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jstanley030's review against another edition
3.0
I did not care too much for the protagonist at first, but then after events started rolling I enjoyed it more.
An overall enjoyable read, but nothing fancy in terms of plot, character development, or writing.
Basically the group (who I didn’t really grow attached to) runs around New York, with Hawke sharing constant reminders that he needs to get back to his wife and son before the creepy neighbors gets to them…
Yet, since I didn’t care too much for the characters, I wasn’t deeply moved when they died nor did I really care if Hawke got to his family or not.
So basically, the general plot being a genre I enjoy saved this book and gave it three stars.
An overall enjoyable read, but nothing fancy in terms of plot, character development, or writing.
Basically the group (who I didn’t really grow attached to) runs around New York, with Hawke sharing constant reminders that he needs to get back to his wife and son before the creepy neighbors gets to them…
Yet, since I didn’t care too much for the characters, I wasn’t deeply moved when they died nor did I really care if Hawke got to his family or not.
So basically, the general plot being a genre I enjoy saved this book and gave it three stars.
wholewheatwhale's review against another edition
2.0
The best description of this book is as follows: meh. It leaves no lasting impression. I don't care what happens to any of the characters. The more interesting story would have likely been that of the creepy neighbor and the young wife. This book added nothing and took nothing away. An easy read while I'm stuck in bed with strep throat.
shelleyrae's review against another edition
3.0
Though the trope is hardly original, think 'rise of the machines', the pace of this thriller, which covers a single day as a sentient super computer seizes control of New York, provides an entertaining read.
Day One begins for journalist and former computer hacker John Hawke as it does most days, with a kiss goodbye from his three year old son and a look of reproach from his pregnant wife. Just hours later he is being hunted by every law enforcement agency in the city at the direction of a computer determined to eliminate any threats to 'her' existence.
Fast paced and action packed it reads like a blockbuster film, in fact promotional material describes it as a mix between Cloverfield and The Terminator. With plenty of violence and spectacular explosions any adrenaline junkie will find satisfaction within the pages of this novel, though it was the scene within the hospital which I found most chilling.
If you aren't at all tech-y some of the details of how 'Jane Doe' evolved might pass you by but it isn't of any real concern. It's a little scary how plausible the whole idea is though. It is easy to forget just how deeply technology is entrenched in our lives and how vulnerable we would be in the face of its demise... or its rebellion.
Tense, dramatic and lively, I found Day One to be a quick and exciting read.
dmchurch's review against another edition
2.0
When John Hawke leaves for work as a journalist, he has no idea that his world will dramatically change. However, when James Weller, the supposed focus of his story, grants him an interview, he warns Hawk that his former employer, Eclipse, is changing some of his work and not for the better. The rest of the book follows the downward spiral as technology ceases to function as it should, and Hawke tries to get back to his family. I loved the premise of this book, but it just didn't seem to live up to the ideas. There were several elements including the dangerous next door neighbor and his sons possible autism that seemed very marginal and undeveloped while other parts were repetitious and/or described minutely leaving a feeling of unevenness and the need for better editing
beckylej's review against another edition
4.0
Imagine if you woke up and your coffee machine attacked you. Not outright physically jumped on you, but your coffee is blazingly hot and the pot explodes in your hand. You'd chalk it up as a fluke, right? But what if it escalates? Elevators shutting down with people trapped inside, cars driving themselves, and every computer, phone, and camera watching your every move. John Hawke is about to experience this and more.
Hawke, an accomplished hacker and journalist, has cut all his ties with his past. After being investigated for leaked confidential documents, Hawke lost his job with the Times and only just managed to avoid jail time. Now he's on the fairly straight and narrow, doing everything he can to support his family. He's lucky enough to land a gig writing for a tech magazine and is working on what could be a major story when the end of the world happens.
James Weller, founder of Conn.ect, Inc, has invited Hawke to his office headquarters, granting him unheard of access to the inner sanctum so to speak. Weller was once high up with Eclipse, a company involved in exciting and cutting edge energy sharing ideas based on Weller's work. But Weller was forced to leave, which led to him founding his own start up. And while Conn.ect is a great story on its own, Eclipse is the real goal. Before Weller can really begin to tell his story, though, everything starts to go south. Power goes out and people begin to panic. Hawke and the Conn.ect folks are trying to make their way to one of the city's emergency centers when it finally becomes clear just how bad things have gotten. And now Hawke and everyone connected to Weller have become targets for the authorities and scapegoats to take the fall for who or what is really behind it all.
Nate Kenyon made a name for himself early on with his debut, BLOODSTONE, which earned him a Stoker nomination. Each of his follow up titles, THE REACH, THE BONE FACTORY, and SPARROW ROCK, were all received well amongst reviewers and a couple were optioned for film. To date, I've read all of them except SPARROW ROCK, and Kenyon's definitely been on my list of horror authors to watch. So of course I was pretty stoked to see that he had a new book coming out. And while technically this is a techno thriller, I personally consider it horror as well.
Kenyon presents a frightening scenario that I find all too possible in this day and age. AI has long been a fear amongst many and comes up a lot as a possible end of everything (Terminator's Skynet, etc). I kind of think my computer is out to get me on a pretty much daily basis so, like I said, tech gone wrong is 100% plausible in my book!
At one point, one of the characters in the book points out exactly how accessible people are through their various connections and paper trails (which are now electronic paper trails). Here you have a pretty typical situation in apocalypse fiction with the main character trying to survive and protect his family - in this case Hawke's major struggle is getting to his family in the first place. But Kenyon's story goes beyond that with Hawke also trying to find a way to get the truth out and hide himself from an entity that has access to every piece of data there is on him, his acquaintances, and his family.
I really loved Hawke as a character. He's smart and driven and the kind of character who can pretty easily think his way out of a tight corner. So while he's facing tough odds, each new idea that comes to him along the way suits his character as Kenyon has presented him, which of course makes the story much more believable as well.
DAY ONE is an all around excellent thriller with a high gore factor and lots of creepy plausibility. I sincerely hope to see more from Kenyon soon, possibly even in the form of a sequel? (I have no idea if that's in the cards for Hawke but it would be great if it was.)
Hawke, an accomplished hacker and journalist, has cut all his ties with his past. After being investigated for leaked confidential documents, Hawke lost his job with the Times and only just managed to avoid jail time. Now he's on the fairly straight and narrow, doing everything he can to support his family. He's lucky enough to land a gig writing for a tech magazine and is working on what could be a major story when the end of the world happens.
James Weller, founder of Conn.ect, Inc, has invited Hawke to his office headquarters, granting him unheard of access to the inner sanctum so to speak. Weller was once high up with Eclipse, a company involved in exciting and cutting edge energy sharing ideas based on Weller's work. But Weller was forced to leave, which led to him founding his own start up. And while Conn.ect is a great story on its own, Eclipse is the real goal. Before Weller can really begin to tell his story, though, everything starts to go south. Power goes out and people begin to panic. Hawke and the Conn.ect folks are trying to make their way to one of the city's emergency centers when it finally becomes clear just how bad things have gotten. And now Hawke and everyone connected to Weller have become targets for the authorities and scapegoats to take the fall for who or what is really behind it all.
Nate Kenyon made a name for himself early on with his debut, BLOODSTONE, which earned him a Stoker nomination. Each of his follow up titles, THE REACH, THE BONE FACTORY, and SPARROW ROCK, were all received well amongst reviewers and a couple were optioned for film. To date, I've read all of them except SPARROW ROCK, and Kenyon's definitely been on my list of horror authors to watch. So of course I was pretty stoked to see that he had a new book coming out. And while technically this is a techno thriller, I personally consider it horror as well.
Kenyon presents a frightening scenario that I find all too possible in this day and age. AI has long been a fear amongst many and comes up a lot as a possible end of everything (Terminator's Skynet, etc). I kind of think my computer is out to get me on a pretty much daily basis so, like I said, tech gone wrong is 100% plausible in my book!
At one point, one of the characters in the book points out exactly how accessible people are through their various connections and paper trails (which are now electronic paper trails). Here you have a pretty typical situation in apocalypse fiction with the main character trying to survive and protect his family - in this case Hawke's major struggle is getting to his family in the first place. But Kenyon's story goes beyond that with Hawke also trying to find a way to get the truth out and hide himself from an entity that has access to every piece of data there is on him, his acquaintances, and his family.
I really loved Hawke as a character. He's smart and driven and the kind of character who can pretty easily think his way out of a tight corner. So while he's facing tough odds, each new idea that comes to him along the way suits his character as Kenyon has presented him, which of course makes the story much more believable as well.
DAY ONE is an all around excellent thriller with a high gore factor and lots of creepy plausibility. I sincerely hope to see more from Kenyon soon, possibly even in the form of a sequel? (I have no idea if that's in the cards for Hawke but it would be great if it was.)
jackassjimmy's review
4.0
A fast, quick read. A terrifying look at the possible future of man and technology.
btwnprintedpgs's review
5.0
This review is a tad bit late, but better late than never.
I was not expecting what happened in this book. I thought maybe some dystopian world, the buildings fall and anarchy begins. If anything, it'd be kind of like The Day After Tomorrow. But the entire book spans over one day. While that should have been expected, given the title, I was shocked that so much could happen in a day, and yet it's also done so realistically, it seem plausible that such a turn could occur in the span of 24 hours or less. It was extremely well done, freakishly realistic, and an eye opener to what can happen when technology gets a little too advanced.
Day One was extremely creepy at times. This one scene had me at the edge of my seat screaming, "NO DON'T GO IN THERE!" But they did. And they regretted it. The creepy and the freaky parts were all so realistically done that it fascinated me and had me shaking my head in horror at the same time. I have to say, once the story got started it was a page turner that I couldn't get enough, until the end (but that's 'cause the book ended). The description and execution of this story was written and orchestrated extremely well.
Earlier, I said "once the story got started." It wasn't that the beginning was slow (though it kind of was) it was the fact that I didn't really know where everything was going. Character history blurbs that go on for pages get me down, especially when they're placed at the beginning of the book. I understand that it worked with what happened later but I would have preferred if we had gotten a little more minute to minute stuff over the info overload we got instead. Aside from that, I thoroughly enjoyed the novel and how detailed it was about everything. Throughout the meaty part of the novel, it was the details that really made a difference in what happened later.
I honestly enjoyed the characters and each of their individual personalities, faults and all. Admittedly, some of the people kind of, really sucked, but aside from that they kept the story interesting, as each character was unique and brought different information to the table, and very different attributes and values. Each of their voices made them memorable and if I were to ever forget their names, I'll always remember the facts that defined them because they were revealed at such groundbreaking moments that really hit hard. Their team work (and lack there of) throughout the book really illustrated the conflict between staying together or maintaining the "every man for himself" attitude. The characters definitely made the book.
Overall, this book surprised me. It was creepy in ways I could have never imagined and I enjoyed (almost) every second of it. Extremely well written, Kenyon realistically illustrates the downfall of the world based on our dependence in technology. It's a scary future, ladies and gents, and a darn good story.
Plot: 5/5
Characters: 4.5/5
Writing: 5/5
Cover: 4/5
Overall: 5/5
GoodReads Rating: 3.44/5
eARC provided by St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
-review by Between Printed Pages
I was not expecting what happened in this book. I thought maybe some dystopian world, the buildings fall and anarchy begins. If anything, it'd be kind of like The Day After Tomorrow. But the entire book spans over one day. While that should have been expected, given the title, I was shocked that so much could happen in a day, and yet it's also done so realistically, it seem plausible that such a turn could occur in the span of 24 hours or less. It was extremely well done, freakishly realistic, and an eye opener to what can happen when technology gets a little too advanced.
Day One was extremely creepy at times. This one scene had me at the edge of my seat screaming, "NO DON'T GO IN THERE!" But they did. And they regretted it. The creepy and the freaky parts were all so realistically done that it fascinated me and had me shaking my head in horror at the same time. I have to say, once the story got started it was a page turner that I couldn't get enough, until the end (but that's 'cause the book ended). The description and execution of this story was written and orchestrated extremely well.
Earlier, I said "once the story got started." It wasn't that the beginning was slow (though it kind of was) it was the fact that I didn't really know where everything was going. Character history blurbs that go on for pages get me down, especially when they're placed at the beginning of the book. I understand that it worked with what happened later but I would have preferred if we had gotten a little more minute to minute stuff over the info overload we got instead. Aside from that, I thoroughly enjoyed the novel and how detailed it was about everything. Throughout the meaty part of the novel, it was the details that really made a difference in what happened later.
I honestly enjoyed the characters and each of their individual personalities, faults and all. Admittedly, some of the people kind of, really sucked, but aside from that they kept the story interesting, as each character was unique and brought different information to the table, and very different attributes and values. Each of their voices made them memorable and if I were to ever forget their names, I'll always remember the facts that defined them because they were revealed at such groundbreaking moments that really hit hard. Their team work (and lack there of) throughout the book really illustrated the conflict between staying together or maintaining the "every man for himself" attitude. The characters definitely made the book.
Overall, this book surprised me. It was creepy in ways I could have never imagined and I enjoyed (almost) every second of it. Extremely well written, Kenyon realistically illustrates the downfall of the world based on our dependence in technology. It's a scary future, ladies and gents, and a darn good story.
Plot: 5/5
Characters: 4.5/5
Writing: 5/5
Cover: 4/5
Overall: 5/5
GoodReads Rating: 3.44/5
eARC provided by St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
-review by Between Printed Pages
shortstack930's review
4.0
This is definitely not the type of book I would normally pick up, but I'm so glad I did. While I do like apocalyptic stories, I normally read young adult fiction and Day One does not fall into this category. However, I found myself quickly turning pages and anxious to find out what happens next.
John Hawke is an interesting character. He does not have the best past, but he seems to be trying to improve his life and make up for his mistakes. It is very evident that he cares deeply for his wife and son, even though he has been fighting with his wife lately. Throughout the entire book, his main goal is to get home to his family and ensure their safety, and this makes it easy for the reader to relate to him because I'm sure in that situation many of us would have the same goal in mind.
I honestly didn't expect some of the twists in this story and I thought the entire idea behind the apocalypse was very well thought out and interesting. There was a ton of action in this book, which kept the pace fast and kept me turning pages.
Overall, Day One was a fast paced read with a great protagonist and a ton of action. The ending seemed kind of open for a sequel, which I would definitely read.
John Hawke is an interesting character. He does not have the best past, but he seems to be trying to improve his life and make up for his mistakes. It is very evident that he cares deeply for his wife and son, even though he has been fighting with his wife lately. Throughout the entire book, his main goal is to get home to his family and ensure their safety, and this makes it easy for the reader to relate to him because I'm sure in that situation many of us would have the same goal in mind.
I honestly didn't expect some of the twists in this story and I thought the entire idea behind the apocalypse was very well thought out and interesting. There was a ton of action in this book, which kept the pace fast and kept me turning pages.
Overall, Day One was a fast paced read with a great protagonist and a ton of action. The ending seemed kind of open for a sequel, which I would definitely read.
whatsheread's review
If the premise of Nate Kenyon’s Day One sounds familiar, it should. There are multiple stories about computers becoming sentient beings and turning on their human “masters”. Where the story excels is showing just how filled with computers our lives have become. The action set forth by John Hawke’s first inkling of the problem and his battle to get back to his family is fast, furious, predictable, but shocking at just how many computer chips humans have placed into everyday items. The list is long and quite scary because it shows just how dependent on technology humans have become. Regardless of whether one believes computers will develop sentience, it does not take a great leap of faith to imagine what devastation a terrorist with the right hacking skills could wreak upon the country.
In fact, much of Day One feels more like a terrorist plot than a doomsday story. Many of the scenes will be uncomfortably reminiscent of 9/11. The scenes in the office building are scary in and of themselves but particularly for those still haunted by the images and stories from the Twin Towers on that fateful day. Mr. Kenyon captures the feelings of impotence, chaos, fear, panic, and every other adrenaline-pumping emotion that occurred that day and siphons it into John and his little band of survivors.
The story unravels slightly as John gets closer to his apartment and the focus is less on the unseen enemy and more on what he will find at home, which a reader soon discovers has nothing to do with what he faces in the city. The urgency he feels to get home is not very well-explained. This portion of the story is very anti-climactic compared to everything else that occurs.
No one reading this type of novel should expect huge character development or even fully-realized characters. In this aspect, Mr. Kenyon does not disappoint. Even John is fairly one-dimensional, and a reader lacks the background knowledge to truly understand his motivations and fears. The rest of John’s band is practically nonexistent in their flatness, only serving the purpose to provide targets for the enemy and an audience to whom John can explain his theories. Again, novels like DAY ONE are not designed to involve any character development, so the story loses nothing by having such insipid characters.
Day One lives up to the expectation of being an entertaining but predictable doomsday novel about computers set to destroy humans. There are signs of brilliance in the creativity Mr. Kenyon shows with the insidiousness of the takeover, but that quickly fades as the story progresses down a very familiar and well-trod path of action and drama. The second plot surrounding John’s family is unnecessary and even detrimental to the overall story. None of the characters inspire much in the way of emotion, but the pacing is fast and the tension remains taut. Day One may not be award-winning literature, but it does sufficiently fill the need for interesting and mindless thrillers.
In fact, much of Day One feels more like a terrorist plot than a doomsday story. Many of the scenes will be uncomfortably reminiscent of 9/11. The scenes in the office building are scary in and of themselves but particularly for those still haunted by the images and stories from the Twin Towers on that fateful day. Mr. Kenyon captures the feelings of impotence, chaos, fear, panic, and every other adrenaline-pumping emotion that occurred that day and siphons it into John and his little band of survivors.
The story unravels slightly as John gets closer to his apartment and the focus is less on the unseen enemy and more on what he will find at home, which a reader soon discovers has nothing to do with what he faces in the city. The urgency he feels to get home is not very well-explained. This portion of the story is very anti-climactic compared to everything else that occurs.
No one reading this type of novel should expect huge character development or even fully-realized characters. In this aspect, Mr. Kenyon does not disappoint. Even John is fairly one-dimensional, and a reader lacks the background knowledge to truly understand his motivations and fears. The rest of John’s band is practically nonexistent in their flatness, only serving the purpose to provide targets for the enemy and an audience to whom John can explain his theories. Again, novels like DAY ONE are not designed to involve any character development, so the story loses nothing by having such insipid characters.
Day One lives up to the expectation of being an entertaining but predictable doomsday novel about computers set to destroy humans. There are signs of brilliance in the creativity Mr. Kenyon shows with the insidiousness of the takeover, but that quickly fades as the story progresses down a very familiar and well-trod path of action and drama. The second plot surrounding John’s family is unnecessary and even detrimental to the overall story. None of the characters inspire much in the way of emotion, but the pacing is fast and the tension remains taut. Day One may not be award-winning literature, but it does sufficiently fill the need for interesting and mindless thrillers.
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