Review: A Touch of Death

A Touch of Death by Rebecca Crunden
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a 3-star review. That accurately represents my experience.

Some sort of biological/chemical warfare has dramatically altered the Earth. The survivors lived underground for years and upon emerging, had to live with the resulting environment.

The rules that work for a society limited by the needs of living underground are grafted onto a society with much more room above ground. The new government is quite authoritarian and forms a sort of modern royalty caste. Those with connections get the goodies.

Within the narrative of the book, it is suggested that attempting to live beyond the range of this society is a death sentence. Yet people have done just that and survived.

There is an underground/resistance movement of sorts.

The biggest plot hole for me was the suggestion that people couldn't live anywhere else despite there being strong proof that they could. Simply leaving is the one solution that is left largely unexplored.

The other weakness is the contrivance of main character's dilemma. Two characters just happen to be hiking when a storm comes and drives them into an abandoned building. That building just happened to be the place where a specific scientist had done experimental research years before. Residue from one of the research projects was still present and the characters become compromised. Too many coincidences all stacked up together.

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Review: The Flock

The Flock by J. Todd Scott
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This is a 2-star review which adequately describes my experience.

There weren't any characters of interest. I made it 1/4 way through and still don’t know if the cult’s beliefs are mythical or if there is something supernatural. I was waiting for a cliff of character/plot engagement that never arrives.  I put it down and moved on to something better.



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Review: Fairy Tale

Fairy Tale by Stephen King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a 4-star review which appropriately represents my experience.

America's master storyteller is back at it. Gently sucking you into one of his fantastical worlds only to make to stick around while he maims and slaughters characters with sadistic glee for your reading pleasure. If you've read the summary, you have the tale's basic nuts and bolts.

I was in terms enthralled and amused as the story unfolded. In true Stephen King style, if you make it past the first few chapters, then you have to hang on to see how it ends.

The only criticism I can offer is that, at the end of the day, it is just another fairy tale. It is well told, but read this book once and you probably won't be back because there isn't anything truly groundbreaking in the telling of this story.



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