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rosanna17's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I really liked it. It had some twists that I didn't expect. The ending reminded me of a movie where it could be left open for a number 2.
beastreader's review against another edition
4.0
Ten years old, Sarah has pretty much lived her whole life in a mental hospital. Dr. Wasserman at The Wasserman Facility has diagnosed Sarah as being a schizophrenic. Sarah isn’t your normal schizophrenic; in fact Sarah is also a psychic. Jess Chambers has studied the extreme child psychology cases and that is why she is very excited to be able to meet young Sarah. The doctors at The Wasserman Facility have been able to control Sarah. You know the saying “Be careful what you wish for”, well Jess is about to find out that wishes are not always a good thing. After Jess meets Sarah strange and scary things start happening at the facility that no one not even Sarah could predict.
This book was filled with plenty of intense and electrifying horror. The Reach started out very strong and ended on a high note. I thought Sarah was a normal ten year old; ok maybe she happened to have a unique gift but other then that fact, Sarah just wanted to have a voice and be heard. Dr. Wasserman won’t let that take place. So what happens when someone who has not been able to speak for ten years, finally gets the chance…the end result is Nate Kenyon’s The Reach; a book that will not disappoint and leave you wanting more. The Reach is the first book I have read by Mr. Kenyon. I can assure you that I will be reading more books by this very talented author.
This book was filled with plenty of intense and electrifying horror. The Reach started out very strong and ended on a high note. I thought Sarah was a normal ten year old; ok maybe she happened to have a unique gift but other then that fact, Sarah just wanted to have a voice and be heard. Dr. Wasserman won’t let that take place. So what happens when someone who has not been able to speak for ten years, finally gets the chance…the end result is Nate Kenyon’s The Reach; a book that will not disappoint and leave you wanting more. The Reach is the first book I have read by Mr. Kenyon. I can assure you that I will be reading more books by this very talented author.
sanddanz's review against another edition
5.0
Well... considering I normally take at least 5 days to finish most books, I'd assume me saying I read this in 48 hours would tell people how much I enjoyed this book. It was a very fast-paced and intense read. I kept reading on as I wanted to find out how things were going to end up for Sarah. This wasn't a "scary" horror book, but had lots of action scenes as well as paranormal elements within so the book couldn't be labeled as just a "thriller" so it's definitely a horror book, just a lighter one than what I've been reading lately, which was a refreshing change of pace.
Nate Kenyon doesn't tend to lean overly heavy on the details of surroundings and such, which I like, as I get bored at times with all the details. I enjoy dialogue and there was quite a lot within the book (whether spoken verbally or to oneself mentally). I have yet to read BLOODSTONE and am really looking forward to doing so now that I've had a taste of Kenyon's writing!
Nate Kenyon doesn't tend to lean overly heavy on the details of surroundings and such, which I like, as I get bored at times with all the details. I enjoy dialogue and there was quite a lot within the book (whether spoken verbally or to oneself mentally). I have yet to read BLOODSTONE and am really looking forward to doing so now that I've had a taste of Kenyon's writing!
zoe_e_w's review against another edition
4.0
It took me a long time to read The Reach, but not because the writing is bad, or scary for that matter. In fact, I wouldn't call this horror, more like a paranormal thriller. Even when the book reaches the explosive conclusion, it's not graphic enough to inspire any feelings of horror or fear. It is a solid ending, and the writing is good. It's just not what I was expecting when I first opened the book.
So to simplify the premise, it's basically Firestarter. All the same elements are here; a shady organization tampering with psi powers, a young child with powers that the organization covets, and a big finish illustrating the folly of their ways. I of course liked Firestarter, and so this story worked for me for many of the same reasons.
So why did I take so long to read it? Because the psi child in question, Sarah, has been locked up and drugged most of her life. Being stripped of her free will brought up some really dark stuff inside me about my own childhood, and and despite the wildly different circumstances Sarah is in, I had to walk away from the book for a long, long time. But once I finally came back to it, the second half wasn't nearly as hard to read.
The protagonist, Jess Chambers, is well written, and easy to sympathize with throughout the story. She initially is told that Sarah is schizophrenic, and that she's being brought in as a consultant in an effort to reach the young patient. But it quickly becomes clear that Sarah isn't crazy, and that she possesses incredible psychic powers that the secretive Dr. Wasserman is trying to control. But to what end? And why was Jess brought in? The twist revealing why Jess was chosen isn't surprising, and the way it's revealed feels too rushed before the story moves to the big finale where Sarah does her best Charlie McGee impersonation. But that's a minor complaint, and it doesn't change my enjoyment of the story.
I've seen a lot of comparisons of Nate Kenyon's writing style to Stephen King, and I think it's a fair assessment. Kenyon has the same ability to make "real" characters who I can believe in even under the most fantastic circumstances. I know I keep comparing this to Firestarter, and I need to go back again because the tone of the stories is quite similar. Firestarter never quite reaches a proper horror vibe, and neither does The Reach. Which is not a bad thing. But if you were going into this expecting something super scary, you're going to be disappointed.
I wasn't disappointed, though, so I give The Reach four stars and would recommend it to fans of paranormal fiction.
So to simplify the premise, it's basically Firestarter. All the same elements are here; a shady organization tampering with psi powers, a young child with powers that the organization covets, and a big finish illustrating the folly of their ways. I of course liked Firestarter, and so this story worked for me for many of the same reasons.
So why did I take so long to read it? Because the psi child in question, Sarah, has been locked up and drugged most of her life. Being stripped of her free will brought up some really dark stuff inside me about my own childhood, and and despite the wildly different circumstances Sarah is in, I had to walk away from the book for a long, long time. But once I finally came back to it, the second half wasn't nearly as hard to read.
The protagonist, Jess Chambers, is well written, and easy to sympathize with throughout the story. She initially is told that Sarah is schizophrenic, and that she's being brought in as a consultant in an effort to reach the young patient. But it quickly becomes clear that Sarah isn't crazy, and that she possesses incredible psychic powers that the secretive Dr. Wasserman is trying to control. But to what end? And why was Jess brought in? The twist revealing why Jess was chosen isn't surprising, and the way it's revealed feels too rushed before the story moves to the big finale where Sarah does her best Charlie McGee impersonation. But that's a minor complaint, and it doesn't change my enjoyment of the story.
I've seen a lot of comparisons of Nate Kenyon's writing style to Stephen King, and I think it's a fair assessment. Kenyon has the same ability to make "real" characters who I can believe in even under the most fantastic circumstances. I know I keep comparing this to Firestarter, and I need to go back again because the tone of the stories is quite similar. Firestarter never quite reaches a proper horror vibe, and neither does The Reach. Which is not a bad thing. But if you were going into this expecting something super scary, you're going to be disappointed.
I wasn't disappointed, though, so I give The Reach four stars and would recommend it to fans of paranormal fiction.
acknud's review against another edition
5.0
Fun book to read. Creepy yet emotionally attaching at the same time. I thought the ending could have been polished a little better. Nate..You seem well set up for sequels.
The doctor in charge of the facility reminded me a lot of the the man in charge of the facility where Hannibal Lecter was held. Was this intentional?
At this point I would have to vote for this book in the Bram Stoker poll. I have read two of them. Two more to go.
The doctor in charge of the facility reminded me a lot of the the man in charge of the facility where Hannibal Lecter was held. Was this intentional?
At this point I would have to vote for this book in the Bram Stoker poll. I have read two of them. Two more to go.
keen's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Gore, Body horror, Confinement, Child abuse, Terminal illness, Murder, Forced institutionalization, and Blood
Moderate: Rape and Incest
Minor: Death of parent
nike13's review against another edition
3.0
I think I went in with the wrong expectation - I was thinking this would be more horror than it really is. Not spooky but still interesting.
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