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27th out of 28 books
—
17 voters
Sparrow Rock
by
Nate Kenyon (Goodreads Author)
Six high school students have survived nuclear war in a high-tech bomb shelter, but they're not alone. Mutated insects are hungry and the human survivors are the only prey.
Mass Market Paperback, 322 pages
Published
April 27th 2010
by Leisure Books
(first published April 24th 2010)
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When I first started this novel, I thought it was just going to be another apocalyptic novel like Domain by James Herbert. This is absolutely not a bad thing. I love apocalyptic stuff, but Kenyon takes the apocalypse to a new level of horror. The nuclear blasts are just the beginning. For a group of friends in their late teens, luck could not have been kinder to them, for they had decided to get high in a bomb shelter when all hell breaks loose. Then, things start to get very strange and unexpec...more
Sparrow Rock is a post apocalyptic tale that incorporates a nuclear attack and a biologically enhanced second wave. I’ve read a few post apocalyptic books and this one seems to capture the essence of what it would be like given the circumstances.
The characters are teens who go off to get stoned in the newly finished bomb shelter. The parents of one of the teens had it built. If fate was a lottery, these kids hit big—at least to begin with. They close the hatch and wait it out for a month. In tha...more
The characters are teens who go off to get stoned in the newly finished bomb shelter. The parents of one of the teens had it built. If fate was a lottery, these kids hit big—at least to begin with. They close the hatch and wait it out for a month. In tha...more
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After reading the first view pages I was not very enthusiastic to continue reading. The plot sounded too familiar and used to me. But, as a rule, I read every book to its end, and Sparrow Rock is one of those books that reward the effort and get better with every turned page. Step by step, the story reveals more depth and complexity and proves that it is far more than your average 'day after' monster-horror scenario. As we get more familiar and sympathetic with the narrator, his background, his...more
WOW, what can I say?! I enjoyed this book, it was a super read. Good characters, good plot, original, scary, shocking.
I love this genre and I love Nate Kenyon. If you crave good horror, read this book. Funny, scary, thoughtful, tight. You want to read this book!
I love this genre and I love Nate Kenyon. If you crave good horror, read this book. Funny, scary, thoughtful, tight. You want to read this book!
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4 AND 1/2 STARS.
Sparrow Rock is one of top releases in horror for 2010. It has crawled its way into my top 5 books for the year and is, so far, the crowning achievement of author Nate Kenyon. While Kenyon's past work was always technically well written, I always thought his weakness was the story, which for me, is the most important. I was thrilled to discover that the story of Sparrow Rock succeeded on almost every level.
With tremendous conviction, originality, and chock full of scares, autho...more
Sparrow Rock is one of top releases in horror for 2010. It has crawled its way into my top 5 books for the year and is, so far, the crowning achievement of author Nate Kenyon. While Kenyon's past work was always technically well written, I always thought his weakness was the story, which for me, is the most important. I was thrilled to discover that the story of Sparrow Rock succeeded on almost every level.
With tremendous conviction, originality, and chock full of scares, autho...more
A group of high school kids looking for a secluded area where they can get drunk and party get more than they bargained for. Hiding away in a newly built bomb shelter, they hear noises overhead. When they go to check things out, the kids realize that the world as they know it is gone. They have to grow up quickly, as they have some major decisions ahead of them. Not only have they most likely lost their families, but other beings are hunting them. Whomever caused this catastrophe doesn't appear...more
Pete, Jimmie, Dan. Tessa, Big Sue and Jay are good friends. They all take off in Jimmie’s car for Sparrow Island. They arrive at Big Sue’s Grandpa’s cabin. Suddenly out of no where the building shakes. In the sky are bright lights. The gang thinks it is a nuclear blast. They seal themselves down in the basement.
Days go by. Then when the gang thinks it might be safe, they hear a starching noise. There is a tunnel and inside the tunnel are rats. One of the rats attacks Jimmie.
Jay was scratched d...more
Days go by. Then when the gang thinks it might be safe, they hear a starching noise. There is a tunnel and inside the tunnel are rats. One of the rats attacks Jimmie.
Jay was scratched d...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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As a Scotsman I love a freebie. So it was with the same gusto as an Aberdonian at a wedding scramble that I picked up Sparrow Rock the fourth leisure release by Nate Kenyon. He was giving away free PDF's of this book to stir up interest in it, by asking those who took a copy to publish a review. Hopefully for him this has paid off and brought in may new readers, certainly the buzz doing the rounds on the message boards I frequent is very positive and the review from my favourite and most trusted...more
Also got this free, like others here, which was a cool introduction to the writing of Nate Kenyon. I started reading it at work and kept sneaking back to it throughout the day. Having a special squeamishness for insects, I didn't finish it that night so as to cunningly avoid nightmares, but that just meant I had to keep reading it on more breaks at work the next day. Finally I just gave up and took an hour or so off that afternoon so I could finish it. What did I enjoy about it? The pace. The sh...more
Post apocalyptic novels have come a long ways since the 50s and 60s. The writer can no longer get away with just one of two nuclear bombs. In the early 60s we were naive. The schools were still teaching "duck and cover" when On The Beach, Fail-Safe and Alas Babylon were published. Nowadays those novels seems as naive as "duck and cover". Little did we know that we really should be worrying about zombie epidemics, bio-chemical holocausts, and mind-controlling insects.
Nat Kenyon's Sparrow Rock sta...more
Nat Kenyon's Sparrow Rock sta...more
First off let me say that I really wanted to love this book because I got it free from the author like a lot of other people.That said I have to say that I only thought it OK.I have a hard time caring for characters who I don't really like very much and I didn't like the main character much.Yes,at times,I did feel compassion for him because of what he went through with his family before the big event but that doesn't mean that I thought he was a very worthwhile individual.And the big 'Oh.So that...more
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Nate Kenyon’s Sparrow Rock grips readers from the very beginning and throws them into the mix of this post-apocalyptic scene with six teenagers, who supposedly lucked out being in a bomb shelter when the world exploded around them. The horror is spine-tingling and creepy with deadly engineered insects rising out of the ash. Sparrow Rock is definitely not for the faint of heart. Told through Pete’s view point, the novels entwines the reader into the conspiracy of why this is happening to these te...more
OH MY GOD!!!!! I wouldn't lessen this book by using only the short hand version! I received my free book what else!?! "Sparrow Rock", earlier this evening and just got finished with it. It was phenomenal to say the least. Except for stopping for supper(which I ate at my computer) and a bathroom break, I couldn't stop reading it. I absolutely LOVED it! The plot line only stopped long enough for you to catch your breath before it hit you with another surprise. I kept my hand over my open mouth the...more
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I was lucky enough to be offered a free copy of this author's book and I'm pleased to say I've enjoyed it.
Sparrow Rock is the story of a group of teens suddenly facing first a nuclear blast and then a terrible second wave while living in a bomb shelter. Suddenly faced with a post apocalyptic world literal minutes or hours after settling into one of the girls' grandfathers' shelter the group goes through a great deal of stress and anxiety as they attempt to understand what's going on.
Unaware of...more
Sparrow Rock is the story of a group of teens suddenly facing first a nuclear blast and then a terrible second wave while living in a bomb shelter. Suddenly faced with a post apocalyptic world literal minutes or hours after settling into one of the girls' grandfathers' shelter the group goes through a great deal of stress and anxiety as they attempt to understand what's going on.
Unaware of...more
"Sparrow Rock" was a fascinating read. Much of the brilliance of it comes undeniably from the gung-ho writing style. Without hesitation, Nate Kenyon manages to pull readers into the story from the first sentence, creating a sense of intrigue and mystery right from the start.
As the story unfolds, Kenyon keeps throwing new little tidbits in the mix the become increasingly creepier, creating a brooding atmosphere of doom and inevitability that will give you chills.
With characters that are tangible...more
As the story unfolds, Kenyon keeps throwing new little tidbits in the mix the become increasingly creepier, creating a brooding atmosphere of doom and inevitability that will give you chills.
With characters that are tangible...more
Posted to Amazon.com:
Having the electronic version of this story was maddening. I am usually a read-in-bed kind of guy and am only now getting into reading stories on my iPhone via Kindle. I'm still not to the point where I'm ready to take my iPhone to bed with me as I still have a TON of books sitting on my nightstand. Anyway, I read this on my PC and by midway through the book, I was mad that I didn't have a paper copy to take to bed so I could see what happened next. This story definitely app...more
Having the electronic version of this story was maddening. I am usually a read-in-bed kind of guy and am only now getting into reading stories on my iPhone via Kindle. I'm still not to the point where I'm ready to take my iPhone to bed with me as I still have a TON of books sitting on my nightstand. Anyway, I read this on my PC and by midway through the book, I was mad that I didn't have a paper copy to take to bed so I could see what happened next. This story definitely app...more
A post-apocalyptic horror that really spooked me...that's what Sparrow Rock was!
I was already a fan of Nate's work so I was excited to be able to read this one. The premise of the book was something that yes, we've seen before but it was original in the writing. Nate Kenyon has a way of spinning tales that really freak you out, and if you were a kid, these are things that would haunt your nightmares.
It totally scared me and made me think all at one time. (the end of the world type books and movi...more
I was already a fan of Nate's work so I was excited to be able to read this one. The premise of the book was something that yes, we've seen before but it was original in the writing. Nate Kenyon has a way of spinning tales that really freak you out, and if you were a kid, these are things that would haunt your nightmares.
It totally scared me and made me think all at one time. (the end of the world type books and movi...more
this is a good story. unlike some others, i purchased this in missouri, on vacation. looked interesting. it is. 1st person narration...and i spose one should expect that all is not going to be viewed objectively, whatever that means.
even early on, tessa seemed different and there's a reason for that...the explanation comes late in the story and for that, i thought i was rooked, or castled, or like all of my checkers just got jumped and i'm out.
all in all, a very gripping story. a few things hap...more
even early on, tessa seemed different and there's a reason for that...the explanation comes late in the story and for that, i thought i was rooked, or castled, or like all of my checkers just got jumped and i'm out.
all in all, a very gripping story. a few things hap...more
A very original, highly fascinating and suspenseful take on the apocalypse. This is the first book I've read by Nate Kenyon, and I am very impressed. His characterization and writing style are great. This book could have been longer, for sure, I felt that the ending was a little abrupt. Leisure Books has a length limit, which I feel is kind of petty and cheap of them to enforce on their authors. While keeping the books at around 320 pages works for some stories and helps some authors cut away th...more
Nate Kenyon's written a good one--a don't-wanna-put-it-down thriller that grabs you from the gut. Sparrow Rock has shades of The Stand, The Ruins, and World War Z but manages to stand on its own as something wholly different. The characters are well fleshed out and believable, living in a late-adolescent world that everyone can relate to (minus the bomb shelter, probably, unless you were super cool). The fact that the world is falling down around them and yet they can't hold back on their person...more
WOW!
Thank you for bringing the thriller genre back!
I greately enjoyed this book, Fantstic! Awesome characters and plot, well developed. Thank you Nate for resorting my faith in thrillers, can't wait to read other books by you!
Thank you for bringing the thriller genre back!
I greately enjoyed this book, Fantstic! Awesome characters and plot, well developed. Thank you Nate for resorting my faith in thrillers, can't wait to read other books by you!
LOVED IT!!i got the free one too and since i loooove the "everybody but us is dead" kind of books i expected to enjoy it, what i didn't expect was to read it with no pause (i ate while reading and well you know...) the characters where human not the perfect hero who has all the answers or the beautiful heroine who finds eternal love or something
the "monsters" though what can i say...i Hate-Fear any buglike thing and the book just creeped-scared the hell out of me!even thinking about it makes me...more
the "monsters" though what can i say...i Hate-Fear any buglike thing and the book just creeped-scared the hell out of me!even thinking about it makes me...more
Sparrow Rock by Nate Kenyon is an outstanding end-of-the world novel. Following a nuclear holocaust, a group of teenagers find themselves (fortunately) in a fallout shelter, and struggle to survive. However, things aren't quite what they seem, and the situation turns from bad to worse.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book from beginning to end, and particularly enjoyed all the twists and turns as the story progressed. While reading this book outdoors, right at a critical moment in the story, a bug chos...more
I thoroughly enjoyed this book from beginning to end, and particularly enjoyed all the twists and turns as the story progressed. While reading this book outdoors, right at a critical moment in the story, a bug chos...more
Overall I really enjoyed this book. At times it was gruesome and creepy, but you expect that from a horror novel. I was completely ready to suspend belief for this book, and mostly it was an enjoyable read once you get past the "coincidences". But the "revelation" at the end was a little too much. The book would have been just fine without throwing that in there, and ultimately most readers will feel betrayed, even the ones who smelled something fishy about the way certain things were worded.
But...more
But...more
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If good horror fiction evokes a genuine sense of dread, then Nate Kenyon’s Sparrow Rock is excellent horror fiction. And be forewarned: The sense of dread you experience while reading it may be enough to send you climbing up the back of your favorite reading chair. Relentless in its intensity, agonizing in its heartbreak, Sparrow Rock is easily one of the most effective and satisfying novels of dark fiction you’re likely to read this year.
Read the rest of the review here.
Read the rest of the review here.
In SPARROW ROCK by Nate Kenyon, teenagers break into a bomb shelter to party. Suddenly the world ends outside, trapping them inside and making them prey for creatures emerging from the atomic ash. I finished it with mixed feelings. It is extremely well written, and overall I enjoyed it. Kenyon is a writer who knows his craft. It felt real despite some weird plotting. The monsters were truly repulsive and terrifying. However, the main character was a bit too emo and unlikable for me. I found the...more
My Opinion:
Awesomely, written. Like so great, I give a hat off to Nate. Every book I have read which this one makes 3 is just awesome. Fantastic! I am a total sucker for his books. Now I know the second I pick up his book and start to read, nothing else is going to get done. This horror tale of these kids trying to survive in the bomb shelter is scary and just so well written that I just couldn’t put this book down and spent most of the day reading it just because I had to know. I don’t want to...more
Awesomely, written. Like so great, I give a hat off to Nate. Every book I have read which this one makes 3 is just awesome. Fantastic! I am a total sucker for his books. Now I know the second I pick up his book and start to read, nothing else is going to get done. This horror tale of these kids trying to survive in the bomb shelter is scary and just so well written that I just couldn’t put this book down and spent most of the day reading it just because I had to know. I don’t want to...more
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Nate Kenyon grew up in a small town in Maine. His first novel, Bloodstone, received raves from places as varied as Library Journal, Fangoria, Publishers Weekly, about.com, Cemetery Dance and The Romance Studio, and praise from authors such as Brian Keene, Tim Lebbon, Douglas Clegg, Mort Castle and Rick Hautala. Bloodstone was a Bram Stoker Award finalist and and P&E Novel of the Year Award win...more
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“Everyone you have ever loved in your life becomes a part of your soul. They never leave. They're always inside you, and you can bring them out whenever you want.”
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