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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
Not a home run for me, but I still enjoyed the game.
When I first started this novel I was worried. The first Chapter almost lost me. Periodically through the book Edmund's character will make a random appearance and each time I was completely lost. I could say that maybe it's the fact that I read the majority of this book while on vacation and perhaps I was distracted at times, but then again, after looking over some other reviews, I don't think it was just me. I think the way this character was written into the story-line was flawed at best.
The story is of two lovers, Claire McCoy and Will Brody (aka Brody) who seem to have been brought together by fate to destroy an evil force. Both are working for the FBI at the start of the novel and are hunting a sadistic sniper who seems to be targeting victims at random. The whole city of Chicago is in a complete state of panic , no one knows who the next victim will be. The team gets a tip that they saw a man enter a church carrying a rifle, when Brody and a team are sent to investigate Brody quickly learns it's a trap. Brody discovers a bomb and in a last ditch effort to save his teammate he throws himself on top of him to shield him from the blast, but killing himself in the process. Only Brody doesn't realize he's dead. He awakes with a shard of glass in his leg an his lungs on fire. He begins looking for his team and exits the church thinking that it will only be minutes before back up arrives. Brody realizes that the "Sniper" was there... it was the man he saw on the balcony smoking a cigarette just before entering the church. He retreats, but he sees people running in his direction, he assumes they are there to help. He's screaming for them to get back, he's warning them of the "Sniper" only they're not listening. They were coming at him fast... how were they so fast? Soon he realized they were wielding weapons, these were not Good Samaritans come to help, they were there to hurt him. They were with the Sniper. Brody made a run for it, injured leg and all. Brody makes his way to a liquor store and slams a security gate closed and locks it with a padlock. No way are they getting through the inch thick metal bars. All Brody had to do now was wait for back up. One of the men grab a hold of the bars and brace for leverage, they slowly begin to bend. This is where things get interesting. I will spare you on what happens next as not to over share, but let's just say that Brody soon realizes that he's not alive and neither are the people after him.
We soon learn about what happens in the afterlife, this new world that Brody is now in is like some Walking Dead post apocalyptic world where the dead are feeding off each other just to stay "alive". There's no pearly white gates, harp music, and glorious bright light. On the contrary, it's a dark gloomy world, what's referred to as an "echo" of the real world. It's the city of Chicago, only without all the living people. Everything looks the same, and you can go into a store, restaurant, movie theater, etc and you're actually walking among the living, only you can't see them, and they can't see you.
The connection between Claire and Brody is the glue that keeps the story-line together in my opinion. I'm not just saying that because all women like a good sappy love story, because this one is different. I think what makes this one unique is that Claire is made to be the superior in the relationship, she is the stronger, more intelligent of the two. She may not be physically stronger, but she's definitely the rock. Brody accepts this, he realizes that Claire is what gives them strength and makes them such a great team. What's the saying "Behind every great man is a strong woman". I think every woman can relate to this in some way. Brody trusts in Claire's wisdom and seeks her guidance. Claire never abuses this though... Brody is still the protector, and Claire puts her trust in this as well.
I can see how this will translate to the big screen, though I can't say that I'm overly excited about it. It's not the most thrilling thing I've read all year, but it's definitely different than all the other movies that are being produced as of late. So congratulations Mr. Sakey! It's an interesting concept... though it might be a tough audience to sell it on... people are guarded when it comes to the ideas of the afterlife.
I want to thank NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Marcus Sakey for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for my review. It was enjoyable.
When I first started this novel I was worried. The first Chapter almost lost me. Periodically through the book Edmund's character will make a random appearance and each time I was completely lost. I could say that maybe it's the fact that I read the majority of this book while on vacation and perhaps I was distracted at times, but then again, after looking over some other reviews, I don't think it was just me. I think the way this character was written into the story-line was flawed at best.
The story is of two lovers, Claire McCoy and Will Brody (aka Brody) who seem to have been brought together by fate to destroy an evil force. Both are working for the FBI at the start of the novel and are hunting a sadistic sniper who seems to be targeting victims at random. The whole city of Chicago is in a complete state of panic , no one knows who the next victim will be. The team gets a tip that they saw a man enter a church carrying a rifle, when Brody and a team are sent to investigate Brody quickly learns it's a trap. Brody discovers a bomb and in a last ditch effort to save his teammate he throws himself on top of him to shield him from the blast, but killing himself in the process. Only Brody doesn't realize he's dead. He awakes with a shard of glass in his leg an his lungs on fire. He begins looking for his team and exits the church thinking that it will only be minutes before back up arrives. Brody realizes that the "Sniper" was there... it was the man he saw on the balcony smoking a cigarette just before entering the church. He retreats, but he sees people running in his direction, he assumes they are there to help. He's screaming for them to get back, he's warning them of the "Sniper" only they're not listening. They were coming at him fast... how were they so fast? Soon he realized they were wielding weapons, these were not Good Samaritans come to help, they were there to hurt him. They were with the Sniper. Brody made a run for it, injured leg and all. Brody makes his way to a liquor store and slams a security gate closed and locks it with a padlock. No way are they getting through the inch thick metal bars. All Brody had to do now was wait for back up. One of the men grab a hold of the bars and brace for leverage, they slowly begin to bend. This is where things get interesting. I will spare you on what happens next as not to over share, but let's just say that Brody soon realizes that he's not alive and neither are the people after him.
We soon learn about what happens in the afterlife, this new world that Brody is now in is like some Walking Dead post apocalyptic world where the dead are feeding off each other just to stay "alive". There's no pearly white gates, harp music, and glorious bright light. On the contrary, it's a dark gloomy world, what's referred to as an "echo" of the real world. It's the city of Chicago, only without all the living people. Everything looks the same, and you can go into a store, restaurant, movie theater, etc and you're actually walking among the living, only you can't see them, and they can't see you.
The connection between Claire and Brody is the glue that keeps the story-line together in my opinion. I'm not just saying that because all women like a good sappy love story, because this one is different. I think what makes this one unique is that Claire is made to be the superior in the relationship, she is the stronger, more intelligent of the two. She may not be physically stronger, but she's definitely the rock. Brody accepts this, he realizes that Claire is what gives them strength and makes them such a great team. What's the saying "Behind every great man is a strong woman". I think every woman can relate to this in some way. Brody trusts in Claire's wisdom and seeks her guidance. Claire never abuses this though... Brody is still the protector, and Claire puts her trust in this as well.
I can see how this will translate to the big screen, though I can't say that I'm overly excited about it. It's not the most thrilling thing I've read all year, but it's definitely different than all the other movies that are being produced as of late. So congratulations Mr. Sakey! It's an interesting concept... though it might be a tough audience to sell it on... people are guarded when it comes to the ideas of the afterlife.
I want to thank NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Marcus Sakey for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for my review. It was enjoyable.
Wow. I'm giving this book 4.5*, but marking it as 5*.
Such a good book and so very different from what I usually read. I was intrigued because Ron Howard and Brian Grazer optioned the rights to make the movie before the book was even published. And let me tell you, it does not disappoint. It's science fiction and a love story all rolled into one. But it also makes you think about the "afterlife", what happens there, and how it influences "real life". It's definitely a book club book, because I am dying to talk to others about this book, however I don't think my book club would be interested in this one. So, I'm making my husband read it, because it is right up his alley, so that we can discuss it afterwards, especially the ending.
I highly recommend it if you're interested in reading something a little different and "out there". I'm sure I'll have to re-read it before the movie comes out, especially because I know there are aspects throughout the story that I didn't "get" or went over my head.
Such a good book and so very different from what I usually read. I was intrigued because Ron Howard and Brian Grazer optioned the rights to make the movie before the book was even published. And let me tell you, it does not disappoint. It's science fiction and a love story all rolled into one. But it also makes you think about the "afterlife", what happens there, and how it influences "real life". It's definitely a book club book, because I am dying to talk to others about this book, however I don't think my book club would be interested in this one. So, I'm making my husband read it, because it is right up his alley, so that we can discuss it afterwards, especially the ending.
I highly recommend it if you're interested in reading something a little different and "out there". I'm sure I'll have to re-read it before the movie comes out, especially because I know there are aspects throughout the story that I didn't "get" or went over my head.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
When it comes to novels (especially sci-fi) it all has been done before. Even novels about a life after death. Still, Afterlife manages to feel fresh and intriguing. I’ve read a few books by Marcus Sakey before—the Brilliance saga. He has a distinctive writing style and extraordinary imagination. I started this book with high expectations. Is Afterlife as compelling as it sounds? Read on to find out.
The main character is Will Brody, an FBI Special Agent. He’s in Chicago working an unusual serial killer case. An unknown subject has been murdering random people with his sniper rifle. Leading the task force to catch this murderer is Claire McCoy, the Assistant Director of the Chicago FBI office. After 18 casualties, the city is in full panic. One day Will follows a clue that he hopes will end in him catching the sniper. He goes to a church to stop the killer’s reign of terror once and for all. Unfortunately, Will doesn’t realize he walked into a trap until it’s too late. A bomb goes off, killing Will instantly.
With the hero dead, is the book over? No. Claire McCoy is still alive. She’s sad and angry that the sniper took Will from her. Unbeknownst to the rest of their team, Will and Claire were in love. They had plans, and now those are gone. But Claire is not one to lose her head even after a personal tragedy. She isn’t leading an elite FBI task force for nothing. Claire is professional, intelligent, and highly skilled. She vows to catch the sniper, not just for Will, but for the people of Chicago.
Afterlife is about, well, life after death. That means Will’s story is far from over. He wakes up, feeling disoriented. Will doesn’t realize that he’s dead. When he exits the building, Chicago looks unusually silent and deserted. Will looks in the direction where he spotted the sniper just before the explosion. Soon after, though, Will runs into some people. He yells for them to run for cover. The people don’t stop walking toward him. Then Will realizes they’re carrying machetes.
It doesn’t take long before Will finds out that he’s dead. The afterlife is so like the living world that it’s no wonder he didn’t know at first. It’s so imaginative and detailed. The author no doubt spent time working out the details and rules of this book’s world. Also, the sniper case that Will and Claire are working on ties into the afterlife. I’m not going into detail to avoid spoilers, but it’s compelling. In the afterlife, Will also meets new allies. This makes it obvious that these things aren’t happening in Will’s head. They’re very real, at least in the book’s world.
Besides the sniper serial killer, there’s another main antagonist in Afterlife. Unlike the sniper, this other guy is much, much older and vastly more powerful. He’s basically a god in the afterlife. This person pops up throughout the book, telling the story of how he came to be. I found his chapters a little confusing. Most of them are set in the past, so that too threw me off the main story a bit. The mechanics of power in the afterlife are rather…vampire-like. Will had no idea of the kind of entities that exist in the afterlife. He’s going to need more than his skill and a team of untrained survivors to face what’s coming.
Afterlife was nothing short of stunning. The world of the afterlife that the author created feels so original and considerably well-developed. I’d go as far as saying even avid sci-fi readers don’t come across books like this one every day. I’m not giving away more about the story. This is a book you must experience without spoilers. Afterlife certainly blew me away. The protagonists, Will and Claire, are also compelling. Despite being separated, they don’t let death stand in the way of their love…or justice. Just because Will’s dead doesn’t mean he stopped being an FBI agent. That makes him a valuable, natural leader. Claire is also one of the best heroines I’ve read about. She is not a damsel in distress at all. Claire’s even smarter than Will. It speaks a lot about him that he doesn’t resent that. Will never bemoans that his love interest is smarter and has a higher rank than him. I admired that a lot.
My rating: ★★★★ 1/2
4.5 stars - A fantastic page-turner!
I am not a fan of this type of book, but I did enjoy it. It gives you something to think about.
Fascinating premise, but maybe just a few too many ideas to make it fully coherent. Sakey is a hell of a writer, but I sense he read the Dark Tower a few too many times while putting this one together. Valiant effort but short of his other work.
This was a very different type of book for me to read, but part of being a book lover is expanding my horizons, right?
I enjoyed this book, and I'm excited to see the movie.
Afterlife kept me interested until the very end (I needed to see how this craziness ended) and the pages flew by quickly.
I'm not in a hurry to read more books like this at the moment, but this one wasn't bad.
I enjoyed this book, and I'm excited to see the movie.
Afterlife kept me interested until the very end (I needed to see how this craziness ended) and the pages flew by quickly.
I'm not in a hurry to read more books like this at the moment, but this one wasn't bad.
Good characters, storyline petty good but a bit much in places
There were few parts of this book that I enjoyed, aside from most of the cover. The only part of the cover I dislike is the text stating "soon to be a major motion picture." This irks me because the rights have merely been purchased, and from reading up on Sakey's other works, this has happened before and the movie fell through. They really shouldn't be advertising a movie when it's barely in the works.
Plot: Will Brody is an FBI agent dating Claire, his supervisor. They are working on a case to find a sniper-wielding serial killer. Brody ends up victim of the sniper in a church explosion, and finds himself in a similar looking place only unharmed and without anyone around. He finds himself in an afterlife, a place where people who've died violent deaths end up, and joins up with the "good guys" who have banded together to save newbies from the eaters. The eaters are basically junkies who get high and absorb power from re-killing the people in this afterlife. Hoping to save Claire from death at the hands of the same sniper, he finds her right as she pops into his world. Turns out, there are layers and layers of afterlives, all awful and worse than the next with "gods" or uber-powerful eaters who can pretty much do whatever and they're nuts.
I was not particularly interested in most of the book, but pushed through it. Perhaps around 2/3rds of the way I semi got into it, then got bored again and felt that the ending was really the only good part. I felt like there were a lot of holes in the plot and I also just did not care about the story.
One inconsistency was that if things change when you stop looking at them [bodies disappear, items in human life that have moved go to where they are in real time], how is it possible that weapons, food, and other items that the afterlifers have taken to survive are still there in the morning? Anyway, I wasn't a fan and ended up skimming several pages.
Received in a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for my honest review.
Plot: Will Brody is an FBI agent dating Claire, his supervisor. They are working on a case to find a sniper-wielding serial killer. Brody ends up victim of the sniper in a church explosion, and finds himself in a similar looking place only unharmed and without anyone around. He finds himself in an afterlife, a place where people who've died violent deaths end up, and joins up with the "good guys" who have banded together to save newbies from the eaters. The eaters are basically junkies who get high and absorb power from re-killing the people in this afterlife. Hoping to save Claire from death at the hands of the same sniper, he finds her right as she pops into his world. Turns out, there are layers and layers of afterlives, all awful and worse than the next with "gods" or uber-powerful eaters who can pretty much do whatever and they're nuts.
I was not particularly interested in most of the book, but pushed through it. Perhaps around 2/3rds of the way I semi got into it, then got bored again and felt that the ending was really the only good part. I felt like there were a lot of holes in the plot and I also just did not care about the story.
One inconsistency was that if things change when you stop looking at them [bodies disappear, items in human life that have moved go to where they are in real time], how is it possible that weapons, food, and other items that the afterlifers have taken to survive are still there in the morning? Anyway, I wasn't a fan and ended up skimming several pages.
Received in a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for my honest review.
Had I understood the book, I might have given it a higher rating. Don't get me wrong: I liked the novel. I'm sure that if I read the Bhagavad Gita, I'd like that, too. Probably wouldn't understand it. Certainly didn't understand what was happening here. Ditto, the Zohar.
My hunch is that the editors were too intimidated to wade in and try to fix things and just said, "WTF."
My hunch is that the editors were too intimidated to wade in and try to fix things and just said, "WTF."