CS,
I would love to read your review of this book. I've bought a couple of books aided by your input.
I'm flattered, Frojazz.
Just for you, I decided to go ahead and post a review. I'm not sure when it will show up on Amazon, so here it is...
No description can convey how unique this book is..."The Takers" begins with a shocking first line, and it continues to surprise the reader thereafter.
Book One of the Oz Chronicles is about a 13-year-old boy who wakes up and finds out that he has somehow caused the end of the world!
It's a long, strange trip from that point forward. With a premise like that, would you expect anything less?
The book appears to be written under the influence of LSD or some other mind-altering substance - and I actually mean that as a compliment. Really, I do.
Case-in-point: Kids with Down Syndrome who control the future of the world, giant gorillas that can understand and communicate with humans, comic books that double as prophetic tomes, and warped monsters who'll stop at nothing to kill even the smallest of children. The "yellow brick road" in this novel seems to lead straight to Hell.
The main character, Oz, is surprisingly easy to like (which is a minor miracle considering the first line, which I'll leave you to read for yourself). But make no mistake about it: he's still very much a small boy and he's definitely way in over his head - at least at first. Discovering how this little kid handles the apocalyptic events around him is one of the joys of reading the book.
This is one of the best - and most haunting - "Armageddon" scenarios I've read in recent memory. R.W. Ridley's depiction of the world's end is so downright realistic, vivid, and frightening. You could easily imagine yourself running into many of the same situations and interacting with the types of people that show up throughout Oz's journey. Because of that, the author can get away with the craziness featured everywhere else (genius gorillas, etc.). And that too is another one of the book's major strengths - because literally anything is possible.
Even though "The Takers" is the first in a series, there's a complete story here. A story with unique, unforgettable characters. A story full of action and excitement. A story bursting with imagination.
Bring on Books 2 and 3!
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