Reviews

The Border by Robert R. McCammon

qjbrown96's review against another edition

5.0

Holy cow what a surprise. This may be one of my favorites this week although part of the reason is because the narrator for the audiobook did such a great job with the voices. I’m also a huge fan of Sci-fi horror so this is right up my alley. I would call this a love child of Dead Space, Presidents Day, and The Last Of Us.

You have a boy who wakes up with amnesia in the middle of an alien war, but they’re not there to attack humans per say. There are 2 different races fighting over Earth because their border line goes through the center of our world. They have annihilated most of the humans but this boy, who doesn’t know who he is, has special powers that could save all humanity but he doesn’t know how, he just knows there is a voice in his head guiding him.

The world-building and supporting cast of this book is wonderful and Robert’s prose is perfect. Two five star reviews in a row for this author, making him a must read going forward.

dsteele's review

adventurous hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

themclaughs's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

sallytwibbles's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

ralphball's review

3.0

I did enjoy this, but it was a little far fetched and a little too philosophical for my taste. Just ok.

b1ueb0y's review

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

burritapal_1's review

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

I like to read books about border crossings at the southwestern United States and Mexico, so I was a little disappointed when I found out this didn't have anything to do with Mexico and the United states. 
I liked Robert McCammon's "Swan Song," and I sort of liked "Boys Life," but this book disappointed me. 
It's this author's attempt at sci-fi, and for me it didn't work. In The first place, my mind grappled with the idea of the Earth being a border for two alien races. They were battling for control of this border. But the Earth is circling the Sun at a high speed and also spinning on its own axis at the same time, so I don't know how it can be a border.
The ending sucked. Everything was just too Pat, with finding the right tools left by aliens in Area 51 in Roswell New Mexico. This tool was able to turn back time to 2 years before, when the Gorgons had first come to earth, and the Peacekeeper alien who took over the Ethan's body was able to make a shield to keep the Gorgons from coming through to earth, and if the Gorgons didn't come, well then the Cyphers wouldn't come either. So this Peacekeeper alien who took over Ethan's body was able to program the alien artifact, to reset time. he does this, and makes himself into a shield encircling the earth, and people who had died just came back to life and life continued like it was before. Some people could remember what happened, but many of them couldn't. This was lame!
The Gorgons and the Cyphers were appropriately gruesome, but there is this sex scene where the Gorgon Queen has sex with this Evangelical preacher, Jefferson Jericho, that is just disgusting and totally uncalled for.
One Moment In the book where I felt a little spark of Interest was when the Gorgon named Vope causes a human to materialize in a rocking chair:
"the rocking chair moved, just a fraction. It creaked. And as Jefferson Jericho watched, a form began to materialize in the chair. It began first as a barely discernible whorl, as if the air itself was becoming solid and an invisible finger had stirred it. There was that soft hissing or Whispering or metallic sound that Jefferson had heard in the park. This is Star Trek shit, he thought... but within 3 seconds - and in total silence - a body came into being in the chair, first as a ghostly, pale Outline by What Might Have Been flickers of blue energy, and then fully realized and solid. The rocking chair Creaked back and forth, and the man in it stared at both Jefferson and Vole with huge frightened Eyes under a bald Dome that sparkled with sweat."
The president of the United States in His White Mountain Hideaway reminded me of Biden, with his dementia.

I have to admit, I feel like this author let me down.

kris7's review

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

jonahbarnes's review

A fun ride, a lackluster ending. Still think McCammon is great. One sex scene, bleh.

clamu's review

dark emotional slow-paced

3.0