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Alone #1
Chasers
The trip of a lifetime just turned into the end of the world.
When Jesse crawls out of the wreckage of a subway car and emerges into daylight, he’s greeted by a living nightmare. An unexplained force has destroyed New York City, turning skyscrapers into ash, cutting off all power and communication. Jesse and his new friends, Dave, Anna and Mini are dazed but unhurt. The other survivors are not so lucky. Every human being they encounter is infected, gripped by an unquenchable thirst that drives them to monstrous acts of violence.
Somehow, Jesse has to escape. But first, he has to stay alive.
When Jesse crawls out of the wreckage of a subway car and emerges into daylight, he’s greeted by a living nightmare. An unexplained force has destroyed New York City, turning skyscrapers into ash, cutting off all power and communication. Jesse and his new friends, Dave, Anna and Mini are dazed but unhurt. The other survivors are not so lucky. Every human being they encounter is infected, gripped by an unquenchable thirst that drives them to monstrous acts of violence.
Somehow, Jesse has to escape. But first, he has to stay alive.
247 pages, Paperback
First published May 27, 2010
50 people are currently reading
2081 people want to read
About the author
James Phelan
36 books257 followersJames Phelan is the award-winning author of twenty-four novels and one work of non-fiction. He first studied and worked in architecture before turning to English/Lit, working five years at The Age newspaper, obtaining an MA (Writing) and PhD (Young Adult Literature).
Hachette has published his five geo-political thrillers: FOX HUNT, PATRIOT ACT, BLOOD OIL, LIQUID GOLD and RED ICE.
From 2010-2011, Hachette published the widely acclaimed ALONE trilogy of Young Adult post-apocalyptic/dystopian novels.
In 2013/2014, Scholastic published James' thirteen-book adventure series about the dream work THE LAST THIRTEEN. The multi-award winning series (2014 YABBA, COOL, KOALA awards) has been highly successful around the world, selling over a million copies in 18 months.
THE SPY (Hachette, 2013), was the first instalment in a new series of suspense thrillers with the protagonist Jed Walker, and is followed by THE HUNTED (2015), and KILL SWITCH (2015).
James is currently working on a follow-up trilogy to THE LAST THIRTEEN, more thrillers, and an illustrated middle-grade series titled GRANDPA SPIES.
James has taught writing at post-graduate level and regularly talks at schools, libraries and universities around the world. Since 2006 he has sold over 4 million copies of his books.
Hachette has published his five geo-political thrillers: FOX HUNT, PATRIOT ACT, BLOOD OIL, LIQUID GOLD and RED ICE.
From 2010-2011, Hachette published the widely acclaimed ALONE trilogy of Young Adult post-apocalyptic/dystopian novels.
In 2013/2014, Scholastic published James' thirteen-book adventure series about the dream work THE LAST THIRTEEN. The multi-award winning series (2014 YABBA, COOL, KOALA awards) has been highly successful around the world, selling over a million copies in 18 months.
THE SPY (Hachette, 2013), was the first instalment in a new series of suspense thrillers with the protagonist Jed Walker, and is followed by THE HUNTED (2015), and KILL SWITCH (2015).
James is currently working on a follow-up trilogy to THE LAST THIRTEEN, more thrillers, and an illustrated middle-grade series titled GRANDPA SPIES.
James has taught writing at post-graduate level and regularly talks at schools, libraries and universities around the world. Since 2006 he has sold over 4 million copies of his books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 215 reviews
January 5, 2023
Chasers
by James Phelan is the first book in the Alone teen post-apocalyptic series. It features Jesse, who has been attending a United Nations Youth Ambassador camp. He and his three new friends, Dave, Mini, and Anna are on the subway when there’s an explosion and fireball. They crawl from the wreckage and enter a Manhattan that has buildings in ruins and deserted streets with wrecked cars and building debris blocking many of them. The only other survivors seem to be infected with a virus that turns them into thirsty predators. What has happened? Is help on the way? Will they survive? Are there other uninfected survivors?
The characters pulled me into the story, but their quest for survival kept me rapidly turning the pages. Where should they go that is safe and has food and water? There’s planning, disagreements, uncertainties, explorations, unfriendly encounters, fears, and more. The teens’ emotions and reactions seemed somewhat realistic. The world-building was well done, the story line interesting, and an ending twist that I did not see coming.
Overall, this engaging novel kept me entertained. If you enjoy teen post-apocalyptic novels, then I recommend that you check out this series.
All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date was January 1, 2011.
The characters pulled me into the story, but their quest for survival kept me rapidly turning the pages. Where should they go that is safe and has food and water? There’s planning, disagreements, uncertainties, explorations, unfriendly encounters, fears, and more. The teens’ emotions and reactions seemed somewhat realistic. The world-building was well done, the story line interesting, and an ending twist that I did not see coming.
Overall, this engaging novel kept me entertained. If you enjoy teen post-apocalyptic novels, then I recommend that you check out this series.
All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date was January 1, 2011.
April 7, 2013
Wow I haven't had an ending catch me this off guard in a long time! Well played, Phelan! Well played! Almost grabbed you a 4 stars, there!
Alas, the book isn't without its flaws. There could have been more action to stir things up, more Chasers for sure, and a LOT more answers even for a first book in a series--we basically learn nothing of what happened, why, or how far this apocalypse spans. All we know, is that Jesse and his friends got off the subway after an explosion and the whole city is in shambles. The only "survivors" they meet are these infected humans who have a strange unending thirst for anything drinkable, which includes blood. As a post apocalyptic book I can say this is quite different. They're far from vampires, but also pretty far from being zombies, so what we get is the always scary unknown. We don't know what caused it or what they really need, exactly, and if they can recover--though we do get intriguing developments on their parts. I thought this was done well and I couldn't quench my thirst (ha!) for answers fast enough, leaving me to fly through this book in no time. Thus it's unfortunate that we don't at least get a hint of what caused this bizarre set of circumstances that add up to what seems to be the apocalypse. At least it's only book 1!
Since we get no answers you're probably wondering what the book shells out. Well this book is more about surviving in the early days of a disaster such as described than anything. We don't get a lot of crazy thrills or heart pounding sieges, we basically hole up in 30 Rock with our characters. I didn't mind this as much as other reviewers, it seems. It kind of reminded me of This Is Not A Test by Courtney Summers, where the book is very tame in action, but heavy with the fear of the unknown in addition to having a strong psychological base. This one may not be as psychologically messed up, but we do see glimpses of Jesse's mental instability pop up towards the end especially. As for the fear of the unknown, I think not knowing if and when these strange beings will be hanging out and about gives the book a lot of tension. I personally enjoy these types of survival books more than those that are filled with nothing more than cheap thrills. So yes, the book is slow paced as far as "infected" action goes, but I can't say I was bored for a minute while reading it. The fascinating nature of the plot kept me captivated. In the end, I'm thankful for the character driven plot that we got in this first novel and I think it will add up to a much stronger sequel as well, knowing what we know now. It makes for a very realistic representation of someone's psychological profile in such a terrifying situation.
I appreciated the NYC setting a lot too. It's a setting that's familiar, maybe a little overused, but what better way to show the monstrosity of an emptiness like Jesse is experiencing? When you're alone in New York City, you're truly and undeniably alone. I think the author may have gone a little overboard trying to bring this setting to life, though. With mentions of every street corner, every building, every sight, it becomes a little tiring unless you actually live in the area and are able to follow these details. Otherwise it's simply blah blah that you come to ignore. It's not like it makes a difference if I know that our characters are on 7th street, or on 59th, all I need to know is how far they have to run, eh?
I think this is one instance that would work better if it was made into one large stand-alone novel, instead of 3 short (230 pages) books. I guess one argument for it being so short is that the slow pacing never has time to bore, but it did leave time to ponder and get impatient for answers. I will definitely be reading the sequels, I did really enjoy it despite it not being perfect--this is the type of apocalypse that fascinates me for real. You're suddenly in a world that just went poof! With that said, I'm thinking the series, when finished, will be better rated than its individual installments. Either way, the ending of this one alone is brilliant, thus worth the read! At least I think so!
--
A copy was provided by the publisher for review.
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
Alas, the book isn't without its flaws. There could have been more action to stir things up, more Chasers for sure, and a LOT more answers even for a first book in a series--we basically learn nothing of what happened, why, or how far this apocalypse spans. All we know, is that Jesse and his friends got off the subway after an explosion and the whole city is in shambles. The only "survivors" they meet are these infected humans who have a strange unending thirst for anything drinkable, which includes blood. As a post apocalyptic book I can say this is quite different. They're far from vampires, but also pretty far from being zombies, so what we get is the always scary unknown. We don't know what caused it or what they really need, exactly, and if they can recover--though we do get intriguing developments on their parts. I thought this was done well and I couldn't quench my thirst (ha!) for answers fast enough, leaving me to fly through this book in no time. Thus it's unfortunate that we don't at least get a hint of what caused this bizarre set of circumstances that add up to what seems to be the apocalypse. At least it's only book 1!
Since we get no answers you're probably wondering what the book shells out. Well this book is more about surviving in the early days of a disaster such as described than anything. We don't get a lot of crazy thrills or heart pounding sieges, we basically hole up in 30 Rock with our characters. I didn't mind this as much as other reviewers, it seems. It kind of reminded me of This Is Not A Test by Courtney Summers, where the book is very tame in action, but heavy with the fear of the unknown in addition to having a strong psychological base. This one may not be as psychologically messed up, but we do see glimpses of Jesse's mental instability pop up towards the end especially. As for the fear of the unknown, I think not knowing if and when these strange beings will be hanging out and about gives the book a lot of tension. I personally enjoy these types of survival books more than those that are filled with nothing more than cheap thrills. So yes, the book is slow paced as far as "infected" action goes, but I can't say I was bored for a minute while reading it. The fascinating nature of the plot kept me captivated. In the end, I'm thankful for the character driven plot that we got in this first novel and I think it will add up to a much stronger sequel as well, knowing what we know now. It makes for a very realistic representation of someone's psychological profile in such a terrifying situation.
I appreciated the NYC setting a lot too. It's a setting that's familiar, maybe a little overused, but what better way to show the monstrosity of an emptiness like Jesse is experiencing? When you're alone in New York City, you're truly and undeniably alone. I think the author may have gone a little overboard trying to bring this setting to life, though. With mentions of every street corner, every building, every sight, it becomes a little tiring unless you actually live in the area and are able to follow these details. Otherwise it's simply blah blah that you come to ignore. It's not like it makes a difference if I know that our characters are on 7th street, or on 59th, all I need to know is how far they have to run, eh?
I think this is one instance that would work better if it was made into one large stand-alone novel, instead of 3 short (230 pages) books. I guess one argument for it being so short is that the slow pacing never has time to bore, but it did leave time to ponder and get impatient for answers. I will definitely be reading the sequels, I did really enjoy it despite it not being perfect--this is the type of apocalypse that fascinates me for real. You're suddenly in a world that just went poof! With that said, I'm thinking the series, when finished, will be better rated than its individual installments. Either way, the ending of this one alone is brilliant, thus worth the read! At least I think so!
--
A copy was provided by the publisher for review.
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
March 22, 2023
I find your lack of quotation marks disturbing
April 4, 2013
AFTERGLOW:
During the first half of this book, I was pretty sure I wasn't going to love it. Like it, yeah, like 4 stars like. But then I read this:
We are all storytellers.
We write our stories
where and when we
can.
This is mine.
I have nothing.
I have everything.
I am alone.
Maybe you have to have context for this to hit you as hard as it hit me, but it was at this moment that I understood the theme, appreciated the series title, and fell in love with the book. It's a little less than 3/4 into the book.
I wrote this earlier in the day, at the 40% mark:
"I read the first half in a few hours last night and had trouble sleeping. Yay for prayer! It was only after some hardcore praying that I was able to go to sleep. I think I'll try to read the rest of it during the day and then wash it down with some My Little Pony or something. It's just scary and way too realistic-feeling. There are slow parts, which I appreciate in a zombie-esque post-apocalyptic book, and those real survivor parts make it feel a little like Castaway. Castaway with zombies. So yeah. I gotta say, though, the writing is surprising in a good way. The beginning bit has normal dialogue just like any other book, but after the event happens, the quotation marks all disappear and you get this feeling like it's all happening in Jesse's head, almost. Very interesting mechanism there. I'd say it makes the dialogue feel more urgent, and like it's being processed through the fog of trauma. As a writer myself, I always love to see the ways authors pull off something like that. James Phelan has done a fantastic job on his first YA novel. I'll be reading the whole trilogy. The books are shortish, and take place over only a matter of weeks. I'll keep you updated."
Time to update you. :) I would definitely keep the Castaway comparison from my comments above, but the chasers aren't quite zombies. They're something else. A couple of times they're compared to grazing cattle, and in the end the way they evolve from the beginning is very surprising. I guess if I were pitching this I'd say it's 28 Days Later meets Castaway for teens with an Aussie narrator.
The character arc of Jesse, our main guy the Aussie, works really well throughout the story. By the last page, I feel like his twelve or so days post-event have done their work. He's changed for the better. Honestly, that's a tricky feat for a post-apocalyptic book. There's so much going on, the need for so much world-building and explanations, that authors sometimes fudge on the character growth a bit.
Not James Phelan.
This book truly was about Jesse. I guess if he fudged anywhere, it was on the world-building and explanations. You only learn as much as Jesse does, and he's pretty scared so he doesn't take more risks than he has to, which means your information will be limited, too. Other reviewers complained that we didn't see more of the chasers, more action, more thriller.
I felt the suspense during the quiet moments sustained me well. I did not need more chasers. Not at all. In fact, without the thoughtfulness of this book, it wouldn't have made it to Afterglow. It would have been just another zombie book. It was only in getting to know Jesse and his friends that I understood the major themes, came to see the chasers as more than zombies, and got that cathartic feeling of personal growth for myself.
Last few pages = pure gold. Loved them.
I will just say... read during the bright, noisy, happy day. Do not read this at night.
Or if you disregard my admonition, at least keep My Little Pony queued up for emergencies.
During the first half of this book, I was pretty sure I wasn't going to love it. Like it, yeah, like 4 stars like. But then I read this:
We are all storytellers.
We write our stories
where and when we
can.
This is mine.
I have nothing.
I have everything.
I am alone.
Maybe you have to have context for this to hit you as hard as it hit me, but it was at this moment that I understood the theme, appreciated the series title, and fell in love with the book. It's a little less than 3/4 into the book.
I wrote this earlier in the day, at the 40% mark:
"I read the first half in a few hours last night and had trouble sleeping. Yay for prayer! It was only after some hardcore praying that I was able to go to sleep. I think I'll try to read the rest of it during the day and then wash it down with some My Little Pony or something. It's just scary and way too realistic-feeling. There are slow parts, which I appreciate in a zombie-esque post-apocalyptic book, and those real survivor parts make it feel a little like Castaway. Castaway with zombies. So yeah. I gotta say, though, the writing is surprising in a good way. The beginning bit has normal dialogue just like any other book, but after the event happens, the quotation marks all disappear and you get this feeling like it's all happening in Jesse's head, almost. Very interesting mechanism there. I'd say it makes the dialogue feel more urgent, and like it's being processed through the fog of trauma. As a writer myself, I always love to see the ways authors pull off something like that. James Phelan has done a fantastic job on his first YA novel. I'll be reading the whole trilogy. The books are shortish, and take place over only a matter of weeks. I'll keep you updated."
Time to update you. :) I would definitely keep the Castaway comparison from my comments above, but the chasers aren't quite zombies. They're something else. A couple of times they're compared to grazing cattle, and in the end the way they evolve from the beginning is very surprising. I guess if I were pitching this I'd say it's 28 Days Later meets Castaway for teens with an Aussie narrator.
The character arc of Jesse, our main guy the Aussie, works really well throughout the story. By the last page, I feel like his twelve or so days post-event have done their work. He's changed for the better. Honestly, that's a tricky feat for a post-apocalyptic book. There's so much going on, the need for so much world-building and explanations, that authors sometimes fudge on the character growth a bit.
Not James Phelan.
This book truly was about Jesse. I guess if he fudged anywhere, it was on the world-building and explanations. You only learn as much as Jesse does, and he's pretty scared so he doesn't take more risks than he has to, which means your information will be limited, too. Other reviewers complained that we didn't see more of the chasers, more action, more thriller.
I felt the suspense during the quiet moments sustained me well. I did not need more chasers. Not at all. In fact, without the thoughtfulness of this book, it wouldn't have made it to Afterglow. It would have been just another zombie book. It was only in getting to know Jesse and his friends that I understood the major themes, came to see the chasers as more than zombies, and got that cathartic feeling of personal growth for myself.
Last few pages = pure gold. Loved them.
I will just say... read during the bright, noisy, happy day. Do not read this at night.
Or if you disregard my admonition, at least keep My Little Pony queued up for emergencies.
September 18, 2012
As you can see from my rating, I thought is book was OKAY. It didn't take long for me to read and I definitely wanted to finish once I started, but... At times the story was boring. Even though the kids in the story explored the building they decided to consider their Home Base we didn't get to see a lot of what they did. It was just skimmed over. Basically, there was too much talking and not enough doing.
The ending is what really had me going, "Huh???" It might have worked better for me if the author had allowed a little more time at the end, but the way it is, the ending is just BAM BAM BAM. After the rest of the book going DRIBBLE DRIBBLE DRIBBLE, the ending just didn't match and left me feeling dissatisfied.
The ending is what really had me going, "Huh???" It might have worked better for me if the author had allowed a little more time at the end, but the way it is, the ending is just BAM BAM BAM. After the rest of the book going DRIBBLE DRIBBLE DRIBBLE, the ending just didn't match and left me feeling dissatisfied.
March 6, 2013
This was a very easy read (it only took me so long as Christmas activities got in the way).
Phelan is a good writer but parts of this book I found rather boring and repetitive. Some scenes are skimmed over which would be really interesting to read if Phelan had gone in to more detail instead of rushing it, such as the exploration of a decaying city or the exploration of apartments in an empty skyscraper. These scenes felt like filler to a back story but if they had been given more attention they could have added extra depth to the book as a whole, and certainly would have helped with the world-building which felt a bit flat to me.
When I requested this I was expecting some kind of dystopian featuring vampires. What I got instead was no explanation at all as to what caused everyone to become so thirsty (and not just for blood but for any liquid, so does this make vampires? Not in my opinion), and no insight or hints are even given as to what caused the initial breakdown of society. We are given conspiracy theories by the survivors in the book, but it is all conjecture and there is nothing to back it up with. I was really disappointed when I finished the book and realised that I, as a reader, would be given no explanation whatsoever.
There is a fair bit of action in this book to keep (younger) readers entertained but a lot of it felt quite strained to me. The (blood)thirsty people featured in this book, nicknamed ‘chasers’, didn’t really provide anything new or terrifying with their shambling as they try to find a liquid source, and their rather sporadic acts of violence were not described with any originality.
The ‘twist’, as such, I figured out fairly early on in the book so was not surprised at all by that or by what happened at the end. Saying that, I think younger readers would love this, especially as a first foray into this genre, as it is rather despairing and provides plenty of action to keep them entertained.
Although written well, I was generally disappointed with this book as a whole as I was expecting more from the synopsis. For me, this would be a much read if more attention to detail was given to the ‘exploring’ sections of the book and if an explanation was given about what was causing the infection. Although disappointed, I think this would be a good starting point for younger readers to be introduced to this particular genre and have even recommended my local library to purchase a copy.
An advance reader copy was kindly provided by the publisher through Netgalley.
Phelan is a good writer but parts of this book I found rather boring and repetitive. Some scenes are skimmed over which would be really interesting to read if Phelan had gone in to more detail instead of rushing it, such as the exploration of a decaying city or the exploration of apartments in an empty skyscraper. These scenes felt like filler to a back story but if they had been given more attention they could have added extra depth to the book as a whole, and certainly would have helped with the world-building which felt a bit flat to me.
When I requested this I was expecting some kind of dystopian featuring vampires. What I got instead was no explanation at all as to what caused everyone to become so thirsty (and not just for blood but for any liquid, so does this make vampires? Not in my opinion), and no insight or hints are even given as to what caused the initial breakdown of society. We are given conspiracy theories by the survivors in the book, but it is all conjecture and there is nothing to back it up with. I was really disappointed when I finished the book and realised that I, as a reader, would be given no explanation whatsoever.
There is a fair bit of action in this book to keep (younger) readers entertained but a lot of it felt quite strained to me. The (blood)thirsty people featured in this book, nicknamed ‘chasers’, didn’t really provide anything new or terrifying with their shambling as they try to find a liquid source, and their rather sporadic acts of violence were not described with any originality.
The ‘twist’, as such, I figured out fairly early on in the book so was not surprised at all by that or by what happened at the end. Saying that, I think younger readers would love this, especially as a first foray into this genre, as it is rather despairing and provides plenty of action to keep them entertained.
Although written well, I was generally disappointed with this book as a whole as I was expecting more from the synopsis. For me, this would be a much read if more attention to detail was given to the ‘exploring’ sections of the book and if an explanation was given about what was causing the infection. Although disappointed, I think this would be a good starting point for younger readers to be introduced to this particular genre and have even recommended my local library to purchase a copy.
An advance reader copy was kindly provided by the publisher through Netgalley.
September 20, 2012
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Chasers by James Phelan is about a group of kids that are stranded in New York after some event happens that leads to possibly zombies (not really sure what they are). They fight to survive.
I think that probably sums up the whole book. There's not much plot, just wandering around 30 Rockefeller Center and then wandering occasionally outside to see zombie like people. The characters are not very enticing, and if I had not gotten this book in exchange for a review, I likely would have not finished it. The series named "Alone," SPOILER ALERT! is because the protagonist is ALONE at the end. How trite.
I'm not sure why the author decided that no quotation marks was the way to go, but it made the book extremely hard to read. This book also needs a good editor, because paragraphs were not delineated at all in the copy I was given, and multiple words were smashed together.
Overall, a disappointment, and this is the first book I finished (admittedly, I was skimming) that I've given one star to.
Chasers by James Phelan is about a group of kids that are stranded in New York after some event happens that leads to possibly zombies (not really sure what they are). They fight to survive.
I think that probably sums up the whole book. There's not much plot, just wandering around 30 Rockefeller Center and then wandering occasionally outside to see zombie like people. The characters are not very enticing, and if I had not gotten this book in exchange for a review, I likely would have not finished it. The series named "Alone," SPOILER ALERT! is because the protagonist is ALONE at the end. How trite.
I'm not sure why the author decided that no quotation marks was the way to go, but it made the book extremely hard to read. This book also needs a good editor, because paragraphs were not delineated at all in the copy I was given, and multiple words were smashed together.
Overall, a disappointment, and this is the first book I finished (admittedly, I was skimming) that I've given one star to.
May 29, 2018
Personal Response:
Chasers was not a very good book in my opinion, and I didn't really like it. It was confusing to read because James Phelan decided not to use any quotation marks when the characters were speaking, and I couldn't always tell when someone was talking or if the text was saying something about them or what they were thinking in their head. I also didn't like how most of the story was based on only four characters (three of which aren't actually alive anymore-they were the main character's imagination) and so the plot got slightly boring where there was no interaction with any other characters. There were some good suspenseful moments, but for the most part, I didn't like Chasers as a whole.
Summary:
Recommendation:
I would definitely recommend this book to fans of mystery/ sci-fi or apocalyptic books. Most of the plot is made up of these genres and contains many twists often used in these genres. I would say that anybody above age 15 wouldn't enjoy this book as much because it is fairly easy to read and doesn't have the most interesting plot, but it should be pretty easy for anyone around ages 7-8 to understand. Both genders are portrayed as main characters with important roles in Chasers, so I would way that it would be appropriate for either gender to read and enjoy.
Chasers was not a very good book in my opinion, and I didn't really like it. It was confusing to read because James Phelan decided not to use any quotation marks when the characters were speaking, and I couldn't always tell when someone was talking or if the text was saying something about them or what they were thinking in their head. I also didn't like how most of the story was based on only four characters (three of which aren't actually alive anymore-they were the main character's imagination) and so the plot got slightly boring where there was no interaction with any other characters. There were some good suspenseful moments, but for the most part, I didn't like Chasers as a whole.
Summary:
Recommendation:
I would definitely recommend this book to fans of mystery/ sci-fi or apocalyptic books. Most of the plot is made up of these genres and contains many twists often used in these genres. I would say that anybody above age 15 wouldn't enjoy this book as much because it is fairly easy to read and doesn't have the most interesting plot, but it should be pretty easy for anyone around ages 7-8 to understand. Both genders are portrayed as main characters with important roles in Chasers, so I would way that it would be appropriate for either gender to read and enjoy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 19, 2017
Personal Response
I liked this book because it shows what could happen if a different country attacks one of the United States biggest cities such as Manhattan. I also liked the how Jesse, Dave, Mini, and Anna acted like real 14 year old kids. The only thing I really disliked was how at the end you find out that Dave, Mini, and Anna weren't actually alive in the whole book but that Jesse was just imagining them.
Plot Summary
The book begins with 4 unlikely friends from 4 different countries standing on the subway. They all met through a UN retreat for teens. They are riding along and joking around when all of the sudden a fireball is chasing the subway and when it hits ends up flipping the whole thing. When the main character Jesse wakes up he and his friends go up into the world and see a bunch of people standing around water sources and drinking the water. They wonder what is going on and why everyone is so thirsty when they notice that their leader for the UN group is among the people drinking. As they are standing there one of the people drinking starts to chase them. They end up finding refuge in the 30 Rock building on the 70th floor. There they have enough food and water for months but if they need anything else they have to lug it up 70 flights of stairs. They eventually start to get sick of this place and try to figure out a way to get away from Manhattan. They decide they are going to find a boat and take that to Brooklyn to look for more survivors. As Jesse they are all running to the docks to try and find a boat Jesse finally come to terms with his secret. That he is the only one of his friends still alive. The others had died in the subway and he was just imagining them the whole time.
Recommendation
I would recommend this book to people who are interested in action types of books. I also think that people who are in to apocalypse types of books would be interested in this. I believe they would find it interesting because it could be one of the ways that the apocalypse could happen.
I liked this book because it shows what could happen if a different country attacks one of the United States biggest cities such as Manhattan. I also liked the how Jesse, Dave, Mini, and Anna acted like real 14 year old kids. The only thing I really disliked was how at the end you find out that Dave, Mini, and Anna weren't actually alive in the whole book but that Jesse was just imagining them.
Plot Summary
The book begins with 4 unlikely friends from 4 different countries standing on the subway. They all met through a UN retreat for teens. They are riding along and joking around when all of the sudden a fireball is chasing the subway and when it hits ends up flipping the whole thing. When the main character Jesse wakes up he and his friends go up into the world and see a bunch of people standing around water sources and drinking the water. They wonder what is going on and why everyone is so thirsty when they notice that their leader for the UN group is among the people drinking. As they are standing there one of the people drinking starts to chase them. They end up finding refuge in the 30 Rock building on the 70th floor. There they have enough food and water for months but if they need anything else they have to lug it up 70 flights of stairs. They eventually start to get sick of this place and try to figure out a way to get away from Manhattan. They decide they are going to find a boat and take that to Brooklyn to look for more survivors. As Jesse they are all running to the docks to try and find a boat Jesse finally come to terms with his secret. That he is the only one of his friends still alive. The others had died in the subway and he was just imagining them the whole time.
Recommendation
I would recommend this book to people who are interested in action types of books. I also think that people who are in to apocalypse types of books would be interested in this. I believe they would find it interesting because it could be one of the ways that the apocalypse could happen.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 14, 2016
Personal Response
I think that it was a very good book it interested me very much. I think that the author did a very good
job explaining what was happening and how the characters reacted to all the events that took place. I do have a few questions though. What caused all the buildings and craters and destruction to happen? What caused all the people to have an unquenchable thirst and to be so desperate that they would drink another humans blood?
Plot
The children traveled to New York City and then there subway car crashed. The children were the only survivors of the crash. The children finally got out of the subway to find all other people having an unquenchable thirst and drinking from dead bodies. The other humans even tried to kill the children. The children escaped and went into a skyscraper. They stayed there for a while with two of the children both making solo voyages into New York City. Then they left the skyscraper for a boat to try and escape New York City but they got split up and one hid in a building the others whereabouts are unknown.
Recommendation
I would recommend this to middle school boys that like action and fictional creature books as it contains people that are like zombies. I think girls would not like this because girls don't usually like killing in their books.
I think that it was a very good book it interested me very much. I think that the author did a very good
job explaining what was happening and how the characters reacted to all the events that took place. I do have a few questions though. What caused all the buildings and craters and destruction to happen? What caused all the people to have an unquenchable thirst and to be so desperate that they would drink another humans blood?
Plot
The children traveled to New York City and then there subway car crashed. The children were the only survivors of the crash. The children finally got out of the subway to find all other people having an unquenchable thirst and drinking from dead bodies. The other humans even tried to kill the children. The children escaped and went into a skyscraper. They stayed there for a while with two of the children both making solo voyages into New York City. Then they left the skyscraper for a boat to try and escape New York City but they got split up and one hid in a building the others whereabouts are unknown.
Recommendation
I would recommend this to middle school boys that like action and fictional creature books as it contains people that are like zombies. I think girls would not like this because girls don't usually like killing in their books.
June 18, 2014
1. I decided to read this book as I got a chapter of it free in another book I read and loved it.
2. I found the setting of abandoned New York city interesting. The idea of a city with thousands of apartments left untouched to loot and raid and have a bit of fun with the lawless society they live in now. Also the ability to have fun with abandoned cars and the fact that it snows the whole of winter.
3."We are all storytellers. We write our stories where and when we can. This is mine. I have nothing. I have everything. I am alone." I liked this quote because it hit me that writers are just persons who can put stories on paper, anyone could be a storyteller but only those with means to express it are ever heard.
4. In this book (as the title suggests) I learnt a bit about how being alone, or not being alone has its advantages. It made me think that I do not need others to make me feel happy, all I need is myself and something to keep me entertained.
FINISHED
2. I found the setting of abandoned New York city interesting. The idea of a city with thousands of apartments left untouched to loot and raid and have a bit of fun with the lawless society they live in now. Also the ability to have fun with abandoned cars and the fact that it snows the whole of winter.
3."We are all storytellers. We write our stories where and when we can. This is mine. I have nothing. I have everything. I am alone." I liked this quote because it hit me that writers are just persons who can put stories on paper, anyone could be a storyteller but only those with means to express it are ever heard.
4. In this book (as the title suggests) I learnt a bit about how being alone, or not being alone has its advantages. It made me think that I do not need others to make me feel happy, all I need is myself and something to keep me entertained.
FINISHED
October 6, 2011
I feel odd giving this book 3 stars. I liked it, then I didn't like it, then I liked it again, only to end up hating it. Honestly, the lack of quotation marks just annoyed me. You understand at the end WHY it's set up that way, but there could have been quotation marks and it wouldn't have detracted from the whole OMG! cliffhanger ending. I can honestly say I didn't even like the main character, and forgot his name early on. Reading the back of the book now informs me it was Jesse. The writing was good but rushed, and we're given no real information about anything; not Jesse himself, or why the events occurred like they did. What's happening? You tell me. I'm going to have to find the sequel, and I'm not 100% sure I want to read it. Oh well, it killed an hour or so of time.
Great idea, poorly pulled off with a vaguely boring main character.
Great idea, poorly pulled off with a vaguely boring main character.
March 10, 2012
A well written post apocalyptic action packed thriller about a group of teenagers trying to survive in New York after a mysterious "attack" leaves all its citizens strangely affected and in a vampire/zombie like state. This story has a good balance of action, suspense and introspection by the main character with an amazing plot twist and cliff hanger at the end. Stay tunned for the sequel!!
January 7, 2013
oh god, all the feels
damn plot twists
damn plot twists
March 16, 2021
PERSONAL RESPONSE:
I really enjoyed Chasers by James Phelan. I like the storyline because it spikes my interest throughout the story because of the characters’ brave actions. I like all of the characters in it and their backstories because they’re very interesting.
PLOT:
The book is about four characters: Jessie, Anna, Dave, and Mini. They are on a train going to New York and are in a subway tunnel when an attack occurs. They get trapped in the tunnel, and they have nowhere to go but out. When they get outside, there are these zombie-like people who are called Chasers. The characters predicted the attack turned the zombie-like people into Chasers. Now they’re stuck alone in Manhattan, and they have to find their way out.
CHARACTERIZATION:
Jesse, the protagonist, realizes the attack is real. There is no getting out of the situation he is in. Dave, a friend of Jesse’s, shows he cares about Jesse by protecting him from going into the room that Jesse has had nightmares about. I believe Jesse can be brave at some points by risking his life for his friends; however, he can also be cowardly by not doing everything in his power to protect his friends. Later in the book, he ends up being the hero by helping his friends escape to New Jersey.
The Chasers, the antagonists, are zombie-like creatures that seem to have no clue what they are doing. They change throughout the book by increasing their numbers and getting stronger and faster.
SETTING:
The story takes place in Manhattan, New York during modern times. The time period impacts the story because they have modern technology like iPods, computers, etc. The location impacts the story because it seems Manhattan is one of the only points hit in the story by the bombs/meteors. They think mist from the bombs/meteors causes the Chasers to become how they are.
RECOMMENDATION:
I recommend this book to all ages from 13-18 because of the mature plotline and occasional swearing. I recommend it to all genders because it’s a very good book, and I think a lot of people would enjoy it. I rate it a 9/1o.
I really enjoyed Chasers by James Phelan. I like the storyline because it spikes my interest throughout the story because of the characters’ brave actions. I like all of the characters in it and their backstories because they’re very interesting.
PLOT:
The book is about four characters: Jessie, Anna, Dave, and Mini. They are on a train going to New York and are in a subway tunnel when an attack occurs. They get trapped in the tunnel, and they have nowhere to go but out. When they get outside, there are these zombie-like people who are called Chasers. The characters predicted the attack turned the zombie-like people into Chasers. Now they’re stuck alone in Manhattan, and they have to find their way out.
CHARACTERIZATION:
Jesse, the protagonist, realizes the attack is real. There is no getting out of the situation he is in. Dave, a friend of Jesse’s, shows he cares about Jesse by protecting him from going into the room that Jesse has had nightmares about. I believe Jesse can be brave at some points by risking his life for his friends; however, he can also be cowardly by not doing everything in his power to protect his friends. Later in the book, he ends up being the hero by helping his friends escape to New Jersey.
The Chasers, the antagonists, are zombie-like creatures that seem to have no clue what they are doing. They change throughout the book by increasing their numbers and getting stronger and faster.
SETTING:
The story takes place in Manhattan, New York during modern times. The time period impacts the story because they have modern technology like iPods, computers, etc. The location impacts the story because it seems Manhattan is one of the only points hit in the story by the bombs/meteors. They think mist from the bombs/meteors causes the Chasers to become how they are.
RECOMMENDATION:
I recommend this book to all ages from 13-18 because of the mature plotline and occasional swearing. I recommend it to all genders because it’s a very good book, and I think a lot of people would enjoy it. I rate it a 9/1o.
March 21, 2019
2.9
I more or less called that ending. The writing style (read: the lack of speech markers) really gave it away. Yet, at the same time it didn’t give enough of it away. Aside from the really cool apartment 59C fiasco there isn’t any indication to the stories real problem.
I get now why the side characters were so cartoonish but still, having to read a whole book to explain the sexist and possibly racist characterisation of the characters wasn’t cool.
As well as the fact that no story development happens. Like we end up back at the beginning at the end of the book, it made itself redundant by not focusing enough on the subtleties of going through something as harrowing as the apocalypse.
It touched on certain philosophical questions and political ideas etc, but didn’t allow itself time to create meanings for these topics, they just dropped in and dropped off. A little time in a story like this isn’t out of the ordinary, it’s strange really: how little time it really allowed for the real storyline.
Anyway, the second book sounds more like where this series should’ve started so hopefully it (and the characterisation) is better.
I more or less called that ending. The writing style (read: the lack of speech markers) really gave it away. Yet, at the same time it didn’t give enough of it away. Aside from the really cool apartment 59C fiasco there isn’t any indication to the stories real problem.
I get now why the side characters were so cartoonish but still, having to read a whole book to explain the sexist and possibly racist characterisation of the characters wasn’t cool.
As well as the fact that no story development happens. Like we end up back at the beginning at the end of the book, it made itself redundant by not focusing enough on the subtleties of going through something as harrowing as the apocalypse.
It touched on certain philosophical questions and political ideas etc, but didn’t allow itself time to create meanings for these topics, they just dropped in and dropped off. A little time in a story like this isn’t out of the ordinary, it’s strange really: how little time it really allowed for the real storyline.
Anyway, the second book sounds more like where this series should’ve started so hopefully it (and the characterisation) is better.
December 17, 2020
Trigger warnings: explosions, death, gun violence, blood, gore, zombies???, vomit.
This was a very peculiar book, to be perfectly honest. But it was also an incredibly fast paced and gripping book. So essentially, the protagonist is visiting New York from Melbourne for a UN study camp thing. There's a huge explosion, he and three others are on the subway at the time. They emerge into a world where basically everyone is dead or missing and those who remain are, like, weird zombie/vampire creatures who crave blood????
Like I said, it was weird and there's not a huge amount of explanation of what these creatures are or what happened to the world to make it this way. I struggled at times with the lack of quotation marks, but
I'll definitely be picking up the other two books in the series once I'm back at work in late January!
This was a very peculiar book, to be perfectly honest. But it was also an incredibly fast paced and gripping book. So essentially, the protagonist is visiting New York from Melbourne for a UN study camp thing. There's a huge explosion, he and three others are on the subway at the time. They emerge into a world where basically everyone is dead or missing and those who remain are, like, weird zombie/vampire creatures who crave blood????
Like I said, it was weird and there's not a huge amount of explanation of what these creatures are or what happened to the world to make it this way. I struggled at times with the lack of quotation marks, but
I'll definitely be picking up the other two books in the series once I'm back at work in late January!
May 31, 2024
At first I was appalled that the author didn't use any quotation marks when writing dialog. It was so hard to understand who was speaking when or if it was just somebody's inner thoughts. But now when I finished the book, and even though I predicted the plot twist at the end, at least I understand the author's stylistic choice to omitt the quotation marks.
I own the other books in this series, so I guess I will get around to reading them eventually. This book wasn't particularly interesting but it was an easy read so I will at least give it that.
I own the other books in this series, so I guess I will get around to reading them eventually. This book wasn't particularly interesting but it was an easy read so I will at least give it that.
Read
March 11, 2019Name: Devin Kuenzi
Book title: Chasers
Personal Response: I like this book. It was an ok book to read. I think that this book should be a little shorter because it got boring fast. It took way too long to get to the point of them leaving. I thought this book would have been about a whole different thing. I do not like the book enough to go on and read the next one in the series.
Summary: This book is about a boy named Jessie. He is from Australia, and he comes to America because he took a trip by himself. He left for some competition. During his first week in New York, the Chasers became a thing. The Chasers attacked while he was on an underground subway. The Chasers are like dead humans but they need water to stay alive, also need blood. Then they get to a safe place and stay there for a couple of weeks. Then they finally plan on leaving but it took them an extra day to leave. Jessie found a bag of drugs that he going to keep in case if they ever get caught by bad humans. They ended up getting chased by the Chasers once and Jessie almost got caught.
Characteristic: At the beginning of the book, Jessie was a little scaredy cat and would complain about everything. Around halfway through the book, he started to man up a little bit. He also practiced shooting his gun and reloading it.
Recommendation: I would recommend this book to an 8th grader or higher. Mainly to a boy because it is about a boy character. This book would take a while to read so the person will have to stay interested.
Book title: Chasers
Personal Response: I like this book. It was an ok book to read. I think that this book should be a little shorter because it got boring fast. It took way too long to get to the point of them leaving. I thought this book would have been about a whole different thing. I do not like the book enough to go on and read the next one in the series.
Summary: This book is about a boy named Jessie. He is from Australia, and he comes to America because he took a trip by himself. He left for some competition. During his first week in New York, the Chasers became a thing. The Chasers attacked while he was on an underground subway. The Chasers are like dead humans but they need water to stay alive, also need blood. Then they get to a safe place and stay there for a couple of weeks. Then they finally plan on leaving but it took them an extra day to leave. Jessie found a bag of drugs that he going to keep in case if they ever get caught by bad humans. They ended up getting chased by the Chasers once and Jessie almost got caught.
Characteristic: At the beginning of the book, Jessie was a little scaredy cat and would complain about everything. Around halfway through the book, he started to man up a little bit. He also practiced shooting his gun and reloading it.
Recommendation: I would recommend this book to an 8th grader or higher. Mainly to a boy because it is about a boy character. This book would take a while to read so the person will have to stay interested.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 15, 2012
Got this at an airport a few months back, but finally got the time to read it over the weekend - and what a read! I then googled the book to see what people are saying about it, and it's cool to see that I'm not alone in my reaction.
I've since loaned Chasers out to a friend at work who doesn't read many novels, and sold him on the premise as "I am Legend" meets "The Sixth Sense". I'll get him to report back here once he's done.
I love the zombie/post-apocalyptic type genre, and this first book and trilogy kind of transcends that. I've now read books 2 and 3 as well (as e-books, which I usually try to avoid but my local store didn't have them and I didn't want to wait for shipping).
So, what to say as a review... I guess what strikes me most is that the character Jesse very much reminds me of Holden from the "Catcher in the Rye" (one of my fav books since a high school english class about 20 years ago) - and not just because both characters are 16 and wandering around Manhattan, but I also felt that Rachel is to Jesse as Allie was to Holden. There's quite a few times in the books where Jesse's travels in Manhattan mirror Holden's, and there was a moment in book 2 or 3 where he was crossing Fifth Avenue headed for the Central Park Zoo (where Holden went to meet Allie) - that I felt was so close as to being a rip-off. In "Catcher", Holden, while walking along Fifth Avenue, begins to believe that he will not be able to get to the other side of the street each time he reaches the end of a block, as if he will just fall off. He talks aloud to Allie to help him get through the ordeal... which is a coping mechanism we know Jesse did with his friends in Chasers. So there were a lot of similarities, along with the overall theme of coming-of-age, having to grow up fast, and survival as an adolescent, with what's long been a fav book of mine, which probably explains why I loved this so much.
I've since re-read Chasers to see if i could pick apart that "wow" ending, and it still surprised me and worked well as a novel. On that second read, and with an eye for any "Catcher" references, I found this moment where Jesse is thinking back to seeing the boat drifting on the East River:
I wanted to be on a houseboat that could float
down the river and into the harbour and beyond to the
ocean. I didn’t care if I couldn’t steer it; I’d be happy if
it made its own way and the current took me wherever
it pleased. I’d like that actually. I’d like to let go and
not have to worry about anything, not have to be the
one steering the boat or anything else in life. I wanted
to close my eyes and drift.
To me this smacked of Huck Finn, where one day an empty houseboat floats down the river past the island and Jim and Huck are able to retrieve some odds and ends that are of value to them. They also find a man's body inside the cabin. Jim shields Huck from looking at the corpse saying that it is too "ghastly" - which is what Jesse does when he gets back from that East River trips and does not tell his friends about what he saw in that tunnel because that was too ghastly. And the image of the dead guy from "Huck" made me think about the possibility of there being a dead guy behind that locked door in apartment 59c, eg this is from Chasers:
I stood before the door that a couple of days earlier
had been locked from the inside. It was almost fully
closed but someone had damaged the handle. I reached
for it—
Don’t.
Dave’s voice came from behind me.
Why not? I said.
Because you don’t want to go in there.
I want to see it.
You’ve seen it.
What?
You’ve seen it. Leave it alone, Jesse.
I looked at Dave closely, then back at the door.
What did I see?
Nothing that you want to see again. Leave it alone.
I want to see for myself.
You don’t need to do that.
I want to know.
I want to forget.
You can remember?
I can’t forget. It’s the tunnel all over again, Jesse. You
don’t want to see in there. Come on, leave it be.
So, as a 35 yr old, this book and trilogy worked for me and did what I expected and more. Perhaps my only criticism would be that it's categorised as a children's/young adult novel, whereas I think it's an adult novel with teen characters, something i also feel about novels such as "Life of Pi" and "Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time". Perhaps the publisher can put the 3 "ALONE" books together in one volume and release it as an adult novel? I think it would do really well. I also see, thanks to this website, that this author has written adult thrillers, which look like the type of Lee Childs one-man-saving-the-world type scenario which is not my thing, but i might give one a try... and will report back!
I've since loaned Chasers out to a friend at work who doesn't read many novels, and sold him on the premise as "I am Legend" meets "The Sixth Sense". I'll get him to report back here once he's done.
I love the zombie/post-apocalyptic type genre, and this first book and trilogy kind of transcends that. I've now read books 2 and 3 as well (as e-books, which I usually try to avoid but my local store didn't have them and I didn't want to wait for shipping).
So, what to say as a review... I guess what strikes me most is that the character Jesse very much reminds me of Holden from the "Catcher in the Rye" (one of my fav books since a high school english class about 20 years ago) - and not just because both characters are 16 and wandering around Manhattan, but I also felt that Rachel is to Jesse as Allie was to Holden. There's quite a few times in the books where Jesse's travels in Manhattan mirror Holden's, and there was a moment in book 2 or 3 where he was crossing Fifth Avenue headed for the Central Park Zoo (where Holden went to meet Allie) - that I felt was so close as to being a rip-off. In "Catcher", Holden, while walking along Fifth Avenue, begins to believe that he will not be able to get to the other side of the street each time he reaches the end of a block, as if he will just fall off. He talks aloud to Allie to help him get through the ordeal... which is a coping mechanism we know Jesse did with his friends in Chasers. So there were a lot of similarities, along with the overall theme of coming-of-age, having to grow up fast, and survival as an adolescent, with what's long been a fav book of mine, which probably explains why I loved this so much.
I've since re-read Chasers to see if i could pick apart that "wow" ending, and it still surprised me and worked well as a novel. On that second read, and with an eye for any "Catcher" references, I found this moment where Jesse is thinking back to seeing the boat drifting on the East River:
I wanted to be on a houseboat that could float
down the river and into the harbour and beyond to the
ocean. I didn’t care if I couldn’t steer it; I’d be happy if
it made its own way and the current took me wherever
it pleased. I’d like that actually. I’d like to let go and
not have to worry about anything, not have to be the
one steering the boat or anything else in life. I wanted
to close my eyes and drift.
To me this smacked of Huck Finn, where one day an empty houseboat floats down the river past the island and Jim and Huck are able to retrieve some odds and ends that are of value to them. They also find a man's body inside the cabin. Jim shields Huck from looking at the corpse saying that it is too "ghastly" - which is what Jesse does when he gets back from that East River trips and does not tell his friends about what he saw in that tunnel because that was too ghastly. And the image of the dead guy from "Huck" made me think about the possibility of there being a dead guy behind that locked door in apartment 59c, eg this is from Chasers:
I stood before the door that a couple of days earlier
had been locked from the inside. It was almost fully
closed but someone had damaged the handle. I reached
for it—
Don’t.
Dave’s voice came from behind me.
Why not? I said.
Because you don’t want to go in there.
I want to see it.
You’ve seen it.
What?
You’ve seen it. Leave it alone, Jesse.
I looked at Dave closely, then back at the door.
What did I see?
Nothing that you want to see again. Leave it alone.
I want to see for myself.
You don’t need to do that.
I want to know.
I want to forget.
You can remember?
I can’t forget. It’s the tunnel all over again, Jesse. You
don’t want to see in there. Come on, leave it be.
So, as a 35 yr old, this book and trilogy worked for me and did what I expected and more. Perhaps my only criticism would be that it's categorised as a children's/young adult novel, whereas I think it's an adult novel with teen characters, something i also feel about novels such as "Life of Pi" and "Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time". Perhaps the publisher can put the 3 "ALONE" books together in one volume and release it as an adult novel? I think it would do really well. I also see, thanks to this website, that this author has written adult thrillers, which look like the type of Lee Childs one-man-saving-the-world type scenario which is not my thing, but i might give one a try... and will report back!
October 31, 2018
Personal Response
I really liked the mystery behind this book and how you know something bad happened to New York City, but you don't know why it happened. I enjoyed how Jesse learned more and more as the story went on and that he didn't learn a lot in a small period of time. I really liked the way Jesse survived he didn't do anything stupid, he went to a tall building, he didn't really go out at night, rarely used his pistol, and he was fast, so even if he got spotted he could outrun the chasers.
Plot Summary
New York City is attacked by a biological agent that changed people affected by it. The people had a thirst, a continuous thirst that could never be met. There were a few people who stuck to water, but the ones who wanted more did anything to get what they craved. Jesse was someone who wasn't affected by this agent, he was on the subway with his friends when it happened. He woke up an hour after the attack with his friends Dave, Mini, and Anna, when they got to the surface they met a group of people who were affected but didn't want blood, then they met those who did. They went to the 30 Rockefeller building and stayed there for a while. In that time they did what they could to survive and when it came time to move, Jesse learned that his friends did die that day of the attack and he had only imagined them. He then realized he was alone and needed to get away from the group chasing him. He hid in an apartment building where he learned of a girl and he knew he needed to find her.
Recommendation
I recommend this to people who love mystery and action. This book is great for anyone 12 and up, it isn't really gory or inappropriate. I think people who don't like violence wouldn't like it because there is some killing in it.
Characterization
I think that Jesse was the one Character who really developed the most in the events of the attack. He started learning more and more about the Chasers and was able to survive longer with that knowledge. He slowly learned that he was alone and that his friends were no longer with him, he started to notice it when they started to act different towards him and when he let them go, that is when he really knew he was alone.
I really liked the mystery behind this book and how you know something bad happened to New York City, but you don't know why it happened. I enjoyed how Jesse learned more and more as the story went on and that he didn't learn a lot in a small period of time. I really liked the way Jesse survived he didn't do anything stupid, he went to a tall building, he didn't really go out at night, rarely used his pistol, and he was fast, so even if he got spotted he could outrun the chasers.
Plot Summary
New York City is attacked by a biological agent that changed people affected by it. The people had a thirst, a continuous thirst that could never be met. There were a few people who stuck to water, but the ones who wanted more did anything to get what they craved. Jesse was someone who wasn't affected by this agent, he was on the subway with his friends when it happened. He woke up an hour after the attack with his friends Dave, Mini, and Anna, when they got to the surface they met a group of people who were affected but didn't want blood, then they met those who did. They went to the 30 Rockefeller building and stayed there for a while. In that time they did what they could to survive and when it came time to move, Jesse learned that his friends did die that day of the attack and he had only imagined them. He then realized he was alone and needed to get away from the group chasing him. He hid in an apartment building where he learned of a girl and he knew he needed to find her.
Recommendation
I recommend this to people who love mystery and action. This book is great for anyone 12 and up, it isn't really gory or inappropriate. I think people who don't like violence wouldn't like it because there is some killing in it.
Characterization
I think that Jesse was the one Character who really developed the most in the events of the attack. He started learning more and more about the Chasers and was able to survive longer with that knowledge. He slowly learned that he was alone and that his friends were no longer with him, he started to notice it when they started to act different towards him and when he let them go, that is when he really knew he was alone.
December 9, 2012
Review:
I've had this book to review awhile now and was so excited to finally sit down and read it. While I did end up finishing Chasers it left me feeling deflated and confused. How could such a great idea turn into such a bunch of nothingness? While Chasers was certainly an OK book it wasn't nearly what I expected it would be and here is why:
The Characters: Anna, Dave, Min and Jesse were the sole focus in the book. Jesse was the Main Protagonist but I found him to be boring and I was left scratching my head concerning many choices he made. Dave on the other hand seemed to grip the situation a lot better so I connected to him more even if he never really did much throughout the book. The two females provided little bits of comic relief but were never really utilized to the extent one would expect in this scenario. Anna was downright unlikable but I think the Author intended to write her that way so I can forgive that. Min could of been put to better use but at least she was likable and I really wish Jesse and her had hooked up instead of him pining away for Anna.
The Pacing: This book was slooow. I kept waiting for the Action to kick in but it never did. For a book that clearly favored the male sex I expected way more running and gunning but instead was treated to the group in 30 Rock playing house and wasting the generator fuel on unnecessary stuff. What little Action did take place seemed to be kept very PG. If the Chasers had to constantly drink you'd expect them to be in a frenzy ripping into a person to get at the precious liquid inside but instead it's like the Author censored himself to not shock and horrify the reader to much. This book needed an injection of shock and awe, pulse pounding action might of made things more enjoyable to read knowing that a real threat was waiting outside.
The Infected: These "zombies" reminded me of of The Crazies but mixed with Vampires. We have no clue what caused them or even why some behave one way and others another. They also seemed to have to drink constantly but again no clue why. You would think in a place like New York City the group would be under constant threat but yet they only ever see pockets of infected aka Chasers. I never felt the Chasers were a threat and was left underwhelmed by any interaction that actually happened with them. Except the one boy that Jesse finds, I wish the Author had expanded on him more as that actually was interesting and could of really changed how I viewed the book.
The Dialogue: By far the worst part of this book. I had a hard time following which character was speaking and don't even get me started on lack of punctuation marks. I don't know if this was done because of sloppy editing or intentionally by the Author but either way it made the book incredibly hard to read and that alone knocked off two stars. I also felt that the Author kept throwing out stereotypes based on character nationality vs. having meaningful conversation. Jesse is constantly acting like he doesn't want to know more but I'd think in that scenario you would want to find out anything and everything about your companions.
By the end Chasers left me feeling indifferent. I neither liked nor hated the book it was just a solid OK for me. By all means give Chaser a shot and form an opinion for yourself. I would actually be curious to see What you thought. While I don't think I will be continuing this series, I might not swear off the Author entirely. I could see little blips of potential in the writing. So I guess that says something. If you like Post-Apocalyptic themes with a mix of Zombies and Vampires then I suggest picking this up at your local library and giving it a try. I will be rating Chasers by Jame Phelan ★★★.
*Reviewed through Netgalley. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for providing them.
I've had this book to review awhile now and was so excited to finally sit down and read it. While I did end up finishing Chasers it left me feeling deflated and confused. How could such a great idea turn into such a bunch of nothingness? While Chasers was certainly an OK book it wasn't nearly what I expected it would be and here is why:
The Characters: Anna, Dave, Min and Jesse were the sole focus in the book. Jesse was the Main Protagonist but I found him to be boring and I was left scratching my head concerning many choices he made. Dave on the other hand seemed to grip the situation a lot better so I connected to him more even if he never really did much throughout the book. The two females provided little bits of comic relief but were never really utilized to the extent one would expect in this scenario. Anna was downright unlikable but I think the Author intended to write her that way so I can forgive that. Min could of been put to better use but at least she was likable and I really wish Jesse and her had hooked up instead of him pining away for Anna.
The Pacing: This book was slooow. I kept waiting for the Action to kick in but it never did. For a book that clearly favored the male sex I expected way more running and gunning but instead was treated to the group in 30 Rock playing house and wasting the generator fuel on unnecessary stuff. What little Action did take place seemed to be kept very PG. If the Chasers had to constantly drink you'd expect them to be in a frenzy ripping into a person to get at the precious liquid inside but instead it's like the Author censored himself to not shock and horrify the reader to much. This book needed an injection of shock and awe, pulse pounding action might of made things more enjoyable to read knowing that a real threat was waiting outside.
The Infected: These "zombies" reminded me of of The Crazies but mixed with Vampires. We have no clue what caused them or even why some behave one way and others another. They also seemed to have to drink constantly but again no clue why. You would think in a place like New York City the group would be under constant threat but yet they only ever see pockets of infected aka Chasers. I never felt the Chasers were a threat and was left underwhelmed by any interaction that actually happened with them. Except the one boy that Jesse finds, I wish the Author had expanded on him more as that actually was interesting and could of really changed how I viewed the book.
The Dialogue: By far the worst part of this book. I had a hard time following which character was speaking and don't even get me started on lack of punctuation marks. I don't know if this was done because of sloppy editing or intentionally by the Author but either way it made the book incredibly hard to read and that alone knocked off two stars. I also felt that the Author kept throwing out stereotypes based on character nationality vs. having meaningful conversation. Jesse is constantly acting like he doesn't want to know more but I'd think in that scenario you would want to find out anything and everything about your companions.
By the end Chasers left me feeling indifferent. I neither liked nor hated the book it was just a solid OK for me. By all means give Chaser a shot and form an opinion for yourself. I would actually be curious to see What you thought. While I don't think I will be continuing this series, I might not swear off the Author entirely. I could see little blips of potential in the writing. So I guess that says something. If you like Post-Apocalyptic themes with a mix of Zombies and Vampires then I suggest picking this up at your local library and giving it a try. I will be rating Chasers by Jame Phelan ★★★.
*Reviewed through Netgalley. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for providing them.
August 25, 2017
A group of teenagers working on a UN mission gather in New York just as the city comes under attack. The survivors escape the subway to find destruction and death, and that something has turned people into bloodthirsty monsters. Now they must find a way to survive the city and look for a way to escape.
This was a reasonably quick and entertaining read. It is never going to be viewed as a masterpiece but it was a decent apocalypse read, aimed more at the teenage market. On the plus side, I liked that the kids were having to think for themselves and that not everything they did made sense. Jesse's barmy decision to drive the car for help was a step too far for me if you want this book to reflect logical behaviour in this crisis but other readers might not mind this as much. The story itself was interesting though and it kept me reading to find out what happened. Jesse as a main character was likeable enough, though Anna's snotty attitude started to get on my nerves after a bit. This was a minor niggle. The plot is simple and uncomplicated so don't expect lots of world building and complex writing.
For those of you who like grammar to be good in a book, well this one might make you grit your teeth. When the characters are talking, there are no inverted commas at all in the sentences which I found pretty annoying. Now to be fair to the author, I believe that he did this for a reason, which will become clear when you see the twist. I think that it was a subtle and clever hint for what was to come, so try not to get too mad about it when you are reading it!
If you are expecting this to be a true blood and gore zombie book then you might be disappointed. These 'zombies' have a raging thirst for water, blood or any liquid, instead of being brain munchers like normal zombies. During the book some of the zombies begin to evolve which adds a few interesting elements to the plot. I'd have liked a bit more interaction with the zombies and a few more scary moments for the gang to deal with but that would be at odds with the twist in the plot so I get why that didn't happen.
The highlight of the book without doubt was the ending. I did not see that coming at all and it was an excellent piece of storytelling. It certainly sets up book two nicely as you wonder what Jesse is going to do next.
These books always make me think where I would go and what I would do if the zombie apocalypse comes, which shows the over-active imagination that I have been given! That is why this kind of book appeals to me. This was a low grade zombie book compared to what I usually read but it wasn't bad to pass a few hours.
This was a reasonably quick and entertaining read. It is never going to be viewed as a masterpiece but it was a decent apocalypse read, aimed more at the teenage market. On the plus side, I liked that the kids were having to think for themselves and that not everything they did made sense. Jesse's barmy decision to drive the car for help was a step too far for me if you want this book to reflect logical behaviour in this crisis but other readers might not mind this as much. The story itself was interesting though and it kept me reading to find out what happened. Jesse as a main character was likeable enough, though Anna's snotty attitude started to get on my nerves after a bit. This was a minor niggle. The plot is simple and uncomplicated so don't expect lots of world building and complex writing.
For those of you who like grammar to be good in a book, well this one might make you grit your teeth. When the characters are talking, there are no inverted commas at all in the sentences which I found pretty annoying. Now to be fair to the author, I believe that he did this for a reason, which will become clear when you see the twist. I think that it was a subtle and clever hint for what was to come, so try not to get too mad about it when you are reading it!
If you are expecting this to be a true blood and gore zombie book then you might be disappointed. These 'zombies' have a raging thirst for water, blood or any liquid, instead of being brain munchers like normal zombies. During the book some of the zombies begin to evolve which adds a few interesting elements to the plot. I'd have liked a bit more interaction with the zombies and a few more scary moments for the gang to deal with but that would be at odds with the twist in the plot so I get why that didn't happen.
The highlight of the book without doubt was the ending. I did not see that coming at all and it was an excellent piece of storytelling. It certainly sets up book two nicely as you wonder what Jesse is going to do next.
These books always make me think where I would go and what I would do if the zombie apocalypse comes, which shows the over-active imagination that I have been given! That is why this kind of book appeals to me. This was a low grade zombie book compared to what I usually read but it wasn't bad to pass a few hours.
July 2, 2010
Imagine an apocalyptic world where the only other human survivors have a vampire virus that makes them want to drink you, alive. You would wonder how a novel about such a theme could possibly be bland, yet this one is. There is much waiting, a good amount of conversation, and very little action.
The lack of action does offer scope for speculation about why the world has suddenly become so like hell, and who caused it. Yet the speculation doesn’t go deep either: Question: who did this? Why did it happen? Answer: there is no reason, no justification for such a calamity.
The teens demonstrate a fitting horror of violent death, of terrorism and war, and in the midst of these a desire to return to ‘normal life’. But you don’t need to read a novel to learn that these things are bad, and there’s little originality in the way this sentiment is communicated.
In such drastic circumstances for the humans, it is ironic that the teens’ description of an ‘ideal world’ centres on no killing of animals for fun (or for food). The ‘small country’ perspectives on ‘big country’ offered by the Australian protagonist who is on his first visit to New York also feel a little lame.
Friendship is fine as far as it goes, though it too fizzes away to simply being able to survive on one’s own on the strength of friends held in memory. There is one instance of kindness to a stranger... perhaps that stranger will feature more significantly in a later volume. There is discussion of family situations, these mostly consist of divorced or separated parents except for one girl who has two mothers, little detail is given.
At one point a suitcase of drugs is found and they discuss whether to throw it away. They don’t want to take them, and medicinal purposes are ruled out as they don’t know how to use the drugs medicinally. But they do keep them in case they need to trade with them later. The group also consider the possibility of suicide if all became desperate, but firmly resolve that it would not come to that.
In spite of the heavy themes summarised here, they are often presented in passing through dialogue and description and are at such a superficial level that they probably wouldn’t be taken too seriously.
The lack of action does offer scope for speculation about why the world has suddenly become so like hell, and who caused it. Yet the speculation doesn’t go deep either: Question: who did this? Why did it happen? Answer: there is no reason, no justification for such a calamity.
The teens demonstrate a fitting horror of violent death, of terrorism and war, and in the midst of these a desire to return to ‘normal life’. But you don’t need to read a novel to learn that these things are bad, and there’s little originality in the way this sentiment is communicated.
In such drastic circumstances for the humans, it is ironic that the teens’ description of an ‘ideal world’ centres on no killing of animals for fun (or for food). The ‘small country’ perspectives on ‘big country’ offered by the Australian protagonist who is on his first visit to New York also feel a little lame.
Friendship is fine as far as it goes, though it too fizzes away to simply being able to survive on one’s own on the strength of friends held in memory. There is one instance of kindness to a stranger... perhaps that stranger will feature more significantly in a later volume. There is discussion of family situations, these mostly consist of divorced or separated parents except for one girl who has two mothers, little detail is given.
At one point a suitcase of drugs is found and they discuss whether to throw it away. They don’t want to take them, and medicinal purposes are ruled out as they don’t know how to use the drugs medicinally. But they do keep them in case they need to trade with them later. The group also consider the possibility of suicide if all became desperate, but firmly resolve that it would not come to that.
In spite of the heavy themes summarised here, they are often presented in passing through dialogue and description and are at such a superficial level that they probably wouldn’t be taken too seriously.
May 30, 2017
Personal response
I think this was a very good book. Its has plenty of suspense and a twist you'd never guess. This is one of the best books i have ever read. I love the action and sense of survival in this book.
Plot
Jesse is with Anna, Mini, and Dave on a subway when a fireball derails the train they were on. The four of them are the only survivors on the train. They find a manhole and climb out of the subway through it. When they emerge from the manhole, they find people drinking everything including other people’s blood. They run off and hide in a shop for a little bit while they think of where to go and patch up their injuries. Dave says to go to 30 Rock Plaza because it has so many floors they should be safe. They make it there and scavenge a coat some gas and a generator from two abandoned fire trucks. They find the rainbow room at the 76th floor and decide that's where they are gonna stay. They head out for gas for the generator and when they do Dave has to shoot a chaser. They take all the food they need and the guns they find in the apartments in the floors below them. Over a period of 11 days they made a plan to go to the marina and get way by boat. Before they leave Jesse goes out for a day and looks for useful supplies and escape routes. The next day Dave goes out. On the day that they Are supposed to leave Jesse gets sick so they stay for one more day and leave the next morning. They leave at dawn. They are attacked by a big group of chasers so Jesse tells them to hide because he can out run them. When he looks back there gone and he realizes that they all died in the subway and he had been pretending they were still alive. He escaped and hid in an apartment building.
Characterization
Jesse is an Australian who came to america on a UN tour. He is the only real person in this book.
Mini, Anna, and Dave are all people who you know nothing about except that they were in Jesse's group and Jesse pretended that they were alive until the end of the book
Recommendation
I would recommend this to high school and middle school boys. I would recommend this to high school and middle school boys because it simple to read and full of action.
I think this was a very good book. Its has plenty of suspense and a twist you'd never guess. This is one of the best books i have ever read. I love the action and sense of survival in this book.
Plot
Jesse is with Anna, Mini, and Dave on a subway when a fireball derails the train they were on. The four of them are the only survivors on the train. They find a manhole and climb out of the subway through it. When they emerge from the manhole, they find people drinking everything including other people’s blood. They run off and hide in a shop for a little bit while they think of where to go and patch up their injuries. Dave says to go to 30 Rock Plaza because it has so many floors they should be safe. They make it there and scavenge a coat some gas and a generator from two abandoned fire trucks. They find the rainbow room at the 76th floor and decide that's where they are gonna stay. They head out for gas for the generator and when they do Dave has to shoot a chaser. They take all the food they need and the guns they find in the apartments in the floors below them. Over a period of 11 days they made a plan to go to the marina and get way by boat. Before they leave Jesse goes out for a day and looks for useful supplies and escape routes. The next day Dave goes out. On the day that they Are supposed to leave Jesse gets sick so they stay for one more day and leave the next morning. They leave at dawn. They are attacked by a big group of chasers so Jesse tells them to hide because he can out run them. When he looks back there gone and he realizes that they all died in the subway and he had been pretending they were still alive. He escaped and hid in an apartment building.
Characterization
Jesse is an Australian who came to america on a UN tour. He is the only real person in this book.
Mini, Anna, and Dave are all people who you know nothing about except that they were in Jesse's group and Jesse pretended that they were alive until the end of the book
Recommendation
I would recommend this to high school and middle school boys. I would recommend this to high school and middle school boys because it simple to read and full of action.
Read
April 11, 2011OK. This was an OK book, I admit. By an Australian author. Except it was set in NY. I think this was kinda annoying... Phelan just shoved all these NY place names down our throat... Like, do we care?
The lack of quotation marks annoyed me so freaking much. I know there was a reason for it, but it was still bloody annoying. The book had to fight to keep my attention, I'd skip a few words because I was bored then I'd be lost, because all of a sudden someone had done something amazing.
The twist at the end was unexpected, but also annoying. I mean, seriously?
Another thing... character developement. One second, I've got Mini all worked out, then suddenly Phelan says that she swears all the time. Umm, what?! How does that fit in with her freaking character?
Also, the lack of reaction from the charries. They didn't really seem that suprised that the world had been infected by these weird Chaser things. They were just like, YUM. CAKE. AND ICE CREAM. OOH, FREE IPODS. WOW. I ACTUALLY THINK THIS IS PRETTY COOL.
And considering the twist at the end, I do see that Jesse was in fact going crazy, however that doesn't explain the fact that one second he was considering suicide, the next he was watching DVDs and playing Monopoly.
It was just a weird book, and while the idea itself was interesting (vampires without being vampires) I did think Phelan could have developed it better. We didn't really have any up-and-personal experiences with the Chasers. Apart from the 'harmless' one, the boy or whatever, we didn't actually have Jesse confront one up and close. Which would've been nice.
I might read the second, but I'm not exactly jumping up and down in anticipation.
The lack of quotation marks annoyed me so freaking much. I know there was a reason for it, but it was still bloody annoying. The book had to fight to keep my attention, I'd skip a few words because I was bored then I'd be lost, because all of a sudden someone had done something amazing.
The twist at the end was unexpected, but also annoying. I mean, seriously?
Another thing... character developement. One second, I've got Mini all worked out, then suddenly Phelan says that she swears all the time. Umm, what?! How does that fit in with her freaking character?
Also, the lack of reaction from the charries. They didn't really seem that suprised that the world had been infected by these weird Chaser things. They were just like, YUM. CAKE. AND ICE CREAM. OOH, FREE IPODS. WOW. I ACTUALLY THINK THIS IS PRETTY COOL.
And considering the twist at the end, I do see that Jesse was in fact going crazy, however that doesn't explain the fact that one second he was considering suicide, the next he was watching DVDs and playing Monopoly.
It was just a weird book, and while the idea itself was interesting (vampires without being vampires) I did think Phelan could have developed it better. We didn't really have any up-and-personal experiences with the Chasers. Apart from the 'harmless' one, the boy or whatever, we didn't actually have Jesse confront one up and close. Which would've been nice.
I might read the second, but I'm not exactly jumping up and down in anticipation.
October 22, 2017
Personal Response:
I liked this book because it had a mystery to it which I am usually interested in. Also, it had a lot of action in it, for example, shooting, running from zombies, and a run-in with a polar bear. One thing I would change about the book is that there is too much sitting around and just talking, which gets boring if it is in there for to long.
Plot Summary:
In the beginning of the book there was what they think was some kind of bomb that went off when Jesse was in the subway with his friends. When they got out there were these zombie people that were infected from the bomb which had some disease in it. Then they started to get chased and are running all over to different places in New York and finally stay at the top floor of a hotel. They name the zombies “Chasers” and they make a shelter at the top of the hotel and raid people's rooms for food and clothes. Then, Jesse goes out in a police car, that still works, looking for actual life and then ends up stuck. This is when he meets a polar bear in New York. Finally, they plan to get out of the city and into a boat to go to Boston and, while they are going, they get chased by Chasers and split ways.
Recommendation:
I would recommend this to anyone older than 7th grade. There is some swearing in it, but not a whole lot. Also, I would rate this book 9/10 because it has a good plot to it and has some action. It is a very intriguing book and can get you hooked right away. Also, the storyline of the book doesn't get off topic or jump scenes, but it flows all together.
I liked this book because it had a mystery to it which I am usually interested in. Also, it had a lot of action in it, for example, shooting, running from zombies, and a run-in with a polar bear. One thing I would change about the book is that there is too much sitting around and just talking, which gets boring if it is in there for to long.
Plot Summary:
In the beginning of the book there was what they think was some kind of bomb that went off when Jesse was in the subway with his friends. When they got out there were these zombie people that were infected from the bomb which had some disease in it. Then they started to get chased and are running all over to different places in New York and finally stay at the top floor of a hotel. They name the zombies “Chasers” and they make a shelter at the top of the hotel and raid people's rooms for food and clothes. Then, Jesse goes out in a police car, that still works, looking for actual life and then ends up stuck. This is when he meets a polar bear in New York. Finally, they plan to get out of the city and into a boat to go to Boston and, while they are going, they get chased by Chasers and split ways.
Recommendation:
I would recommend this to anyone older than 7th grade. There is some swearing in it, but not a whole lot. Also, I would rate this book 9/10 because it has a good plot to it and has some action. It is a very intriguing book and can get you hooked right away. Also, the storyline of the book doesn't get off topic or jump scenes, but it flows all together.
September 15, 2013
Chasers could have easily have earned a five star rating from me. Easily. But there was one thing that really, really bugged me.
The edition that I read had NO SPEECH MARKS. That's a major thing for me. I am seriously big on grammar, so that kind of thing really, really annoyed me. It also became really difficult to distinguish speech from non-speech.
However, what I DID like was all the action. I was into the book on the first page! That's pretty rare for me, it usually takes me at least a chapter. I also adored that the main characrer was from Australia! We do not have enough of them.
Chasers was really easy to read, it went very quickly for me. I read a little before bed and then finished it pretty much straight away in the morning. But that's what happens when you get an action packed book like Chasers, you just can't turn the pages fast enough. However, I was a little confused at the ending because it went a little too fast.
I loved the story and can't wait to find out what happens. If I hadn't have received the third book for review I probably wouldn't have heard about this one. I am so glad about both of those things though. In other words, I will be continuing this series and I sure do urge you to as well!
4/5 stars!
The edition that I read had NO SPEECH MARKS. That's a major thing for me. I am seriously big on grammar, so that kind of thing really, really annoyed me. It also became really difficult to distinguish speech from non-speech.
However, what I DID like was all the action. I was into the book on the first page! That's pretty rare for me, it usually takes me at least a chapter. I also adored that the main characrer was from Australia! We do not have enough of them.
Chasers was really easy to read, it went very quickly for me. I read a little before bed and then finished it pretty much straight away in the morning. But that's what happens when you get an action packed book like Chasers, you just can't turn the pages fast enough. However, I was a little confused at the ending because it went a little too fast.
I loved the story and can't wait to find out what happens. If I hadn't have received the third book for review I probably wouldn't have heard about this one. I am so glad about both of those things though. In other words, I will be continuing this series and I sure do urge you to as well!
4/5 stars!
October 17, 2010
Wow. Just wow.
This was a very quick and seemingly simple read. I was so glad to be proven wrong. The plot in this is rich and the twists were great. I loved that the Chasers were not the stereotypical zombies that appear in every other zombie book.
The end left me absolutely speechless. I can not wait to get my hands on the next one.
I loved it!
This was a very quick and seemingly simple read. I was so glad to be proven wrong. The plot in this is rich and the twists were great. I loved that the Chasers were not the stereotypical zombies that appear in every other zombie book.
The end left me absolutely speechless. I can not wait to get my hands on the next one.
I loved it!
March 25, 2013
holly shit what the hell? that ending was... unexpected.
did any one see that coming?? i certainly didnt. lol. it full tripped me out.
pretty good little book, its deff a YA but i speed through it super quickly - prob because it had so much going on, in a good way.
im deff interested in checking out what happens next - besides that not sure what else to say about this book.
did any one see that coming?? i certainly didnt. lol. it full tripped me out.
pretty good little book, its deff a YA but i speed through it super quickly - prob because it had so much going on, in a good way.
im deff interested in checking out what happens next - besides that not sure what else to say about this book.
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