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dnemec's review
5.0
I saw this book posted somewhere for $.99. I read the synopsis and it sounded pretty good, but then I saw my Goodreads friend's review. She likened it to The Body by Stephen King, but directed by M. Night Shyamalan. That pushed me over the edge and I purchased it (thanks again, Char!). Had I seen that it was published by Cemetery Dance publications, I probably would've bought it, but that review just intrigued me. It was $.99 well spent!
In 1984, Noah and his dad moved into his grandfather's old house in another town, following the separation of Noah's parents. Erin Dooling, Noah's dad's ex and current girlfriend, lives across the street with her delinquent son, Derek, and her aging parents. Derek immediately takes Noah under his wing committing a little breaking and entering. And from there, their relationship just gets worse. Everything is going poorly for Noah until he meets Jenny, the only bright spot in his new life. Then a boy in Noah's class disappears, reminiscent of several other disappearances that occurred years before. And Noah's life goes from bad to worse.
Some other reviews called this a YA book and maybe it is, but the last YA book I tried to read annoyed me because the language was so juvenile. So we can call this a YA, coming-of-age book if you like, but I think the tone and language are very much so the creepy horror that CD readers do so enjoy. Or at least I do.
This book just wowed me - I am tottering on giving it 5 stars, but for now we'll say 4 1/2. Once I hit the last page, I stood there slack-jawed, thinking: "HOLY SHIT!" And I subsequently went back and re-read several passages, clearing up some things in my mind. (Attempting not to spoil - sorry if that sounds a little clumsy.) Sometimes you finish a book and are simply shocked at just how much you enjoyed it. This is that book.
EDIT: I'm giving it 5 stars. I try to do it sparingly, as that is reserved for books I not only enjoyed, but will conceivably read again, despite the shelves overfilled with to-be-read books and the dozens yet unread on my Kindle. But I would absolutely read this again.
In 1984, Noah and his dad moved into his grandfather's old house in another town, following the separation of Noah's parents. Erin Dooling, Noah's dad's ex and current girlfriend, lives across the street with her delinquent son, Derek, and her aging parents. Derek immediately takes Noah under his wing committing a little breaking and entering. And from there, their relationship just gets worse. Everything is going poorly for Noah until he meets Jenny, the only bright spot in his new life. Then a boy in Noah's class disappears, reminiscent of several other disappearances that occurred years before. And Noah's life goes from bad to worse.
Some other reviews called this a YA book and maybe it is, but the last YA book I tried to read annoyed me because the language was so juvenile. So we can call this a YA, coming-of-age book if you like, but I think the tone and language are very much so the creepy horror that CD readers do so enjoy. Or at least I do.
This book just wowed me - I am tottering on giving it 5 stars, but for now we'll say 4 1/2. Once I hit the last page, I stood there slack-jawed, thinking: "HOLY SHIT!" And I subsequently went back and re-read several passages, clearing up some things in my mind. (Attempting not to spoil - sorry if that sounds a little clumsy.) Sometimes you finish a book and are simply shocked at just how much you enjoyed it. This is that book.
EDIT: I'm giving it 5 stars. I try to do it sparingly, as that is reserved for books I not only enjoyed, but will conceivably read again, despite the shelves overfilled with to-be-read books and the dozens yet unread on my Kindle. But I would absolutely read this again.
heather_g's review
2.0
interesting story of a young boy who moved with his dad to his dad's hometown. The boy meets some other kids, including a girl he likes and a boy who gets them all into trouble. The ending was pretty exciting, but a bit expected.
charshorrorcorner's review
4.0
Nothing Lasting is like The Body (aka the movie Stand By Me), but directed by M. Night Shyamalan. Yep, this was a good one!
As young Noah Berkley and his recently divorced dad move to his late grandfather's house, he tries to adjust to his new life. Without his mom living with them, without his grand-dad's support and often without his dad, who as a firefighter often works long shifts, Noah has a difficult time of it. When he meets his dad's "friend" Erin and her son Derek, his life is about to change for the worse. The only good thing he's got going is his pretty new schoolmate Jenny Sparrow, and Noah clings to the thought of her with all he's got. When Derek begins acting like a juvenile delinquent, Noah struggles between doing the right thing or losing Derek. If that was his only problem, Noah would be okay. However, it's not and you'll have to read the book to see what happens next.
Nothing Lasting is more of a YA novel with horrific accents rather than an all-out horror story. YA is normally not my thing, but this book captured and kept my attention. I did find the pacing to be a little slow at times, (teen angst and all that), and though I never felt like putting the book down, I did deduct a star for that. I can't say much else without spoiling anything, but I loved the build up of tension as things began to go south between Derek and Noah. I felt that they were both well developed characters and as the story unfolded, I felt the same way about most of the rest of the cast as well. I cared about them and found it difficult towards the end to deal with my feelings as the truth became clear. To me, that's the sign of a good, (perhaps a great?), novel.
Recommended to fans of coming of age novels intertwined with healthy doses of horror!
You can buy your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Nothing-Lasting-Glen-Krisch-ebook/dp/B00PYUSA6M/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
*I am an online *friend* of the author and he provided a free e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This is it.*
As young Noah Berkley and his recently divorced dad move to his late grandfather's house, he tries to adjust to his new life. Without his mom living with them, without his grand-dad's support and often without his dad, who as a firefighter often works long shifts, Noah has a difficult time of it. When he meets his dad's "friend" Erin and her son Derek, his life is about to change for the worse. The only good thing he's got going is his pretty new schoolmate Jenny Sparrow, and Noah clings to the thought of her with all he's got. When Derek begins acting like a juvenile delinquent, Noah struggles between doing the right thing or losing Derek. If that was his only problem, Noah would be okay. However, it's not and you'll have to read the book to see what happens next.
Nothing Lasting is more of a YA novel with horrific accents rather than an all-out horror story. YA is normally not my thing, but this book captured and kept my attention. I did find the pacing to be a little slow at times, (teen angst and all that), and though I never felt like putting the book down, I did deduct a star for that. I can't say much else without spoiling anything, but I loved the build up of tension as things began to go south between Derek and Noah. I felt that they were both well developed characters and as the story unfolded, I felt the same way about most of the rest of the cast as well. I cared about them and found it difficult towards the end to deal with my feelings as the truth became clear. To me, that's the sign of a good, (perhaps a great?), novel.
Recommended to fans of coming of age novels intertwined with healthy doses of horror!
You can buy your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Nothing-Lasting-Glen-Krisch-ebook/dp/B00PYUSA6M/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
*I am an online *friend* of the author and he provided a free e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This is it.*
ctgt's review
4.0
I am online friends with the author and he provided a free copy of this book.
I suppose you could call this a coming of age story but it's not one of those where the past is looked back on fondly.
Noah Berkley is burying his father. As most of us would, he begins to reminisce on his adolescence years. Back to a time when his parents had just split up, he and his father had moved to his father's hometown and Noah was just trying to keep it together. He forms a tenuous friendship with Derek, an older boy whose mother is dating Noah's father(and it seems they had a bit of a past) and embarks on a budding romance with Jenny, a free-spirited girl from school.
The story weaves through many twists in Noah's life. Getting in to trouble with Derek, becoming closer with Jenny all while trying to figure out exactly what happened between his parents. Throw in an old crime from the past and you have a story that takes many unexpected turns all the way to the surprise ending.
8/10
I suppose you could call this a coming of age story but it's not one of those where the past is looked back on fondly.
Noah Berkley is burying his father. As most of us would, he begins to reminisce on his adolescence years. Back to a time when his parents had just split up, he and his father had moved to his father's hometown and Noah was just trying to keep it together. He forms a tenuous friendship with Derek, an older boy whose mother is dating Noah's father(and it seems they had a bit of a past) and embarks on a budding romance with Jenny, a free-spirited girl from school.
The story weaves through many twists in Noah's life. Getting in to trouble with Derek, becoming closer with Jenny all while trying to figure out exactly what happened between his parents. Throw in an old crime from the past and you have a story that takes many unexpected turns all the way to the surprise ending.
8/10
waynewaynus's review
4.0
i really enjoyed this book, it has the right balance to keep you reading and thinking that anything is possible. The ending though is why it has only 4 stars and not 5. It is not the idea itself but the execution that spoils the book.
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