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diannenah's review against another edition
3.0
Felt like I’ve watch a movie abit like this story. Overall, good. Quite realistic.
briz_reads's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
It’s a five star read for me but not a book I’d necessarily recommend.
sjj169's review against another edition
4.0
Kids, if you ever thought about trying drugs grab up this book. You'll run so far away from them that you will leave your butt-hole behind.
Six heroin addicts find themselves unconscious on a deserted island. They start waking up and realize that something ain't right here. They have a box left with a few food items and a note that says that must swim to the next island in order to get that ever elusive next high.
Stone cold addicts that they are..you know they are gonna get to jonesing and head off that way.
Problem number one is...there is something in the water.
They are also informed that they are being watched.
This book reads all kinds of fast, you keep thinking surely the characters won't trade in their lives so easily for that next hit.
But.
Booksource: I did receive a copy of this book from the author, I promised him nothing. He knew I would love the hell out of this sickness. AND I DID!
Six heroin addicts find themselves unconscious on a deserted island. They start waking up and realize that something ain't right here. They have a box left with a few food items and a note that says that must swim to the next island in order to get that ever elusive next high.
Stone cold addicts that they are..you know they are gonna get to jonesing and head off that way.
Problem number one is...there is something in the water.
They are also informed that they are being watched.
This book reads all kinds of fast, you keep thinking surely the characters won't trade in their lives so easily for that next hit.
But.
Booksource: I did receive a copy of this book from the author, I promised him nothing. He knew I would love the hell out of this sickness. AND I DID!
trudilibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
I'm floating this review from last summer to offer my congratulations to the author. BAIT is the 2014 recipient of the Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel.
Subtract the worst of SAW's gory torture-porn aspects, I also couldn't help be reminded of it as well -- oh yes ladies and gentlemen, BAIT is a winner, a white-knuckled page-turner with a gaping maw of shark's teeth ready to take a chomp out of your ass at any moment. I'd love to see this as a movie, and its length would have made it the perfect one hour Twilight Zone or Night Gallery episode.
The novel works so well because Messum takes some time (amidst the roiling action) to develop his cast of sad, deplorable and desperate characters. As readers, what are we to think of protagonists plagued by heroin addiction and the jagged guilt of dirty deeds?
The six victims who wake up stranded on a deserted beach are not the people we usually cheer for. It's hard to warm up to them, and unless you've suffered from addiction yourself, it's very hard to relate to them in any way. Despite this challenge, Messum takes what could have easily resulted in stereotypical junkies -- no archetypes or caricatures here -- and turns them into sympathetic characters, nicely fleshed out in a short period of time with minimal details.
On the surface, BAIT is a thrill-kill, adrenaline read, a man versus nature versus man extravaganza. But beneath the surface, there is deep water that runs, not just with sharks, but with thematic purpose tinged with social commentary and observations of the human condition -- our rage, our prejudices, our lack of empathy and understanding, our human ability to dehumanize ourselves and others around us. In some respects, this cautionary tale has an allegorical feel to it all, about justice and second chances and who deserves them.
As the dog days of September draw near, I can't recommend this book enough for a quick and satisfying read.
A free copy was provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
You know, the thing about a shark...he's got lifeless eyes. Black eyes. Like a doll's eyes. When he comes at ya, doesn't seem to be living... until he bites ya ~JAWS (1975)The perfect beach read (for my twisted tastes anyway) found as summer's door closes on the Sunday of Labor Day Weekend. The book's blurb describes BAIT as: "Survivor meets Lord of the Flies meets Drugstore Cowboy" and that's pretty accurate as blurbs go, with a side portion of Trainspotting to sweeten the deal.
Subtract the worst of SAW's gory torture-porn aspects, I also couldn't help be reminded of it as well -- oh yes ladies and gentlemen, BAIT is a winner, a white-knuckled page-turner with a gaping maw of shark's teeth ready to take a chomp out of your ass at any moment. I'd love to see this as a movie, and its length would have made it the perfect one hour Twilight Zone or Night Gallery episode.
The novel works so well because Messum takes some time (amidst the roiling action) to develop his cast of sad, deplorable and desperate characters. As readers, what are we to think of protagonists plagued by heroin addiction and the jagged guilt of dirty deeds?
The six victims who wake up stranded on a deserted beach are not the people we usually cheer for. It's hard to warm up to them, and unless you've suffered from addiction yourself, it's very hard to relate to them in any way. Despite this challenge, Messum takes what could have easily resulted in stereotypical junkies -- no archetypes or caricatures here -- and turns them into sympathetic characters, nicely fleshed out in a short period of time with minimal details.
On the surface, BAIT is a thrill-kill, adrenaline read, a man versus nature versus man extravaganza. But beneath the surface, there is deep water that runs, not just with sharks, but with thematic purpose tinged with social commentary and observations of the human condition -- our rage, our prejudices, our lack of empathy and understanding, our human ability to dehumanize ourselves and others around us. In some respects, this cautionary tale has an allegorical feel to it all, about justice and second chances and who deserves them.
As the dog days of September draw near, I can't recommend this book enough for a quick and satisfying read.
A free copy was provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
mainellss's review against another edition
4.0
Bait is such a fast paced, creepy, gruesome thriller.
Six people find themselves on an island, with no idea how they came to end up there, and the one thing in common that they all have is that they are addicts. Things start to get intense as they all start going through withdrawals...
Bait was totally gruesome in that J. Kent Messum wrote about being an addict with raw honesty. He described going through withdrawals with such vivid detail that you actually started to feel anxious and uncomfortable. The characters all had really complex back-stories, making this book a really interesting read. I needed to know what was going to happen, I really could not put this book down. It's fast-paced, thrilling, and will totally get your heart rate going.
If you love sharks, thrillers, gruesome, raw stories, and a quick-read, you will love Bait.
Six people find themselves on an island, with no idea how they came to end up there, and the one thing in common that they all have is that they are addicts. Things start to get intense as they all start going through withdrawals...
Bait was totally gruesome in that J. Kent Messum wrote about being an addict with raw honesty. He described going through withdrawals with such vivid detail that you actually started to feel anxious and uncomfortable. The characters all had really complex back-stories, making this book a really interesting read. I needed to know what was going to happen, I really could not put this book down. It's fast-paced, thrilling, and will totally get your heart rate going.
If you love sharks, thrillers, gruesome, raw stories, and a quick-read, you will love Bait.
little_book_witch's review against another edition
4.0
As a fan of 'Sharknado', 'Bait' (the unrelated movie) and 'Sharktopus', I picked up this book looking for an oh-my-god-that's-so-bad-it's-good kind of thing. Turns out, if you add all the elements for a B-grade shark movie together with good writing, you get something incredibly wonderful.
Whilst this book was DEFINITELY over the top gory and ridiculous, I actually really enjoyed the backstories of all characters involved. That didn't stop me gleefully anticipating the gory demise of the next one, though.
Messum has done a great job, although his writing did have the 'fresh' feel of a first time author.
Looking forward to reading more by him, as I believe his writing style will develop into something even better.
Whilst this book was DEFINITELY over the top gory and ridiculous, I actually really enjoyed the backstories of all characters involved. That didn't stop me gleefully anticipating the gory demise of the next one, though.
Messum has done a great job, although his writing did have the 'fresh' feel of a first time author.
Looking forward to reading more by him, as I believe his writing style will develop into something even better.
rachele's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
wendysawatzky's review against another edition
1.0
Shark thriller proves difficult to digest
Six Miami heroin addicts are kidnapped by shadowy ex-military men, wake up on a deserted island and are forced to swim through shark-infested waters to get their next fix.
So begins Bait, a kind of Jaws meets Survivor meets Intervention thriller by Torontonian J. Kent Messum.
If you can swallow that premise, Messum's first novel is a page-turner, easily consumed in a few hours -- though you might find it difficult to digest.
Narration in Bait is unsteady, sometimes relaying the (often crude) thoughts of each character, but occasionally describing events unknown to the characters or oddly ill-timed philosophizing. For example, one drug-addled swimmer reflects on the nature of identity as "key to corporality" while being eaten by a shark. (No spoiler alerts needed here -- the first shark attack takes place on page 2).
A storytelling conceit used throughout the novel -- repeating words in the last sentence of one chapter in the first sentence of the next chapter -- at first seems like a reasonable choice when linking characters on the island with their flashback histories, but it becomes tired quickly, and by the 25th chapter many appear to have been painfully forced into the mould.
Messum, a peripatetic worker in the film and music industries, has clearly researched topics in the book. He details various species of sharks -- including the "nictitating membranes" on their eyes -- and describes at length the effects of heroin withdrawal on his characters.
The six protagonists are mostly unlikable, though Messum makes a heavy-handed attempt to raise readers' sympathies by having each character confess his or her greatest regrets.
"The stone in her chest that had replaced her heart years before was cracked through and through," he writes about one woman. "The confession ground pieces of it into dust, which thickened with her blood into clay. That clay could patch her heart if only she would allow it."
The wealthy, beer-drinking, Cuban cigar-smoking ex-military men ("for all intents and purposes we're ghosts... technically we don't exist") are less understandable. The men watch their victims through binoculars from a luxury yacht anchored offshore, filming, taunting and placing bets on their survival.
Messum tries to shed a bit more light on their motivations with an explanatory monologue worthy of a James Bond villain: "Maybe our enemies aren't the problem. Maybe the drugs aren't the problem. Maybe it's people like you that are the problem."
But hatred for drugs makes puzzling their desire to cultivate contacts in the drug underworld, research and capture these particular victims, and purchase large quantities of high-quality heroin all in order to arrange an elaborate "modern-day safari."
The novel is at its best when Messum tackles single moments in time, for example, the addict's intense joy and relief the moment he gets high. Other scenes are absurdly unbelievable, including a laughable fist-fight among characters treading water with sharks circling in the sea.
Bait is mostly composed of equal parts hamfisted dialogue, jarring metaphor and horrific shark attack. But if you savoured Sharknado and admired Megalodon, then it's worth a nibble.
Bait would best be consumed in a shark's state of mind: quickly and mindlessly swallowing it whole.
Review published in the Winnipeg Free Press 08/31/2013 1:00 AM
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/books/shark-thriller-proves-difficult-to-digest-221898291.html?device=mobile
Six Miami heroin addicts are kidnapped by shadowy ex-military men, wake up on a deserted island and are forced to swim through shark-infested waters to get their next fix.
So begins Bait, a kind of Jaws meets Survivor meets Intervention thriller by Torontonian J. Kent Messum.
If you can swallow that premise, Messum's first novel is a page-turner, easily consumed in a few hours -- though you might find it difficult to digest.
Narration in Bait is unsteady, sometimes relaying the (often crude) thoughts of each character, but occasionally describing events unknown to the characters or oddly ill-timed philosophizing. For example, one drug-addled swimmer reflects on the nature of identity as "key to corporality" while being eaten by a shark. (No spoiler alerts needed here -- the first shark attack takes place on page 2).
A storytelling conceit used throughout the novel -- repeating words in the last sentence of one chapter in the first sentence of the next chapter -- at first seems like a reasonable choice when linking characters on the island with their flashback histories, but it becomes tired quickly, and by the 25th chapter many appear to have been painfully forced into the mould.
Messum, a peripatetic worker in the film and music industries, has clearly researched topics in the book. He details various species of sharks -- including the "nictitating membranes" on their eyes -- and describes at length the effects of heroin withdrawal on his characters.
The six protagonists are mostly unlikable, though Messum makes a heavy-handed attempt to raise readers' sympathies by having each character confess his or her greatest regrets.
"The stone in her chest that had replaced her heart years before was cracked through and through," he writes about one woman. "The confession ground pieces of it into dust, which thickened with her blood into clay. That clay could patch her heart if only she would allow it."
The wealthy, beer-drinking, Cuban cigar-smoking ex-military men ("for all intents and purposes we're ghosts... technically we don't exist") are less understandable. The men watch their victims through binoculars from a luxury yacht anchored offshore, filming, taunting and placing bets on their survival.
Messum tries to shed a bit more light on their motivations with an explanatory monologue worthy of a James Bond villain: "Maybe our enemies aren't the problem. Maybe the drugs aren't the problem. Maybe it's people like you that are the problem."
But hatred for drugs makes puzzling their desire to cultivate contacts in the drug underworld, research and capture these particular victims, and purchase large quantities of high-quality heroin all in order to arrange an elaborate "modern-day safari."
The novel is at its best when Messum tackles single moments in time, for example, the addict's intense joy and relief the moment he gets high. Other scenes are absurdly unbelievable, including a laughable fist-fight among characters treading water with sharks circling in the sea.
Bait is mostly composed of equal parts hamfisted dialogue, jarring metaphor and horrific shark attack. But if you savoured Sharknado and admired Megalodon, then it's worth a nibble.
Bait would best be consumed in a shark's state of mind: quickly and mindlessly swallowing it whole.
Review published in the Winnipeg Free Press 08/31/2013 1:00 AM
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/books/shark-thriller-proves-difficult-to-digest-221898291.html?device=mobile
paperbackstash's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars
A small group of unlucky souls are gathered up and deposited on an island, told with directions to go to the next adjourning land by crossing the dangerous inlets so they can receive their new doses of heroine, food and other essential goodies. They have to figure out how to work together - or work apart - to survive and get that next fix and avoid being shark bait.
Several of my friends have been reading this one, reviewing it highly, so I was happy to dive in - plus, Sharks? We are so fascinated by the swimming predators still. I blame JAWS.
These chompers aren't great whites, but it doesn't matter since a scary shark is a scary shark. The group have addiction and downward spiral in common. They've all hit rock bottom and done the nasty to survive there, which the men who are puppeteers know. Both groups are interesting. I can't warm up to killers who want to watch victims being torn apart by killer sea creatures, of course, but the villainous motivation is a plausible one that's not shallow. Drug addiction doesn't deliver the friendliness trait but some of victims have compassion while others just lack it.
The book is short - would have liked an even longer water romp - but it delivered the goods in a fast paced and hard to put down story. There's some mini flashbacks to give a show of who the characters are and how they ended up in this mess, which was needed to keep the book's characters three-dimensional. There's not a huge mystery as it's easy for them to figure out what's going on, but they have to depend on timing, plans and each other to see if they can survive this one.
I won't say whether anyone survived, but the ending was a nice conclusion and it leaves with that dangling hook on what will come next. Not a cliffhanger, but something to ponder.
Fast-paced and intriguing, this is a shark book cut above the rest, focusing on the group of heroin addicts more than just a B-fest killer shark rush. There's more than a few sharks munching - there's social stigma pondering, the banes of addiction and the merits of those struggling with it, a few creepy and suspenseful parts in the water (always a scary setting in itself). Suspense fans should definitely hunt this one down - it's a keeper.
An honest review has been dished out after receiving this book from the author