells is a stunningly crafted and we'll paced thriller, made all the more special when you realise that it's Julia Cowans first novel.
What starts with a small time crime rapidly spirals into something much darker. The way that Cowan uses first and third person to tell the story from different perspectives draws you in as a reader and leaves you asking who the real villain is.
I really cannot recommend this book highly enough.
Cells is a stunningly crafted and we'll paced thriller, made all the more special when you realise that it's Julia Cowans first novel.
What starts with a small time crime rapidly spirals into something much darker. The way that Cowan uses first and third person to tell the story from different perspectives draws you in as a reader and leaves you asking who the real villain is.
I really cannot recommend this book highly enough.
December 31, 2020
Cells is an intriguing thriller appropriate for young adults and older that touches on the topic of generational crime and failing justice systems.
Jim, a struggling but well-intentioned teen not yet 18, is a young man struggling to do the right thing. He is also impulsive and reacts to situations as one who is used to being around drugs, alcohol, abuse, and petty crime. That is, he does not see things as cut and dry, right and wrong, as an onlooker might. One of his impulsive decisions lands him in an unusual prison where he discovers his father is also being kept for much harsher crimes.
From there, the story of Jim, his father, and his jailers takes unusual and unexpected turns proving that not everything is what it appears, and very little about what we perceive can prepare us for the deeper, often darker truths behind someone else's motives. By the end of the book, I was left feeling empathy or disdain for all the characters involved as well as a well-deserved sense of justice achieved though not in a fairytale ending sort of manner, which is why many thrillers are so beloved.
I appreciate the way Ms. Cowan was able to build her characters throughout the course of the book. She gave each one depth that made them relatable even if I didn't particularly like one or two of them. She did an excellent job of laying the groundwork that shaped Jim's ideologies that drove even his most impetuous actions. What she did even better was lay groundwork for her other characters that allowed them to grow more dark and sinister as the story progressed.
Based on how much I enjoyed this book, I am already looking forward to Ms. Cowan's next work when it comes out.
Jim, a struggling but well-intentioned teen not yet 18, is a young man struggling to do the right thing. He is also impulsive and reacts to situations as one who is used to being around drugs, alcohol, abuse, and petty crime. That is, he does not see things as cut and dry, right and wrong, as an onlooker might. One of his impulsive decisions lands him in an unusual prison where he discovers his father is also being kept for much harsher crimes.
From there, the story of Jim, his father, and his jailers takes unusual and unexpected turns proving that not everything is what it appears, and very little about what we perceive can prepare us for the deeper, often darker truths behind someone else's motives. By the end of the book, I was left feeling empathy or disdain for all the characters involved as well as a well-deserved sense of justice achieved though not in a fairytale ending sort of manner, which is why many thrillers are so beloved.
I appreciate the way Ms. Cowan was able to build her characters throughout the course of the book. She gave each one depth that made them relatable even if I didn't particularly like one or two of them. She did an excellent job of laying the groundwork that shaped Jim's ideologies that drove even his most impetuous actions. What she did even better was lay groundwork for her other characters that allowed them to grow more dark and sinister as the story progressed.
Based on how much I enjoyed this book, I am already looking forward to Ms. Cowan's next work when it comes out.
April 15, 2020
Very intense and gripping page turner, especially since it’s a debut novel
Interesting rising action, an exciting climax and a conclusive resolution leaving me very satisfied. I would recommend it to anyone as I feel targeting it at a younger audience is limiting the potential of the novel
Definitely worth a read
Interesting rising action, an exciting climax and a conclusive resolution leaving me very satisfied. I would recommend it to anyone as I feel targeting it at a younger audience is limiting the potential of the novel
Definitely worth a read
June 19, 2020
Jim wakes up alone, locked in a cell, with no idea how he got there. Or why. A thrilling beginning to a well written and gripping story. I did find the jumps from the present to the past and between characters sometimes a little confusing, but it didn't spoil my overall enjoyment of the story. Jim easily evokes your sympathy and you are rooting for him through all his troubles. An exciting ride!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews