Euphoria-Z
by Luke Ahearn
Genre: Thriller, Horror
by Luke Ahearn
Genre: Thriller, Horror
Published May 2014
Pages: 409
Summary: "Civilization shuts down as throngs of speechless hedonists fill the
streets in deadly revelry. They feel only pleasure and never pain, even
as they are injured, maimed, and mutilated. Few people remain in the
world unaffected, left to witness the madness unaware that things are
about to get unbelievably worse.
Cooper is among the few survivors of a conspiracy to depopulate the world. One week ago, college was his biggest concern. Now he is on a dangerous journey to find his sister as an ever-present threat of nightmarish proportions engulfs the world, throwing him in the path of some of the most malicious people that ever walked the earth."
Cooper is among the few survivors of a conspiracy to depopulate the world. One week ago, college was his biggest concern. Now he is on a dangerous journey to find his sister as an ever-present threat of nightmarish proportions engulfs the world, throwing him in the path of some of the most malicious people that ever walked the earth."
Review: I tried to read this but it
quickly fell apart for me. Started off decent, the first couple pages
but then started to read like an outline. It became jumbled and rushed
with no details.
In less than 5 pages there is a failed presidential
speech, angry reporters, an asteroid hits and some billionaires setup
the apocalypse of the world but it fails as the virus turns them and
many others to zombies. It was so rushed and jumped all over the place
in way too short of a time-span. maybe it gets explained later, I do
not know.W ith over 400 pages I hopes so but with how those pages were
written and displayed I was sadly utterly turned off by the book.
***Please note: the above was my original review, below is some additional info and rant***
It read like a picture book for a 4-5 year old but the subject matter and wording is most assuredly for adults only. Lots of telling and no showing. I have read stat reports with more personality. I even contacted my former 8th grade English teacher (joy of babysitting her children, we kept in contact years later) and read her a couple pages worth to get her input. She quickly cut me off saying had I ever turned in anything, even a short story, written like that I would have received an F. And that from a middle school teacher!
I tried to keep the original review polite enough for my level of distaste for it, however after a less than savory letter from the author about my rating and utterly "unprofessional review," I figured I might as well let me real feelings out. I was just going to let it go as a review on goodreads and not even share here and that is why, a few days ago, I simply posted a spotlight post. I had felt that since I didn't read very much, and I normally hate the idea of reading so little and writing a DNF blog post to be sad. But for me, this book was THAT BAD. The authors email did not improve my opinion. All it did was ensure that I will never read anything by him again. Like you can see in my original review above, I even state that I hope it did get better. I do not guarantee profession reviews just because I am given a copy to review.
Here is the message I recieved from him
"I think that review is a terribly harsh and unprofessional review. I
make it a practice to not reply to reviews and I'm not mad I am however
disappointed that someone at your level went all the way to a one star.
There was nothing at all redeeming about my book? Have you read past the
first few pages? The set up is fast and furious, but that pace stops
when the actual chapters start.
Seriously. I think you know how seriously bad a one star is. There is a range you know. I repeat I am not mad, I won't try to correct you or ask you to change anything, I am just really in disbelief that a person of your level of expertise wrote that.
Honestly I do hope you change it. Two stars would just make my year. I would like to be friends and all that, I can get past it, but I am really wondering if I may have pissed you off somewhere else on the Internet. I sent that book through several well paid professional beta readers, editors, and reviewers so I know it's not a complete pile.
I mean you would never have heard of my book if I hadn't given you a copy and gave you content for your blog? RIght?"
Seriously. I think you know how seriously bad a one star is. There is a range you know. I repeat I am not mad, I won't try to correct you or ask you to change anything, I am just really in disbelief that a person of your level of expertise wrote that.
Honestly I do hope you change it. Two stars would just make my year. I would like to be friends and all that, I can get past it, but I am really wondering if I may have pissed you off somewhere else on the Internet. I sent that book through several well paid professional beta readers, editors, and reviewers so I know it's not a complete pile.
I mean you would never have heard of my book if I hadn't given you a copy and gave you content for your blog? RIght?"
So what is your opinion? Are we allowed to rate and review things on Goodreads with only 1 star? Is it not part of the range?
I felt bad in a way that I did, but reading what little I did offended me THAT badly that I couldn't stomach continuing. Should I have given it a better review? And what is up with the idea that if I wasn't given a review copy I would never have read it?
Sorry for the rant but this behavior is one I think other readers shoudl be aware of.
Too bad you didn't enjoy it at all, the pace maybe was too fast paced.
ReplyDeleteI think you have every right to rate however you wish.
I also think it's best if authors don't comment or respond on reviews at all, good or bad ratings. I think it's best for everyone.
A lot was the rushed pace. Grammar, and plot spoilers early on don't help.
DeleteI don't mind so much if authors give basic comments. I have even gotten sequels or other books authors right this way. They liked my first review and offer another. He could have said that he wished I liked it and is disappointed I didn't. It was the tone and level to which the responses go that, to me, aren't right.
And thanks so much for your input. :)
DeleteOh my goodness! I cannot believe this author! He is absolutely in the wrong. It was very unprofessional of him to contact you with a message like that. I am not impressed, and I certainly will be avoiding anything by him when it comes to my own blog.
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry you had to have that interaction. As an honest reviewer, you can rate a book however you'd like. If you felt it was one star, then go with one star! Authors, even the best of them, know to expect bad reviews. It's part of it. Not every single person is going to love every single book. If he's that upset about a one star, he's going to struggle in this business. I say don't sweat it and keep doing what you're doing!
Kristen @ Pretty Little Pages
Yea, to me, rating a book is for me personally as much as to another. In fact, more so. I am usually very open to giving an author a second chance if I don't care for their first book and sometimes their writing improves by the next book. Or a different subject might be better for them.
DeleteBut after this response, no thanks. No second chances. Just like I have to accept that not everyone is going to like my review, or my blog, etc not everyone is going to like a book. Much as I wish I could, I don't enjoy every book I attempt to read.
And thanks so much for your input. :)
DeleteHow obnoxious! I like when I find books with good and bad reviews--a story is unlikely to be everyone's cup of tea. I've read some horrible books that had a ton of 5 star reviews that were written in a suspiciously similar manner, so a few negatives aren't that off putting.
ReplyDeleteI figure not everyone is going to like a book. I have read books that have had 1 star rating and loved the book, and vice-versa. That is why, to me, a rating is a personal expression.
DeleteAnd thanks so much for your input. :)
Delete