Human.4

Oct 10, 2011 Amy Sturgis rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 21st-century, ya-dystopia, science-fiction-contemporary, postapocalyptic-dystopia

Where to begin? This is one of the best books I've read this year, and one of the best young adult dystopian/science fiction novels I've read, period. It's so very well done. The moment I can pre-order the sequel, I will. I intend to foist this one on as many people as possible, as well.

It's quite difficult to review this book or even explain its premise without spoiling the well-paced surprises it offers. I'll simply say that the text is framed as an edited book, of which the main part is a wr...more

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Oct 03, 2011 WilowRaven rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, 2011-debut

It's been really hard to write this review because every time I try to collect my thoughts all that comes to mind is: OMG THIS BOOK WAS FREAKEN AWESOME AND EVERYONE IN THE WORLD SHOULD READ IT!

I could just leave it at that but I expect you all want a little more :)

For me, Human .4 was like an ultimate 'what if' sci-fi adventure. (view spoiler)...more

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Mar 30, 2012 Emily May rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopia-utopia, ya-na, sci-fi, 2011

Well, weird. That's the best word to describe this book. But hell am I glad I read it! It reminded me a lot of Genesis in some ways but with a much better story and a range of characters to go with it. It's like my ultimate bookgasm (did I just invent a word? Me thinks yes): Sci-fi + Dystopia + Philosophy = stay in all day until finished!

And it delivered in a very interesting and unique way, I found myself actually liking the 'Note' sections, they were quite an amusing idea as to how an alien s...more

Well, weird. That's the best word to describe this book. But hell am I glad I read it! It reminded me a lot of Genesis in some ways but with a much better story and a range of characters to go with it. It's like my ultimate bookgasm (did I just invent a word? Me thinks yes): Sci-fi + Dystopia + Philosophy = stay in all day until finished!

And it delivered in a very interesting and unique way, I found myself actually liking the 'Note' sections, they were quite an amusing idea as to how an alien species might view the way we live in the world today, it's always odd to think how strange our typical habits, behaviours and phrases must seem to someone who hasn't grown up with them.

At first I wasn't sure I liked the tape recording format but I eventually came to understand its relevance and even like the element of mystery when it would cut off at the end of each tape, leaving the reader as clueless as those studying and commenting on the tapes.

This is one of those ridiculously hard to write reviews because every part of the book is questionable and part of the mystery so you can leak spoilers with nearly anything you say. But I will comment on the way in which the author has decided to almost write himself into the story as one of those looking back on this distant society and making it seem like he's addressing a very real group of people. It could have been too much, too cheesy... but it wasn't. It worked very well indeed. I should also note that this is one of those rare books where it's essential that you read both the foreword and afterword - they are a key part of the novel itself.

One thing I didn't like was that I found it an incredibly rushed conclusion for the characters to assume an alien invasion. I mean, seriously, in real life if everyone in your village started acting weird would your immediate logical reaction be to believe that aliens were invading? Of course not. And when weird symbols turn up on a computer screen, would you think: "Oh, I know, the aliens are invading digitally!" Nope. It didn't flow and made that section of the novel very messy.(less)

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Jun 11, 2012 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm not even sure where to begin in writing a review for this book, but I absolutely have to do so.

This is probably one of the best books that I've ever read, and that's saying something pretty amazing. It was one of my first purchases when I got a Kindle (having already read it prior to that)and I've reread it a couple times. Each time, it continues to stand up as amazing.

The premise for the book is both creative and really disturbing. There is something about this 'fiction' book that resonates...more

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Dec 25, 2010 Kirsty (overflowing library) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: review-books, uk-author

This book was completely awesome. It is original in its ideas, was creepy and left you thinking.

The story consists of transcripts of tapes recorded by Kyle describing events that he went through one summer. I loved this format and particularly loved that the end of tapes cut themselves short and you don;t always know what Kyle was about to stay. The story is supposed to have been published several years after they were taped and I loved that every so often an editors note would be added in offer...more

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Apr 19, 2013 Nicholas Kwok rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

ISP – 0.4 by Mike Lancaster – Review

The story, 0.4, is one of the best books I’ve read this year. It catches my attention because of the odd looking cover. It has its original ideas. The author allows the readers to be provoked through different emotions, thoughts, and actions portrayed by the characters of the story. The story begins with a recording on an old audio tape, “My name is Kyle Straker and I don't exist any more.” “If what the tapes say are true, it means that everything we think we...more ISP – 0.4 by Mike Lancaster – Review

The story, 0.4, is one of the best books I’ve read this year. It catches my attention because of the odd looking cover. It has its original ideas. The author allows the readers to be provoked through different emotions, thoughts, and actions portrayed by the characters of the story. The story begins with a recording on an old audio tape, “My name is Kyle Straker and I don't exist any more.” “If what the tapes say are true, it means that everything we think we know is a lie. And if everything is a lie, does that mean that we are, too?” The story has a lot of foreshadowing that gives away small little hints. If you are a fan of science fiction and technology, you are going to love this book.
The story is a quick, short read that contains the suspense, the unknown, the impossible and the unavoidable “what if”. At first, I was not sure I liked the tape recording format, but I eventually came to understand its relation to the story. The cut off at the end of each tape creates suspense and it leaves the reader wonder what will happen.
There is little character development for the characters in the story. The story is short and it is focusing on the plot more than the characters. There should have been more character conflicts that might lead the story to become more interesting than just telling about the mystery of the 0.4 issue. The human side of the story should have been included to make the story more diverse and interesting.
Kyle Straker, the main character of the story, tries to make sense of the strange things that has happened to him. Kyle runs away with shocking things that the doctor says to his parents, “He is one of the 0.4, take care of the issue, drug him if you have to.” “What is 0.4? What is wrong with the people of the world?” His voice is very clear and I can experience the events along with him. Kyle also leaves us a warning. What is this warning? The author keeps us in suspense until the very end. When Kyle finally finds the answers that he desperately wants, they are more shocking than he could have ever known.
0.4 is also known as Human.4 written by Mike Lancaster. It is a quick and dirty read. There is a sequel, 1.4, which I can't wait to read to see what might have happened to everyone.
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Apr 06, 2013 Josh rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: enriched-reading-semester-2-2013

It's a standard day in Millgrove, a small village where about 1,000 people live. Today is the yearly talent show, a wonderful time where people get to let out their mostly terrible talents. Ventriloquism, singing, instruments, and the main act of the year, Hypnotism. Kyle, Lilly, Mrs. O'Donnell, and Mr. Peterson volunteer for part of the act, little knowing that it would change everything, forever. While they are hypnotized something happens, they don't know it yet but humanity in itself would c...more It's a standard day in Millgrove, a small village where about 1,000 people live. Today is the yearly talent show, a wonderful time where people get to let out their mostly terrible talents. Ventriloquism, singing, instruments, and the main act of the year, Hypnotism. Kyle, Lilly, Mrs. O'Donnell, and Mr. Peterson volunteer for part of the act, little knowing that it would change everything, forever. While they are hypnotized something happens, they don't know it yet but humanity in itself would change. When they wake up they are still sitting in the chairs, everyone around them frozen in place, as if they had been frozen. Their heart still beat and they were still alive, but they didn't do anything. Some stopped while filming, some while drinking, some while running, all stopped by some unknown force. Mr. Peterson freaks out and goes crazy and Kyle, Lilly, and Kate O'Donnell then walk around the city, looking for someone that isn't frozen. After finding no one they go to Kate's house, the radio only had static, the television had a black screen, and when they turned on the computer to check the internet instead of having the regular Apple screen pop up at the start, there were symbols that was no language that the world ever knew, the symbols moved, side to side and the hooks jiggling. After that the people had began to move again, but there was something off about them, they remember nothing of being frozen, they all have the story that Kyle and his friends were woken up and everyone went home. Kyle told his parents what had happened and they didn't believe him, there was clearly something up. He later ran away with the shocking things that the doctor said to his parents stuck in his head, "He is one if the 0.4, take care of the issue, drug him if you have to." What was the 0.4? What is wrong with the people of the world? Why are they being hunted? You can find out by reading this book.
Characters:
Kyle Straker: the main character if the book. This book is written from his standpoint. He is a 15 year old guy and he always has a theory.
Lilly: 15 year old girl, Kyle's old girlfriend. The other main character. spunky, sometimes happy, gets frustrated easily.
Kate O'Donnell: Secondary character. Adult woman, no job specified. She always has an idea of what to do.
Ronald Peterson: Secondary character. Adult man, the postman for the city. His son and wife died. Somewhat crazy and does not respond well to problems. He claims that he could see what happened.
Danny: Kyle's friend. The boy who hypnotized them before, The event. A young magician as he calls himself.
What I thought:
The book was by one of the best ones I have read this year, I absolutely loved it. Te way he uses detail to describe things like "the glowing red aura seemed to dim around him as his face darkened." He absolutely grabbed me within just the first couple pages, It made me laugh my guts out at some points, and want to read my eyes out till the end of the book the next. The book truly captivates you. I found it extremely disappointing at the end, it just didn't end right. I read the first chapter of the next book in the series (the stuff they had on it in the book).I will definitely read it. I gave it the rating I did because I loved it.
Recommended for:
People that like stories of survival and suspense, it will keep you reading and suspecting what will happen next.(less)

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Feb 25, 2013 Skyla rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, dystopia, creepy, ghost, ya, sci-fi-fantasy

Find this review and more over at my blog:
http://happygolucky-skyla.blogspot.com/

WARNING

THIS DATA STORAGE UNIT, OR "BOOK", HAS BEEN DESIGNED TO REPROGRAM THE HUMAN BRAIN, ALLOWING IT TO REPLICATE THE LOST ART THAT WAS ONCE CALLED "READING". IT IS A SIMPLE ADJUSTMENT AND THERE WILL BE NO NEGATIVE OR HARMFUL EFFECTS FROM THIS PROCESS.

WHAT YOU ARE DOING: "READING" EXPLAINED

EACH SHEET IS INDELIBLY PRINTED WITH INFORMATION AND THE SHEETS ARE VISUALLY SCANNED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT, AND FROM TOP TO BOTT...more

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Jan 15, 2011 Bella (Cheezyfeet Books) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-debut-author-challenge, 2011-releases

Wow. This was such a good book. I devoured it, and read it all in one sitting. I couldn't stop.
From the very first page, I was hooked. By the second chapter or so, there was no way I was putting it down soon. I didn't expect to read it all though.
What did I love so much about it? I'm not really sure. It's probably one of the only sci-fi books I've read, so that for me was appealing because it's something new, something that isn't a paranormal romance. Don't get me wrong, I will always love and...more

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Apr 03, 2013 Elena rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was so..different.. it keeps you wondering what on earth is happening. I found everything really original.
The ending left me with a lot of questions and just wanting for more, so I can't wait for the second book.
I think this is deffinetely one of those books that the less you know about it, the better the experience of reading it will be.

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Feb 12, 2013 Sam rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well, it was a book. Not a very good book, even for a teen lit book. Interested to see where the book club ranks this. We will have some concepts to discuss at the minimum.

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Apr 11, 2013 Caitlin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone

Shelves: favorites, dystopia

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 13, 2013 Claudia Philipp rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Human.4 is an excellent book. When I laid my eyes on the book that caught my attention, I knew that this was going to be a different book. At first, I thought of that because of the odd looking cover but then I got in really deep, and it was worth it. This book starts of in a very different category than what the book ends in. A boy named Danny claims to be a hypnotist and it is believed after his 4 volunteers go up on stage as "dummies". After the wake up, something very strange happened. Every...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Jasmyne rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I like the history between the characters Lilly and Kyle. If I think really hard about it, everyone else seems kind of almost flat in comparison. But in the end, these two are your most main protagonists. The story is a bit dull at first, but that's typical for stories; the background information has to happen sometime and they do live in a boring town after all.

But the story does pick up a bit after they are hypnotized and the pacing is done well after that point to keep you curious and willing...more

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Jan 05, 2013 Dark Faerie Tales rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed-by-michelle

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: A science fiction thriller that brings you on an adventure so out-of-this world, you will question what is reality and what is not.

Opening Sentence: When Danny Birnie told us that he had hypnotized his sister we all thought he was mad.

The Review:

Human .4 by Mike A. Lancaster is a science fiction story that I will not forget. While I’ve read many in the same genre, there is something about Human.4 that stands out. It may be the suspenseful sc...more

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Jan 01, 2013 Yorkshiresoul rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I picked this up deliberately to be an easy read at a busy time of the year. The publisher's notes say it is aimed at the 11+ age group and the more discerning reader might find some of the details and the annotated commentaries on some aspects of modern life to be too obvious.

Lancaster presents the novel as the transcript of a tape recording, two now outmoded forms of media as humankind has moved on from its 21st century state of being.

0.4 feels unusual in younger readers fiction. Although it p...more

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Dec 14, 2012 William rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When I first took the book 0.4 out of the library, I was quickly taken prisoner to the contents of each page of the book. Surprisingly in just one sitting I had finished the book. I lost track of time while pushing myself into reaching the end of the book. 0.4 to me felt as a really fast paced book, the main plot had itself going right away. The beginning didn’t feel like it started out slow and the story development rose in a nice steady pace and kept on rising till the end.
So what got me so...more When I first took the book 0.4 out of the library, I was quickly taken prisoner to the contents of each page of the book. Surprisingly in just one sitting I had finished the book. I lost track of time while pushing myself into reaching the end of the book. 0.4 to me felt as a really fast paced book, the main plot had itself going right away. The beginning didn’t feel like it started out slow and the story development rose in a nice steady pace and kept on rising till the end.
So what got me so interested into this book? I guess it’s because this book was a little bit different to all the other ones I’ve read before. The idea of what the book was about seemed unoriginal at the start until it continues and finally at the end the idea blew my mind and I had to admit that it was a clever original idea. Like all the latest Sci-fi books such as The Hunger Games where there is a strong emphasise on love, 0.4 didn’t have that, there was no paranormal romance going on, which I enjoyed because I’ve gotten sick of the whole lovey-dovey stuff. I’m not saying that I don’t like reading books such as Hunger games, but it’s just sometimes I want to get out of the mainstream.
The author had the book formatted into a book of the future, telling a story of the past through tape recordings, like reading old annals in a city archive. Throughout the book it’s divided into different tape recordings telling the story of the protagonist. What amused me throughout these “tape recordings” was that there were written notes beside the contents of the story. These notes are references and beliefs of things in our world the world the book is directed to don’t know about and try to assume what they are. In the book the beginning and ending of the tape recordings are always being cut off because the author made the protagonist to be some idiot towards using technology and so readers never find out the missing end of each tape. I thought this was very clever because it always got me thinking of what happened with the protagonist. Thought I would never find out.
So if you’re a reader who is craving to find a book that is different and out of the mainstream from most sci-fi books today. I recommend you to try reading 0.4.
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Sep 21, 2012 Kimmy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

(I would give 3.5 stars if I could give half stars)

This is an e-book that I borrowed from the library. Here is the summary:

‘My name is Kyle Straker and I don’t exist any more.’ So begins the story of Kyle Straker, recorded on old audio tapes. You might think these tapes are a hoax. But perhaps they contain the history of a past world . . .If what the tapes say are true, it means that everything we think we know is a lie. And if everything is a lie does that mean that we are, too? Plug into a gri...more (I would give 3.5 stars if I could give half stars)

This is an e-book that I borrowed from the library. Here is the summary:

‘My name is Kyle Straker and I don’t exist any more.’ So begins the story of Kyle Straker, recorded on old audio tapes. You might think these tapes are a hoax. But perhaps they contain the history of a past world . . .If what the tapes say are true, it means that everything we think we know is a lie. And if everything is a lie does that mean that we are, too? Plug into a gripping new generation of sci-fi.

This was a very quick read. The reader is told at the beginning of the book that the text is transcribed from two audio tapes that have been discovered. The voice on the tape belongs to a teenager named Kyle Straker, a British teenager who is passing the time on his summer vacation with his friends: Simon, his best friend; Lily, Simon’s girlfriend and with whom Kyle has a history; and Danny, who Kyle notes is often the butt of his and Simon’s jokes.

The little village they live in is gearing up for its annual summer talent show. While Kyle has no interest in anything other than watching, their friend Danny tells them that he has successfully hypnotized his sister and, despite the skepticism of his friends, plans to do it at the talent show.

This is where things get very strange. I really don’t want to spoil it, so I will say that Kyle, Lily, and two others volunteer to e hypnotized by Danny during the talent show, and when they wake up, their entire world has changed.

I was initially a little freaked out by what had happened when Kyle and the others came to. It was one of those sci-fi things that, when I tried to imagine myself in that world, gave me the creeps. But it makes for a good book! The rest of the book is about Kyle and the others trying to figure out what happened to everyone, and it was not what I thought it would be.

I don’t read much sci-fi, and I really liked the ideas in this book. It was very different from what I usually read, and I thought it was really imaginative. I liked it a lot. I also liked the idea of the book coming from the tapes Kyle recorded. It made me wonder where and when he recorded them, why he had to make sure to do that.

I also enjoyed the way the person transcribing the tapes would occasionally interject notes on the text, providing explanations for things that Kyle mentions such as reality television and Teletubbies. While humorous, this also indicated that whoever was transcribing the tapes was from a future time period and Kyle’s narrative was from a past time. It also became apparent that, in this future, Kyle’s tapes (known as ‘The Straker Tapes’) were a subject of much academic research and discussion.

The one thing that I felt was a bit lacking in the book was that I didn’t really feel like I knew any of the characters. Kyle told us a bit about his family and his past with Lily, but I didn’t feel as though I actually learned much, if anything, about the rest of the characters, which was a bit disappointing.

Overall, though, this was a fun read. There is a sequel, 1.4, which I would really like to read. It’s available at my library (not in e-book format, unfortunately), and I will definitely be placing my name on the hold list for that one! If you like science fiction, I recommend this book.

(From http://pingwings.ca)(less)

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Sep 19, 2012 Kindsofbooks rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sans mentir .. Deuxième coup de coeur pour de la science-fiction? Moi qui ne conaissais pas trop ce genre, je suis agréablement surprise.. et je dois dire que je commence à adorer ça!

Avec 0.4 j’ai été transportée dans un univers pas possible, si je puis m’exprimer ainsi. “Quoi? Des adolescents qui se réveillent dans un monde changé? C’est quoi ce truc?” Voilà ce que je me suis dit. Et me voilà embarquée dans une histoire flippante et addictive à la fois.

Le premier point fort de ce roman, c’est s...more Sans mentir .. Deuxième coup de coeur pour de la science-fiction? Moi qui ne conaissais pas trop ce genre, je suis agréablement surprise.. et je dois dire que je commence à adorer ça!

Avec 0.4 j’ai été transportée dans un univers pas possible, si je puis m’exprimer ainsi. “Quoi? Des adolescents qui se réveillent dans un monde changé? C’est quoi ce truc?” Voilà ce que je me suis dit. Et me voilà embarquée dans une histoire flippante et addictive à la fois.

Le premier point fort de ce roman, c’est sans aucun doute son originalité. Je plante l’histoire; Kyle Straker, un adolescent banal, va se faire hypnotiser dans un cirque par quelqu’un qu’il ne connaît que très moyennement. Cependant, ce qui ne devait être qu’au début qu’une expérience amusante, va tourner au drame.. Dès leur réveil! Ces 4 personnes vont se retrouver face à un évenement qu’ils ne peuvent pas contrôler. Il ne leur reste plus qu’à découvrir l’origine de cette bizarrerie, et là commence leur aventure..

Alors autant vous dire de suite que ces 255 pages se dévorent d’une traite? Alors pourquoi?
Dans notre quête de la vérité avec ces 4 adolescents, des évènements qui contribuent à cette bizarrerie ne cessent de se produire, tout au long du livre.. Forcément, chaque élément nous intrigue, et nous avons de suite envie de connaître la suite! De plus, chaque évènement contribue à nous mettre, nous, le lecteur, dans un état de stress, tant les évènements sont étranges. Eh oui!!

La surprise se révèle donc énorme (du moins, pour moi), car nous ne la voyons pas venir. Arrivée à la fin, je ne pouvais littéralement pas en croire mes yeux! Je fus donc surprise, voire même choquée! Et c’est ce qui a fait de ce roman un coup de coeur pour moi..

Cependant, j’ai quelques petites choses à reprocher au roman, qui sont presques toutes justifiées!
Premièrement, les personnages ne sont pas très consistants. Peut-être à cause du nombre de page insuffisant? En effet, nous nous concentrons uniquement sur le “pourquoi du comment” dans ce livre, et ne nous attardons pas tellement sur les personnages qui passent un peu au second plan. Mais pour moi, qui était à fond, ça ne m’a pas dérangé. Peut-être que dans le tome 2 qui, je l’espère, sortira bientôt, nous apprendrons à les connaître mieux!

Ah, l’autre chose que je reproche?? POURQUOI LE TOME 2 N’EST PAS ENCORE SORTI? Alors là, il est presque impossible pour moi d’attendre. La fin de ce livre m’a tellement laissée de marbre que je ne puis attendre.. Une chose est sûre, je me ruerai sur le tome 2 dès qu’il sortira en France!

Et enfin, dernière petite chose.. Je suis juste dégoûté que la couverture V.O. n’ai pas été réeutilisée pour la couverture V.F. .. Pour ceux qui ont lu le roman, elle colle tellement bien à l’histoire! De plus, je la trouve magnifique …
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Jun 12, 2012 Liviania rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I thought HUMAN.4 was dystopian lit when I began. I think I had it confused with I AM NUMBER FOUR. (I may have also been misled by the current dystopian fad.) I'll cop to not being the biggest fan of dystopias. What is HUMAN.4? I suspect you'll hear many different answers. I'd call it a classic SF/horror story, in the vein of The Twilight Zone. (At times I got a distinct "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street" vibe. YouTube video for those unfamiliar with the classic episode.) Mike A. Lancaster d...more I thought HUMAN.4 was dystopian lit when I began. I think I had it confused with I AM NUMBER FOUR. (I may have also been misled by the current dystopian fad.) I'll cop to not being the biggest fan of dystopias. What is HUMAN.4? I suspect you'll hear many different answers. I'd call it a classic SF/horror story, in the vein of The Twilight Zone. (At times I got a distinct "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street" vibe. YouTube video for those unfamiliar with the classic episode.) Mike A. Lancaster does make some interesting framing decisions that help make HUMAN.4 unique.

HUMAN.4 is told by Kyle Straker, who is recording himself on a set of cassette tapes three months after the events of the story. The events are transcribed by the future humans who find the tapes. The transcription is filled with notes about academic analysis of the tapes - what do certain terms mean? What do Kyle's pauses mean? I found the notes about the pauses and about the changes in Kyle's narrative direction to be interesting. They both shaped the way I viewed the story and gave good insight into how people think in the future of HUMAN.4. The notes about terms were sometimes clever, but more often distracting.

I thought the cassette tape format reinforced the themes of the novel both overtly and subtly. Kyle is unfamiliar with recording on cassettes, so the last words of each part are forgotten. The action occurs in our present. I'm only 22, but Kyle is enough younger than me that a technology I grew up with is obsolete for him. I'm not pretending I was born before CDs; just before CD-Rs. My sister and I would go about the house, using our cheap red and white plastic tape recorder to tape songs we improvised. (My most popular tune was one involving the lines, "You better snap/that weight off!" Unsurprising, I have not grown up to be a lyricist.) In HUMAN.4, Kyle and three of his neighbors become obsolete through an ill-timed hypnosis act. But our everyday lives will become obsolete without help from any outlandish occurances. It's that grounding in reality that really sells the more horrific bits of HUMAN.4.

There's a small romance in the novel. It shouldn't put any male readers off, but it's nicely nuanced and unobtrusive. I rather liked Lisa, who seemed like a good girl. The other two 0.4 don't have much to do, but they're amiable enough characters. Mr. Peterson gets one amazing scene. HUMAN.4 covers a short amount of time - less than a day - so there is not much focus on character development. But there is enough character to carry the story. You want Kyle, Lisa, Mrs. O'Donnell, and Mr. Peterson to survive. (After all, you're only guaranteed that Kyle survives for three months.)

I read HUMAN.4 in about an hour. I intended to start it during the commercials of ABC's comedy block. I finished it before the second episode of The Middle finished. (Admittedly, the second episode was a re-run, but the book would've held my attention without that push.) In less than 250 pages, Lancaster reminded me how much I love a suspenseful story with a SF twist. (You'll notice I haven't said much about the plot. That's because I'm afraid to give anything away. I enjoy experiencing books cold and I worry about spoiling an experience this fun.)

I don't have a seal of approval, but let's ignore that so that I can say this. HUMAN.4 gets the In Bed With Books Seal of Approval. (Complimentary gift basket not included.) (less)

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May 29, 2012 Stefanie Price rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I don't know what to make of this. I enjoyed it, sure. But it felt like it was only skimming the surface of the plot premise, the characters, the impact of the upgrade of humanity (sorry, I won't do any more spoilers!). But I can hardly hold this as a criticism when the book is meant to be looking back over some found audiotape artifacts, and speculated upon from an antique-enthusiast's point of view. It is deliberately vague, and this does imbibe an air of mystery about the peculiar goings on w...more

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May 08, 2012 Chienying Yu rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 21, 2012 Leanna rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mysterious, fantastical-supernatural, a-distant-future

NOTE: 2. The proverb "many a slip..." is unlikely to have ever originated from the sport of golf, and is more likely to do with the way primitive humans used to drink by raising a drinking vessel (or cup) to the mouth (which used to feature 'lips', or movable organs that fringed the mouth and were used for assisting eating, for rudimentary sensing, and for speech formation.) See Bathgate's "Vestiges of Barbarism: What Our Bodies Used To Be".

The second I read this part, which was on page 87, I al...more

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Apr 15, 2012 Kam rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book... how to describe this book. I don't know. I guess I just loved the way it was written. The Editor's Notes were all hilarious, but also kind of... I don't know. Obviously, I am struggling on how to describe this thing. Humph. I'm really not good at this... *sigh* Ok, one last shot, then I'm giving up.

This book is a written down version of some 'tapes' found. It is set far in the future, and I would describe it as dystopian for sure. Throughout the 'recording', there are Editor's Notes...more

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Apr 02, 2012 Hanna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

0.4 habe ich mir letzten Monat zugelegt, da mich die vielen positiven Rezensionen überzeugt hatten. Ich wollte mir eh mal wieder ein Buch von eigenem Geld kaufen und dann stand 0.4 im Regal meiner Buchhandlung und *schwups* hatte ich es in der Hand und bezahlt :)

Und ich bereue es auf keinen Fall. Schon Tote Mädchen lügen nicht hat mich mit Konzept der Kassettenaufnahmen vollkommen überzeugt, und Lancaster ist das fast genauso gut gelungen wie Jay Asher.
Man hat einfach von Anfang an eine innigere...more 0.4 habe ich mir letzten Monat zugelegt, da mich die vielen positiven Rezensionen überzeugt hatten. Ich wollte mir eh mal wieder ein Buch von eigenem Geld kaufen und dann stand 0.4 im Regal meiner Buchhandlung und *schwups* hatte ich es in der Hand und bezahlt :)

Und ich bereue es auf keinen Fall. Schon Tote Mädchen lügen nicht hat mich mit Konzept der Kassettenaufnahmen vollkommen überzeugt, und Lancaster ist das fast genauso gut gelungen wie Jay Asher.
Man hat einfach von Anfang an eine innigere Beziehung zum Hauptprotagonisten, in diesem Fall Kyle, da er aus seiner Sicht erzählt, aber intensiver, als wäre das Buch einfach aus Ich-Perspektive geschrieben. Man fühlt mit Kyle, als sich seine Welt so schlagartig ändert und eigentlich nichts mehr ist, wie vorher, nur weil er hypnotisiert war, als die Menschen sozusagen upgegradet wurden. Es ist schon eine schwierige Vorstellungen, dass das menschliche Gehirn eigentlich eine Software ist, ich kann Kyles Ungläubigkeit sehr gut nachvollziehen.

Besonders lustig fand ich immer die Anmerkungen des Herausgebers, der sich selbst als einer der upgegradeten Menschen darstellte, als als ein 1.0er, da die 1.0er ja überhaupt nicht verstehen, was es für Begriffe in ihrer alten Welt gab. Ziemlich amüsant, dass sie sich zusammenreimen, die Teletubbies seien Götter und Göttinen, die fast ausschließlich von Kindern verehrt wurden. Oder dass die neue Softwareversion der Menschen nicht verstand, wie sich Tiere und Insekten im Körper einnisten, obwohl Kyle doch nur seine Gefühle veranschaulichen wollte.

Dadurch, dass Lancaster die Geschichte aus Kyles Augen geschildert hat, war es ihm ermöglicht, einen lockeren, jugendhaften Stil an den Tag zu lesen, mit dessen Hilfe man das Buch schon nach kürzester Zeit durch hat und gar nicht merkt, wie die Zeit verfliegt. Dazu trägt natürlich auch die Spannung bei und die fortwährende Frage, was denn nun mit den restlichen menschen passiert ist, da man sich darauf einfach keinen Reim machen kann, da Lancaster mit 0.4 eine völlig neuwertige Idee verarbeitet hat. Der Autor spannt seine Leser wirklich lange genug auf die Folter, weshalb man das Buch einfach nicht aus der Hand legen kann.

Der einzige Minuspunkt, den ich vergeben kann, ist auch den Kassetten zuzuschreiben. Zwar mag ich diese Idee wirklich gern, aber es gibt auch Probleme mit der Umsetzung. Denn die Handlung ist einfach nacherzählt. Es ist nicht, als würde man einfach im Präteritum schreiben, sondern einfach eine Nacherzählung machen. Man fühlt sich nicht hautnah dabei, weil man einfach weiß: das ist schon passiert und Kyle erzählt das einfach aus seiner Sicht nochmal. Darin liegt bei mir das Problem.
Fazit

Aber alles in allem hat mird diese Dystopie sehr gut gefallen, ich bin froh, auf die ganzen positiven, begeisterten Rezensionen gehört zu haben und kann das Buch wirklich jedem empfehlen, der ein Herz für Neues und Dystopien besitzt. (less)

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Feb 06, 2012 Tessa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Un avis très mitigé pour ce livre qui nous présente 4 “survivants” au milieu de leurs voisins et famille qui leur sont devenus complètement étrangers. Ils se sont fait hypnotisés et à leur réveil, tout le monde a changé, sauf eux, la question est de savoir pourquoi.

Les personnages ne sont malheureusement pas assez développés. On n’en apprend pas assez sur eux et ils en deviennent limite clichés. Deux hommes, deux femmes, deux adultes, deux enfants, les uns complétant les autres. Même si au début...more Un avis très mitigé pour ce livre qui nous présente 4 “survivants” au milieu de leurs voisins et famille qui leur sont devenus complètement étrangers. Ils se sont fait hypnotisés et à leur réveil, tout le monde a changé, sauf eux, la question est de savoir pourquoi.

Les personnages ne sont malheureusement pas assez développés. On n’en apprend pas assez sur eux et ils en deviennent limite clichés. Deux hommes, deux femmes, deux adultes, deux enfants, les uns complétant les autres. Même si au début ils apparaissent atypiques, ils deviennent vite plats, hormis peut être le héros Kyle qui est le narrateur.

Les annotations au milieu du discours de Kyle, censés expliquer certains mots qu’il utilise, sont au début déroutantes car on ne comprend pas le pourquoi du comment. Elles expliquent des termes qui nous sont familier de façon totalement étrangère, comme si un mot courant pour nous n’était plus utilisé par la personne ayant annoté le texte. Certes, cela soulève justement la question d’où elles viennent et qui les a ajoutées au texte mais on ne comprend d’où elles viennent que vers la deuxième moitié du livre et c’est donc assez gênant pour la lecture.

L’auteur arrive tout de même assez bien à nous perdre sur différentes pistes au fil des réflexions des survivants. Il faudra attendre les deux-tiers du livre pour comprendre de quoi il retourne et c’est assez surprenant!

J’ai vraiment beaucoup aimé ce dénouement (pourquoi les autres sont devenus des “étrangers”), le principe est vraiment original et bien trouvé mais malheureusement trop peu exploité. Si le sujet avait été plus poussé, ce livre aurait pu facilement devenir une référence de la science-fiction.

En résumé, voilà une histoire mêlant avec brio réalisme et science-fiction, mais le concept est peu développé et l’histoire trop courte. Ce livre, qui aurait pu nous troubler au point de nous poser des questions sur notre réalité, nous laisse sur notre faim/fin.(less)

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Jan 19, 2012 Stacy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: cyprus-book-club

I thought that the book was a gripping and successful thriller. I actually read the book during my lunch break and finished it in two days.

Semi spoiler alert:

However, I do think there were some flaws. I felt that the characterization of the human 1.0 was inconsistent. They seemed like mindless zombies--they had limited emotions and purged their houses of "old" technology. With this information, it seems very implausible that they would care about collecting "antiques" as mentioned in the epilogu...more

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Jan 08, 2012 Karina Halle rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Terrific concept muddled by poor execution.

Mike Lancaster has provided a quick, entertaining read here...unfortunately the overtly gimmicky premise is brought down by flat characters. If you can't relate or invest in the main character (Kyle Straker) or any of the supporting ones, then you lose what's at stake. And if you lose what's at stake, the drama and conflict never rise to where they should be. If Lancaster had infused some realistic and fully fleshed-out characters, spent some more time...more

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Dec 18, 2011 Suzanne rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: peach-consideration

Wanted to like it more. Wanted it to be "chilling" as its jacket flap advertises, but no such chills or thrills materialized.

Premise: what if we, like computers, can be auto-updated? What if a small percentage of people missed out on crucial system reboots and became a lower form of life all at once, in the blink of an eye? What if you got left behind while really you were still there all along?

That's what happens to Kyle and his crush and friend's girl Lilly when they and two adults from their...more

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Aug 12, 2011 Angie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I picked up Human.4 not quite knowing what to expect and was pleasantly surprised. The story kept me engaged and before I knew it, I finished the book in a few hours (it's short). It was also an added treat to find out the book is set in England. You may as well know now, I am an anglophile. Anyway...

It's rare that a book comes out for young adults that truly represents the sci-fi genre. No vampires, fairies, or amazonian girls skilled in weaponry, etc. Just science fiction. The oldest thing you...more

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Human.4 (Point 4 #1)

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