Loose Ends

Roswell (Pocketbooks) #1

by Greg Cox

Eight hundred feet underground...and deep into danger.
It started out as an innocent road trip to Carlsbad Caverns to unwind, but now Max, Isabel, Michael, Liz, and Maria are totally regretting their plan.

Hundreds of feet underground, in the cavern gift shop, Liz turns and is stunned to see someone she thought she'd never meet again -- the man who shot her long ago in the diner. Their eyes meet and Liz bolts.

But running won't solve the group's new "problem." Because the shooter has recognized Liz. Now he wants her dead.

And nobody knows why.

Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult, Media Tie In, Tv, Teen, Fiction, Fantasy

277 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 1, 2001

Reviews

[Alejandro · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very fair reading to any "Roswell" fan


I WON'T SLEEP... I CAN'T BREATH...

When I read this novel, back then on 2001, the TV series Roswell was at its peak of popularity.

Even I that I have always been a huge fan of Superman, I wasn't watching Smallville but instead, this TV series.

Also, it didn't help that both networks, FOX and WBTV were in a fierce duel using these two TV series, broadcating them at the same time, so the TV audience, at least, here, in Latin America, we had to choose which TV series to watch.

Sadly, Roswell didn't beat the ratings and FOX made a terrible decision cancelling the TV series.

So, I went to watch Smallville. Just in time to the fourth season introducing the Lois Lane character there, portraited by the gorgeous Erica Durance, so I am not complaining so hard, and even later I started to buy all seasons of Smallville in DVD.

But again, it's truly sad how such an excellent TV series like Roswell didn't continue just for a matter the ratings.

Kinda hasty, but at least the production were able to do a finale episode. Since there were several other TV series that they didn't have such courtesy and the executives just announced the "end" of the TV series after the closing of the current season without the chance of closing the...

...Loose Ends


UNTIL YOU'RE RESTING... HERE WITH ME...

This novel is fairly good, and it took the challenge to fill a plot hole left in the TV series that it wasn't something easy to do, since while Roswell was a very good TV series, the storyline was too tight and therefore, preventing the chance of making original ideas to develop in the format of the "tie-in" book series.

So, here, Greg Cox, the author, did a wonderful and creative job, showing the return of the bad guy who shot Liz Parker in the pilot episode of Roswell.

Extending the concept that maybe the shot wasn't so such a random act but part of something bigger.

Some readers complain that the characters didn't act very accordingly as in the TV series, but you have to take in account that it was on its first season, struggling to gain rating from Smallville, and also, it's very likely that the author had to start to write the novel, when the TV series was still pending to be aired, so it's not so odd that some impressions of how the characters will develop would change along the road of the first season, while the book was pretty much almost done and ready to be published.

So, is this an astonishing novel? Maybe not. BUT if you were fan of the TV series Roswell and you want to read something related to it, this is a quite fair option to read.

Also, it's relevant to take in account that it was the first published novel directly based on the development of the TV series and not related to "Roswell High" that it was the original book series were the TV series was based but making differences in the process to develop the concept for TV format.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the first is a series of tie-in novels for the television show Roswell that ran from 1999-2002, not the original series of books or the more recent television reboot. On a trip to Carlsbad Caverns, Liz sees the man who shot her, the debut episode event that kicked off the whole alien thing a season or two before. There are some continuity issues with the setting; who's still alive and who's with who, but that kind of thing goes along with the whole fanfic concept, n'cest pas? Liz's character seems to be a bit on the weak side, but other than that I didn't think it was a bad story. Fun for fans of the show... always nice to tie-up the loose ends.

[Mary Simmons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Als Teenager war ich ein großer Roswell Fan und habe nicht eine Folge verpasst. Auch heute schaue ich mir meine DVDs noch gern an. Es versteht sich also von selbst, dass ich dieses Buch mit einem vielversprechenden Plot kaufen musste.

Es ist sicherlich keine überragende Literatur und bei der einen oder anderen Übersetzung habe ich dann doch amüsiert lachen müssen. Aber nichtsdestotrotz ist die Story spannend, fesselnd und relativ gut geschrieben.

Mir hat vor allem gefallen, dass die Schießerei im Crash Down einen Hintergrund bekommen hat. Vielleicht bin ich die Einzige, aber ich hab mich schon damals gefragt, was dahinter stecken mochte. Nun, die Antwort habe ich jetzt bekommen. *freu*

Beim Lesen hatte ich immer das Gefühl, eine Folge der Serie vor meinem inneren Auge ablaufen zu sehen. Was ich super fand. KopfKino ist schon was feines.

Die Figuren sind alle lebendig, vorstellbar, greifbar und drei dimensional. Zumindest empfinde ich das so. Natürlich mag man anmerken, dass Liz und Max stellenweise out of character sind und nicht so, wie in der Serie. Aber das liegt logischerweise an der Situation, die keiner der beiden wohl so richtig verarbeitet hat. Und mir gefiel Max als zeitweiliger Hitzkopf.

Um es kurz zu machen, ich kann dieses Buch nur jedem Roswell Fan ans Herz legen.

[Aurora Dimitre · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dear god this book was so bad. So bad. The only reason I gave it two stars is because of Michael Guerin who is beautiful and amazing, but dear god. Somehow overdramatic and boring and just. Dear God. It was so bad.

[Rosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just re-read this book for the first time since I read it at 14. (I'm 31 now, so it's been a few years.) I still really love it, but to be honest, I was very distracted while reading trying to figure out when in the world it was taking place. They talk about Tess and they call her a tramp and mention that she betrayed Max, so I would be tempted to place it after the season 2 finale and before season 3 starts. BUT...Alex Whitman is still alive, and he died 3/4 of the way through season 2 (when he was killed by Tess.) So...*shrugs*. Yeah, I have no idea.

That means that it's nearly impossible to place the characterization of the characters. Still, Greg Cox did a good job of making it clear that they're all friends, but not necessarily close friends. (I will confess, that is one factor I disliked about the show in comparison to the Roswell High novels. It's hard to be invested in a show where none of the characters appear to like each other very much.)

Plot wise, this is still one of my fave tie-in novels ever. And it's a story line I wish the show had let us see at some point: Liz being brought face-to-face with the guy who shot her in the Crashdown and ending up in a deadly hide-and-seek in the non-spelunking section of Carlsbad Caverns? Just as tense and interesting as it felt when I first read it in my Roswell-obsessed days of 14 years old.

My main issues with the book are: Liz is nowhere near badass enough. (I mean, I get why, but she was always just "on it" in the show, and it seems weird to have her spend the entire book in one long PTSD inspired panic attack.) There is nowhere near enough Liz, Maria, and Alex together. Honestly, for a book that is mainly about Liz's trauma, there was very little of the humans in this one. Also, not enough Max and Liz moments (and they were my OTP of this entire series -- Roswell High and the show of Roswell, both.)

Still, a fun adventure and I enjoyed it just as much 17 years after my first trip with it.

[Blake · Rating 3 out of 5]

(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I want to change my scoring by 0.50 or more of a star. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)

I'm finally going through my tv, film etc. tie in library owned book list, to add more older basic reviews. If I liked a book enough to keep then they are at the least a 3 star.

I'm only adding one book per series etc. I'm not going to re-read every book to be more accurate, not when I have 1000s of new to me authors to try (I can't say no to free books....)

First time read the author's work?: Yes

Will you be reading more?: Yes

Would you recommend?: Yes


------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)

All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked

Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)

[Nic · Rating 1 out of 5]

I bought this on a whim because I loved this show. Unfortunately, I do not love this book. I wonder if the writer ever watched the show because he does not have a good sense of the characters. Their actions, word choice, and emotions are out of character. Liz comes across as a weak, overly emotional, basket case, which she never was in the show. I also can't figure out the timing because the skins are an issue, which makes me think it takes place between seasons 2 and 3, but Alex is alive, and didn't he die in the middle of the second season? I guess I'll never know because after 83 awful pages, I am throwing in the towel. If I keep reading, I think this book will ruin these characters for me.

[Kristen · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is basically a bad fan fiction. I can appreciate the effort - there are definitely some things I'd like to change about the show, but this was just bad. Anyone who is relatively familiar with the show and characters will see the author trying really really hard to capture the characters' voices. Unfortunately, he apparently thought that meant focusing solely on their quirks and irritating tendencies and exaggerating them with no real justification.
Maria flips out at Michael every time she opens her mouth. Michael is ready to square off constantly about nothing. Max keeps fixating (and recapping) every possible danger they have encountered, for no reason whatsoever.
I didn't make it very far before I quit.

[Shaun Phelps · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Roswell is a comfort food show for me. I finished re-watching the series and decided to read into the canonical books that weave into the series.

This book was decent. It maintained a pace and brought back the shooter from episode 1. All through the book I can see the characters true to their role. This was well written in that regard. We are reminded these are not alien powers, they are advanced human capabilities. We find more of the bendable metal and we see the shooter offer his final threat. Overall I think Cox did well writing a piece of cannon that the show would never care to integrate.

[Kerrie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Was Liz always that pathetically delicate? Her constant whimpering made me progressively angry. I had to skim whole sections just to be able to survive to the conclusion. The ending was the only positive. Mostly because it was the end.

Maybe if I'd read these books after the show went off air, rather than years later I might have enjoyed it more, but meh. I won't be picking up any more of these books.

[Queerclusive reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read like the show so spot on. Touching on ptsd Liz has from episode 1 which is never explored on the show. So very good angle!

[Evie]

I got this book in the original Roswell High series lot I got on eBay but I can't decide if I want to read it or not. I saw it was based on the TV show but I didn't like the TV show much. The books are much better in my opinion so I guess I'm wondering how this lines up with those. The books vs. show was so different I'm not even sure if it would make sense to me having not watched but 10 episodes...
Any opinions???? Thanks so much! :)

[Lizzie the Book Hoarder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any book that let me visit with Max, Liz, Maria and Michael, I am there. I always loved these characters on Roswell and even though the books are never as good as the television show I just love visiting with these old friends again.

[Cori · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a blast from the past guilty pleasure read, complete with a birders receipt from 2003. This was a fun visit with the Roswell gang. I felt as a book it was repetitive, but as a tv show it would have been a lot of fun.

[Melanie M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt that the story was a bit disconnected from the TV show and the simple character mistakes made it hard to stay focused. The spelling mistakes drove me a little nuts.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liz comes face to face with the man who shot her and is paralyzed with fear. With the help of Max and her other friends, she faces her fear and comes to term once and for all with her attacker.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this can be read as a stand alone, it is a stronger story if it's read after The Outsider, the first book in the Roswell High series. The series begins when Liz is shot and Max reveals that he is from another planet and has healing powers. In this story, the friends all go on a road trip to Carlsbad Caverns. While they are there they uncover a plot that involves alien artifacts and the guy who shot Liz. A fast paced adventure that ties up the loose ends from the first book.