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Being Human #2
Chasers
George and Mitchell are both asked for favorsand each finds himself with a painfully difficult choice to make
George’s friend, Kaz, arrives at the apartment with a staggering request: she and her partner Gail want to have a child, and they’d like George to be the father. George is warming to the ideahe has always wanted kids, and he can be as involved in the baby’s life as he wishesbut he is wary. What if his condition is genetic? Mitchell and Annie don’t approve of the new plan, but Mitchell is wrestling with a difficult decision of his own: a patient at the hospital, Leo, is surprisingly good company for a pasty older bloke who believes the 1980s were a golden age. But he seems a little too interested in Mitchell’s historyand he has a surprising request of his own in store for his new friend.
256 pages, Paperback
First published February 4, 2010
1 person is currently reading
199 people want to read
About the author
Mark Michalowski
29 books16 followersMark Michalowski (born 1963 in Chesterfield) is the editor of Shout!, "Yorkshire's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender paper", as well as being an author best known for his work writing spin-offs based on the BBC Television series Doctor Who. He currently lives and works in Leeds.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
March 21, 2011
For my full review please visit: http://shadowsireview.blogspot.com/
This is the 2nd Being Human book.
George has been offered the opportunity to become a dad by his lesbian friends Kaz and Gail though they don't know that George is a werewolf. George is in two minds as to whether or not to do it because he doesn't know if his condition is hereditary.
Mitchell is approached by a patient, Leo and they hit it off and end up hanging out. Leo is able to see Annie and seems to be keeping a few other secrets. What does he want with Mitchell?
I've read other books by this author and I have to say that I've enjoyed this one the least. It's distant from the show which makes it harder to believe that these are the same characters. They lack the warmth and the charm and they haven't translated well on to the page.
The characters that have been created specifically for this book aren't much better either. I don't relate to them and I'm not happy with the development of them.
It's an okay book. It's not as bad as the first one but it could have been a lot better. The climax is odd, it leaves a bit to be desired. I have to be honest, I wish they hadn't attempted to write these books. I'd only read them if you're a hard core Being Human fan.
This is the 2nd Being Human book.
George has been offered the opportunity to become a dad by his lesbian friends Kaz and Gail though they don't know that George is a werewolf. George is in two minds as to whether or not to do it because he doesn't know if his condition is hereditary.
Mitchell is approached by a patient, Leo and they hit it off and end up hanging out. Leo is able to see Annie and seems to be keeping a few other secrets. What does he want with Mitchell?
I've read other books by this author and I have to say that I've enjoyed this one the least. It's distant from the show which makes it harder to believe that these are the same characters. They lack the warmth and the charm and they haven't translated well on to the page.
The characters that have been created specifically for this book aren't much better either. I don't relate to them and I'm not happy with the development of them.
It's an okay book. It's not as bad as the first one but it could have been a lot better. The climax is odd, it leaves a bit to be desired. I have to be honest, I wish they hadn't attempted to write these books. I'd only read them if you're a hard core Being Human fan.
August 16, 2010
The second of three show spin-offs. This one puts poor George (the werewolf) through the sit-com set peice of straight man mistakenly believed to be gay and enlisted as a sperm donor for a daffy lesbian couple.
In a subplot, Mitchell (the vampire) has a stalker who has a scrapbook and imagined diary entries. As these entries are scattered through the book in flashback style, and it's not until the end that we realize that they aren't actually Mitchell's POV, we spend most of the book wondering how the author could have utterly failed to capture any of the character's wit and charm. "Oh yeah, someone else wrote that" seems like a cop-out.
While there's a bit of genuine angst over genetics, for the most part, this installment is the weakest of the three and uses stock characters and stereotypes as a shortcut to the plot.
In a subplot, Mitchell (the vampire) has a stalker who has a scrapbook and imagined diary entries. As these entries are scattered through the book in flashback style, and it's not until the end that we realize that they aren't actually Mitchell's POV, we spend most of the book wondering how the author could have utterly failed to capture any of the character's wit and charm. "Oh yeah, someone else wrote that" seems like a cop-out.
While there's a bit of genuine angst over genetics, for the most part, this installment is the weakest of the three and uses stock characters and stereotypes as a shortcut to the plot.
May 3, 2015
First off, this was the audiobook version, which I feel kinda cheats as far as the reading challenge goes because there was no reading involved. But, this is actually read by Russell Tovey, so it is not a mere reading. When George speaks, you actually hear George, and Tovey does a fair impersonation of Aidan Turner's Mitchell too. Which meant this lovely series-inspired tale was just like experiencing one of my favourite tv shows all over again, but like discovering a missed episode. The storyline was great as well and kept with the true taste and colour of the show, although it felt at times like George was a bit too comical and dear than Tovey would have normally played him...although Tovey was reading him, so maybe it wasn't? In any event, I wish there were more, just like I wish they had continued the show with George and Mitchell.
May 16, 2011
This was a good enough read. Having seen the tv show probably helped with bringing the characters to life (I'm not sure whether this would have been so effective if you were unfamiliar with the series). I understand this is part of a trilogy and I've not read the other two. For me this one ended a little abruptly. Overall though it was a quick, easy and enjoyable one-time read.
December 1, 2017
Second book of the (book) series : I rather liked it but am not enthusiastic with it.
The character of Kaz got on my nerves, there were a few stereotypes, Annie shivers with cold in this book while she didn't in the first...
It was OK, but if I hadn't loved the tv show and loved the first book, I probably wouldn't have picked it.
The character of Kaz got on my nerves, there were a few stereotypes, Annie shivers with cold in this book while she didn't in the first...
It was OK, but if I hadn't loved the tv show and loved the first book, I probably wouldn't have picked it.
January 17, 2018
Darker than the first of the trilogy as it focusses more on Mitchell rather than Annie. A second plot is that of George contemplating being a donor father until his worries about his condition start to plague him.
Another entertaining (albeit dark) read more gothic than 'The Road' which for me, is not a bad thing.
Another entertaining (albeit dark) read more gothic than 'The Road' which for me, is not a bad thing.
May 19, 2018
Enjoyed this book. Better than the show that was made in conjunction with it. This is a great concept putting supernatural entities together in one house helping each other make it in the world. I don't know if the writer means to but I can't help but get the message we all need help and we need to take it from the sources willing to give it
January 10, 2020
Chasers picks up the storyline from the previous book about George (the werewolf) being asked by lesbian friends to father their baby. There is also a creepy chap who befriends Mitchell (the vampire) for ulterior motives. It's decently done but not spectacular.
July 21, 2024
Its a fair story .. But I can see why it was rejected as a script for the show
May 22, 2016
I read all three of the Being Human tie-in novels over the course of five days in February, 2013. I read them on my Kindle, not knowing there had been audiobooks voiced by cast members released. Having recently learnt of their existence and gotten my hands on them, I decided to give a books another go as audiobooks.
Being Human was a UK television series based around the premise of a ghost, werewolf and vampire sharing a house together. It lasted five series, but the original trio of Annie, George and Mitchell only lasted three (Annie alone stayed until the end of the fourth series). The tie-in novels are set fairly early in the show's timeline and though Being Human became quite dark, these tie-in novels recall some of the joy from the show's first series.
Chasers, the second of the tie-in novels, focuses on the theme of wanting to live forever. George chases a type of immortality as he agrees to donate sperm so Gail and Kaz can have a baby. The possibility of the werewolf curse being heredity makes the choice complicated, risking exposing not only himself but the vampire and ghost he lives with. Mitchell has his own problem: Leo, a wannabe goth and stalker, who sees Mitchell as his path to immortality.
You can read my original review here – but I don't think it's particularly insightful.
As before, I found the ideas behind the story really interesting, though the execution needed a little push to transform it from "okay" to "awesome". Main areas for improvement were the characters (including the originals) and the tone.
Typically for a tie-in novel, the characters of George, Annie and Mitchell didn't translate perfectly onto the page. Michalowski didn't really capture the essence of them – or the spirit of the show – in his writing. Though I have to say, once again, this was massively improved in the audiobook and none of the characters seemed out of character. That said, Annie was underused. Additionally, the original characters (Leo, Gail, Kaz, Olive) didn't really work for me – they didn't feel real, almost stereotypes. Kaz was just annoying. It was impossible to see what Gail saw in her, how they'd managed to stay together long enough that having a baby was the natural progression if their relationship. You wondered how insane or desperate George would have to be to agree to have a baby knowing that Kaz was going to one of its mothers.
Like The Road, the overall tone and feel of the book was uneven. A chapter could begin tipping towards the juvenile but then rapidly become darker and more mature. For example, a chapter begins with George high on coffee but ends with his drink being spiked by vampires.
Chasers seems like it was meant to be the "George-centric" novel of the tie-in series, much like The Road was meant to be seen as Annie-centric. It's Russell Tovey, the actor who played George, who narrates the book and it's George's photo on the cover. While the baby-plot is interesting and provides George with a narrative arc, it's the Mitchell subplot that (to my eyes at least) is the driving force of the story and provides much of the tension.
Despite all of this, I felt it was an overall jump in quality after The Road. Even though the stakes are seemingly lower, it's tighter, tenser book. The characters gel well together and there's humour to be found. Certainly, even with the in-fighting between the trio over the baby, I really loved the relationship depicted between George, Annie and Mitchell.
Once again, the audiobook has a boon thanks to the choice of narrator. Chasers is voiced by Russell Tovey who portrayed George in the series. Once again, the use of one of the three leads added a sense of authenticity in the books and, as noted above, Tovey is a skilled enough actor that the characters were convincing and real. I have to highlight Tovey's narration of George's emotional outburst in Chapter Six. The print version read, to me, as a rather by-rote – nothing special, nothing particularly moving. But Tovey's performance transformed it into something truly heart-wrenching, where I could really feel George's anguish over his situation.
Chasers is a still flawed, but ultimately stronger, instalment in the Being Human series. Tovey's narration pushed it from beyond an slightly above average tie-in to something special and it was a sheer joy to listen to it. 4 stars.
Being Human was a UK television series based around the premise of a ghost, werewolf and vampire sharing a house together. It lasted five series, but the original trio of Annie, George and Mitchell only lasted three (Annie alone stayed until the end of the fourth series). The tie-in novels are set fairly early in the show's timeline and though Being Human became quite dark, these tie-in novels recall some of the joy from the show's first series.
Chasers, the second of the tie-in novels, focuses on the theme of wanting to live forever. George chases a type of immortality as he agrees to donate sperm so Gail and Kaz can have a baby. The possibility of the werewolf curse being heredity makes the choice complicated, risking exposing not only himself but the vampire and ghost he lives with. Mitchell has his own problem: Leo, a wannabe goth and stalker, who sees Mitchell as his path to immortality.
You can read my original review here – but I don't think it's particularly insightful.
As before, I found the ideas behind the story really interesting, though the execution needed a little push to transform it from "okay" to "awesome". Main areas for improvement were the characters (including the originals) and the tone.
Typically for a tie-in novel, the characters of George, Annie and Mitchell didn't translate perfectly onto the page. Michalowski didn't really capture the essence of them – or the spirit of the show – in his writing. Though I have to say, once again, this was massively improved in the audiobook and none of the characters seemed out of character. That said, Annie was underused. Additionally, the original characters (Leo, Gail, Kaz, Olive) didn't really work for me – they didn't feel real, almost stereotypes. Kaz was just annoying. It was impossible to see what Gail saw in her, how they'd managed to stay together long enough that having a baby was the natural progression if their relationship. You wondered how insane or desperate George would have to be to agree to have a baby knowing that Kaz was going to one of its mothers.
Like The Road, the overall tone and feel of the book was uneven. A chapter could begin tipping towards the juvenile but then rapidly become darker and more mature. For example, a chapter begins with George high on coffee but ends with his drink being spiked by vampires.
Chasers seems like it was meant to be the "George-centric" novel of the tie-in series, much like The Road was meant to be seen as Annie-centric. It's Russell Tovey, the actor who played George, who narrates the book and it's George's photo on the cover. While the baby-plot is interesting and provides George with a narrative arc, it's the Mitchell subplot that (to my eyes at least) is the driving force of the story and provides much of the tension.
Despite all of this, I felt it was an overall jump in quality after The Road. Even though the stakes are seemingly lower, it's tighter, tenser book. The characters gel well together and there's humour to be found. Certainly, even with the in-fighting between the trio over the baby, I really loved the relationship depicted between George, Annie and Mitchell.
Once again, the audiobook has a boon thanks to the choice of narrator. Chasers is voiced by Russell Tovey who portrayed George in the series. Once again, the use of one of the three leads added a sense of authenticity in the books and, as noted above, Tovey is a skilled enough actor that the characters were convincing and real. I have to highlight Tovey's narration of George's emotional outburst in Chapter Six. The print version read, to me, as a rather by-rote – nothing special, nothing particularly moving. But Tovey's performance transformed it into something truly heart-wrenching, where I could really feel George's anguish over his situation.
Chasers is a still flawed, but ultimately stronger, instalment in the Being Human series. Tovey's narration pushed it from beyond an slightly above average tie-in to something special and it was a sheer joy to listen to it. 4 stars.
December 25, 2014
This series just keeps getting better and better! - This one has a theme of the varying forms of immortality. This one is also slightly more light - hearted in tone - until the surprising denoument. - the only thing I would have against this volume is that it relies too much on separate little asides or scenes for each character - without linking back to a cohesive narrative - or - at least not explicitly enough for my liking - leaving the narrative seeming a little jagged and uneaven in places - but that is a very small point against an extremely entertaining read - although - as before with the previous volume - this is one for established fans of the series - bravo!
May 22, 2016
So I found this to be a fun, short read. It didn't quite live up to the show or capture the characters perfectly well, but then I expected it would disappoint on that front. I really liked the plot ideas, but how it was executed felt a bit, well, juvenile to me. I wanted it a bit darker and mature. I felt a bit annoyed that there were a few loose ends left, though that may be because it's the second book in a trilogy. I really loved the way Michalowski depicted the relationship between George, Mitchell and Annie though.
May 21, 2016
This was a lot better than I expected. At first from reading the blurb I thought it would just be a straight forward story about George and how he decides whether he should be a dad or not, but it also brought up some pretty thought-provoking ideas such as what it means to be immortal and procreation. It's not often that you find a paranormal themed story where it's characters problems reflect human life and normal day-to-day reality. It also has some pretty good representation of LGBTQ characters which was unexpected (not just Kaz and Gail as mentioned in the blurb).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 27, 2010
2nd in 3 book trilogy and an enjoyable read. This one was actually better than THE ROAD. George is such a puppy dog type and you want him to be happy. And Mitchell is, well, MITCHELL!! ;-) Both are the major story points in this one, each in different ways. If you like the show, give these books a look!
October 2, 2012
Another winner in the Being Human book series. I don't expect much when I read a media tie-in type book, but this series has really impressed me so far. Lots of laughs and a fun plot line. It feels like I'm watching a long lost episode on the telly. I enjoyed the added focus on both George and Mitchell this time around.
March 5, 2015
3 1/2 STARS
I Liked this book better than the 1st The Road, maybe because George is my favorite character in being human.
*(Time-placing: George has broken up with Nina, but not yet met Sam; he is also still working at the hospital, therefore placing this story between episode 2.3 and 2.4)
I Liked this book better than the 1st The Road, maybe because George is my favorite character in being human.
*(Time-placing: George has broken up with Nina, but not yet met Sam; he is also still working at the hospital, therefore placing this story between episode 2.3 and 2.4)
February 24, 2013
Enjoyable and better than the first in the series. Still not very good book really though.
I kept reading because these books if nothing else make the characters enjoyable in the way that the first two seasons of the show did.
I kept reading because these books if nothing else make the characters enjoyable in the way that the first two seasons of the show did.
February 25, 2011
So much better then the first (The Road) Better story and truer to the characters (In my opintion). Loved it =]
February 11, 2013
Fantastic book. A must read for all being human fans.
July 6, 2013
Not bad, I quite liked it.
February 4, 2015
I like this author.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews