Well, the Stranger Things comparisons are not unwarranted. That said, nobody should approach this book expecting the exact same tone as the show. The Loop is, and I mean this as high praise, much nastier. The gore is plentiful and graphic. No characters are safe. The absolute nadir of human depravity, greed, and arrogance is consistently dredged up. And, without getting into too many details or spoiling anything, the central threat is downright terrifying. Man, I liked this book a lot. I'm not usually THAT scared or unsettled by this kind of horror novel. Reading The Loop, I was absolutely squirming in my seat. Highly recommended. Though fair warning, take all the pop culture touch points from recent reviews (The Twilight Zone, The X-Files, Stranger Things, World War Z, etc.) with a grain of salt. The Loop very much stands alone as an original work of character-driven science fiction and horror.

Speaking of characters driving the story: they're all wonderful. Especially Lucy. Jeremy Robert Johnson really takes the time and effort to let us inside her head and to know her fully. You care about her right away and the ensuing chaos and destruction are all the more compelling through her perspective

Sadly, this was not a story for me. I could not get myself immersed in this world no matter how hard I tried. And believe me, I tried. I wanted to love this story and get freaked out by it. But, it didn't seem to happen for me. Especially, with the pace of the story and how little of a connection I felt to the characters that were introduced. 

The writing style didn't get me to love this either, as the more I read, the more I wanted to put this novel down, which is never a good thing. Sometimes, a slow burn is well appreciated, but here there was neither that, nor a desire to find out what was really going on with the teens in this world. For all of that, I'm sorry that it just couldn't have gone another way for me. I wished it wasn't so. 

***I received this copy from Gallery/Saga Press, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.***

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the review copy!

TW: Sex and Voilence

The synopsis of this book drew me in and I was excited when I got the email I was approved through Netgalley. 

This story is solid and was told great. It has it spooky moment but it is by far not a horror book. it was like reading a goosebumps novel and I loved it! The plot was great and the characters were very flushed out. 

I recommend this read!

Turner Falls is a tourist town.  A biotech corporation has moved on the edge of the town.  When an outbreak in high school happens, the students are shocked withe the violent death of the teacher by a student.  Later, the high school students go to a party that happen in a cave.  However, more studentS are infected and begin to have fits of rage causing violence and death.  There appears to be no “cure.”  Will this outbreak continue and infect those in the country?  

It’s hard to talk about a horror novel that reminds me of the current outbreak of COVID 19 flu even though it is not violent but can cause death.  In “The Loop” the story is relentless with its violence and that scared me.  However there are moments of compassion and sweetness that gave me hope .  I felt the story gave me a wild look at possible bio warfare.  There is fun in the novel as well as strange that may seem.  It’s a unique and welcome horror read as it is one of the best I’ve read this year.  Horror novels has alway been my favorite to read.  It’s been a long time since horror has scared me as this one did.

i really enjoyed this read, it had what I had looked for in this type of book. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and getting into the plot.

As this is my first experience with this author, I really wasn't sure what to expect, but the description intrigued me. Set in a small Oregon town, Lucy and her best friend, Bucket, are outsiders, sticking mostly to each other. But strange things start happening around town (augmented with some fun multimedia sections) and a shockingly violent interaction brings their school year to an abrupt end. But the celebration only kicks off worse things and soon it's up to Lucy and her friends to take on an evil corporation to save the whole world!

The book reads a lot like a traditional horror movie - there are a lot of visuals here, but it's never a truly scary read - just pretty gross. I wish that there was a bit more character development, as that would have made this a more stressful and intense read. And while my grandfather would certainly have applauded the ending, by that point it felt a bit too predictable to me. The idea of this corporation is certainly unique, though, and the plot is definitely action-packed and quick moving. I just never really connected with the characters and other than a few bantering scenes of dialogue, they never felt fully realized which stopped me from truly loving this one.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

Well, this certainly had some tense moments! While the beginning was a bit slower, the rest of the book was pretty fast paced. There's a high body count and lots of blood, so it felt fitting to read in the fall! One particular element (trying to be vague to not spoil things) was pretty creepy, but I did like it. I thought the ending was fantastic and felt very appropriate.

There's definitely a lot of sex and violence here. The book is a bit crass at times, but I thought that this felt fairly realistic in terms of the teenage POV. I really liked Lucy overall. She definitely felt like a teenager, and I liked how she tries to save those she loves. She is very realistic and does what she must in order to survive. I thought she was also very honest with herself which was quite interesting to see. Lucy is one of the only non-white people at her school, so topics like bullying and racism are addressed here as well. Her friends were good companions, and I generally enjoyed them.

There were certainly some creepy moments (especially in the cave!). I definitely enjoyed seeing the connection to the title of the book! Overall, while this did have a bit of a shaky start for me, I enjoyed my time with it.

I received a copy of this for review from the publisher via NetGalley - thank you! All opinions are my own.

My video review can be seen on my channel (around minutes 8:33-11:02 of this video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIAVTt2RnQc&t=1420s

In the town of Turner Falls Oregon, a group of teens get the surprise of their life at a party in the caves nearby. This is not your run of the mill kegger!

THE LOOP spends a bit of time introducing us to these high schoolers-most of whom are considered outsiders by their peers. Lucy is the main character and she was my favorite. Having suffered from a terrible early childhood, she now has adopted parents that really care for her. Unfortunately, she is not capable of really caring for them. Her small group of acquaintances are cute, and her friend Bucket, adorably so. When they discover what's going on in the caves, all of their lives are immediately put into danger, and so begins the story that rockets from this point all the way to the final page. Will Lucy and her friends be able to protect themselves and their families from their discovery? You'll have to read this to find out!

This book isn't easily categorized-it features teens as the main characters, but this is really not geared towards them. There is a LOT of gore and general nastiness going on here, and the mystery behind it all is a lot to get your head around. I loved it though! It took a little while to get going and to get me to care for these people, but both of those things did happen eventually.

I'm going to leave off the plot and talk about the characterization here. Lucy was fully fleshed out, and I liked that, but the rest of the characters? Not so much. We learn more about Brewer later on, and discover that he's not the loser everyone thought he was, and we learn that Bucket kind of is the loser we thought, but a likable and honorable one.

Denouements-they're a powerful thing; sometimes they're silly, and sometimes they make a lot of sense. Sometimes the author wimps out from doing what needs to be done, but I'm happy to say that is not the case here. This was the finale that the story called for and the author didn't shy away from it. To that, I say BRAVO!

I finished this with tears in my eyes and eager to read more from Jeremy Robert Johnson!

Highly recommended!

*Thanks to the author, NetGalley and Gallery/Saga Press for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*

This book is a unique horror story, probably a bit better suited to mature young adult readers. There is a good amount of gore and some animal cruelty. 

The story takes place mostly over the course of a single evening and is action-packed as Lucy and her friends try to figure out what is taking over their town and try to stay alive. 

I really enjoyed this, but towards the end it kind of fell apart for me with some formatting concepts that I didn’t enjoy. I would rate this at 3.5, so I’m rounding up to 4.  I did read an advanced copy, thanks to NetGalley, so maybe the wacky formatting was edited out. I think it was meant to be a way to set it apart and intensify the action but I found it more distracting than anything.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, I have tried reading this book on 2 separate occasions and during that 2nd attempt, I have only managed to make it halfway through so I'd rather stop here and state that this book just wasn't for me.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

"untested, highly experimental...mind-control implants”

I loved this horror story that takes place in a fictional town (that definitely reminds me of the small city of Bend) in the high desert of Central Oregon.

Tons of high tech companies have been moving to Turner Falls, Oregon and some people can't understand why. This is a tourist town without a huge workforce but the companies keep coming. One of these companies is IMTECH and they have invented a new bio implant that they've started testing on some of their executives teenage children. As you can imagine, there are problems.

This tale got my attention from the beginning. One reason is that I live in Oregon and am very familiar with the Bend area. Another reason is that the action ramped up pretty darn quickly.

This is definitely a "creature feature" story but parts of it are over the top gruesome. But author Johnson does a great job of developing lead character Lucy Henderson, an adopted teen originally from Peru. The author also shows the indomitable human spirit that rears itself in some unlikely people.

I highly recommend this to those readers that like their horror with a side of blood and guts.

I received this book from Gallery Books through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read and review it.

The Loop is a compulsively readable and FIERCELY original work of horror fiction that confronts a bevvy of societal issues without ever forgetting to be looming and creepy.

Unfortunately I DNFed this book. It was all over the place and I could not stay focused on what was happening. I really wanted to enjoy it because it was an interesting premise, but at 36% I was just overwhelmingly confused and lost.

Teenage Lucy is still struggling with PTSD from her childhood experiences in Peru when she witnesses a demonic attack in her high school classroom. A fellow student blinds another. And then he kills the teacher who tries to break up the fight. Mysterious men then kill the attacker. But that is only the start of what Lucy has to deal with in The Loop.

When I saw the publisher’s blurb stating the book is “Stranger Things meets World War Z”, I had to read this book. This is technological horror at its best. It reminds me of the first time I watched Independence Day. At its heart, it is pure good versus pure evil.

However, despite its teenage characters, it would definitely be rated R for its crass depiction of women and its gut-wrenching gory violence. Bottom line is that it’s genuinely frightening. It is easy to imagine yourself in Lucy’s position. Which Lucy would you be? The version that has the “ability to disappear into the world of ghosts” and remain on the sidelines? Or the Lucy who “wanted nothing so much as to crush whatever had tried to harm her”? I know which one I would choose.

While definitely not for children or even pre-teens, The Loop is an exciting look into a possible future when technology turns on us all. As another reviewer suggested, it reads like a Stephen King blockbuster without all the unnecessary words. 5 stars!

Thanks to Saga Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

I really wanted to love this story as I appreciated the style of writing. Unfortunately it was too bleak for my taste and it fell flat.
I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for a honest review

From bizarro to horror to the most heartbreaking horror novella I’ve read (looking at you In the River), Jeremy Robert Johnson has provided yet another great read in his new novel, The Loop. Readers should expect a genre-bending whirlwind of a ride as they follow Lucy, Bucket, and others on a terrifying journey.

This book takes place over the course of a few weeks with a majority of the time spent in just one night. The small amount of lead up to the evening in question is no small matter, however. First, we get a brief introduction via a radio host that had me wishing I already had this book in audio. Somehow Johnson managed to write a scene (and the whole book really) that I could HEAR while reading. When Johnson decides to reveal that not everything is what it seems, just a little while later, I sat back in revulsion and awe; I knew I was in for a hell of a ride.

I love a good sci-fi horror when done well. Some recent favorites have been The Hematophages by Stephen Kozeniewski and Wanderers by Chuck Wendig. In fact, about 75% of the way through, I thought this was like Wanderers but with more horror/gore and a tighter time frame. I love that Becky Spratford also mentioned something similar in her review and I knew I was not alone in this realization. Be sure to check out her review as well, she outlines very clearly just how many different kinds of readers will dig this book.

I don’t know what else to say without giving too much away. I love that this book gave me genuine gross out moments. I love that this book includes science fiction in a way that is fascinating AND engaging. I think readers will really love this one, especially if they enjoy a fast pace, a kick-ass female protagonist, and a writer who certainly does his job well. You guys go buy this, I am off to read one of Johnson’s short story collections. More, please.

I received an advanced reader copy of The Loop from Gallery Books/Saga Press via NetGalley, in return for my honest opinion.

The Loop by Jeremy Robert Johnson is a story about survival and good conquering evil. Lucy and her friend, Bucket, are constantly harassed at school by the rich kids. Strange things have been happening to the teens in Turner Falls, Oregon, so Lucy surprises herself when she agrees to go to a party with Bucket and his friend, Brewer.

At the party Lucy, Bucket and Brewer witness other teens victimizing others in disturbing ways. Barely escaping with their lives, Lucy, Bucket and Brewer head home looking for safety only to find deserted streets and damaged properties. Will Lucy, Bucket and Brewer be able to save themselves and the town? Or will they fall victims to whatever has taken over the other teens in town?

This was an easy read, that I just couldn’t get into. I do enjoy science fiction but this was a bit gory with a slow pace. If you’re looking for a present day AI book, The Loop may be just what you’re looking for and is available today, September 29, 2020.

#jeremyrobertjohnson #theloop #netgalley #arcs #advancedreadercopy #ya #yabooks #youngadult #sciencefiction #scifibooks #readin2020 #gallerybooks #sagapress #whatthebook #bookreviews #readersofinstagram #bookaholic

I wanted to love this book so much but I only made it halfway before I had to call it quits. 

A mystery/thriller with slasher elements, this book follows Lucy and her friends as they deal with an outbreak affecting teens in their small town. Those affected, who turn deadly upon infection, are the children of folks working at a biotech company headquartered in town. This title was pitched as Stranger Things meets World War Z. 

Like I said, I wanted to love this. I eat up thrillers and horrors that have a Stephen King feel while also bringing in some sci-fi elements. However, this book did not deliver for me. The most interesting thing about this title was the plot and even then, it felt like I was reading two stories. One that focused heavily on the slasher element to the weird outbreak terrorizing the town and one that focused on the teens of the small town trying to solve the mystery akin to an older Stranger Things. Both were intriguing but it often felt like the two stories weren't interwoven but just placed in the same book instead. The writing felt as if you only took the action or movable moments from a Stephen King novel and got rid of all the extra writing he likes to do. I think if you can read a fast-paced book like this, and deal with the crass narrative style (more on that in a second), you might really like this. I need a little more than just plot to get through a book like this, though. 

Unfortunately, the writing felt like a 70s horror novel in that there was so much crass sexualizing of a teenage girl. I felt so gross reading those parts mostly because of the way it was handled. I am not one to shy away from those things and yet I still felt like it was so gross. That's not the only issue I had with characters; Lucy as a whole was confusing for me. Lucy is a Peruvian teenager who is adopted into a well-meaning family and taken out of a situation that was less than ideal. I worry though how much was a stereotype and how much was investigation and research into what it is actually like for a Latina teenager living in a small affluent white town.  Some of it felt very true to experience, and other times it felt like I was listening to regurgitation of what other people who have never lived it think it's like. While I think there is a foundation for good BIPOC representation, I just feel like this might have benefitted from some sensitivity readers. Lucy is in such a specific situation and I wanted to root for her but I just kept thinking about how many holes I could see in her backstory. It took me out of the story a lot of the time. 

The bottom line here is that if you are looking for a quick spooky read that doesn't make you think too much and just has a whirlwind plot (and you can deal with SO MUCH GORE) this book might do it for you! Had I went into this with the knowledge that the writing style would be crass and controversial, I think I would have enjoyed it more. If you go in with the right expectations, you may like this book. Unfortunately for me, I was hoping for a different writing style and better representation while getting a good social commentary wrapped up in a mystery. Since I didn't get that, I was just disappointed. I may give this another shot now that I know exactly what to expect but for now, there are other horrors on my TBR that do what I like more than this did.

Dnf, not what I expected. The writing and overall plot I found to be boring and not very interesting

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book. Wow. This was a really good book that held my attention for hours. I have read everything so far this author has written and he has become a favorite of mine. He obviously has an imagination and mind that I envy to come up with the stories that he does. Such a great writer. This book will be one that I buy.