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The Variant
Tyler Roydman's life has never been normal. As far back as he can remember, he has had unexplainable powers. Specifically, he has the power to prevent certain bad things from happening. Everything changes for Tyler when his son Nathan goes missing. Everyone blames him for his disappearance, while Tyler is determined to find out what happened to him. Things quickly spiral out of control in this page-turner of a thriller. This debut novel from author Justin M. Woodward will have you asking yourself, how far would you go for the ones you love?
- GenresHorror
169 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 12, 2016
59 people are currently reading
102 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
February 13, 2019
A fun, exciting, break-neck paced sci-fi thriller with some horror elements!
Trying to describe this story to you with any hopes of telling you what's going on WITHOUT giving too much away would be much too difficult, so I won't even try. I'll just say that with THE VARIANT, nothing is what it seems.
I like a good thriller, and I like fast pacing in my novels. Justin Woodward delivers that with this story of a man desperately trying to put his life back together after his son is taken, and someone is trying to set him up. But there's much more going on here. Enough that the fate of the entire planet--and its creators and variants--is at stake!
The sci-fi in this is definitely in line with my liking. I don't like really HARD sci-fi where it gets so much into the science that you need a degree in astrophysics to understand what's happening. No, in this one we see the strange and the weird, but we don't need complex formulas to wrap our minds around it. And I like that. There are some elements of horror in the story here and there, and they are handled with an excellent sense of dread that ratchets up the tension like a chain.
And then there's the action. It's pretty much non-stop once the story gets rolling, which is pretty early on. Yet we still get to know our characters and begin to care for them a great deal. By the end, we love them so much that we can't help but grasp the sides of our chairs in terrified suspense as the action reaches its climax.
Speaking of the climax, it is satisfying. Most books I read with a sci-fi slant and strangeness going on seem to fizzle out at the end like the author didn't know how to finish it and just slapped something on the tail and called it finished. Or worse, they try to do something super existential and pretentious, and the more confused the reader is the better they feel their intellectual phallus has been stroked. Not the case here. We can see it, we can understand it, and when the reveal happens we scream, "YES!" because the climax did not let us down.
If you like a great, fast-paced thriller with sci-fi and horror elements, replete with terrific characters and fun dialogue, don't skip this one. THE VARIANT is a winner.
Trying to describe this story to you with any hopes of telling you what's going on WITHOUT giving too much away would be much too difficult, so I won't even try. I'll just say that with THE VARIANT, nothing is what it seems.
I like a good thriller, and I like fast pacing in my novels. Justin Woodward delivers that with this story of a man desperately trying to put his life back together after his son is taken, and someone is trying to set him up. But there's much more going on here. Enough that the fate of the entire planet--and its creators and variants--is at stake!
The sci-fi in this is definitely in line with my liking. I don't like really HARD sci-fi where it gets so much into the science that you need a degree in astrophysics to understand what's happening. No, in this one we see the strange and the weird, but we don't need complex formulas to wrap our minds around it. And I like that. There are some elements of horror in the story here and there, and they are handled with an excellent sense of dread that ratchets up the tension like a chain.
And then there's the action. It's pretty much non-stop once the story gets rolling, which is pretty early on. Yet we still get to know our characters and begin to care for them a great deal. By the end, we love them so much that we can't help but grasp the sides of our chairs in terrified suspense as the action reaches its climax.
Speaking of the climax, it is satisfying. Most books I read with a sci-fi slant and strangeness going on seem to fizzle out at the end like the author didn't know how to finish it and just slapped something on the tail and called it finished. Or worse, they try to do something super existential and pretentious, and the more confused the reader is the better they feel their intellectual phallus has been stroked. Not the case here. We can see it, we can understand it, and when the reveal happens we scream, "YES!" because the climax did not let us down.
If you like a great, fast-paced thriller with sci-fi and horror elements, replete with terrific characters and fun dialogue, don't skip this one. THE VARIANT is a winner.
May 17, 2018
I literally just finished reading this novel and all I can say is Wow! I could not put this book down, the story feels familiar to any parent that would do anything for their child but I was not ready for the roller coaster this takes you on. I don’t have a huge permanent collection of books, I’m a firm believer of passing on a good story so it can be enjoyed not hoarded. However this novel has earned a place on my permanent shelf and I will be buying copies for my friends.
January 2, 2018
I do not have alot of time to read so I am very choosy. This book was well worth my time. It brought me in and hooked me from the beginning. I cared about the characters which is important to me. The Variant had enough twists to keep me guessing but not so many that it became convoluted. With out giving spoilers away I felt the ending was true to the story and gave me closure that I was happy with.
May 23, 2017
This has been a breath of fresh air after all the crap I have read lately. It was fast paced, creepy at times, and well written. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and look forward to more books from Justin!
October 21, 2017
This is seriously one of my favorite books. I heard about Justin's upcoming novel Tamer Animals and I decided to check out his first book, The Variant. I'm so in love with this story. I recommend this to everyone! Seriously, ignore the negative reviews, this book is amazing.
April 2, 2017
There are so many books to read out there, yet I was compelled to read The Variant for a second time in just 6 months. The story of Tyler Roydman is a fascinating one, and I was hooked from page ONE. Mr. Woodward has the ability to captivate the reader with mystery, danger, excitement, and some very relatable pop culture references here and there. He makes us care deeply about Tyler and his son Nathan, all the while rooting for them to triumph in the end. Sometimes when I reread a book, I have the feeling that maybe it wasn't as good as I first thought. With The Variant, this was definitely NOT the case. I loved it even more. I highly recommend this novel, and am so excited for future work from this author.
July 7, 2018
The Variant is another fun, fast-paced read by the very talented Justin M. Woodward! I don't want to give anything away as this is one I feel you just need to start without knowing many details of the plot. The twist towards the end caught me completely by surprise. If you like action-packed page turners, give The Variant a try!
April 12, 2018
I wouldn't call this a review - reason will be obvious in the near future ;) - and I'll be pretty excited when THAT happens. But I'll write a short bit about my experience with the book.
I can say (limiting my bias) that this is a very good, interesting, well-paced read. You need to be into the alt/reality type stuff. I know it's marked in the Horror Genre on GR, and this very well might be the proper classification, but to me its not what I thought of as "horror." But I don't read horror. IF you are like me and typically stay away from that genre I'd still give this a shot. Its got REAL people in the REAL world dealing with some messed up SUREAL stuff.
To me a book needs to have these traits and I'll be happy I read it: Good character development, realistic dialogue and something unique in the plot. The Variant has all of them. Everything else is gravy.
I can say (limiting my bias) that this is a very good, interesting, well-paced read. You need to be into the alt/reality type stuff. I know it's marked in the Horror Genre on GR, and this very well might be the proper classification, but to me its not what I thought of as "horror." But I don't read horror. IF you are like me and typically stay away from that genre I'd still give this a shot. Its got REAL people in the REAL world dealing with some messed up SUREAL stuff.
To me a book needs to have these traits and I'll be happy I read it: Good character development, realistic dialogue and something unique in the plot. The Variant has all of them. Everything else is gravy.
December 20, 2017
Mind Blowing!
At only 99 cents, this book was a STEAL! I can't wait to read more from Mr. Woodward. This one had me in tears, it was so good! LOVE!
At only 99 cents, this book was a STEAL! I can't wait to read more from Mr. Woodward. This one had me in tears, it was so good! LOVE!
October 3, 2017
It reads like a bolt of lightning. You pick it up, and in a flash, it's over. That's not a warning of the book's length, but a testament to Mr. Woodward's intense pacing and thrilling plot building. It grows from the mundane day-to-day into a supernatural apocalyptic adventure grounded in a father's love for his child. It brings to mind books like King's Firestarter, or films like Dark City, where ordinary people discover they can do extraordinary things... and the world isn't exactly as it seems.
Give it a try!
Give it a try!
May 30, 2018
This book is like a tropical storm, it blew me away. All bad jokes aside, this is an amazing book. Woodward does a great job of making you connect and care about the protagonist. He also puts in several fun pop cultural references which do not detract from the overall plot. I don't want to give anything away. This story keeps you guessing up until it's thrilling conclusion. I highly recommend it.
September 7, 2018
What a great story! The Variant was a quick read simply because I was so invested in it. There were even times I made myself put it down just so I could digest everything that was happening. The relationship between Tyler and Nathan was well written and extremely relatable to me personally. I felt the story itself was original and well thought out.
April 18, 2019
I really wanted to like this book. I had read a few of his others and enjoyed them quite a bit. My first thought of The Variant was that the story was intriguing and the writing was good. There wasn’t a lot of needless descriptive passages that tend to drive me insane. I generally prefer this “common man” style of writing. While I was enjoying the story, the problem I had was connecting with the characters. To really love a story, it needs to elicit some sort of emotional response from me. That emotion fell flat this time. I kept trying to figure out why. But, as said, I was still enjoying the story so I kept on. The Variant is a fast-paced novel and at about 65% in, the whole dynamics changed as it picked up even more momentum. I don’t want to give anything away but I feel very comfortable saying that I went from having no emotional investment in the story to being 100% immersed. I now cared about Tyler and wanted him to be victorious. Those things that felt flat the first half of the book now made sense. Where I had decided to give the book a solid (enjoyed it) 3 star rating, I now wavered between 4-5 stars. I only give 5 stars to the few books I will reread and I needed time to think about that ending and the twists. I tossed and turned all night after finishing, I just couldn’t stop thinking about it. If a book can get into my subconscious like that, I can’t ignore it. So … damn you Justin because I am tired as hell this morning but let’s do it again soon.
April 10, 2018
Everything changes for Tyler Roydman when his son Nathan goes missing. Everyone blames him for the disappearance, while Tyler is determined to find out what happened to him.
Tyler's life has never been normal. He has gaps in his memories and unexplained powers that turn up under moments of stress.
This novel accelerates from the moment of Nathan's disappearance and doesn't let up. Who took Nathan and why? Is he still alive? Who can Tyler turn to for help? And what exactly can Tyler do with his powers?
I enjoyed The Variant very much. I was expecting more horror (Think The Firestarter and telekinetic powers) and it went a completely different direction (more X-Files maybe?). It's the story of an ordinary guy with extraordinary powers who just wants his son back. I'd like to revisit these characters and find out where they go from here.
Thank you Justin for sending me a copy of your book in exchange for an honest review.
Tyler's life has never been normal. He has gaps in his memories and unexplained powers that turn up under moments of stress.
This novel accelerates from the moment of Nathan's disappearance and doesn't let up. Who took Nathan and why? Is he still alive? Who can Tyler turn to for help? And what exactly can Tyler do with his powers?
I enjoyed The Variant very much. I was expecting more horror (Think The Firestarter and telekinetic powers) and it went a completely different direction (more X-Files maybe?). It's the story of an ordinary guy with extraordinary powers who just wants his son back. I'd like to revisit these characters and find out where they go from here.
Thank you Justin for sending me a copy of your book in exchange for an honest review.
May 12, 2018
The Variant is an evolving story—
"—J.Z. All stories are evolving stories. You're an idiot."
𝙇𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙠, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣'𝙩 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙞���𝙞𝙨𝙝! When I say 𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 story I mean that you think you're getting ᴏɴᴇ ᴋɪɴᴅ of story, but end up with 𝕒𝕟𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕕 of story.
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠.
Now I don't fancy myself as a reviewer, I'm a writer, so I'm not going to tell you any plot elements or anything like that. What I will tell you is that The Variant will 🅢🅤🅡🅟🅡🅘🅢🅔 you, and keep you guess as to what will come next.
Give this book a shot if you like twists and turns that keep you guessing.
"—J.Z. All stories are evolving stories. You're an idiot."
𝙇𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙠, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣'𝙩 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙞���𝙞𝙨𝙝! When I say 𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 story I mean that you think you're getting ᴏɴᴇ ᴋɪɴᴅ of story, but end up with 𝕒𝕟𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕕 of story.
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠.
Now I don't fancy myself as a reviewer, I'm a writer, so I'm not going to tell you any plot elements or anything like that. What I will tell you is that The Variant will 🅢🅤🅡🅟🅡🅘🅢🅔 you, and keep you guess as to what will come next.
Give this book a shot if you like twists and turns that keep you guessing.
August 16, 2016
This book is a good one, y'all. I really enjoyed it. It's short, almost a novella, which makes parts of the book feel rushed, but also adds to the tension and suspense, making you NOT want to stop reading. When you get down to it, this is a good story and a fun read. Treat ya self, and buy a copy today.
June 25, 2018
Fantastic Read!
So this is my second Justin M. Woodward book, (already started his next one), and color me impressed!
While the first one I read was a more shoot-em up, action book, this one is squarely in the urban horror/fantasy category.
Initially, while reading this, I was pegging this book at a 4/5 review. I liked all of the elements, but parts of it felt a bit rushed. This all makes sense considering two things; this is his first book and according to his afterward, he wrote most of this on his phone at work while sitting in the passenger seat of the work truck, travelling from place to place.
Now 4/5 isnt a bad rating by no means, but then something clicked. Then The Variant went from simply a really fun read to a really excellent read.
The closing act, the last 1/3rd of this book takes it from a 4/5 to a 5/5. It resolves so much, files in so many blanks and ultimately connected with me on an emotional level.
Fantastic read and the characters are great and their stories makes sense.
Truly as a first novel, this is a fantastic effort! Now to finish Tamer Animals!
So this is my second Justin M. Woodward book, (already started his next one), and color me impressed!
While the first one I read was a more shoot-em up, action book, this one is squarely in the urban horror/fantasy category.
Initially, while reading this, I was pegging this book at a 4/5 review. I liked all of the elements, but parts of it felt a bit rushed. This all makes sense considering two things; this is his first book and according to his afterward, he wrote most of this on his phone at work while sitting in the passenger seat of the work truck, travelling from place to place.
Now 4/5 isnt a bad rating by no means, but then something clicked. Then The Variant went from simply a really fun read to a really excellent read.
The closing act, the last 1/3rd of this book takes it from a 4/5 to a 5/5. It resolves so much, files in so many blanks and ultimately connected with me on an emotional level.
Fantastic read and the characters are great and their stories makes sense.
Truly as a first novel, this is a fantastic effort! Now to finish Tamer Animals!
June 7, 2018
Wonderfully original!
I thought I've read just about every kind of plot lines, twists, and creativity, but Woodward has managed to bring an end to that. The Variant truly is one of a kind, I can't even place a specific genre label on it! It's comedy, it's supernatural, it's psychotic, it's realistic... So many factors intermingling to create one hell of a ride!
Thr basic plotline consists of one man, Tyler, on a mission to change a certain aspect of his life. I will NOT share much more than that - this is a must read, a book that can only be appreciated by diving into Tyler's world, rather than to read just a summary of the plot. Try out Tyler's world;, you will not be disappointed!
I thought I've read just about every kind of plot lines, twists, and creativity, but Woodward has managed to bring an end to that. The Variant truly is one of a kind, I can't even place a specific genre label on it! It's comedy, it's supernatural, it's psychotic, it's realistic... So many factors intermingling to create one hell of a ride!
Thr basic plotline consists of one man, Tyler, on a mission to change a certain aspect of his life. I will NOT share much more than that - this is a must read, a book that can only be appreciated by diving into Tyler's world, rather than to read just a summary of the plot. Try out Tyler's world;, you will not be disappointed!
May 16, 2018
Author Justin M. Woodward brings you a viciously vile tale of about a father trying to rescue his son. It's very hard for me to tell you which genre, out of the vast variety there is to choose from. This book really is a virtual tour de force that spans, without planting any verified roots. I enjoyed this book from beginning to end and this author is quickly making me a voracious reader with each new volume. If you're looking to expand your various options for a new author, Justin M. Woodward will fill that void quite well.
July 6, 2018
Wow!!!
Loved it!! Gave me Butterfly Effect + The Matrix + X-Files vibes. Major points for the creepyish bits, so many descriptions had my heart racing. It's not a horror book in the sense of oooo monsters or whatever, but the way Justin Woodward described certain characters just gave me chills! You know a book is so good when you start and can't stop reading til you finish!! Will there be more?? Please say there will be more to the story!
Loved it!! Gave me Butterfly Effect + The Matrix + X-Files vibes. Major points for the creepyish bits, so many descriptions had my heart racing. It's not a horror book in the sense of oooo monsters or whatever, but the way Justin Woodward described certain characters just gave me chills! You know a book is so good when you start and can't stop reading til you finish!! Will there be more?? Please say there will be more to the story!
July 8, 2018
The variant
I liked this story very much it's like if Stephen king and Dean koonts wrote a book together this would be that book.congrats you did a great job.your new fan Connie Green😀
I liked this story very much it's like if Stephen king and Dean koonts wrote a book together this would be that book.congrats you did a great job.your new fan Connie Green😀
February 14, 2019
A quick good read. It took me some time to buy into the book’s premise, but once I got there the story was enjoyable. After the protagonist’s son gets kidnaped, he learns that he’s empowered to save the world. At 271 pages, not much on character development but makes up for it in continuous plot development and action. Book at times shows that it’s the author’s first endeavour but after what I’ve read there is promise.
March 1, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. It's a great story that's interesting and will keep you wanting more. I look forward to reading more by this author.
September 7, 2018
Really enjoyed this book - inventive and exciting - a really great read
April 28, 2018
Impressive story, couldn’t put it down!!
This story was everything you want in a good read, the characters are well developed and their personalities are realistic and what I mean by that is they felt real, the sarcasm alone kept me in stitches and I found myself up at 3:00 am not wanting to put it down. I really enjoyed this book and will continue to read anything else Mr. Woodward writes. Take this book out for a spin guys, you won’t be disappointed.
This story was everything you want in a good read, the characters are well developed and their personalities are realistic and what I mean by that is they felt real, the sarcasm alone kept me in stitches and I found myself up at 3:00 am not wanting to put it down. I really enjoyed this book and will continue to read anything else Mr. Woodward writes. Take this book out for a spin guys, you won’t be disappointed.
June 10, 2018
I loved it.. it's original and as his first book I say amazing writing.. can't wait to read more.. my next is Candy which I hear great reviews..
January 20, 2019
Loved it!
I would recommend to everyone! I especially liked the ending. Keep writing Justin. I'm about to start Candy!! Great job!
I would recommend to everyone! I especially liked the ending. Keep writing Justin. I'm about to start Candy!! Great job!
April 28, 2017
The story was good but I felt that it was a little rushed. I would have liked to have had more details throughout to cement the premise. There was a lot of action which is good but I think it made the book seemed rush. This almost read like a short story because so much was packed into it. I would have loved to have had a few hundred more pages in the story. This was probably a self-published book and so the author didn't have the benefit of an editor for pointers so I think he did a fantastic job. I know there was one point in the novel when Tyler said that he was going crazy, I wish the author could have shown me that he was going crazy rather than just telling me.
October 26, 2018
Justin M Woodward's writing reminds me of Joe Hill's attention to detail, suspense and character development with touches of humor. I hope he keeps writing and publishing! I also hope he keeps using Ryan Drean for his narrator. Drean's voice really brings the story to life and he is excellent at portraying the different characters.
This story kept me on the edge of my seat anxious for the next twist and nervous for Tyler and the predicaments he kept stumbling into. This was a fun, unexpected and nail biter of a book.
This story kept me on the edge of my seat anxious for the next twist and nervous for Tyler and the predicaments he kept stumbling into. This was a fun, unexpected and nail biter of a book.
July 22, 2019
I really liked this! The story drew me in and I read this in a day. The premise was interesting and pretty unique.
I honestly don't know how to talk about this book without just dumping a bunch of spoilers? But it was pretty good! The reveal about the old man got me, it wasn't what I expected.
And I thought the ending was going to be different...I was positive that
My only complaint about this book, and the only reason it isn't 5 stars, is its length. This book could have been quite a bit longer? I think the characters could have been fleshed out a bit more and some of the finer points of the plot could have been explained a bit more in depth....I would have happily read a few hundred more pages :D
I honestly don't know how to talk about this book without just dumping a bunch of spoilers? But it was pretty good! The reveal about the old man got me, it wasn't what I expected.
And I thought the ending was going to be different...I was positive that
My only complaint about this book, and the only reason it isn't 5 stars, is its length. This book could have been quite a bit longer? I think the characters could have been fleshed out a bit more and some of the finer points of the plot could have been explained a bit more in depth....I would have happily read a few hundred more pages :D
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews