Paul Teague (1)

The Grid by Paul Teague is a dystopian sci-fi story of a post-apocalyptic society that chills the reader. However, before you start reading this book I must forewarn you of the massive cliff hanger. Not just one small thread is left hanging for the next book. The story just stops, as if someone has taken a sword and chopped off the ending.

The plot, at its most basic, is nothing new. A few elite, wealthy individuals have easy lives, as long as they play by the rules, the vast majority are repressed and live in horrid conditions. I know, sounds just like The Hunger Games. At least the similarities, for the most part, stop there. What is different is that the characters lack the depth you find in truly great dystopian stories. Oh, the world is different; don’t misunderstand me on that point. There is lots of action too and the plot moves along rapidly, more like an action/thriller novel.

In this post-apocalyptic world the haves and have nots are highly segregated and the whole city in which they live is protected by a concrete wall that lets no one in or out. People, regardless of class, are ruled by the heavy hand of Fortrillium which is tightly controlled by one person Damien Hunter. One misstep and you can end up in The Soak the prison where people never escape. No trial, no justice unless you want to take on The Grid and only one person has ever done that and survived.

Despite the dangers, a group of young people, made up of both classes of society, are determined to find answers. They have all lost loved ones at the hands of Damien and now they want answers and revenge. These answers will come at a high cost and that is if they can survive The Grid.

This is not a bad story. I just never felt connected to the characters. I want to be drawn into the story; and I miss that element when it is not present and no amount of action will make up for it. If you like dystopian stories that have a lot of action The Grid is one book you should read.

I struggled with what to rate this one. It is better than a three but not a four either; therefore, I am settling for a 3.5 rating. I am going to round up to four because I believe fans of this genre will be able to overlook the elements I found fault with.

See all of my reviews, and author interviews, at www.thespineview.com… (más)

It was supposed to be a fun little holiday that Dan’s father had won, a tour of an old war bunker in Scotland. However, things turn desperate when the sirens start up and the bunker doors begin to close. Dan sees his father pull his brother and sister deeper into the bunker, while he also sees his mother getting trapped outside as the doors close. Then, the lights go out. Something Dan sees brings up the memory of losing his twin who was hit by a car three years ago, but are the facts of that day in the past truly correct? Meanwhile, the emergency that triggered the alarms and closing of the doors was a strange darkness that suddenly began to envelop the globe. What is the cause of this strange event? This is the first book of a trilogy, so it is important to capture the reader’s attention in this opening book in order to draw the reader into delving into the subsequent books. Yet, the way the author has chosen to present this complex story is like one of his sub-chapter titles, “Jigsaw.” Sub-chapters shift from Dan’s first person narration of the story of what he sees and uncovers from the time of the bunker doors closing to third person perspectives from unknown characters at different times from thirty years previous to the current action with no obvious segues between these moments. Jigsaw pieces of the story appear to be randomly tossed out for the reader to hold and slowly put together. This requires a lot of patience for the reader, but if one is willing to hang in and keep track of the timeline as the pieces come together, then a complex sci-fi mystery thriller begins to form, incorporating a secret global conspiracy for both good and evil, global warming concerns, secret mind-control methods, grand cybernetic hacking, and genetic engineering plots that gradually reveal a set of heroes against secret villains that will be revealed in the subsequent novels. The concepts unveiled are imaginative; however, they turn out to be highly hyped-up and a bit unrealistic in range within a story set in present day Earth. If rabid sci-fi fantasy fans are prepared, this tale and its partners in the trilogy could be a very satisfactory read.… (más)

A Cold War bunker now used as a day trip destination for tourists ...

A twin who died in mysterious circumstances ...

A family lured to a special place at a particular time ...

And then the darkness falls.

Separated from his family as the entire planet becomes surrounded by a deathly blackness, Dan Tracy must figure out what's going on below ground.

The bunker is at the centre of a conspiracy to destroy the Earth - but there's something special about Dan and his twin that could stop the terrorists dead in their tracks.

It's a race against time as the process of destruction has already begun ...

Who will be left to hear Earth's final screams?

The Secret Bunker: Darkness Falls is the first in a trilogy of books by author Paul Teague.… (más)