Anyways, how are you doing lately? Are you looking for a good book to read? Well, I may have one for you.
This book is called Black Moon by Kenneth Calhoun.
Here’s a little bit about Black Moon (obtained from the Random House website):
Insomnia has claimed everyone Biggs knows. Even his beloved wife, Carolyn, has succumbed to the telltale red-rimmed eyes, slurred speech and cloudy mind before disappearing into the quickly collapsing world. Yet Biggs can still sleep, and dream, so he sets out to find her.
He ventures out into a world ransacked by mass confusion and desperation, where he meets others struggling against the tide of sleeplessness. Chase and his buddy Jordan are devising a scheme to live off their drug-store lootings; Lila is a high school student wandering the streets in an owl mask, no longer safe with her insomniac parents; Felicia abandons the sanctuary of a sleep research center to try to protect her family and perhaps reunite with Chase, an ex-boyfriend. All around, sleep has become an infinitely precious commodity. Money can’t buy it, no drug can touch it, and there are those who would kill to have it. However, Biggs persists in his quest for Carolyn, finding a resolve and inner strength that he never knew he had.
Kenneth Calhoun has written a brilliantly realized and utterly riveting depiction of a world gripped by madness, one that is vivid, strange, and profoundly moving.
So, while reading the book, I noticed the book had some pretty low reviews on GoodReads. To me, I don’t think this book was all that bad. You start out by getting to know a few characters in the midst of this sleep crisis. First you meet Chase who has just returned to his childhood home after college. He soon meets his childhood friend Jordan who is certain insomnia will spread throughout the city. You also meet Lila who lives with her parents and the only person in her family that can sleep. Also, Biggs and his wife live in the city (she has sleep problems). Biggs tries his best to keep his wife in the apartment (and soon tries to bring his wife back). Lastly, Felicia, Chase’ ex-girlfriend who works within the heart of the sleep crisis as a scientist, seeking a cure.
This book was troubling, fascinating, intriguing, yet dull at times. You get each of the above points of view of the insomnia that has plagued the world. Timelines do jump around and it took me a bit to figure out at different times. Although the book description says Lila is in high school, she struck me as being much younger than that.
In terms of the insomnia plague, it’s very “somber zombie movie” once it gets into the heart of it. People become raging maniacs once they lose sleep, even murderous towards people who CAN sleep. This drives the story and the characters. Aside from this murderous rage though, the plagued insomaniacs are portrayed as really stupid and out of it.
Towards the end, I thought things started to slowly fall apart and I felt myself scanning. I don’t want to give too much away but this aspect almost seemed to match things falling apart for the characters. When the ending did come, I noticed some lose ends, but that didn’t take anything away. You are left to figure out some characters’ fates, but isn’t that the way life is sometimes? Not always clean cut.
If I was to rate this book, I would give it three and a half stars. It’s worth reading and I’m glad I read it. I will probably read it again later down the road too. Purchase your copy now.
What book are you reading lately? Anything you can recommend?
I received this book in exchange for my honest review.
This is the first I've heard of this book.
This sound like a book i want to read
This book doesn't sound like my cup of tea but it's an interesting twist on the zombie-ish genre. I hate it when stories leave loose ends but I definitely agree with your comment that that's kind of like life. Lol, I don't like it when life has loose ends either!
Ooo, this book sounds good! I suffer from insomnia so this is for me! Now I just need to find the book!
Sounds like an interesting premise for a book. Loose ends in books bug me though. I feel like if I put my time into a book and get wrapped up in it, I want to know what happens at the end. I just feel really let down and unsatisfied otherwise.
Sounds like a different type of book. I don't think that I would enjoy it that much.
nikilsend(at)outlook(dot)com
Sounds really good! I suffer from insomnia, too.
I recommend Harlan Coben. Great author. I do like what I read above. Will have to check this book out.
Looking forward to reading this
This does sound very interesting to read. I do have insomnia every now and then, I should get this!
twinkle at optonline dot net
This sounds really interesting and something I would read.
It sounds pretty good to me. I do like a good, mysterious read.
this would be a perfect book for me
i would totally read this! thanks.
interesting plot…i would read it
interesting plot! i would like to read it
I like this type of book. I would read it. Thanks for the review.
This would be an interesting read.
This would be great!
I probably would enjoy this book as I can easily relate to the problem.
This sounds like a great read. I probably won't be able to put it down.