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candacesiegle_greedyreader's review against another edition
5.0
I read the reviews of "The Uninvited" and somehow imagined that it was a police novel. Please don't ask how I came up with this idea, because there is no evidence in any review on this site that would give me this impression. But this is a good thing. If I had realized that this is a sci fi novel I very likely would not have read it which would have been too bad because this book is a fine, chilling, compelling read.
The main character, Hesketh Lock, has learned to use a number of mental exercises to keep from being overstimulated. A handsome, charismatic man with Asperger's, he has trained himself to function pretty well in the world and in his job as a corporate sabotage troubleshooter. As the story unfolds and becomes increasingly uncomfortable, Hesketh's mental folding of origami figures and pattern play helps us continue reading: without him as narrator this tale may have been too much to finish.
"The Uninvited" is unlike anything I have ever read. It's a cautionary tale, a science fiction foray and a character study. Liz Jensen is a very talented writer, but it will take a little while to get over "The Uninvited" before I pick up another book by her.
The main character, Hesketh Lock, has learned to use a number of mental exercises to keep from being overstimulated. A handsome, charismatic man with Asperger's, he has trained himself to function pretty well in the world and in his job as a corporate sabotage troubleshooter. As the story unfolds and becomes increasingly uncomfortable, Hesketh's mental folding of origami figures and pattern play helps us continue reading: without him as narrator this tale may have been too much to finish.
"The Uninvited" is unlike anything I have ever read. It's a cautionary tale, a science fiction foray and a character study. Liz Jensen is a very talented writer, but it will take a little while to get over "The Uninvited" before I pick up another book by her.
geekwayne's review against another edition
4.0
Hesketh Lock is employed as a sort of corporate troubleshooter. His Asperger's makes him good at recognizing patterns that others can't seem to see. He is sent to Taiwan to investigate sabotage at ta lumber company by a corporate whistle blower. The man he interrogates makes reference to child gods. Shortly after Hesketh leaves Taiwan, the man dies horrifically. At the same time, there are growing reports of children attacking adults in vicious ways all around the world.
Hesketh is an engaging and memorable character, with his Venn diagrams, obsession with numbers and physical and mental origami. His emotional distance from the people around him can be grating and uncomfortable to those people. At the same time, he has an almost childlike attachment to some of the people in his life. This alien detachment and childlike attachment, along with the surreal events happening around him, make for a fascinating read.
The story has horrific elements, but feels like something from television shows like Fringe or X-Files. By the end of the book, all answers are not arrived at, and you will be left with questions. This might bother some, but I preferred the open-ended nature of the book and I look forward to reading more by Liz Jensen.
Hesketh is an engaging and memorable character, with his Venn diagrams, obsession with numbers and physical and mental origami. His emotional distance from the people around him can be grating and uncomfortable to those people. At the same time, he has an almost childlike attachment to some of the people in his life. This alien detachment and childlike attachment, along with the surreal events happening around him, make for a fascinating read.
The story has horrific elements, but feels like something from television shows like Fringe or X-Files. By the end of the book, all answers are not arrived at, and you will be left with questions. This might bother some, but I preferred the open-ended nature of the book and I look forward to reading more by Liz Jensen.
patchworkbunny's review against another edition
5.0
When a seven year old kills her grandmother and blinds her father with a nail-gun, it is considered a tragic, yet isolated incident. Hesketh Lock works for a company that investigates corporate sabotage and is sent to Taiwan to unearth a whistle-blower at a timber plant. The man in question is a loyal employee and claims he was forced into it. His behaviour is bizarre and he speaks of the Hungry Ghosts and starving children. A few days later he commits suicide. But Sunny Chen is only the first, as Hesketh continues his work, a pattern starts to emerge, and if there’s one thing he’s good at, it’s finding patterns in human behaviour.
Hesketh has Asperger’s and it was refreshing to see this in an adult character. It has become a bit of a literary device to allow child narrators to be a bit cleverer and more interesting than the more average child. His lack of social skills are shown in his failed relationship with Kaitlin, his resulting one-night stands and even that his closest relationship is with his young stepson, Freddy. His logical manner of thinking and lack of deceit, make him the perfect candidate for his job and his tendency to go off on a tangent helps, rather than hinders, the narrative. One of his coping mechanisms is to fold origami, both focussing his mind but also in awkward situations, a small gift of origami seems to be the perfect gesture.
The concept of children turning again their parents may be a shocking one but it does raise a lot of questions. Children are never seen as a threat. What would you do in such circumstances, if you couldn’t sleep in your own home for fear of your child? Hesketh is desperate to be a father figure for Freddy even though they are not related and despite everything, he doesn’t want to give up on him. I began to find the children genuinely creepy.
The ending seems to tail off a bit but I loved the character of Hesketh, I could have kept on reading whatever else was going on. I’m not sure there will be enough of an explanation for some readers but I’m not going to give you any clues! As with The Rapture, Liz Jensen explores the factors that could lead to the end of our world as we know it.
Hesketh has Asperger’s and it was refreshing to see this in an adult character. It has become a bit of a literary device to allow child narrators to be a bit cleverer and more interesting than the more average child. His lack of social skills are shown in his failed relationship with Kaitlin, his resulting one-night stands and even that his closest relationship is with his young stepson, Freddy. His logical manner of thinking and lack of deceit, make him the perfect candidate for his job and his tendency to go off on a tangent helps, rather than hinders, the narrative. One of his coping mechanisms is to fold origami, both focussing his mind but also in awkward situations, a small gift of origami seems to be the perfect gesture.
The concept of children turning again their parents may be a shocking one but it does raise a lot of questions. Children are never seen as a threat. What would you do in such circumstances, if you couldn’t sleep in your own home for fear of your child? Hesketh is desperate to be a father figure for Freddy even though they are not related and despite everything, he doesn’t want to give up on him. I began to find the children genuinely creepy.
The ending seems to tail off a bit but I loved the character of Hesketh, I could have kept on reading whatever else was going on. I’m not sure there will be enough of an explanation for some readers but I’m not going to give you any clues! As with The Rapture, Liz Jensen explores the factors that could lead to the end of our world as we know it.
beastreader's review against another edition
1.0
When I first saw this book I was very intrigued by it. The cover and the back summary of the book. Yes, please. I had to read this book to find out what was causing all of these children to go psycho and kill people. I agree with others that this book is not a horror story. Even though the front cover would lead you to think it is.
The opening scene of this book had me hooked. I could not wait to dig deeper into the story to learn the truth. After this the story just went flatline. It was a struggle for me to read the next few chapters. Even to call this book a psychological thriller would be a stretch. It was pretty evident soon that I had lost interest in the story and learning the truth. I guess I will never learn the truth.
The opening scene of this book had me hooked. I could not wait to dig deeper into the story to learn the truth. After this the story just went flatline. It was a struggle for me to read the next few chapters. Even to call this book a psychological thriller would be a stretch. It was pretty evident soon that I had lost interest in the story and learning the truth. I guess I will never learn the truth.
frofox's review
dark
sad
medium-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
3.75
audreychamaine's review against another edition
4.0
I had a rough start with Uninvited. I had a NetGalley publisher distributed e-galley, and there was a problem with the formatting, particularly with the letter 'f'. Every time I came upon a word with that letter, I'd stumble over it and it would suck me out of the narrative. This isn't anything having to do with the book; rather it is a plea for publishers distributing electronic advanced copies to pay a little more attention to the files. I probably would have never made it through this book if I hadn't picked up a finished copy. And I'm really glad that's what I did.
The Uninvited is a slow build, but has real horror payoffs. Hesketh, a trained anthropologist who works for a contractor, is sent out to investigate cases of whistleblowing for companies. Hesketh is particularly well-suited for this kind of work because of where he is on the autism spectrum: Hesketh is clinical in his thoughts and dealings with other people, so he is able to spot emotional and anthropological patterns that others cannot. A pattern emerges of employees of major companies blowing the whistle on questionable practices or purposefully sabotaging operations, then committing suicide. At the same time, children around the world are murdering adults, mainly members of their own family. Hesketh suspects that there is something larger going on, but will not allow himself to admit that it might be something supernatural at work.
While I couldn't connect with Hesketh at the beginning, as the story progresses we are shown how human he really is, although he sees the world through a different lens than non-autistic individuals. The story also builds to a very satisfying and dark climax, complete with cannibalism and murder! (I am all about this.) This is a great book for anybody who loves stories involving very creepy children, as well as those who love to ponder the larger significance of the singularity, the Higgs boson, the coming apocalypse, or the zen of origami as the world is irrevocably changed around you.
The Uninvited is a slow build, but has real horror payoffs. Hesketh, a trained anthropologist who works for a contractor, is sent out to investigate cases of whistleblowing for companies. Hesketh is particularly well-suited for this kind of work because of where he is on the autism spectrum: Hesketh is clinical in his thoughts and dealings with other people, so he is able to spot emotional and anthropological patterns that others cannot. A pattern emerges of employees of major companies blowing the whistle on questionable practices or purposefully sabotaging operations, then committing suicide. At the same time, children around the world are murdering adults, mainly members of their own family. Hesketh suspects that there is something larger going on, but will not allow himself to admit that it might be something supernatural at work.
While I couldn't connect with Hesketh at the beginning, as the story progresses we are shown how human he really is, although he sees the world through a different lens than non-autistic individuals. The story also builds to a very satisfying and dark climax, complete with cannibalism and murder! (I am all about this.) This is a great book for anybody who loves stories involving very creepy children, as well as those who love to ponder the larger significance of the singularity, the Higgs boson, the coming apocalypse, or the zen of origami as the world is irrevocably changed around you.
seagullsaga's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
sanneol's review against another edition
2.0
A book which took me a while to get used to, and with a main character who sometimes seems to forget what he has previously figured out. But I did enjoy the dash of folklore in a dystopian world.
mariesreads's review against another edition
4.0
An affecting, unique dystopian/apocalypse story. I loved the originality of the idea, and the execution was pretty good, too. I certainly kept reading!