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captain_coffee_reads's review against another edition
2.0
I would give the first part of the book four stars. I was hooked upon starting it. It was interesting and well thought out and the narrator was great. The second part however, I felt was rushed or maybe written straight through with no editing or even a second read. I felt like details were just thrown in and that character's actions or movements taking place went beyond the endless capability of science fiction and were in fact impossible. I felt that a lot of the characters themselves were flat and unbelievable in their actions. If this is the author's first novel, I would read another of his. If there are others before it and he is no better for it, then I would have to pass.
john1177's review against another edition
2.0
Good first half, horrible second half.
Not fun, not scary, not even interesting.
I skimmed the last ten pages and sighed with relief when it was over.
Not fun, not scary, not even interesting.
I skimmed the last ten pages and sighed with relief when it was over.
awallock's review against another edition
5.0
This book really painted alien contact in a different way. It gave a viewpoint that I've never really heard before, that the aliens are really here to save us all. I don't believe a word of it, but all-in-all it was a very engaging read. The author really has a talent for writing and character development. It was really hard NOT to care about the main characters.
tjr's review against another edition
2.0
It was a good read, if not strange, and I thought it was going to be more of his non-fiction stuff, like his Communion was claimed to be. Instead the novel was pure fiction, although fiction that is supposedly ‘based’ on fact. Strieber explains that the foundation of the novel is based on survivors’ tales of UFO abductions; these supposedly true tales are interwoven in the fiction of The Grays, and the result is supposed fact-based fiction.
I would like to quote directly from it, but the book itself somehow ended up going through the wash cycle. The result of this was many little grey tidbits everywhere in the machine. Oh, the irony.
The novel was indeed different from Communion, which is a non-fiction book supposedly based on the author’s own experience. The Grays is based on the real life experiences of American citizens; indeed, it’s like Strieber has taken the median, or the essence, of all UFO abductee experiences and culminated them in the novel. This small fact in itself puts Strieber’s book in a realm of its own: not totally fictional, not totally non-fictional either. Nor, for that matter, is the book totally metaphysical or metafictional.
So, what do I make of it? Well, regardless of its supposed base in reality, The Grays is a pretty fantastical tale: it’s fast paced, full of mystery and deceit, and definitely a page turner. These facts alone also discredit much of the so-called truth in the matter. How can there be reality, along with Hollywood-esque chase scenes, murders, etcetera?
Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading the novel. It was a good pastime. The Grays is a popcorn-novel, pure and simple. However, it was a lot of fun to read, so I got my money’s worth out of its grey little pages.
I think the controversy surrounding the author goes a long way in the marketing and selling of his novels; in reality, I think his persona is as much a fabrication as the tales he himself writes.
Read it if you need some good entertainment.
I would like to quote directly from it, but the book itself somehow ended up going through the wash cycle. The result of this was many little grey tidbits everywhere in the machine. Oh, the irony.
The novel was indeed different from Communion, which is a non-fiction book supposedly based on the author’s own experience. The Grays is based on the real life experiences of American citizens; indeed, it’s like Strieber has taken the median, or the essence, of all UFO abductee experiences and culminated them in the novel. This small fact in itself puts Strieber’s book in a realm of its own: not totally fictional, not totally non-fictional either. Nor, for that matter, is the book totally metaphysical or metafictional.
So, what do I make of it? Well, regardless of its supposed base in reality, The Grays is a pretty fantastical tale: it’s fast paced, full of mystery and deceit, and definitely a page turner. These facts alone also discredit much of the so-called truth in the matter. How can there be reality, along with Hollywood-esque chase scenes, murders, etcetera?
Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading the novel. It was a good pastime. The Grays is a popcorn-novel, pure and simple. However, it was a lot of fun to read, so I got my money’s worth out of its grey little pages.
I think the controversy surrounding the author goes a long way in the marketing and selling of his novels; in reality, I think his persona is as much a fabrication as the tales he himself writes.
Read it if you need some good entertainment.
catra121's review against another edition
3.0
This was just ok for me. I wasnt especially invested in the story or the characters...although I liked the idea of this book. Passed the time today...but not something that's going to leave a lasting impact.
men_rec_el's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
The book was well written and flowed smoothly for the most part. Every once in awhile it sounded chopping and poorly planned out in writing. The plot was interesting for the first 9 hours ( listened to audio book so don’t know the chapter). During the last hour of the audiobook it’ll the plot became ridiculous and the climax was weird. It was a good book and I enjoyed it but it gets 3.75 stars for the ending and weird climax
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