Rating: 
Summary: Well
Review: I couldn't really get into this book. I guess it wasn't my type of novel. I think that if your in to reality TV, you'll enjoy it. It has an interesting concept and a decent enough plot. To me it seemed to somewhat linger, yet for fans of trapped and island like scenario's, you will be delighted.
Rating: 
Summary: 24/7
Review: I have never watched reality TV and probably would have never brought this book BUT had 2 friends recommend to me and loved it. A very easy read and one that grabs you and then can not stop reading. At the end of the book he talks about his next book "The Hill" which I can not find EVEN on Amazon.com. A great airplane and vacation book!!!
Rating:
Summary: A Great Read and a Terrific ride
Review: I love to hate reality shows and so I was absolutely surprised to love this book. But I do. Mr. Brown is an amazing writer with a natural gift for keeping you perched on the edge of your seat and turning the page. To my knowledge this is the first book to be set in the world of reality TV but I'm sure it won't be the last. It will however, most likely be the best. The lead character is a single mom driven by her love for her daughter (think Ashely Judd from Double Jeopardy) who refuses to give up even when an unexpected twist puts her in greater danger than anyone else. Her passion for survival is matched on the mainland by a reporter's quest to find answers (I even liked the reporter. Now that's amazing). Each time you think you've got it figured out the writer throws you another curve and the truly amazing thing is it all makes sense in the end. I can't wait to read Jim Brown's next book.
Rating:
Summary: I can't remember the last time I loved a book this much.
Review: I loved this book. The pace is astonishing fast and the characters riveting, especially the lead a single mother who will do anything for her daughter. The plot lines are unique, enthralling and amazingly, all tie together in the end. The premises is a live reality show that turns deadly when the contestants are infected with a virus lethal in 24 hours. Each day there will enough injections for all but one. The person who dies is decided by on line voted. Using just around the corner technology Brown creates a program that cannot be taken off the air. The nation is both enthraled and appalled. And the Navy, forced to blockade the island to ensure the virus doesn't spread, has been given a time limit after which they will blast the entire facility to bottom of the sea. Meanwhile the contestants must continue to play the game but with deadly consequences.
And that's just the beginning. Once you start reading it's hard to stop. Brown should be commended for writing a book that is compelling and at the same time, layered. It's only after you close the book and begin to think about what you've read (and you will think about it) that you realize how deeply layered the story truly is. What, on the surfaces is a fun, rollicking novel also contains profound social commentary and sounds a disturbing warning we all should hear. I haven't been excited about a new writer since Judy Mercer and I can't wait to see what Jim Brown's next book.
Rating: 
Summary: talented writer, poorly drawn characters
Review: I thought the book was fast moving and interesting. But my complaint is not one of the characters moved me. There were too many and by necessity....each was given a stereotypical generic backstory with as much psychological complexity as befits a third grade mentality. Dana, the generic single mother, put me to sleep. And her love interest, too. Boring, boring, boring..... They were meant for each other...two generic fictional non-entities.. Of course, you knew from the beginning they'd end up in good shape and with each other..but I never really cared....which is a death knell for a novel...Even complex dark evil characters....I can be drawn to...and grow to find fascinating.....if they're complex and delineated enough and come to life......Mr. Brown's characters were cookie-cutter...Which is why the plot was so busy and filled with piled over-the-top incidents...
When I finished it...my conclusion was how busy and intricate the plot was...the ending was ridiculously stagey and unbelievable.....and I thought how shadowy and undeveloped the characters..And in a week's time, I forget all about it, because the characters aren't "alive" for me...Sort of like junk food, when I crave gourmet...something that lingers...
Rating:
Summary: One of the most compelling books I've ever read
Review: I was given 24/7 as a Christmas gift and, not being a big fan of thrillers, did not expect to like it. I was pleasantly surprised. In fact, surprise seems to be the word that best describes this novel. Mr. Brown has a wonderful, if twisted, imagination that makes it all but impossible to anticipate what will happen next. His plots are so compelling that you forget you are reading and if you're not careful, will loose an entire night's sleep. Despite the large cast I felt connected to the main characters and frequently found my heart in my throat. On two occasions I gasped out loud. Even as a frequent reader (I read at least two book a week) I can count on one hand the number of times that has happened in the last five years.
But perhaps the most surprising aspect of 24/7 is the plausibility. It could happen. Which makes this book compelling and frightening. I recommend it for anyone who loves a good story.
Rating: 
Summary: Lots of Fun
Review: I was pleasantly surprised...great story, lots of fun...I read it in two sittings. A great distraction even if you hate reality TV like me.
Rating:
Summary: Two Good Things
Review: I'm sorry to say I was duped into reading this boook by all the good reviews on this page - but after struggling through the last 200 pages I can only think of a few good things: a terrific plot idea and a clever way to keep most of the characters straight by matching the first initial of their name with the first initial of their occupation (e.g., Nora - nun, Charles - CPA, Renee - realtor, etc.). But too many things fell apart in the middle of what started out to be fun. When Foster the fisherman just left the island and nobody ever noticed or wondered where he went - and when even the "Control" lost count of how many people were left alive, the book simply lost what little credibility it had. Like Reilly's Temple and Deitrich's Getting Back, the book had potential but didn't deliver.
Rating:
Summary: Guilty Pleasure!
Review: I've never been a fan of reality TV. As an avid reader, though, Jim Brown's premise appealed to me. Perhaps Brown, a former TV anchorman, could give this overworked idea a good kick in the pants. Brown comes through with flying colors. The premise: Twelve contestants, on an island, are involved in a "Survivor"-like TV series that turns ugly when an unknown entity informs them they have all been infected with a deadly designer virus. Based on the TV audience's votes, one contestant will be refused the daily antidote and will die a horrible death. It's a modern and macabre twist on the old lifeboat analogy. Okay, so as a reader I found myself appalled and entranced by the horrors of Brown's tale. He quickly thrust me into the action and the next thing you know...I was hooked. I primarily read during my lunch-breaks in our employee cafeteria. With fork in hand, shovelling food into my mouth (successfully, in most cases), I raced through the pages to discover the story's ending. 24/7 jumps all over the place and follows a parade of characters, yet maintains an amazing congruity. Brown juggles a dozen subplots without dropping a single one. By the end, I was exhausted by the energy and intricate structure that brought the story to its conclusion. Despite these plaudits, I must say that the story stretches credibility on more than one occasion. As with reality TV, I got the feeling more than once that this whole thing was rigged, that it wasn't as believable as it wanted me to think it was. The characters are brief, but memorable sketches, and the plot threads tie off nicely, if not too conveniently. Overall, 24/7 became a guilty pleasure. I couldn't put it down, though it seemed so shallow at its core. Or maybe that was the very point. The irony of it all. By ensnaring me in his thriller's web, Jim Brown showed me that I, like so many, am willing to "tune in" to see what'll happen, even if it means sacrificing my time, ethics, and integrity. Like his fictional TV audience, I was mentally voting death for the characters I disliked...and in so doing, I underlined the story's basic moral: In a society fueled by entertainment and false reality, we quickly sink to our lowest common denominator. Brown uses the very methods that'll attract his targets to slap them in the face with this harsh truth. Okay, Jim, I learned my lesson...Are you ready to teach me another?
Rating: 
Summary: It's time to leave, the tribe has spoken......
Review: If I could give this book 0 Stars, I would. I'm a HUGE fan of the show Survivor. When I heard about this book, I went to many book stores and libraries to find it. I finally did and was very excited to read it. I was very disappointed in t his books. This is nothing like Survivor or "reality shows". It alomst seems like the "reality" aspect was just an afterthought. What this is really about bioterrorism. The characters are so weak, and flat, its' not funny. They act in away that makes the characters unreal. The dialouge is flat people just dont' talk that way. I suggest that if you like shows like Survivor then stay away from this 24/7. *hold paper with 24/7 on it. It's time to leave, the tribe has spoken.
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