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automated_bitching_machine's review
3.0
I was in the first half of this book when I glanced at some of the reviews. I found them to be utterly baffling. "Yeah, so sometimes you don't like the ending of an apocalyptic book, but that's no reason to give a low rating."
Except in this case, it is. Because instead of having an ending that would essentially wrap up the story, a coherent one, Black Moon simply rambles to a stop. The lyrical nonsense that came from the sleepless early in the novel was great for tension and atmosphere, until it was the entire book. Truthfully, this feels like a novella that meant to end sooner, but was dragged out to be long enough for a stand-alone book. Or a poem/philosophical musings that then had a story plastered onto them. I suppose I could get philosophical and the say the ending was the worst outcome no one immediately thinks of, but I'd really have to know if the author meant it that way or not.
Read half the book, then put it down forever. That's my advice.
Except in this case, it is. Because instead of having an ending that would essentially wrap up the story, a coherent one, Black Moon simply rambles to a stop. The lyrical nonsense that came from the sleepless early in the novel was great for tension and atmosphere, until it was the entire book. Truthfully, this feels like a novella that meant to end sooner, but was dragged out to be long enough for a stand-alone book. Or a poem/philosophical musings that then had a story plastered onto them. I suppose I could get philosophical and the say the ending was the worst outcome no one immediately thinks of, but I'd really have to know if the author meant it that way or not.
Read half the book, then put it down forever. That's my advice.
weirdnoirmaster's review
2.0
It's a great concept for a book. That's undeniable. Sadly, that's all it is. At about halfway through it becomes obvious that Calhoun has no idea how to wrap everything up, so he resorts to handwaving and coincidences, hiding it in some admittedly nice (if excessively flowery) description.
nevika's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
lnadams13's review
4.0
Calhoun creates an interesting dystopian story in Black Moon. I have to admit, there were a few things that bothered me, but overall I found it to be an enjoyable read. For a complete review, please checkout my blog post: http://lnholmeswriter.wordpress.com/2014/10/27/book-review-black-moon/
elisahansen's review
4.0
An impressive alternative to the zombie apocalypse, this story's sleepocalypse is disturbingly similar and yet all the more horrifying in its mysterious lack of the supernatural.
stacerme's review
2.0
I was intrigued by the comparison to "The Age of Miracles". Black Moon had a very solid, spooky start and then absolutely fell apart for me around page 150. It was so dramatic...I put the book down one night, solidly invested in the plot and the next night when I picked it up I thought I might have marked the page wrong! What's going on? Who are these people? It never pulled me back in and had no decent resolution at the end.
kaw_86's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
vylotte's review
3.0
What happens when the world stops sleeping, but for an unexplained few? As the planet spirals into hallucinatory madness, we follow a handful of sleepers, dreamers and insomniacs as society implodes. Though society's loss is a distant second to the individual stories of people lost and found, asleep and awake.
I enjoyed seeing this through the various viewpoints; the people on the sidelines desperately trying to find safe places to sleep and locate missing loves, the sleepless slowly succumbing to their madness, the scientists desperate for a cure. I also liked that there was no pat answer as to why sleep (mostly) disappeared from the world, and the hints that it might be something beyond science, or perhaps science at its purest.
I enjoyed seeing this through the various viewpoints; the people on the sidelines desperately trying to find safe places to sleep and locate missing loves, the sleepless slowly succumbing to their madness, the scientists desperate for a cure. I also liked that there was no pat answer as to why sleep (mostly) disappeared from the world, and the hints that it might be something beyond science, or perhaps science at its purest.
melanielotseven's review
4.0
This book was an entertaining romp through a post-apocalyptic world through the eyes of several characters. I feel the author captured the nonsensical, hallucinatory ramblings of the insomniacs very well. I found the predicaments of some of the characters amusing and relatable, making me think that as unlikely as some of the scenarios were, they could be entirely plausible in such a strange landscape.