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gutis's review
5.0
Loved the concept. The ending is what made it 5 stars for me, that was very well done.
mellhay's review against another edition
*I received a copy of this book from the author for an honest review.
It's William 790-6's birthday and like all clones, he's to be slurred today. Next in line for termination and the machine breaks. William 64-6 doesn't know what to do when the machine won't start, and it's almost quitting time, so he lets William 790 go home with his replacement. One more night to live... Past his 365 day limit, 790 starts to realize he is different, questioning things he never questioned before and going out of town. 790 learns there is more out in the world and what the Corporation running Williamsport-6 is up to.
That first sentence is a doozy! But I kept reading. And even though it sounds harsh in that moment, we see what the world is like here.
This is a story full of clones. Williamsport-6 is one of many cities around Williamerica that is strictly William clones. The city has 2,650 William's living in it, functioning as a city with all jobs filled by Williams. It's said that if clones live past their first birthday that they exhibit holes in their thinking, and the process of the clones.
The beginning was catching and the ending explained it all. But in the middle it was rather slow for me. Reading the book I realized it's really not the story for me. I'm more of an action type reader. This story is well put together but it's not the action I'm a fan of. I feel as we get a description of life though in a different setting. Billy is trapped in the same cycle as all the other clones, yet he's fighting to find a way out. The story has some great parts to it that I enjoyed, but for the most part I was bored. I know there are readers out there that this book will entertain and be interesting to them, sadly I'm not one of them.
It's William 790-6's birthday and like all clones, he's to be slurred today. Next in line for termination and the machine breaks. William 64-6 doesn't know what to do when the machine won't start, and it's almost quitting time, so he lets William 790 go home with his replacement. One more night to live... Past his 365 day limit, 790 starts to realize he is different, questioning things he never questioned before and going out of town. 790 learns there is more out in the world and what the Corporation running Williamsport-6 is up to.
That first sentence is a doozy! But I kept reading. And even though it sounds harsh in that moment, we see what the world is like here.
This is a story full of clones. Williamsport-6 is one of many cities around Williamerica that is strictly William clones. The city has 2,650 William's living in it, functioning as a city with all jobs filled by Williams. It's said that if clones live past their first birthday that they exhibit holes in their thinking, and the process of the clones.
The beginning was catching and the ending explained it all. But in the middle it was rather slow for me. Reading the book I realized it's really not the story for me. I'm more of an action type reader. This story is well put together but it's not the action I'm a fan of. I feel as we get a description of life though in a different setting. Billy is trapped in the same cycle as all the other clones, yet he's fighting to find a way out. The story has some great parts to it that I enjoyed, but for the most part I was bored. I know there are readers out there that this book will entertain and be interesting to them, sadly I'm not one of them.
norms_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
PROFIT!
I don't have a ton to say, but I really enjoyed Billy and the Coleasaurus. It was full of satire from cover to cover.
10/10 recommend reading.
I don't have a ton to say, but I really enjoyed Billy and the Coleasaurus. It was full of satire from cover to cover.
10/10 recommend reading.
ladilira's review against another edition
5.0
What can I say about this book? At first glance it would appear to be a comedy. The cover certainly lends itself to that perception. In reality, this story is more of a tragedy that will evoke emotions of sadness, futility, and perhaps even anger. Perhaps dark comedy would be more fitting, but even then that doesn’t quite fit. In many ways, it has more to do with social commentary than anything else. What I can tell you is that I freaking loved this story. It was outrageous in all the right ways. A story where all the characters look exactly the same and essentially have the same name, and yet Kozeniewski did a masterful job of never confusing the reader regarding what Will was talking. It’s one of those stories you want to share with friends — one you want to talk about and explore.
I thought to myself, “Aww, this will be a cute little story. Maybe a little different.” Well it was NOT a cute little story, but it definitely was original and creative. Kozeniewski, takes the modern world and shows us what greed will get us. The dark hole that is commercialism and whose pockets we line when we spend frivolously and lead unobservant lives. At the same time, showing a darker side to science and what happens when it meets the corporate world.
If you are looking for an awesome story that is unique and fresh than I recommend this book 100%. Kozeniewski has just gained a follower in me and I can’t wait to check out his other books.
I would just like to say I do not often give five stars. Nor do I often feel compelled to buy the hard copy of an E-Book, but I have to say I’m very tempted.
I thought to myself, “Aww, this will be a cute little story. Maybe a little different.” Well it was NOT a cute little story, but it definitely was original and creative. Kozeniewski, takes the modern world and shows us what greed will get us. The dark hole that is commercialism and whose pockets we line when we spend frivolously and lead unobservant lives. At the same time, showing a darker side to science and what happens when it meets the corporate world.
If you are looking for an awesome story that is unique and fresh than I recommend this book 100%. Kozeniewski has just gained a follower in me and I can’t wait to check out his other books.
I would just like to say I do not often give five stars. Nor do I often feel compelled to buy the hard copy of an E-Book, but I have to say I’m very tempted.
ctorretta's review against another edition
5.0
Trying to describe this book in a few words is going to be very difficult. Using more than a few words will be even more difficult as everything I say can lead to a spoiler!
So, I'm going to take this slowly... First of all! I want to call this adorable! It starts horrific but then just gets cute and crazy and yes it's a dystopian but it's just so much fun!
I fell in love with the characters. Billy is fantastic. I love that he has questions that all stem from this one horrific event from him almost getting slurried and then not. I cannot imagine knowing that my life was that close to being over. I would want to live up every minute and that is exactly what he is trying to do. The sad thing is that he has to go against everything he has been taught and everything he believes in TO live his life to the fullest.
The cloneasuarus!! Can I please adopt one?! I mean, I have five pets already, three of which are huge mutts but this cloneasaurus is just awesome. I so can imagine him being huge and derpy but adorable at the same time. Although he's more like a side kick he was still a huge part of the story and I loved every portion that he was in. And the fact that he didn't like the clone room, totally makes sense to me!
You can tell straight away that this is dystopian. I love, love, love dystopian. It's horrific but you never quite know how much until all the pieces come together and these pieces don't come together until very close to the end. At 74% I was having ahha moments! This is psychological horror at its best. And the really funny thing was, seriously it was also adorable when it wasn't being so horrible! I mean there were times when I had question marks and other times when I just wanted to hug the book and stroke it and call it George! Too freaking cute! And then I was reminded that this was a dystopian and weird stuff starts happening again! How Stephen Kozeniewski is able to blend all of these feelings into one short story is beyond me but it was fabulous!
In short: FAN freaking Tastic! Interesting and very different story with bits of horror and a lot of thought!
This review was originally posted on Creating Serenity
So, I'm going to take this slowly... First of all! I want to call this adorable! It starts horrific but then just gets cute and crazy and yes it's a dystopian but it's just so much fun!
I fell in love with the characters. Billy is fantastic. I love that he has questions that all stem from this one horrific event from him almost getting slurried and then not. I cannot imagine knowing that my life was that close to being over. I would want to live up every minute and that is exactly what he is trying to do. The sad thing is that he has to go against everything he has been taught and everything he believes in TO live his life to the fullest.
The cloneasuarus!! Can I please adopt one?! I mean, I have five pets already, three of which are huge mutts but this cloneasaurus is just awesome. I so can imagine him being huge and derpy but adorable at the same time. Although he's more like a side kick he was still a huge part of the story and I loved every portion that he was in. And the fact that he didn't like the clone room, totally makes sense to me!
You can tell straight away that this is dystopian. I love, love, love dystopian. It's horrific but you never quite know how much until all the pieces come together and these pieces don't come together until very close to the end. At 74% I was having ahha moments! This is psychological horror at its best. And the really funny thing was, seriously it was also adorable when it wasn't being so horrible! I mean there were times when I had question marks and other times when I just wanted to hug the book and stroke it and call it George! Too freaking cute! And then I was reminded that this was a dystopian and weird stuff starts happening again! How Stephen Kozeniewski is able to blend all of these feelings into one short story is beyond me but it was fabulous!
In short: FAN freaking Tastic! Interesting and very different story with bits of horror and a lot of thought!
This review was originally posted on Creating Serenity
rustymiller's review against another edition
5.0
Billy and the Cloneasaurus was the book that most surprised me last year. I had never read anything by this author so I went into the book with no expectations. I actually listened to the audio book and was instantly drawn in to the bizarre world. (Side note: If you have the means to do so, please listen to the audio book. This may be the best example of the narrator hitting a character’s voice perfectly. The narration probably made this very good book into a great book!)
I was also surprised by this because I wasn’t expecting the amount of depth that was woven into a relatively short book. This is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi world that is filled with clones, 6 billion copies of an unassuming, bland, and unremarkable man named William. Each city in this world is neatly organized with 3,650 duplicates of the same middle-aged man who fit into their role within the society for their term of 365 days at which point they are slurried (yes, it means what you would probably guess) and they are simply replaced by another identical Will. These Williams all share the same physical features (middle aged, balding, a little bit of a gut, and not very fit), and the same personality (rule-followers, prefer routine and predictability, and compliant). And then this city is duplicated with other identical cities around the world. Trust me, it feels ridiculous at first, but, please, PLEASE, stick with it.
We focus on William 790-6 on the day when he and ten other Williams are due to be slurried. Due to a malfunction with the slurry machine, Will (as everyone casually calls each other) is asked to come back in the morning to be slurried first before the next day’s ten Williams are processed. This causes a cascading effect, because the next version of William 790 has already been “decanted” (or born). Which of the two William 790-6s “owns” the car? Which one should drive? When they get home, who gets the bed, and what about food since they are given an exact ration of ramen noodles each week? And it spirals from there. The “older” Will 790 begins to realize that he would rather not die, and this radical thought (at least in this world it is unheard of) takes him places that no other Will would ever dare to go.
The world is beautifully crafted, making it seem so very plausible that this system would work, and maintain itself perpetually. There are so many little touches that are written into this world, so many casual conversations that only add deeper nuance. It also makes the reader wonder, as the story unfolds, and as Will 790 moves into uncharted territory, if there is more going on than any of the Wills ever realize.
Regarding the characters – or can I say character (singular) since everyone we meet in the book is an exact copy of each other – they are done brilliantly. It is especially seen as they all feel the innate pull to stay in their lanes, unquestioning the status quo. Will 790 is constantly questioning if what he is doing is permissible, let alone right. Will Will 790 become an unlikely “hero”?
Finally, the story is going somewhere, but it constantly takes the reader into unexpected directions, culminating with an ending that is both unbelievable but strangely appropriate. Again, I listened to this audio book together with my 14-year-old son. The depth of the story, and the implications from what it all represents, led to hours of conversation between the two of us, trying to unpack all its intricacies.
For example, the Wills are told day in and day out to do their part to help the Corporation which is responsible for every aspect of their lives by buying more and more. This is symbolic for what our society could become if large businesses begin to get more and more control, and the theoretical horrors that could ensue if capitalism was monopolized. This book is not only thought provoking on a story aspect, but on a political one as well.
I highly recommend this book, especially if you are looking for:
- A short stand-alone (187 pages) – although we would love to see more written about this world, maybe from the time when this world was developed?
- A horror comedy – there are creepy elements, but also a lot of funny ones as well
- A book that is not in everyone’s spotlight, but should be – it has been out since 2014 and only has 120 reviews in Goodreads (as of the writing of this review).
Seriously, everyone. Give this a chance!!!
I was also surprised by this because I wasn’t expecting the amount of depth that was woven into a relatively short book. This is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi world that is filled with clones, 6 billion copies of an unassuming, bland, and unremarkable man named William. Each city in this world is neatly organized with 3,650 duplicates of the same middle-aged man who fit into their role within the society for their term of 365 days at which point they are slurried (yes, it means what you would probably guess) and they are simply replaced by another identical Will. These Williams all share the same physical features (middle aged, balding, a little bit of a gut, and not very fit), and the same personality (rule-followers, prefer routine and predictability, and compliant). And then this city is duplicated with other identical cities around the world. Trust me, it feels ridiculous at first, but, please, PLEASE, stick with it.
We focus on William 790-6 on the day when he and ten other Williams are due to be slurried. Due to a malfunction with the slurry machine, Will (as everyone casually calls each other) is asked to come back in the morning to be slurried first before the next day’s ten Williams are processed. This causes a cascading effect, because the next version of William 790 has already been “decanted” (or born). Which of the two William 790-6s “owns” the car? Which one should drive? When they get home, who gets the bed, and what about food since they are given an exact ration of ramen noodles each week? And it spirals from there. The “older” Will 790 begins to realize that he would rather not die, and this radical thought (at least in this world it is unheard of) takes him places that no other Will would ever dare to go.
The world is beautifully crafted, making it seem so very plausible that this system would work, and maintain itself perpetually. There are so many little touches that are written into this world, so many casual conversations that only add deeper nuance. It also makes the reader wonder, as the story unfolds, and as Will 790 moves into uncharted territory, if there is more going on than any of the Wills ever realize.
Regarding the characters – or can I say character (singular) since everyone we meet in the book is an exact copy of each other – they are done brilliantly. It is especially seen as they all feel the innate pull to stay in their lanes, unquestioning the status quo. Will 790 is constantly questioning if what he is doing is permissible, let alone right. Will Will 790 become an unlikely “hero”?
Finally, the story is going somewhere, but it constantly takes the reader into unexpected directions, culminating with an ending that is both unbelievable but strangely appropriate. Again, I listened to this audio book together with my 14-year-old son. The depth of the story, and the implications from what it all represents, led to hours of conversation between the two of us, trying to unpack all its intricacies.
For example, the Wills are told day in and day out to do their part to help the Corporation which is responsible for every aspect of their lives by buying more and more. This is symbolic for what our society could become if large businesses begin to get more and more control, and the theoretical horrors that could ensue if capitalism was monopolized. This book is not only thought provoking on a story aspect, but on a political one as well.
I highly recommend this book, especially if you are looking for:
- A short stand-alone (187 pages) – although we would love to see more written about this world, maybe from the time when this world was developed?
- A horror comedy – there are creepy elements, but also a lot of funny ones as well
- A book that is not in everyone’s spotlight, but should be – it has been out since 2014 and only has 120 reviews in Goodreads (as of the writing of this review).
Seriously, everyone. Give this a chance!!!
mikekaz's review
5.0
While the title might seem silly and the story starts off light, this book really touches on several topics and does so in an intelligent manner. It really is a deeper satire on life than I expected. Hell, I was expecting some fun entertainment similar to Kozeniewski's BRAINEATER JONES; instead I got some fun entertainment with a commentary and emotion.
William 790-6 (57th iteration) is a clone; one of the billions of clones that make up the population of Earth. All identical. All following the same patterns of life. Normally on a William's first year anniversary of their birth, they are recycled back into the system so that the next iteration can come along. Due to a freak set of circumstances, William 790-6 (57th iteration) survives while the 58th iteration is recycled. The 57th iteration starts to learn and grow. He begins to question his life and want more. He questions his job and the futility it provides. And then he discovers a windmill with some occupants who encourage his growth. Occupants who want more from him and which he is happy to provide.
As I mentioned above, the story starts off light and comical. In addition to the freak events that allow the 57th iteration to live being humorous, the simple logistics of every character being named William is pretty fun. But as I kept reading, the satire elements crept in. Here was someone of the world that simply wanted to be an individual, to be special, to not be one of the mindless masses. And isn't that what most of us want? To feel special and unique. Here was someone who questioned why everyone acted the same even if it ended up with negative effects. For example, everyone leaving work at the same time just to sit in traffic when leaving 20 minutes later would avoid the problem. And isn't that what most of us think? That if everyone was logical instead of a mindless drone, that things would work better. And then William 790-6 (57th iteration) questions the company where he works and the crass consumerism that it creates. Again, something most of us have probably wondered as we yearn for that electric car, Dyson fan, newest iPhone, or whatever object of the moment is cool. And finally, the ending. I'm not sure if satires usually end in this manner but the ending is where I was slapped in the face that this is still a horror story. A horror story where a happy ending was never guaranteed. Any time that you feel liked you were slapped in the face by a book, you know that it had an impact. It touched something inside. You want others to feel that impact too. So, go out, buy and read this book. Revel in being an individual. If everybody ends up buying and reading the book, then at least you can feel secure in knowing that you are the 1st iteration.
William 790-6 (57th iteration) is a clone; one of the billions of clones that make up the population of Earth. All identical. All following the same patterns of life. Normally on a William's first year anniversary of their birth, they are recycled back into the system so that the next iteration can come along. Due to a freak set of circumstances, William 790-6 (57th iteration) survives while the 58th iteration is recycled. The 57th iteration starts to learn and grow. He begins to question his life and want more. He questions his job and the futility it provides. And then he discovers a windmill with some occupants who encourage his growth. Occupants who want more from him and which he is happy to provide.
As I mentioned above, the story starts off light and comical. In addition to the freak events that allow the 57th iteration to live being humorous, the simple logistics of every character being named William is pretty fun. But as I kept reading, the satire elements crept in. Here was someone of the world that simply wanted to be an individual, to be special, to not be one of the mindless masses. And isn't that what most of us want? To feel special and unique. Here was someone who questioned why everyone acted the same even if it ended up with negative effects. For example, everyone leaving work at the same time just to sit in traffic when leaving 20 minutes later would avoid the problem. And isn't that what most of us think? That if everyone was logical instead of a mindless drone, that things would work better. And then William 790-6 (57th iteration) questions the company where he works and the crass consumerism that it creates. Again, something most of us have probably wondered as we yearn for that electric car, Dyson fan, newest iPhone, or whatever object of the moment is cool. And finally, the ending. I'm not sure if satires usually end in this manner but the ending is where I was slapped in the face that this is still a horror story. A horror story where a happy ending was never guaranteed. Any time that you feel liked you were slapped in the face by a book, you know that it had an impact. It touched something inside. You want others to feel that impact too. So, go out, buy and read this book. Revel in being an individual. If everybody ends up buying and reading the book, then at least you can feel secure in knowing that you are the 1st iteration.
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