What do you think?
Rate this book
The Tetradome Run
When the crime wave peaked in the early 70s, and Nixon signed the Redemption Act, no one bothered to imagine what public execution might look like fifty years in the future. No one imagined that The Tetradome Run would become the most popular show in America. This year's show puts convicted felons in a race with genetically engineered monstrous creations. Murderers, rapists, terrorists, and thieves--they all will take their place at the starting line, and the most notorious among them is Jenna Duvall, the college student who shot a Senator. Allegedly. Jenna swears she's innocent, and as she runs for her life in the Tetradome, a small-town journalist uncovers a shocking counter-narrative that suggests there is more to Jenna's story than anyone knows. A mashup of dystopian thriller and riveting psychological suspense, The Tetradome Run is a novel that doesn't need to look far into the future to find a world gone wrong. Instead, it looks at America right here, right now, and dares the reader to ask a provocative What if we already live in dystopia?
428 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 5, 2018
461 people are currently reading
623 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
January 8, 2019
Amazing!
This is an amazing book. Baum writes his characters so well that you feel like they're alive. I found myself rooting for Jenna, crying for Rudy, and cussing Sunny. I'm really hoping for a sequel!
This is an amazing book. Baum writes his characters so well that you feel like they're alive. I found myself rooting for Jenna, crying for Rudy, and cussing Sunny. I'm really hoping for a sequel!
Want to read
July 14, 2019🎁 FREE on Amazon today (7/14/2019)! 🎁
January 2, 2019
Loved it
So much more involved than i thought, what a great read! Not your typical hunger games teen novel churned out but so many. This is an adult novel
So much more involved than i thought, what a great read! Not your typical hunger games teen novel churned out but so many. This is an adult novel
March 19, 2020
RECOMMENDED!
This book kept me on my toes through the entire read.
I don't even know how to explain this book...
Read it..!!
This book kept me on my toes through the entire read.
I don't even know how to explain this book...
Read it..!!
December 27, 2018
Hmmm
When I first started reading I thought “I don’t know about this”. Then I sat up and finished the entire book. I found myself wanting to know what happened next. I did not like the heroine but found myself rooting for her in the end.
When I first started reading I thought “I don’t know about this”. Then I sat up and finished the entire book. I found myself wanting to know what happened next. I did not like the heroine but found myself rooting for her in the end.
December 29, 2018
Spectacular
Even though there are twin story threads both capture you this is skilled writing.
The characters are so well defined we can almost hear them breath. The plot is intricate and rewarding.
Probably in the top five books I've read this year - highly recommend.
Even though there are twin story threads both capture you this is skilled writing.
The characters are so well defined we can almost hear them breath. The plot is intricate and rewarding.
Probably in the top five books I've read this year - highly recommend.
August 3, 2019
This book was okay - it kept my interest and had inventive alternate world building, but didn't entice me to look for more books by this author.
August 22, 2020
It doesn't always work for me, but in this case I liked skipping back and forth from present to past through excerpts of the memoir. The story was a little nonlinear (re: the past) because of it, and you got drips of information slowly filling in the background story as you went. There were a few times I wished certain stories would be finished or answers given earlier, but overall, the pacing and tension-building worked.
I thought the MC made some really interesting observations about "politics," how people interact with them and interact with others because of them, and activism. In the book, it's anti-domers vs. domers, but her thoughts could apply just as easily to any number of real life, modern day policy disagreements. But the action and philosophical moments were well balanced, and the philosophical bits were wrapped up in the mystery of what led to this point, so it was never just a stump speech and always part of the story and the MC's development, then and now.
My only big complaints were that it ended in an awkward spot for me, and I didn't completely understand (read: buy) why certain evil person did certain not-so-evil things, particularly toward the end of the book. It didn't mesh with the established MO, and it wasn't entirely clear to me why this particular mental shift happened.
Otherwise, really enjoyed the book.
I thought the MC made some really interesting observations about "politics," how people interact with them and interact with others because of them, and activism. In the book, it's anti-domers vs. domers, but her thoughts could apply just as easily to any number of real life, modern day policy disagreements. But the action and philosophical moments were well balanced, and the philosophical bits were wrapped up in the mystery of what led to this point, so it was never just a stump speech and always part of the story and the MC's development, then and now.
My only big complaints were that it ended in an awkward spot for me, and I didn't completely understand (read: buy) why certain evil person did certain not-so-evil things, particularly toward the end of the book. It didn't mesh with the established MO, and it wasn't entirely clear to me why this particular mental shift happened.
Otherwise, really enjoyed the book.
January 20, 2020
an excellent book, but...
The Hunger Games + Cruel Intentions + Eagle Eye
I really liked this book. It's wonderful. Which is exactly why I can't help but to point out every single thing that makes it less-than-perfect to me, no matter how cruel my review may sound like:
The story started really, really strong. There was an enormous sense of dreadfulness, the kind that makes you want to stop reading and throw the book away. But you can't. As the story continued, however, that sensation is lost because the author focused way too much on the villain until he turned her to a comical Marvel-style super villain...! She is a young college student of humble origins, with no real money in her pockets, yet she is a mistress of disguise, an irresistible seductress, a genius in chemistry, electronics, hacking, psychology, infiltration, a master-manipulator.. with a touch of psycho!
And if that's not enough, she knows exactly where everyone is, what they must be thinking, and how to reach or control them.
Oh, she also spent much of the story painting flowers on the walls and manipulate the protagonist, Eagle-Eye-Style... While the rest of her generation of college students are probably still struggling to figure out how to pay their phone bills (shame on them!) -.-;
Sunny could have easily been a despicable villain on par of Kathryn from Cruel Intentions --and her character would have been far more realistic-- had the author made her a part of a larger political organization facilitating her needs, and which she willingly follow, rather than make her start her own!
Many of the monsters in the story didn't impress me as well. Especially the fluffy ones.
Fight scenes are not the author's forte. In a struck of luck Jenna roll-to-safety under the menatur, and she defeats a veteran Kraken with a key! And the head of security, with the same key!
Her struggle is at its best near the end when she fight against herself.
And finally, I ended up skipping a lot. Sometimes whole chapters.
The novel could have been far more compressed and stronger in context had the author stopped filling the pages with meaningless fillers and countless questions every, damn, other, page! and focused instead on advancing the story-line itself.
All in all, a good editor will rip off 20-30% of this book, change a few things, and turn it to a real master-piece.
Thank you for a good story. It will resound in my memories, and I will make sure to recommend it with all its good-and-bad. And, of course, I will make sure to read more of your books as of tomorrow :)
The Hunger Games + Cruel Intentions + Eagle Eye
I really liked this book. It's wonderful. Which is exactly why I can't help but to point out every single thing that makes it less-than-perfect to me, no matter how cruel my review may sound like:
The story started really, really strong. There was an enormous sense of dreadfulness, the kind that makes you want to stop reading and throw the book away. But you can't. As the story continued, however, that sensation is lost because the author focused way too much on the villain until he turned her to a comical Marvel-style super villain...! She is a young college student of humble origins, with no real money in her pockets, yet she is a mistress of disguise, an irresistible seductress, a genius in chemistry, electronics, hacking, psychology, infiltration, a master-manipulator.. with a touch of psycho!
And if that's not enough, she knows exactly where everyone is, what they must be thinking, and how to reach or control them.
Oh, she also spent much of the story painting flowers on the walls and manipulate the protagonist, Eagle-Eye-Style... While the rest of her generation of college students are probably still struggling to figure out how to pay their phone bills (shame on them!) -.-;
Sunny could have easily been a despicable villain on par of Kathryn from Cruel Intentions --and her character would have been far more realistic-- had the author made her a part of a larger political organization facilitating her needs, and which she willingly follow, rather than make her start her own!
Many of the monsters in the story didn't impress me as well. Especially the fluffy ones.
Fight scenes are not the author's forte. In a struck of luck Jenna roll-to-safety under the menatur, and she defeats a veteran Kraken with a key! And the head of security, with the same key!
Her struggle is at its best near the end when she fight against herself.
And finally, I ended up skipping a lot. Sometimes whole chapters.
The novel could have been far more compressed and stronger in context had the author stopped filling the pages with meaningless fillers and countless questions every, damn, other, page! and focused instead on advancing the story-line itself.
All in all, a good editor will rip off 20-30% of this book, change a few things, and turn it to a real master-piece.
Thank you for a good story. It will resound in my memories, and I will make sure to recommend it with all its good-and-bad. And, of course, I will make sure to read more of your books as of tomorrow :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 6, 2018
Worthy of comparison to The Hunger Games!
There are many books that publishers try to market as "If you like Harry Potter, (or Enders Game, or any other best seller) you will love this book" most are blatant hack jobs in no way worthy of the comparison. The Tetradome Run is the. rare exception. Starting with one.of the best opening paragraphs that I have read in years, followed by many deep.and.provocative sentimental passages, and topped off with an action packed adventure, there is little to desire more from this book. As with most of my five star ratings I believe this book can stand the test.of time.
It will come as no surprise to see this book on store shelves twenty years from now.
I bought this book expecting the typical gladiatorial dystopian futuristic novel and while that is part of the equation, there is much more depth, and plot than I had any reason to hope for. The Tetradome Run managed to borrow from the earlier stories without becoming derivative.
Literary Agents and Publishers take note: this author is a gem, I hope to read much more of his work in the future. I do not know if my budget would support paying what the book is worth, but thanks to Kindle Unlimited and ebook format pricing it is a bargain in entertainment.
There are many books that publishers try to market as "If you like Harry Potter, (or Enders Game, or any other best seller) you will love this book" most are blatant hack jobs in no way worthy of the comparison. The Tetradome Run is the. rare exception. Starting with one.of the best opening paragraphs that I have read in years, followed by many deep.and.provocative sentimental passages, and topped off with an action packed adventure, there is little to desire more from this book. As with most of my five star ratings I believe this book can stand the test.of time.
It will come as no surprise to see this book on store shelves twenty years from now.
I bought this book expecting the typical gladiatorial dystopian futuristic novel and while that is part of the equation, there is much more depth, and plot than I had any reason to hope for. The Tetradome Run managed to borrow from the earlier stories without becoming derivative.
Literary Agents and Publishers take note: this author is a gem, I hope to read much more of his work in the future. I do not know if my budget would support paying what the book is worth, but thanks to Kindle Unlimited and ebook format pricing it is a bargain in entertainment.
October 10, 2018
I highly recommend this book! It grabs you after reading the first few pages! I have to warn you, once you pick it up, you'll have a hard time putting it down!
November 30, 2019
WOW! What a story! I was reading another book when I just took a peek at the opening chapter of THE TETRADOME RUN. A few pages in, I made the decision to temporarily abandon the book I was reading in favor of this all-in immersive reading experience by author, Spencer Baum.
The Tetradome is not a new concept in fiction. Death as a spectator sporting event, has been a popular theme in movies and books. In real life, as is pointed out in this book, every civilization has practiced some form of public executions. Offering the condemned a contest in which they have the slimmest of chance of surviving, would no doubt seem like a reasonable opportunity for someone about to be executed. The contest and competition among players, makes it a betting man's game and a rabidly popular spectator sport/ultimate reality show.
But lucky for us readers, the story goes so much deeper than the sporting event that serves as the primary backdrop to the heart of the story. This is a story about activism and a group of college friends who are incited to violence by a charismatic ruthless woman who leads the group far astray of their original, innocent and peaceful intentions. It is the story of a woman whose best friend framed her to take the fall for murder and other crimes. . This adrenaline fueled novel also manages to tell a deeply moving human interest story, centered around Jenna. Jenna is learning what is really important in life. When you know what is important, you can determine if your own actions and the people you surround yourself with, facilitate or hinder you in fulfilling your purpose in life.
Jenna is a very empathetic character, who seems very realistic, except she is just a little too good at a few too many tbings. Some readers will think this makes her less human and more freakishly super-human (faster, smarter, etc.) Jenna was a College Sophmore, at the time of her arrest. She was on the brink of realizing her dream of becoming a world class musician. She knows she will someday marry her high school sweetheart, a fellow musician, whose only goal is to bring more beauty into the world with his music. Rudy's sweet nature makes Jenna rethink her role as an activist and she starts to pull away from the group. The group is not about to allow that to happen. They have big plans for Jenna and more than a few of them are hardcore fanatics to their cause.
Spencer Baum is a terrific writer and weaves a a very interesting and complex plot into an action packed tension filled thriller that manages to convey a lot of good philosophical and psychological insights into behavior and what it is to be human. One recurring theme of interest is about the role of conflict. Passion about a cause can lead to anger against those whose minds you can't change. That anger can turn to hatred and sooner or later, you don't hate the opposing point of view--you hate the person who has it. In groups everything gets amplified and whipped into a frenzy with a "mob mentality". The mob is no longer about the cause, they are about hatred and what they see as justifiable rage In this case, the mob justifies cruelty and metes out punishment on a scale that none of the individual participants would have ever considered, if they were acting alone.
I gave the book 4 stars instead of 5 because of the gauntlet of manmade mutant creatures that the Tetradome participants have to face. Even in fiction, i like a little more realism than these genetically altered monsters. They just seemed to make the media hyped reality show much less real than if the obstacles had been manmade objects or living creatures that actually exist, in the natural world. Not sure why the author chose to go the mutant freaks route.
There is a liberal dose of swearing and some sexual activity in this book. The sex is a very small part of the book, but it's probably graphic enough to offend some readers.
The Tetradome is not a new concept in fiction. Death as a spectator sporting event, has been a popular theme in movies and books. In real life, as is pointed out in this book, every civilization has practiced some form of public executions. Offering the condemned a contest in which they have the slimmest of chance of surviving, would no doubt seem like a reasonable opportunity for someone about to be executed. The contest and competition among players, makes it a betting man's game and a rabidly popular spectator sport/ultimate reality show.
But lucky for us readers, the story goes so much deeper than the sporting event that serves as the primary backdrop to the heart of the story. This is a story about activism and a group of college friends who are incited to violence by a charismatic ruthless woman who leads the group far astray of their original, innocent and peaceful intentions. It is the story of a woman whose best friend framed her to take the fall for murder and other crimes. . This adrenaline fueled novel also manages to tell a deeply moving human interest story, centered around Jenna. Jenna is learning what is really important in life. When you know what is important, you can determine if your own actions and the people you surround yourself with, facilitate or hinder you in fulfilling your purpose in life.
Jenna is a very empathetic character, who seems very realistic, except she is just a little too good at a few too many tbings. Some readers will think this makes her less human and more freakishly super-human (faster, smarter, etc.) Jenna was a College Sophmore, at the time of her arrest. She was on the brink of realizing her dream of becoming a world class musician. She knows she will someday marry her high school sweetheart, a fellow musician, whose only goal is to bring more beauty into the world with his music. Rudy's sweet nature makes Jenna rethink her role as an activist and she starts to pull away from the group. The group is not about to allow that to happen. They have big plans for Jenna and more than a few of them are hardcore fanatics to their cause.
Spencer Baum is a terrific writer and weaves a a very interesting and complex plot into an action packed tension filled thriller that manages to convey a lot of good philosophical and psychological insights into behavior and what it is to be human. One recurring theme of interest is about the role of conflict. Passion about a cause can lead to anger against those whose minds you can't change. That anger can turn to hatred and sooner or later, you don't hate the opposing point of view--you hate the person who has it. In groups everything gets amplified and whipped into a frenzy with a "mob mentality". The mob is no longer about the cause, they are about hatred and what they see as justifiable rage In this case, the mob justifies cruelty and metes out punishment on a scale that none of the individual participants would have ever considered, if they were acting alone.
I gave the book 4 stars instead of 5 because of the gauntlet of manmade mutant creatures that the Tetradome participants have to face. Even in fiction, i like a little more realism than these genetically altered monsters. They just seemed to make the media hyped reality show much less real than if the obstacles had been manmade objects or living creatures that actually exist, in the natural world. Not sure why the author chose to go the mutant freaks route.
There is a liberal dose of swearing and some sexual activity in this book. The sex is a very small part of the book, but it's probably graphic enough to offend some readers.
July 8, 2019
This book was brought to my attention by Bookbub as the Kindle version was 99p for 24 hours. After reading the blurb, I thought it sounded great and I popped it on my Kindle and started it straight away.
At first, this book seems to come across as a gladiatorial dystopian futuristic novel but for the fact that it is totally believable. We learn that when Nixon was president, he signed an executive order that allowed select prisoners to get a chance to compete in the Tetradome. The Tetradome is like a giant assault course...but a deadly one. There are all sorts of specially manufactured animals out to kill the “contestants” and the whole nation watches on TV. There will only be one winner at the end, the one person that has managed to survive.
Our main character is Jenna. We soon realise that Jenna is innocent of her crime and throughout the story we get to read excerpts of her past and understand how she found herself in the Tetradome. There is also a side story around the people that don’t believe the Tetradome should be legal and are plotting to bring down the system.
I don’t really like comparing books to other books but a lot of times the publisher has already done that for you with comments like “if you liked xxx, then you’ll love this” etc BUT I really think you cannot read The Tetradome Run without thinking of The Hunger Games and The Tetradome Run comes off as the poorer reliative. I think if you have no idea what The Hunger Games is about and you haven’t read it, you will probably rate The Tetradome Run higher but it pales into insignificance in comparison.
Saying that, and if you put the comparison aside, the book itself is really good. The characters are likeable and believable and although there are a few twists and turns, the story is easy to follow. This book is easy to read and is action packed. I think the only reason I am not giving this a 5-star review is due to that comparison to The Hunger Games. It might not be fair but this book is nowhere near as good and my review for The Tetradome Run would be higher if I had read it first.
At first, this book seems to come across as a gladiatorial dystopian futuristic novel but for the fact that it is totally believable. We learn that when Nixon was president, he signed an executive order that allowed select prisoners to get a chance to compete in the Tetradome. The Tetradome is like a giant assault course...but a deadly one. There are all sorts of specially manufactured animals out to kill the “contestants” and the whole nation watches on TV. There will only be one winner at the end, the one person that has managed to survive.
Our main character is Jenna. We soon realise that Jenna is innocent of her crime and throughout the story we get to read excerpts of her past and understand how she found herself in the Tetradome. There is also a side story around the people that don’t believe the Tetradome should be legal and are plotting to bring down the system.
I don’t really like comparing books to other books but a lot of times the publisher has already done that for you with comments like “if you liked xxx, then you’ll love this” etc BUT I really think you cannot read The Tetradome Run without thinking of The Hunger Games and The Tetradome Run comes off as the poorer reliative. I think if you have no idea what The Hunger Games is about and you haven’t read it, you will probably rate The Tetradome Run higher but it pales into insignificance in comparison.
Saying that, and if you put the comparison aside, the book itself is really good. The characters are likeable and believable and although there are a few twists and turns, the story is easy to follow. This book is easy to read and is action packed. I think the only reason I am not giving this a 5-star review is due to that comparison to The Hunger Games. It might not be fair but this book is nowhere near as good and my review for The Tetradome Run would be higher if I had read it first.
June 30, 2019
Someone once asked me if I liked books that made me rethink everything I knew to be true. I do, and if you do to then you will love this book.
The Tetradome Run... wow, what a ride. During the last few days of my tropical vacation all I wanted to do was read this book. It completely consumed me.
If I were to describe this book in one phrase it would be this: a psychologically dark, dystopian insight into the human psyche and society.
Yes, it’s a lot, but it’s done so well. Wrapped up in an engaging plot about a girl who just realized that she has no control over her puppet strings only as she is being charged for murder. Threads of the mastermind’s agenda slowly untangling, Jenna struggles with her harsh reality within the Tetradome, a survival tv show and public execution for famous inmates on death row. Readers are pulled along on her journey of survival and discovery as the book alternates between Jenna in the Tetradome and flashbacks to her past shown through a memoir.
A wonderful showcase of the authors mastery at character and world building. A sci-fi piece that does what all sci-fi is supposed to do: give a new perspective into human nature and society. The type of book that might just have an impact on people. It sure had an impact on me. And, if nothing else, this book is definitely one that will make you think.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you check this book out. And if you’re still not sure: it’s a free ebook download on iBooks, nook, kindle, and maybe more.
The Tetradome Run... wow, what a ride. During the last few days of my tropical vacation all I wanted to do was read this book. It completely consumed me.
If I were to describe this book in one phrase it would be this: a psychologically dark, dystopian insight into the human psyche and society.
Yes, it’s a lot, but it’s done so well. Wrapped up in an engaging plot about a girl who just realized that she has no control over her puppet strings only as she is being charged for murder. Threads of the mastermind’s agenda slowly untangling, Jenna struggles with her harsh reality within the Tetradome, a survival tv show and public execution for famous inmates on death row. Readers are pulled along on her journey of survival and discovery as the book alternates between Jenna in the Tetradome and flashbacks to her past shown through a memoir.
A wonderful showcase of the authors mastery at character and world building. A sci-fi piece that does what all sci-fi is supposed to do: give a new perspective into human nature and society. The type of book that might just have an impact on people. It sure had an impact on me. And, if nothing else, this book is definitely one that will make you think.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you check this book out. And if you’re still not sure: it’s a free ebook download on iBooks, nook, kindle, and maybe more.
September 11, 2020
This has got to be one of the most amazing dystopian novels I have ever read. The story was well written and I found the plot complex, profound, scary, and exciting. The story revolves around an innocent college freshman whose love of life, music, the clarinet, and her high school boyfriend is horribly changed when she makes a few seemingly innocent poor decisions. Jenna, the main character, quickly gets drawn into a college group she feels shares her morales and her devotion to peaceful change. The Tetradome is a futuristic arena where a group of convicted felons facing the death penalty are given the opportunity to participate in a series of life or death obstacle courses full of deadly, nightmarish monsters. There is only one, living winner in the game. The whole game is televised internationally and is the number one show on television, The Tetradome Run. Society is divided on the humanity of the Run, those who think it's a great idea, and those who do not. Jenna is the latter, but due to a complicated series of events, she finds herself convicted of murder and chooses to complete in the Tetradome Run competition. There is so much more to this story and in a lot of ways, you can pertain to the events in the book to what is happening in our society today. This book gives you a lot to ponder, is NOT for the light of heart, and I highly recommend it.
September 10, 2019
I Love this book!
Honestly I did not have the highest of hopes when I first started reading The Tetradome Run. The world it set in is a very close parallel to our own. I will admit that I had made the assumption that the author was lazy to not make some extremely complex new dystopian world. I was wrong. It quickly became obvious that the author put a lot of work into making a story that both felt like it was dystopian but also very real. The best thing I can compare it to is the movie "The Purge". The worlds are set where you know that it is not how things are in reality but you can see how a few changes in law would change the world into the worlds in the stories. In the end it turned out to be one of the greatest strengths of the book. Everything felt so real. I was able to put myself in Jenna's position and understand both her choices and her emotions in a way that is deeper than most books I have ever read.
The plot of The Tetradome Runwas very well done and captivating. I was hooked quickly and just wanted to keep reading to find out what happened next. I finished the book in less than 24 hours. It would have been a lot sooner if not for two little things getting in my way, sleeping and work.
Well done. I would highly recommend this book.
Honestly I did not have the highest of hopes when I first started reading The Tetradome Run. The world it set in is a very close parallel to our own. I will admit that I had made the assumption that the author was lazy to not make some extremely complex new dystopian world. I was wrong. It quickly became obvious that the author put a lot of work into making a story that both felt like it was dystopian but also very real. The best thing I can compare it to is the movie "The Purge". The worlds are set where you know that it is not how things are in reality but you can see how a few changes in law would change the world into the worlds in the stories. In the end it turned out to be one of the greatest strengths of the book. Everything felt so real. I was able to put myself in Jenna's position and understand both her choices and her emotions in a way that is deeper than most books I have ever read.
The plot of The Tetradome Runwas very well done and captivating. I was hooked quickly and just wanted to keep reading to find out what happened next. I finished the book in less than 24 hours. It would have been a lot sooner if not for two little things getting in my way, sleeping and work.
Well done. I would highly recommend this book.
July 14, 2020
This is one of the most intense books I've read in a very long time. So much so that, at times, I literally had to put it down for a few minutes to let my heart rate slow down. It reminded me of a combination of The Hunger Games (Collins), The Long Walk (King), and Gone Girl (Flynn). This is one of those books that grabs your attention and pulls you deeper and deeper into its plot. My biggest complaint is that the book wasn't longer!
The Tetradome Run is complex, though I wouldn't say it's main character is. Jenna Duvall seems to be some kind of prodigy, as good as she is at everything she does. At times it seems as if she is unrealistically good, especially at the athletic portions. She's a bit whiney and definitely swings into the victim role, neither of which I can really fault her for but both of which still make her fairly annoying. I do appreciate how much music was tied into her character and the accuracy with which that aspect was portrayed.
I thought The Tetradome Run was fantastic, even though the cliffhanger ending was unbelievably annoying. Still definitely worth reading, and it deserves a solid 5/5 rating.
The Tetradome Run is complex, though I wouldn't say it's main character is. Jenna Duvall seems to be some kind of prodigy, as good as she is at everything she does. At times it seems as if she is unrealistically good, especially at the athletic portions. She's a bit whiney and definitely swings into the victim role, neither of which I can really fault her for but both of which still make her fairly annoying. I do appreciate how much music was tied into her character and the accuracy with which that aspect was portrayed.
I thought The Tetradome Run was fantastic, even though the cliffhanger ending was unbelievably annoying. Still definitely worth reading, and it deserves a solid 5/5 rating.
July 30, 2019
This book blew me away
I can’t believe that I was so fortunate to have received this amazing novel through Kindle first. This is a new author for me, but you can bet that I’ll be searching for more of his books.
I read a lot of books, but rarely write reviews so you know this is something special. The tension is so tweaked that when I got hungry all I could manage was a bowl of cereal because I could keep my reader in my hand while preparing my ‘meal’. This is a rarity. These characters are so real and the situations so spot on that you would swear you’re reading the headlines of today’s news. There’s so much going on that I can not do justice in explanation. You just HAVE to read it. My only disappointment was that it left some ideas hanging so I sure hope that there’s another book in the works.
So if you love total immersion, high wire tension, present day dystopia, characters that could live next door and waiting almost too long to go to the bathroom, then you have got to get this book.
I can’t believe that I was so fortunate to have received this amazing novel through Kindle first. This is a new author for me, but you can bet that I’ll be searching for more of his books.
I read a lot of books, but rarely write reviews so you know this is something special. The tension is so tweaked that when I got hungry all I could manage was a bowl of cereal because I could keep my reader in my hand while preparing my ‘meal’. This is a rarity. These characters are so real and the situations so spot on that you would swear you’re reading the headlines of today’s news. There’s so much going on that I can not do justice in explanation. You just HAVE to read it. My only disappointment was that it left some ideas hanging so I sure hope that there’s another book in the works.
So if you love total immersion, high wire tension, present day dystopia, characters that could live next door and waiting almost too long to go to the bathroom, then you have got to get this book.
January 10, 2020
Well written, thought provoking, exciting!
So this book is essentially the Hunger Games meets Shawshank Redemption, with some satire/commentary on society, particularly politics, in modern day America. Whether that was the author's intention or not, that's how it came across to me. An odd combination, to be sure, but let me tell you, it just worked. The plot was interesting and exciting. It moved along at a good place but didn't rush through important moments. I didn't want to put it down. There were some slight errors and minor details that made little sense (ie *** INSIGNIFICANT BUT STILL SLIGHT SPOILER***: why would Nathan go out of his way to trip her and try to kill her in the semifinals, then, before the finals, tell her he would save her, and only her, if he could??). But those flaws aside, I really liked this book and am glad I found it. I do wish there was a slightly more conclusive ending, but I'm still happy with the one we get. I would recommend this book for sure!
So this book is essentially the Hunger Games meets Shawshank Redemption, with some satire/commentary on society, particularly politics, in modern day America. Whether that was the author's intention or not, that's how it came across to me. An odd combination, to be sure, but let me tell you, it just worked. The plot was interesting and exciting. It moved along at a good place but didn't rush through important moments. I didn't want to put it down. There were some slight errors and minor details that made little sense (ie *** INSIGNIFICANT BUT STILL SLIGHT SPOILER***: why would Nathan go out of his way to trip her and try to kill her in the semifinals, then, before the finals, tell her he would save her, and only her, if he could??). But those flaws aside, I really liked this book and am glad I found it. I do wish there was a slightly more conclusive ending, but I'm still happy with the one we get. I would recommend this book for sure!
July 18, 2019
I kept putting this book off because I thought it was going to be another YA Running Man knock-off. It really wasn't. I did enjoy the book and there was some good writing, I did think that the subject matter was a little cliche (with a twist), but It was fun and a quick read.
I did see Hunger-Games-Like references, as this story revolves around a large group of people on a national game-show in a physical stamina "super-warrior" type event, where there is only one winner and everyone else dies. The contestants were on death row to begin with, so there's that difference.
The protagonist is a young woman who is set up for a crime that she did not commit and is "saved" at the last minute from execution by a game show recruiter. (there are more details, but I will leave those for readers).
The book is divided by 1st-person narrative in the form of a prison journal and real-time narrative of the game-show.
Other narrative includes political issues and psychological manipulation.
I did see Hunger-Games-Like references, as this story revolves around a large group of people on a national game-show in a physical stamina "super-warrior" type event, where there is only one winner and everyone else dies. The contestants were on death row to begin with, so there's that difference.
The protagonist is a young woman who is set up for a crime that she did not commit and is "saved" at the last minute from execution by a game show recruiter. (there are more details, but I will leave those for readers).
The book is divided by 1st-person narrative in the form of a prison journal and real-time narrative of the game-show.
Other narrative includes political issues and psychological manipulation.
December 28, 2019
Don't stop reading. It's not the book you think it is.
I almost stopped. It was becoming clear to me that this book was just another one of those rather stupid books in which the young hero is thrown into a brutally sadistic and ludicrously difficult competition, and the reader will be assaulted with page after page (after page!) of grizzly descriptions of the cleverly violent death of every competitor, except, of course, for the young hero.
Okay, well, it kind of IS that, but it's much, much more, and the grizzly descriptions do not drag on and on.
The Tetradome Run is complex, compelling, surprising, rather brilliant, well written, and, importantly, VERY well constructed. The main characters are quite terrific, and the reader keeps learning more about them with every new page.
This book kept me up WAY too late, so I need to stop writing this. My final words on this book are simply:
Read it.
I almost stopped. It was becoming clear to me that this book was just another one of those rather stupid books in which the young hero is thrown into a brutally sadistic and ludicrously difficult competition, and the reader will be assaulted with page after page (after page!) of grizzly descriptions of the cleverly violent death of every competitor, except, of course, for the young hero.
Okay, well, it kind of IS that, but it's much, much more, and the grizzly descriptions do not drag on and on.
The Tetradome Run is complex, compelling, surprising, rather brilliant, well written, and, importantly, VERY well constructed. The main characters are quite terrific, and the reader keeps learning more about them with every new page.
This book kept me up WAY too late, so I need to stop writing this. My final words on this book are simply:
Read it.
May 11, 2019
You MUST read this book!
Book of the year!!! I can't even begin to describe just how great this book is. A world where hardened criminals as well as those who truly are innocent but found guilty collide and battle it out to see who can win the Tetradome, is just a minor part of this book. It's so much more than that. It's about being in the wrong place at the wrong time, making friends with the wrong people, loving and losing! You are either ticked off, crying, cheering, or sitting on the edge of your seat. You are reading faster, then slowing down, your heart rate goes up...and you start the cycle all over again!!! I can truly understand why it took Mr. Baum so long to write this book. I got one am grateful he started and finished it.
Book of the year!!! I can't even begin to describe just how great this book is. A world where hardened criminals as well as those who truly are innocent but found guilty collide and battle it out to see who can win the Tetradome, is just a minor part of this book. It's so much more than that. It's about being in the wrong place at the wrong time, making friends with the wrong people, loving and losing! You are either ticked off, crying, cheering, or sitting on the edge of your seat. You are reading faster, then slowing down, your heart rate goes up...and you start the cycle all over again!!! I can truly understand why it took Mr. Baum so long to write this book. I got one am grateful he started and finished it.
June 29, 2019
This was an interesting take on dystopian themes. Takes place in a kind of parallel universe. Everything is pretty much the same except for one tiny detail. Back when Nixon was president, he signed an executive order that allowed something special to happen to some criminals. This is where it becomes a little like Hunger Games. Select prisoners get to compete in the Tetradome. There will be all sorts of specially designed animals out to get them. There will only be one winner. Where the story takes a twist is that one of the criminals really is innocent and throughout the story we get to read excepts of her past. There’s another twist. Someone is trying to take down the Tetradome system. I was on the edge of my seat by the end.
April 16, 2020
This book was awesome! You don't often encounter actual literature these days, but this is one of those books. My favorite passage:
"... we were trying to be good people who simply spoke out against it? It's a funny thing, activism. You can do it out of love or do it out of hate. When your out there on the street with a sign in your hand, trying to convince other people to share your view of what's right and what's wrong, what motivated you to be there matters a lot. Because if you are out there not out of a love for justice, but rather, out of hate for your enemy, in no short time you will become the evil you thought you were fighting. Before you know it, the good guys will be the ones protesting you."
This is so applicable to today's political situation.
"... we were trying to be good people who simply spoke out against it? It's a funny thing, activism. You can do it out of love or do it out of hate. When your out there on the street with a sign in your hand, trying to convince other people to share your view of what's right and what's wrong, what motivated you to be there matters a lot. Because if you are out there not out of a love for justice, but rather, out of hate for your enemy, in no short time you will become the evil you thought you were fighting. Before you know it, the good guys will be the ones protesting you."
This is so applicable to today's political situation.
September 27, 2024
i thought this was a very fun read. first time reading Spencer Baum and this book reminds me a lot of the Running man from Stephen King (Richard bachman originally) and i think the characters were well written and the action was thrilling when different monsters get thrown into the race. my only complaints was that the deaths were not very detailed which can be a good thing if your squeamish to blood and gore but if you enjoy very reading detailed violence then you might be a tad disappointed. also there was a whole chapter dedicated to the main character in her clarinet club and i was not crazy about reading it but thankfully it did not drag on and i find the pacing to be overall pretty solid.
September 3, 2019
Gripping may be an overused adjective to describe books these days, but that's the best word for this book. It was gripping and enthralling. A page-turner, definitely. And assuredly thought-provoking. Kind of Hunger Games meets Running Man in a alternate history/present sort of way. All I know is I inhaled this book and it's not a short book. I just couldn't stop reading it. I read instead of doing anything else I was supposed to do this morning - walk, eat, work... All I'm saying is don't start it unless you've got a lot of time on your hands.
And after all that, I still want more. Gah.
And after all that, I still want more. Gah.
September 7, 2019
This is a really enthralling read. An adult version of the hunger games, mixed with a thriller crime element. I enjoyed the read, I was captivated by Jenna and the slowly emerging treasure hunt that was her story, and it was all written in such a clever way, with such eloquent pages, that I didn’t put it down.
I did feel it was a bit long, and if I’m honest the different narrators and their subsequent fates wasn’t an element I loved. The cliffhanger at the end too was kind of like....uh ok really. Perhaps without so many conspiracy and twists, I would be more invested in the sequel, but I just feel a bit overwhelmed by it all.
Still a great read and very well written.
I did feel it was a bit long, and if I’m honest the different narrators and their subsequent fates wasn’t an element I loved. The cliffhanger at the end too was kind of like....uh ok really. Perhaps without so many conspiracy and twists, I would be more invested in the sequel, but I just feel a bit overwhelmed by it all.
Still a great read and very well written.
November 11, 2019
Meet an Obsessive Sociopath
This is an intense action story that centers on a young woman framed for a political assassination she did not commit. The context of the story is a Roman gladiator type contest pitting 143 death row inmates against each other. Jenna's only chance is to survive the contest. Little by little, we learn the story of how Jenna came to be in this situation. We meet Sunny, the mastermind behind all the evil that takes place in the story. The plot is dense and riveting. The farther one goes in the book, the more drawn in to the suspense. The characters are believable. The ending fits the story. I believe you will enjoy this book.
This is an intense action story that centers on a young woman framed for a political assassination she did not commit. The context of the story is a Roman gladiator type contest pitting 143 death row inmates against each other. Jenna's only chance is to survive the contest. Little by little, we learn the story of how Jenna came to be in this situation. We meet Sunny, the mastermind behind all the evil that takes place in the story. The plot is dense and riveting. The farther one goes in the book, the more drawn in to the suspense. The characters are believable. The ending fits the story. I believe you will enjoy this book.
January 15, 2019
When my husband mentioned that his best friend from high school wrote this book, I purchased a copy thinking, “Sure, I’ll give it a try.” I was skeptical at first. The subject wasn’t one that would normally tempt me and even vaguely sounded like The Running Man. However, the skepticism quickly gave way to interest then to complete absorption. I was reading as quickly as I could, devouring the pages to find out what happened next to Jenna. I stayed up wellll past my bedtime on a work night to finish this book. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and I hope to see more!!
July 25, 2019
I recieved a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest critic, and all I have to say is oh my god, wow.
This book was thrilling from beginning to end, complex, full of vivid characters, with such a compelling storyline that I could barely put it down! I felt completely engaged in Jenna's story, I wanted to know what was gonna happen next and every chapter renewed my excitement. Every scene in the Tetradome was exhilarating, every excerpt of Jenna's memoir so full of details, the story just kept getting better and better.
I highly recommend this awesome book!
This book was thrilling from beginning to end, complex, full of vivid characters, with such a compelling storyline that I could barely put it down! I felt completely engaged in Jenna's story, I wanted to know what was gonna happen next and every chapter renewed my excitement. Every scene in the Tetradome was exhilarating, every excerpt of Jenna's memoir so full of details, the story just kept getting better and better.
I highly recommend this awesome book!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews