cammie_p's review
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
aliciaface's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
This book went really fast once it got started. I really enjoyed the melding of several different genres...fantasy, horror, thriller, and even a bit of romance.
skateanddonate's review against another edition
5.0
Fascinating! Absolutely loved the deft manipulation in the debate from the 3 sides (Judaism, Catholicism, and science)regarding what Bub is. To the point where all 3 feel justly represented. Of course being a science geek I found plot entirely plausible. Loved the characters Enjoyed the realistic dialog. Bub was the best villain ever. Those eating scenes are going to haunt my memory for awhile. Not only am I giving this book 5 out of 5 stars, but it has made it to my list of top 10 books EVER!
sydnapped's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars, actually.
The premise was fascinating - The U.S. government, while under President Teddy Roosevelt, finds a sleeping demon complete with cloven-hoofed feet, wings and horns, that they decide could be Satan, and the fools naturally want to put it in a cage to research everything they can about the creature.
A huge underground top-secret facility is built in the middle of the desert to house and study it.
Over the next hundred+ years the staff at the Samhain facility examine and experiment however they can, even attempting to break genetic code all while the beast, whom is dubbed "Bub", slumbers away in its big Plexiglas chamber until one day it wakes - and it wants to talk.
The demon-thing Bub is alert and animated, verbalizing; spewing forth an unfamiliar antediluvian chatter.
An ancient language specialist is brought in to translate on its behalf, much to its delight.
Bub the demon WANTS to talk, it even wants to perform some miracles but most of all, it wants OUT.
This was my first Konrath book as well as the first eBook I ever downloaded after getting my Kindle for Android app installed, and though this book was free at the time at the author's website, I decided to pay the $2.99 it cost to download it through Amazon because I believe in showing support for self-published/self-marketed authors, particularly eBook authors.
The plot summary had an interesting enough concept to me to want to at least offer a few bucks for it, and I needed to learn how to do the eBook thing anyway.
Well, I was in for a surprise because reading this little gem was definitely worth the money.
You'll find interesting characters such as the resident theologians; the equally incisive rabbi and priest who exchange snappy dialogue, and I liked that the characters each had their own shortcomings, some being morally damaged, which is the reason why they were all chosen for the team and could inadvertently be their undoing.
Religion is debated and some arresting questions on humanity's origins are raised for our characters.
Also, I think monster fans will find Bub the demon to be surprisingly likable.
My summary -
PROS: It is a captivating, lightweight and fast-paced read that I would recommend to anyone wanting a good horror-thrill ride. I don't enjoy really graphic violence, and while this story does have *A LOT* of gore and a high body count, it moved along quickly enough to where it wasn't stuck in a loop of mindless carnage, and honestly, Bub the demon eating scenes were pretty great and creepy. For a self-published novel, and definitely for the price, it was definitely satisfactory.
CONS: I'm not sure why its dubbed a Technothriller, its definitely NOT, imo, and I think that label was misused. The pacing was a tad bit off, sometimes it was too slow, other times too fast. While the characters each came from interesting backgrounds that created their personality and perspective flaws, I wasn't able to really care for them since I found their personalities to be just too underdeveloped, perhaps because there were so many on the team. Despite the interesting concepts, the story-telling was somewhat transparent and templated.
WHAT I LIKED BEST: It was *easy* to imagine this story played out as a great thriller-horror flick, which added to the reading fun!
All in all, for me, Origin is one of those stories that, much like a dish that tastes better reheated the next day, you grow to appreciate it later for it's originality.
Recommended for horror-scifi fans interested in demons, government secrets and theology. Not recommended for those with a weak stomach, as Bub does have quite the appetite.
My picture paste-up: President Teddy Roosevelt should have buried that damned demon!!
The premise was fascinating - The U.S. government, while under President Teddy Roosevelt, finds a sleeping demon complete with cloven-hoofed feet, wings and horns, that they decide could be Satan, and the fools naturally want to put it in a cage to research everything they can about the creature.
A huge underground top-secret facility is built in the middle of the desert to house and study it.
Over the next hundred+ years the staff at the Samhain facility examine and experiment however they can, even attempting to break genetic code all while the beast, whom is dubbed "Bub", slumbers away in its big Plexiglas chamber until one day it wakes - and it wants to talk.
The demon-thing Bub is alert and animated, verbalizing; spewing forth an unfamiliar antediluvian chatter.
An ancient language specialist is brought in to translate on its behalf, much to its delight.
Bub the demon WANTS to talk, it even wants to perform some miracles but most of all, it wants OUT.
This was my first Konrath book as well as the first eBook I ever downloaded after getting my Kindle for Android app installed, and though this book was free at the time at the author's website, I decided to pay the $2.99 it cost to download it through Amazon because I believe in showing support for self-published/self-marketed authors, particularly eBook authors.
The plot summary had an interesting enough concept to me to want to at least offer a few bucks for it, and I needed to learn how to do the eBook thing anyway.
Well, I was in for a surprise because reading this little gem was definitely worth the money.
You'll find interesting characters such as the resident theologians; the equally incisive rabbi and priest who exchange snappy dialogue, and I liked that the characters each had their own shortcomings, some being morally damaged, which is the reason why they were all chosen for the team and could inadvertently be their undoing.
Religion is debated and some arresting questions on humanity's origins are raised for our characters.
Also, I think monster fans will find Bub the demon to be surprisingly likable.
My summary -
PROS: It is a captivating, lightweight and fast-paced read that I would recommend to anyone wanting a good horror-thrill ride. I don't enjoy really graphic violence, and while this story does have *A LOT* of gore and a high body count, it moved along quickly enough to where it wasn't stuck in a loop of mindless carnage, and honestly, Bub the demon eating scenes were pretty great and creepy. For a self-published novel, and definitely for the price, it was definitely satisfactory.
CONS: I'm not sure why its dubbed a Technothriller, its definitely NOT, imo, and I think that label was misused. The pacing was a tad bit off, sometimes it was too slow, other times too fast. While the characters each came from interesting backgrounds that created their personality and perspective flaws, I wasn't able to really care for them since I found their personalities to be just too underdeveloped, perhaps because there were so many on the team. Despite the interesting concepts, the story-telling was somewhat transparent and templated.
WHAT I LIKED BEST: It was *easy* to imagine this story played out as a great thriller-horror flick, which added to the reading fun!
All in all, for me, Origin is one of those stories that, much like a dish that tastes better reheated the next day, you grow to appreciate it later for it's originality.
Recommended for horror-scifi fans interested in demons, government secrets and theology. Not recommended for those with a weak stomach, as Bub does have quite the appetite.
My picture paste-up: President Teddy Roosevelt should have buried that damned demon!!
nerdygrl's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
austinstorm's review against another edition
3.0
1st third felt out of depth - concepts that only someone like Danny Boyle could've handled well.
Once the devil escaped and it became a monster movie, things got awesome.
Once the devil escaped and it became a monster movie, things got awesome.
christiona's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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
4.0
This was such a fun read! An original, creative story with a lot of action and horror!
hayhay321's review against another edition
4.0
This was good and creepy. Fair warning though, there are some pretty graphic descriptions of violence throughout the book. Ideas of God and faith and heaven and hell come into play a little bit, and I always enjoy books that bring that into discussion, even outside the genre of faith-based fiction. I think it adds an extra layer of consideration for the characters of faith who not only have to consider their earthly decisions and survival but a possible eternal destination as well. Supposedly there are several other books in this series that can be read as stand alone novels but whose characters then come back into play in a later collaboration, so I will definitely be checking out the others!
gizmoto16's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. I wasn't sure what the "technohorror" description really was. Turns out it's similar to the author's other horror stories with creepiness and addictive plotlines of bad to worse situations, with a bit of a Michael Crichton-esque edge to it. Very enjoyable.