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"77 Shadow Street" by Dean Koontz

3/30/2014

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Title: 77 Shadow Street
Author: Dean Koontz
Genre: Horror, science fiction, thriller
# pages: 451
Date published: December 27, 2011
5-star rating: 4.5 stars
Would you recommend it? Yes



I have been reading Dean Koontz’s books for over eight years.  As I walked through the aisles of the used bookstore near my hometown, I picked up 77 Shadow Street because it was one of Koontz’s latest novels that I had yet to read. Once I began reading, I finished the book in less than one week – this is the sort of book you just can’t put down.

77 Shadow Street is the address of the former Belle Vista mansion, constructed in the 1880s by tycoon Andrew Pendleton and later transformed into a luxury condominium complex named the Pendleton.  The building saw the abduction of Pendleton’s wife and children, the murder of the Ostock family by the butler, and the disappearance of a construction worker during the transformation to condos. The chapters switch points of view between the residents and employees of the Pendleton, a constant change that keeps the reader interested.  You do not get too much of the same story line or viewpoint, which keeps the story moving, and each character has a different opinion of the bizarre happenings at the condominiums. Mysterious plants, people, and creatures appear and disappear for seconds to minutes to hours at a time.

Eventually the residents realize that they have been transported to the Pendleton in the year 2049 and have less than a few hours to live or find a way to survive the ominous “One.”  This time crunch creates a fast-paced read, the chapters going by more and more quickly as time winds down and the perspective switches from character to character and from condominium to condominium.

Anyone who enjoys horror would like this book.  Dean Koontz is a mix of James Patterson and Stephen King, telling dark tales of murder with supernatural elements that nonetheless seem believable, and his writing never fails to give me goosebumps, especially at night. 77 Shadow Street transports the reader away from his or her reality into the Pendleton with its residents and employees as they fight to stay alive.



Review by Liz Handler, A&S '15

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"The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde

2/16/2014

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Title: The Picture of Dorian Gray
Author: Oscar Wilde
Genre: Philosophical Fiction
# pages: 336
Date published: 1890
5-star rating: 5 stars
Would you recommend it: Yes

A few years ago, my mom insisted I watch the 1945 film version of The Picture of Dorian Gray when it was on television one night.  Since we usually have the same movie tastes, I agreed.  While the movie was obviously dated, the story of young Dorian and his personal quest for the immortality of youth and beauty ensnared me.  After it ended, my mom vowed that while the film was good, the novel was even better.  This semester, I finally had the time to read the book slowly and to give it the attention it deserves.

The novel centers around a young man named Dorian Gray, a young orphan who has inherited his family’s sizeable wealth and estate. The novel opens with Basil Hallward painting Dorian’s portrait while Hallward’s friend, Lord Henry Wotton, observes. As he admires the portrait, Lord Henry tells Dorian that he possesses the two most important things—youth and beauty—but that these will eventually fade.  This sparks Dorian to wish that he will never age, the desire that drives the horror to come.

Shortly after Basil finishes the portrait, Dorian begins to develop a strong and close friendship with Lord Henry, with whom he explores more worldly possibilities.  One day Dorian stumbles upon a low-class theatre where he meets actress Sybil Vane, falling in love immediately and proposing to her.  Dorian insists that Basil and Lord Henry see Sybil’s talents.  Unfortunately, after she falls in love with Dorian, she gives up her acting, and now Dorian does not see her as the girl he fell in love with and tells her to never speak to him again.  This tragic decision begins his downward spiral of sin.  When he returns home from the theatre, he finds that the painting has developed a cruel smile that was not there before.

This book faintly reminded me of other horror and fantasy stories I have read, especially those in which the main character searches to trade humanity for immortality.  Lord Henry’s anecdotes add some much-needed humor to the dark tale, and Oscar Wilde’s balance of horror, fantasy, sin, youth, and humor keeps the reader’s attention throughout.

In its unique way, The Picture of Dorian Gray explores the cost of youth and beauty. Although readers who enjoy classic literature would most enjoy this novel, the only full-length novel written by famed author Oscar Wilde, I would recommend it to anyone, particularly college students, for its unique perspective on the youth we value.



Review by Liz Handler, A&S '15

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"World War Z" by Max Brooks

12/3/2012

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Title: World War Z
Author: Max Brooks
Genre: Horror, Post-apocalyptic fiction
Pages: 342
Date Published: September 12, 2006
Rating (out of 5 stars): 4.5

In Max Brooks’ world, a decade has passed since the zombie apocalypse and the human race has just barely survived. The zombie outbreak has been contained and now humans are trying to piece together the entire story. How did this all begin? Why were we so woefully unprepared? How did humankind manage to come back from the brink of extinction? Using individual accounts of people from all over the world, World War Z tries to answer all of these questions, along with many others, in an attempt to illuminate where things went horribly wrong. For if something like this should ever happen again, next time we may not survive.

I have to admit, I was slightly skeptical when I first read the description of World War Z. Zombies? I enjoy post-apocalyptic and historical fiction as much as the next guy, but the living dead? It didn’t really appeal to me. It was a New York Times bestseller, though, and had received glowing reviews from almost every single critic, so I decided to read a few chapters right in the middle of the bookstore. I didn’t leave my spot in the aisle for two hours. Then I bought it, took it home, and finished it that day. Maybe to save a few bucks I should have just stayed in the store. It’s that quick of a read.

The author takes us on a trip around the globe, exploring stories from the United States, South Africa, Israel, Japan just to name a few. The individual accounts are wide and varied: a soldier, who was on the front lines of the first battle when they realized that Cold War tactics are useless; a profiteer, who made a fortune selling placebos; a volunteer, who was just a girl when the outbreak started, but is now an experienced zombie killer; and numerous others. The author uses these narratives to weave together a story that also explores the social, psychological, environmental, religious, and economic impact the zombie war had on the human race. As a result, World War Z takes on an extremely realistic tone that is chilling and all too creepy.


Perhaps the only problem I had with the book was that it wasn’t long enough. While the author did an excellent job of incorporating a vast multitude of people and civilizations with unique perspectives and voices, there were many more perspectives I would have liked to hear from. I suppose that’s the problem with writing a history book, even if it is a fictional one: some stories have to be left out.

That being said, World War Z is an incredible book that I would recommend to anyone and everyone. It is not just a book about zombies. World War Z is one of the cleverest social commentaries I have ever read, an examination of the human condition when pushed to the extreme, and a frighteningly realistic portrayal of a devastated world. In the end, World War Z is about us: human beings.

Review by William Hwang, A&S '15


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