Helpful Score: 7
I could not put this book down. I read 3/4 of it in one day, staying up until long after midnight. The writing is not too flowery or descriptive, just the facts, ma'am, which is how I like it. What struck me about this book is that the scenario presented is one that could easily and quite frighteningly become a reality. I rated this book 5 stars, which is something I don't do very often. It's not for the faint of heart. If violence bothers you, don't read it. If you like a good scary thriller, read it.
Helpful Score: 3
This is a fast, fun (?) read. The violence is quite graphic in parts, so if that bothers you, you should choose another book. If you'd like a b-movie in a book, though, Afraid is for you.
Helpful Score: 3
although not my normal genre, I love the author and his style so I thought I would take a chance, it was a good book that moved very fast, some unrealistic things of course, but that is how horror is. If you like the Jack Daniels series (Jack Kilborn is JA Konrath) then take a look at this book, it moves as fast and leaves out all the flowery detail that is not needed in a thriller.
Helpful Score: 2
Small towns have long been a main source for horror fare, for logical reason, and this book is no exception. The small town of Safe Haven, Wisconsin is anything but a safe haven when a helicopter crash unleashes something terrifying on the unsuspecting residents. For anyone who has ever lived in a small, isolated, one road in and out town, this book will definitely strike a chord. From man's depravity and greed, to the will to survive unspeakable horror, this book runs the full range of human nature, and does so quite well.
This is quite a good read, though a bit graphic in the violence department. I found it to actually be a rather gripping tale. Though a sensitive person may be disturbed by the violence (think a 'Saw' movie in book form), it is otherwise a title I would strongly recommend to any horror/thriller fans out there. With believable characters, a realistic storyline (it hasn't happened in real life, but you can easily imagine that it could), and just enough terror to be haunting, it is a good read in the genre. Overall, I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars. But for the genre, it ranks a solid 4/5.
This is quite a good read, though a bit graphic in the violence department. I found it to actually be a rather gripping tale. Though a sensitive person may be disturbed by the violence (think a 'Saw' movie in book form), it is otherwise a title I would strongly recommend to any horror/thriller fans out there. With believable characters, a realistic storyline (it hasn't happened in real life, but you can easily imagine that it could), and just enough terror to be haunting, it is a good read in the genre. Overall, I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars. But for the genre, it ranks a solid 4/5.
Helpful Score: 2
Fast paced thriller that never gets slow or boring. This is one of those guilty pleasures. You know you are reading a bunch of hooey, but you just can't help yourself from hanging on to the ride.
Helpful Score: 2
Awesome read.My first by this author, definitely not the last.I had to make myself put it down to get sleep, but I picked it up first thing the next morning.
Helpful Score: 2
Book is pretty intense, hard to put down once you begin reading. This is the first book I've read by this author but will definitely read more.
Helpful Score: 2
Excellent book. VERY fast paced, a story that is action packed from the second paragraph on. Its rather violent and not for the faint of heart though.
Helpful Score: 1
I felt this was a very good action book. The primes was a little far fetched, but so what its still a good story. I enjoyed and defiantly recommend.
Helpful Score: 1
Good book! Enjoyed it
Helpful Score: 1
Yes, I was very afraid. I began reading this book in the crowded breakroom at work and realized my heart was beating pretty fast. I considered stopping right where I was, but then was too afraid, not too. This book is intense,full of action and engrossing.
Helpful Score: 1
Nothing ever happens in Safe Haven, Wisconsin, a sleepy little town isolated from neighboring towns by thick woods and accessible by only a single road in and out. And that's the way the 907 residents of Safe Haven like it... until that idyllic isolation turns into their worst nightmare.
On a peaceful evening under a hunter's moon an explosion lights up the sky as a helicopter carrying a Red Ops military unit crashes into the woods just outside of town. The Red-Ops team is made up of psychopathic killers who have been scientifically enhanced and specially trained to exploit their individual perversions for military objectives. Unfortunately for the town's residents, the Red-Ops team survives the crash, descends upon the town, cuts them off from the outside world, and unleashes utter destruction on everyone and everything in their path.
In the face of brutal circumstances thrust upon them, ordinary people are forced to confront their beliefs and to look deep within themselves to see what they are really made of. What does the lifelong supporter of Amnesty International do when violence threatens her child? How does the fireman who has never had to do anything heroic in his sleepy little Midwestern town react? And if you're the Sheriff who's old and alone, beaten and broken, do you give up and lay down, or do you keep putting one foot in front of the other because people are counting on you to do so? Such are the soul testing situations the hapless people of Safe Haven find themselves facing.
The relentless pace and extreme terror of Afraid are the hooks being used to promote this book, justifiably so, but if you focus a little deeper there's much more going on here than just a scary story. Kudos to Mr. Kilborn for creating a genuinely terrifying story that actually has depth to go with its death and destruction.
On a peaceful evening under a hunter's moon an explosion lights up the sky as a helicopter carrying a Red Ops military unit crashes into the woods just outside of town. The Red-Ops team is made up of psychopathic killers who have been scientifically enhanced and specially trained to exploit their individual perversions for military objectives. Unfortunately for the town's residents, the Red-Ops team survives the crash, descends upon the town, cuts them off from the outside world, and unleashes utter destruction on everyone and everything in their path.
In the face of brutal circumstances thrust upon them, ordinary people are forced to confront their beliefs and to look deep within themselves to see what they are really made of. What does the lifelong supporter of Amnesty International do when violence threatens her child? How does the fireman who has never had to do anything heroic in his sleepy little Midwestern town react? And if you're the Sheriff who's old and alone, beaten and broken, do you give up and lay down, or do you keep putting one foot in front of the other because people are counting on you to do so? Such are the soul testing situations the hapless people of Safe Haven find themselves facing.
The relentless pace and extreme terror of Afraid are the hooks being used to promote this book, justifiably so, but if you focus a little deeper there's much more going on here than just a scary story. Kudos to Mr. Kilborn for creating a genuinely terrifying story that actually has depth to go with its death and destruction.
Helpful Score: 1
I picked up "Afraid" after reading an especially depressing book about Africa. It was just the jolt of suspense and fear I needed to pick up my spirit. : ) If you're not too squeamish and you have a hankering for a thriller, you'll enjoy this one. An entire town is in peril as a team of specially "engineered" Red-Ops military troops arrives to spread terror. They are in pursuit of something important and will stop at nothing to find it. Each member of the Red-Ops team has a particular fondness for a different kind of depravity, so they enjoy inflicting as much pain and anguish as they can on the poor, innocent townspeople.
Of course, there's a child in peril, a winsome female heroine, and several heroic men. The author even threw in a loyal dog and a feisty monkey to boot! But, don't be fooled, the "light" parts of the book are few. Mostly, it is one roller coaster drop after another of lives at risk and hold-your-breath scary scenes. A fast read!
Of course, there's a child in peril, a winsome female heroine, and several heroic men. The author even threw in a loyal dog and a feisty monkey to boot! But, don't be fooled, the "light" parts of the book are few. Mostly, it is one roller coaster drop after another of lives at risk and hold-your-breath scary scenes. A fast read!
Helpful Score: 1
Great book. Very faced paced. Couldn't put it down. The characters draw you into their struggle.
Helpful Score: 1
What a great read! Started off with a bang and never let up. A gory, wild ride that you won't want to end. Enough twist and turns to keep anyone interested. I would give it more thumbs up, if I had more thumbs. Great book!
Helpful Score: 1
This book is more violence and gore than horror. If you are a fan of James Rollins, "Afraid" is a book for you. The plot revolves around a handful of characters who are embroiled in survival mode, fighting against a brutal pack of "enhanced soldiers (killing machines)
This book was intense and suspenseful and I couldn't put this book down until I finished it. I read this book in one night, that's how good it was.
Jack Kilborn, J.A. Konrath's pen name, is masterful with this suspense/horror/thriller. The tension is constant, pulling and tugging as you follow the characters from one location to the next. And just when you think you've figured it out, Konrath's twisted mind sends you into a dark corner to bite on your nails.
Scary? You bet.
Gorey? Oh yeah.
Compelling? Definitely.
Worth reading? Again and again.
Scary? You bet.
Gorey? Oh yeah.
Compelling? Definitely.
Worth reading? Again and again.
A real page turner. I could not put it down until it was finished. An intense, but rough, roller coaster ride! After the first paragraph, there is no time to catch your breath.
Jack Kilborn is also J.A. Konrath, author of the Jack Daniels mystery series. Afraid is a great, gory thriller. While I have nothing against supernatural horror stories, I particularly liked the realism in Afraid that kept me thinking this could actually happen. Although I don't know how much of the science in the story is actually possible (I'm sure that the brain-downloading technology at least is fantasy), still there was nothing that struck me as being too far-fetched.
In the story, a helicopter containing members of an experimental military unit crashes in an isolated small town. This unit is composed of a handful of physically and mentally-enhanced sociopaths who immediately begin torturing and killing the townspeople. As you are introduced to individuals in the small town, you get a good feel for who they are which makes it all the more intense when it happens.
The various ways that people reacted to what was happening reminded me a little of the non-fiction book "The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes and Why." Some people seemed to run headfirst into situations with no thought of what kind of danger might be waiting for them while others paid attention to the danger signs & were more likely to survive.
In the story, a helicopter containing members of an experimental military unit crashes in an isolated small town. This unit is composed of a handful of physically and mentally-enhanced sociopaths who immediately begin torturing and killing the townspeople. As you are introduced to individuals in the small town, you get a good feel for who they are which makes it all the more intense when it happens.
The various ways that people reacted to what was happening reminded me a little of the non-fiction book "The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes and Why." Some people seemed to run headfirst into situations with no thought of what kind of danger might be waiting for them while others paid attention to the danger signs & were more likely to survive.
WOW!! From page one to the last page, it is PURE action, horror, non stop whirlwind. I sat with my mouth open many times, I could NOT put this book down. It was so good, Ive tried to find more by this author, looks like Ill be waiting a bit before I get them, Ive wish listed the books, looks like there are not many out there that people are willing to give up and I can see why. This is action packed, I am NOT kidding. It has many unique scenes in it. Best horror book Ive read in years, it is NOW one of my favs for good!
A mysterious helicopter crash in the woods outside of Safe Haven is not at all what it seems. Local firefighter Josh checks out the crash and finds no survivors, or so he thinks. In different parts of the town there's Fran in the diner, Sheriff Streng going to investigate the crash, Duncan home alone, and various other town folks. There are some new people that have arrived in town and they are deadly and in search of someone who knows the secrets of their origin. Nothing will stop these people who have exterminate everyone but the objective on their minds. Get ready for a wild ride of survival, teamwork, and bloodbath
(Possible spoilers. Not really. But maybe. You've been warned. You want to go into this book with as little information as possible.)
First off, I have no idea how this book ended up on my bookshelf. I can tell you the story of every single book I own how I got it, where I got it, why I got it, etc. I could bore you to death with uneventful tales of superbly miraculous finds at goodwill, or the frightening amount of money I dug out of the bottom of my bag to purchase a brand-new bestseller. But, I can't tell you how Afraid by Jack Kilborn made it's way onto my shelves. Did we just witness my inevitable lapse in memory, or was it planted? Strategically placed by a looming mass-murderer hired by the US Government to track my brain functions and whereabouts? For the sake of my sanity, I'd go with the former. In lieu of the frightening events of this novel, I'd go with the latter.
I'd like to say I'm not the biggest fan of horror, or even thrillers. I've never been able to get through more than 5 pages of a King novel. I find the genre generally hard to relate to, and most of the time the characters are unrealistic. However, Kilborn (Konrath) blew me away with this one. The book had its faults, as every book does, but I decided to leave my scrutinizing for the college books, and just let this be a fun read. That's what it's meant to be, and boy does it deliver. One of the first descriptions of the horrors that will fill the next few hours of your life:
"...Popcorn. He was throwing popcorn at her. Maggie's voice came out in a whisper. "What... What are you going to do?" The springs creaked as he sat on the edge of the bed. "Everything.""
So short. So sweet. So terrifying.
This is a fast-paced read filled with blood and guts and gore and perhaps some characters you can't seem to find a way to like.
But don't worry. No one's safe. Not even you.
First off, I have no idea how this book ended up on my bookshelf. I can tell you the story of every single book I own how I got it, where I got it, why I got it, etc. I could bore you to death with uneventful tales of superbly miraculous finds at goodwill, or the frightening amount of money I dug out of the bottom of my bag to purchase a brand-new bestseller. But, I can't tell you how Afraid by Jack Kilborn made it's way onto my shelves. Did we just witness my inevitable lapse in memory, or was it planted? Strategically placed by a looming mass-murderer hired by the US Government to track my brain functions and whereabouts? For the sake of my sanity, I'd go with the former. In lieu of the frightening events of this novel, I'd go with the latter.
I'd like to say I'm not the biggest fan of horror, or even thrillers. I've never been able to get through more than 5 pages of a King novel. I find the genre generally hard to relate to, and most of the time the characters are unrealistic. However, Kilborn (Konrath) blew me away with this one. The book had its faults, as every book does, but I decided to leave my scrutinizing for the college books, and just let this be a fun read. That's what it's meant to be, and boy does it deliver. One of the first descriptions of the horrors that will fill the next few hours of your life:
"...Popcorn. He was throwing popcorn at her. Maggie's voice came out in a whisper. "What... What are you going to do?" The springs creaked as he sat on the edge of the bed. "Everything.""
So short. So sweet. So terrifying.
This is a fast-paced read filled with blood and guts and gore and perhaps some characters you can't seem to find a way to like.
But don't worry. No one's safe. Not even you.
I really enjoyed this book. I was enveloped quickly into the story. Just don't read while trying to eat lunch, it is a bit graphic.
This book started out great, lots of action from page 1 that never lets up. The problem is that half-way through the book, it became very predictable. The two main characters fall in love, and from that point on, you can tell who's going to be alive at the end of the book based on their relationship to these two characters. I'll stick with Ketchum - he's scary AND unpredictable.
