Zurvival Saturday (34)



For this week's Zurvival Saturday I will be reviewing Chasers (Alone,#1)by James Phelan.


Author: James Phelan
Publication Date: October 30,2012
Publisher: K-Teen
Series: Alone #1




I was provided a copy of this book to review through Netgalley. All opinions included in this review are my own and I was not compensated in any way for providing them.

Review:

I've had this book to review awhile now and was so excited to finally sit down and read it. While I did end up finishing Chasers it left me feeling deflated and confused. How could such a great idea turn into such a bunch of nothingness? While Chasers was certainly an OK book it wasn't nearly what I expected it would be and here is why:

The Characters: Anna, Dave, Min and Jesse were the sole focus in the book. Jesse was the Main Protagonist but I found him to be boring and I was left scratching my head concerning many choices he made. Dave on the other hand seemed to grip the situation a lot better so I connected to him more even if he never really did much throughout the book. The two females provided little bits of comic relief but were never really utilized to the extent one would expect in this scenario. Anna was downright unlikable but I think the Author intended to write her that way so I can forgive that. Min could of been put to better use but at least she was likable and I really wish Jesse and her had hooked up instead of him pining away for Anna.

The Pacing: This book was slooow. I kept waiting for the Action to kick in but it never did. For a book that clearly favored the male sex I expected way more running and gunning but instead was treated to the group in 30 Rock playing house and wasting the generator fuel on unnecessary stuff. What little Action did take place seemed to be kept very PG. If the Chasers had to constantly drink you'd expect them to be in a frenzy ripping into a person to get at the precious liquid inside but instead it's like the Author censored himself to not shock and horrify the reader to much. This book needed an injection of shock and awe, pulse pounding action might of made things more enjoyable to read knowing that a real threat was waiting outside.

The Infected: These "zombies" reminded me of of The Crazies but mixed with Vampires. We have no clue what caused them or even why some behave one way and others another. They also seemed to have to drink constantly but again no clue why. You would think in a place like New York City the group would be under constant threat but yet they only ever see pockets of infected aka Chasers. I never felt the Chasers were a threat and was left underwhelmed by any interaction that actually happened with them. Except the one boy that Jesse finds, I wish the Author had expanded on him more as that actually was interesting and could of really changed how I viewed the book.

The Dialogue: By far the worst part of this book. I had a hard time following which character was speaking and don't even get me started on lack of punctuation marks. I don't know if this was done because of sloppy editing or intentionally by the Author but either way it made the book incredibly hard to read and that alone knocked off two stars. I also felt that the Author kept throwing out stereotypes based on character nationality vs. having meaningful conversation. Jesse is constantly acting like he doesn't want to know more but I'd think in that scenario you would want to find out anything and everything about your companions.

By the end Chasers left me feeling indifferent. I neither liked nor hated the book it was just a solid OK for me. By all means give Chaser a shot and form an opinion for yourself. I would actually be curious to see What you thought. While I don't think I will be continuing this series, I might not swear off the Author entirely. I could see little blips of potential in the writing. So I guess that says something. If you like Post-Apocalyptic themes with a mix of Zombies and Vampires then I suggest picking this up at your local library and giving it a try. I will be rating Chasers by Jame Phelan ★★★.

Now For This Weeks Questions:
Have you read this book? If so, What did you think?Is the series worth continuing?
Leave your answer in the comments below. I love reading your responses.

If you would like to participate in this or any upcoming Zurvival Saturdays, grab the button below and link me in the comments so I can check it out.

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Comments

  1. This seems interesting, I think I'll read it! Thanks for the review.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Agreed! Except I think I gave it a two. I didn't like it or hate it either. There was just what FOUR scenes total with zombies!!? That is just NOT enough for me. I get he was trying to delve into the psychie of this kid but come on...more action less boring..

    SPOILER PART OF MY COMMENT! - do not proceed if haven't read the book!

    I don't know if I'll continue. I do have a copy of the next one and I'm willing to give him a second chance because I did think what he did there was pretty neat - I didn't even expect that those other kids weren't there.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I still have yet to start the next one. I really should just to see how it goes.

      Delete

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