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November 11, 2014
According to writers, movie producers and pop culture in general, the future is a pretty bleak place. We are going to exhaust our energy sources and natural resources and then fall prey to the whims of the few super-wealthy. Or be decimated by robots. Or ravaged by zombies. Or forced to compete in insane ways just to survive.
In Endgame, civilization’s destiny is to be destroyed by our "Makers" - the mysterious alien beings that created and populated the Earth. However, some of humanity will survive this catastrophe. The lucky ones will be decided by the outcome of a dangerous, global, high stakes competition. Endgame has begun.
This is a complex, creative, action-packed book that features 12 game players (all are young boys and girls from age 13-17) who are descendants of separate lines of ancient human civilization. With that many main characters, there is a lot happening across multiple plot lines. The players are mostly in different parts of the world working on different aspects of the diverse competition. Plus there are alliances and hook-ups between some of them. So there is a lot for the reader to keep straight, which means it's best to stay on top of the book and read it quickly or you're likely to be quite confused. I felt like the novel could definitely benefit from a world map illustration that would show up every hundred pages or so and update us on who's where and who's with who.
A couple of things to keep in mind with this book:
(1) It is quite violent. Bombs, lots of guns, knife fights, car chases, plenty of killing. It is intended to be a YA book, I think, so all this is handled carefully, meaning there is no over the top gore or any passages that are TOO overly offensive. But the writers are certainly not afraid to push the action to the extreme. Imagine a mash-up of "The Matrix", "Bourne Identity", "Mission Impossible", and the newer "Bond" movies. Plus, of course, there are elements that'll remind you of "The Hunger Games". It seems like this book is destined for a movie deal, if one isn't in place already.
(2) As I mentioned, there is some hooking-up and suggestive sex in this novel. For the most part, these scenes are handled indirectly, meaning the characters may disappear into a hotel room or they may find themselves lying on a couch together....but then the chapter dissolves. I specifically remember one scene where a boy and girl inspect each other’s nude bodies for tracking bugs and the writing gets pretty steamy - though it still stays fairly safe. But again, I don't recall anything too inappropriate or overly offensive, it's just good to be aware that Endgame contains plenty of this kind of action too.
Aside from the violence and the sexually suggestive parts, the general complexity of the plot is the most challenging aspect of the book. All the characters, traveling, different facets of the game itself, etc - this makes for a lot to take in. Also, things go pretty crazy at the end of this first book when the writers tackle a pretty ambitious - albeit highly imaginative - plot point. Things do get a tiny bit muddled there as the reader tries to picture what’s going on, however this doesn’t detract from the overall enjoyment of this predominantly well-written, well-crafted novel.
Sooooo....did I like it? Yes, and I'll most likely read the next books in the planned trilogy. I appreciate the fact that Mr. Frey and Mr. Johnson-Shelton skillfully executed this complicated story and how they moved all the varied sub-plots along without letting us get too confused. It's an exciting, adventurous, intriguing read and I zipped through it rather fast. I'm looking forward to the next two installments to see how the competition develops and to learn more about these mysterious Makers. And, of course, to learn who wins.
Endgame is certainly for mature readers only - those in upper high school or maybe even college. It would also be enjoyable to adults who liked "The Hunger Games" and/or "Divergent". (I read and enjoyed all three HG books and I read Divergent, but not the other two.) Though the players in the story are younger; the action, violence and complexity of the book make it best for a wiser audience.
Lastly, I'll mention that the book is actually a game itself. There are clues, riddles and coordinates dispersed throughout the chapters that are supposed to lead readers on an ACTUAL treasure hunt with REAL gold as the prize. So if that's your thing - go crazy on the puzzles and get rich. Either way, if you dig books where the future is in dire danger, where there’s wall-to-wall action, and the plot lines are well-constructed, imaginative and complex (and you are mature enough to handle/not affected by violence and some naughty bits) you'll likely enjoy Endgame.
Happy reading!
In Endgame, civilization’s destiny is to be destroyed by our "Makers" - the mysterious alien beings that created and populated the Earth. However, some of humanity will survive this catastrophe. The lucky ones will be decided by the outcome of a dangerous, global, high stakes competition. Endgame has begun.
This is a complex, creative, action-packed book that features 12 game players (all are young boys and girls from age 13-17) who are descendants of separate lines of ancient human civilization. With that many main characters, there is a lot happening across multiple plot lines. The players are mostly in different parts of the world working on different aspects of the diverse competition. Plus there are alliances and hook-ups between some of them. So there is a lot for the reader to keep straight, which means it's best to stay on top of the book and read it quickly or you're likely to be quite confused. I felt like the novel could definitely benefit from a world map illustration that would show up every hundred pages or so and update us on who's where and who's with who.
A couple of things to keep in mind with this book:
(1) It is quite violent. Bombs, lots of guns, knife fights, car chases, plenty of killing. It is intended to be a YA book, I think, so all this is handled carefully, meaning there is no over the top gore or any passages that are TOO overly offensive. But the writers are certainly not afraid to push the action to the extreme. Imagine a mash-up of "The Matrix", "Bourne Identity", "Mission Impossible", and the newer "Bond" movies. Plus, of course, there are elements that'll remind you of "The Hunger Games". It seems like this book is destined for a movie deal, if one isn't in place already.
(2) As I mentioned, there is some hooking-up and suggestive sex in this novel. For the most part, these scenes are handled indirectly, meaning the characters may disappear into a hotel room or they may find themselves lying on a couch together....but then the chapter dissolves. I specifically remember one scene where a boy and girl inspect each other’s nude bodies for tracking bugs and the writing gets pretty steamy - though it still stays fairly safe. But again, I don't recall anything too inappropriate or overly offensive, it's just good to be aware that Endgame contains plenty of this kind of action too.
Aside from the violence and the sexually suggestive parts, the general complexity of the plot is the most challenging aspect of the book. All the characters, traveling, different facets of the game itself, etc - this makes for a lot to take in. Also, things go pretty crazy at the end of this first book when the writers tackle a pretty ambitious - albeit highly imaginative - plot point. Things do get a tiny bit muddled there as the reader tries to picture what’s going on, however this doesn’t detract from the overall enjoyment of this predominantly well-written, well-crafted novel.
Sooooo....did I like it? Yes, and I'll most likely read the next books in the planned trilogy. I appreciate the fact that Mr. Frey and Mr. Johnson-Shelton skillfully executed this complicated story and how they moved all the varied sub-plots along without letting us get too confused. It's an exciting, adventurous, intriguing read and I zipped through it rather fast. I'm looking forward to the next two installments to see how the competition develops and to learn more about these mysterious Makers. And, of course, to learn who wins.
Endgame is certainly for mature readers only - those in upper high school or maybe even college. It would also be enjoyable to adults who liked "The Hunger Games" and/or "Divergent". (I read and enjoyed all three HG books and I read Divergent, but not the other two.) Though the players in the story are younger; the action, violence and complexity of the book make it best for a wiser audience.
Lastly, I'll mention that the book is actually a game itself. There are clues, riddles and coordinates dispersed throughout the chapters that are supposed to lead readers on an ACTUAL treasure hunt with REAL gold as the prize. So if that's your thing - go crazy on the puzzles and get rich. Either way, if you dig books where the future is in dire danger, where there’s wall-to-wall action, and the plot lines are well-constructed, imaginative and complex (and you are mature enough to handle/not affected by violence and some naughty bits) you'll likely enjoy Endgame.
Happy reading!