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Unity
Something is missing in young Jonah Gates. He doesn't mix or make friends. When his older brother dies tragically of rabies young Jonah finds something to fill the vacuum within him…viruses. His fascination with the viral world grows with the years and he lands a top job working on a highly secret government bio-project. But something dark has accompanied Jonah through the years to adulthood…obsession. Obsession with beautiful girls. When he lays eyes on actress Mary Leydon he is smitten. When she spurns him he cannot purge her from his mind. Jonah is determined to have Mary all to himself. And he is willing to unleash Armageddon to get her…
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 29, 2015
168 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 15, 2024
Really enjoyed this novel. This book it's under 250 pages and it focus on two characters. The first part it focus on a guy whilst the second part a female.
So, we've got this character who is a bit of a weirdo, that has all traits of a psychopath who can't really connect to anyone. He had a difficult childhood with her mother leaving, his both brothers dying when he was under 6/7 and his father having a drinking habit. He was enamoured with virus and bacterias reading all he could since he was very young. This made him quite unpopular as you may imagine. He becomes a virologist and although he has some problems he was recruited to a project with a bacteria that could change everything (a cure for everything). Meanwhile he meets a girl and becomes very enamoured with her doing some really weird stalky things that were so bad that had really bad repercussions on him. Since he couldn't really date her (she was a actress who follow up with her life) and so, when a Islamic terrorist comes to him paying for a really fvck-up virus \bacteria he goes fully batman (not the character) as at daytime he made the cure-for-all and by night the end-of-all.
Afterwards he release the plague worldwide and the vast majority of people dies - then the second part starts and we change protagonist to the woman he is in love. Both parts are pretty good. Not going to dwell more on the tale but I Really enjoy it - even the ending. 82/100
So, we've got this character who is a bit of a weirdo, that has all traits of a psychopath who can't really connect to anyone. He had a difficult childhood with her mother leaving, his both brothers dying when he was under 6/7 and his father having a drinking habit. He was enamoured with virus and bacterias reading all he could since he was very young. This made him quite unpopular as you may imagine. He becomes a virologist and although he has some problems he was recruited to a project with a bacteria that could change everything (a cure for everything). Meanwhile he meets a girl and becomes very enamoured with her doing some really weird stalky things that were so bad that had really bad repercussions on him. Since he couldn't really date her (she was a actress who follow up with her life) and so, when a Islamic terrorist comes to him paying for a really fvck-up virus \bacteria he goes fully batman (not the character) as at daytime he made the cure-for-all and by night the end-of-all.
Afterwards he release the plague worldwide and the vast majority of people dies - then the second part starts and we change protagonist to the woman he is in love. Both parts are pretty good. Not going to dwell more on the tale but I Really enjoy it - even the ending. 82/100
January 21, 2024
Unity by John Leahy offers a captivating and unexpected journey into the disturbing psyche of Jonah Gates, a man wielding world-ending power. The narrative delves into the consequences of an incel armed with the means to seek revenge on the entire world, presenting a chilling exploration of human depravity.
Jonah Gates had a hard lot in life. Coming from a family where his mother abandoned them, his twin older brothers died, and his father fell into alcoholism, Jonah was left completely alone. However, despite the fact that he was always an odd child with some concerning behaviors, he was not without ambition. After one of his brother dies from rabies, Jonah becomes utterly fascinated with the concept of viruses, and at the age of 9, decides to devote his life to studying them. And study them he does, through high school, college, and graduate school, he focuses on almost nothing else other than studying virology. Almost nothing else... because Jonah has a nasty habit of becoming overly obsessed with particular women. From high school through adulthood, Jonah continually gets into trouble with the law for his inappropriate stalking, obsessive behaviors towards specific women he takes an interest in. After being approached by a government organization to be at the forefront of exterminating viruses in all of humanity, Jonah is set to eventually become the hero of the world, once the project is planned to finish in 10 years. But then he meets Mary, an up and coming actress that becomes the latest obsessive project of Jonah, and will remain so for the rest of his life. What follows is a world-ending, explosive series of events that illustrate the depths of Jonah's obssession and the lengths he will go to in order to not only get what he wants, but to prevent anyone and everyone from standing in his way. And Mary is seemingly the only one who can stop him.
"Unity" succeeds in delivering a horrifying experience, unabashedly exploring the depths of Jonah's twisted mind and his heinous actions, including rape, violence, and murder. The narrative skillfully navigates the descent into madness, achieving its goal of instilling horror in the reader.
I always say when I read horror books that, at the end of the day, if it does NOTHING else, I must be horrified. And Unity really delivered in that regard. We are walked slowly and carefully, in great detail, exactly through the extremely perverse mind of Jonah, his irredeemable actions and, and the extremely horrific results. This story does not shy away from explaining in detail the worst of human depravity, including rape, excessive violence, murder, and the slow descent into maddness. So for that, I really have to applaud this book. It definitely achieved what I think it was trying to do.
However, the technical aspects of the book, such as character development, pacing, and structure, reveal some shortcomings. While Jonah's character evolves in terms of actions, the lack of depth in his motivations hampers his overall development. Mary, a pivotal character, follows a predictable arc without substantial personality beyond reacting to traumatic events. The pacing feels uneven, with a swift setup of Jonah's backstory followed by prolonged periods of less significant events. The transition from a mundane life to a thrilling, horror-filled second half may have been intentional but lacks execution finesse. The overall structure, while engaging, follows a predictable trajectory without significant twists or turns.
All in all, Unity effectively achieves its goal of horror, offering a blend of psychological obsession and physical horror. However, refining the character development, pacing, and introducing unexpected elements could elevate the book to a higher level. If you appreciate a mix of psychological depth and visceral horror, this book is worth exploring.
Jonah Gates had a hard lot in life. Coming from a family where his mother abandoned them, his twin older brothers died, and his father fell into alcoholism, Jonah was left completely alone. However, despite the fact that he was always an odd child with some concerning behaviors, he was not without ambition. After one of his brother dies from rabies, Jonah becomes utterly fascinated with the concept of viruses, and at the age of 9, decides to devote his life to studying them. And study them he does, through high school, college, and graduate school, he focuses on almost nothing else other than studying virology. Almost nothing else... because Jonah has a nasty habit of becoming overly obsessed with particular women. From high school through adulthood, Jonah continually gets into trouble with the law for his inappropriate stalking, obsessive behaviors towards specific women he takes an interest in. After being approached by a government organization to be at the forefront of exterminating viruses in all of humanity, Jonah is set to eventually become the hero of the world, once the project is planned to finish in 10 years. But then he meets Mary, an up and coming actress that becomes the latest obsessive project of Jonah, and will remain so for the rest of his life. What follows is a world-ending, explosive series of events that illustrate the depths of Jonah's obssession and the lengths he will go to in order to not only get what he wants, but to prevent anyone and everyone from standing in his way. And Mary is seemingly the only one who can stop him.
"Unity" succeeds in delivering a horrifying experience, unabashedly exploring the depths of Jonah's twisted mind and his heinous actions, including rape, violence, and murder. The narrative skillfully navigates the descent into madness, achieving its goal of instilling horror in the reader.
I always say when I read horror books that, at the end of the day, if it does NOTHING else, I must be horrified. And Unity really delivered in that regard. We are walked slowly and carefully, in great detail, exactly through the extremely perverse mind of Jonah, his irredeemable actions and, and the extremely horrific results. This story does not shy away from explaining in detail the worst of human depravity, including rape, excessive violence, murder, and the slow descent into maddness. So for that, I really have to applaud this book. It definitely achieved what I think it was trying to do.
However, the technical aspects of the book, such as character development, pacing, and structure, reveal some shortcomings. While Jonah's character evolves in terms of actions, the lack of depth in his motivations hampers his overall development. Mary, a pivotal character, follows a predictable arc without substantial personality beyond reacting to traumatic events. The pacing feels uneven, with a swift setup of Jonah's backstory followed by prolonged periods of less significant events. The transition from a mundane life to a thrilling, horror-filled second half may have been intentional but lacks execution finesse. The overall structure, while engaging, follows a predictable trajectory without significant twists or turns.
All in all, Unity effectively achieves its goal of horror, offering a blend of psychological obsession and physical horror. However, refining the character development, pacing, and introducing unexpected elements could elevate the book to a higher level. If you appreciate a mix of psychological depth and visceral horror, this book is worth exploring.
August 23, 2016
Dating is tough. That's the point of this story.
Another point is that dating is tough if you are obsessed with viruses.
"Unity" adds yet another reason why being in a relationship with someone in a sci-fi story is a dangerous thing. This is a dark, brutal thriller that hangs its hat on its scientific basis, while also going all-in on the horror and the drama. Most writers disregard the humans in sci-fi thrillers, since so many of them are there just to get eaten / vaporized / stomped, but John Leahy made me care about the puny humans.
"Unity" is a combination platter of The Fly, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and one of the more brutal episodes of "The Twilight Zone." It's good stuff. You will dig it, but don't introduce it to someone as your favorite book when you're on a first date.
Another point is that dating is tough if you are obsessed with viruses.
"Unity" adds yet another reason why being in a relationship with someone in a sci-fi story is a dangerous thing. This is a dark, brutal thriller that hangs its hat on its scientific basis, while also going all-in on the horror and the drama. Most writers disregard the humans in sci-fi thrillers, since so many of them are there just to get eaten / vaporized / stomped, but John Leahy made me care about the puny humans.
"Unity" is a combination platter of The Fly, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and one of the more brutal episodes of "The Twilight Zone." It's good stuff. You will dig it, but don't introduce it to someone as your favorite book when you're on a first date.
July 17, 2016
I'd like to thank the author, John Leahy, as well as David Barnett of Necro Publications for this copy of Unity. Also, thanks go out to Goodreads for hosting this opportunity through the First Reads program.
I liked it. A good cast of characters take us along as the world is partially cleansed of a species run amok - like a relatively slow malignant tumor. At least for the time being. Interesting concept. A plague set upon itself by itself. Who'd-a-thunk!
The action keeps a good pace throughout the book and held my attention to the end. Plenty of description to bring you in to the scene around the characters. Just a handful of missing words, which is not bad at all compared to some in the self-publish arena.
A good read.
I liked it. A good cast of characters take us along as the world is partially cleansed of a species run amok - like a relatively slow malignant tumor. At least for the time being. Interesting concept. A plague set upon itself by itself. Who'd-a-thunk!
The action keeps a good pace throughout the book and held my attention to the end. Plenty of description to bring you in to the scene around the characters. Just a handful of missing words, which is not bad at all compared to some in the self-publish arena.
A good read.
November 17, 2016
This book was a goodreads giveaway, and while I did enjoy it, it was too predictable. Overall the story was good but the characters were barely there. I'd probably still suggest it as it is a quick read and shines in some parts.
May 27, 2016
4.5 stars
A very scary tale of obsession.. Full review to come.
A very scary tale of obsession.. Full review to come.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews