The Twelve

Rating:
Summary: Passable
Review: For some reason, I am always a little suspicious of books written by two people. This one just added to my suspicions. It's not that it was a bad book - it held my attention and read fairly fast - but it definetly wasn't great. There were just too many logic-defying moments for me. The romance between Nick and Sandy seeemed totally random, and the way Nick effortlessly conquers his drinking problem is also beyond belief. I picked this book up at the library, and from the description it sounded really good. I actually think this book should have been longer, something I very rarely think about a book! I would have liked to have gotten deeper into the cult itself - their beliefs, motivations, etc. Also, I know I am a grammar nerd, but the occurence of several comma splices in this book really annoyed me. All in all, not bad for a quick read.

Rating:
Summary: Very good, but....
Review: I did enjoy this book a lot and it did keep me turning the pages.It has plenty of suspense and the story buildup is artfully handled.I would recommend this book .
I do have some problems with it though.
I know it is fiction and the authors can take whatever liberties they want with fiction, but if it is something that could have happened in real life or in this case , HAS happened in real life, I want a little realism to the story.
It really bugs me otherwise.
And there were parts of this story that were totally unrealistic and I found myself thinking that as I read it.

In real life the FBI would NEVER deal with a cult leader under siege as they did in this book. Dream on.
And I found something that was a huge part of the ending to be totally out there too.
I was shaking my head thinking that it would never happen in real life in this situation.

Maybe I'm just too nitpicky because I realize the book is fiction.

To sum up, it is a good suspense book with an interesting story.
If you like suspensful books or books in which cultic groups or non mainstream religions play a part, this is a book you'd probably enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: good but not great
Review: I picked this up on impulse at a used bookstore because I needed something to read while waiting for my grandmother to get out of the doctor's office. It was okay; the plot is an interesting one I'd have liked to see explored in greater depth, but there weren't many really scary moments. (and if a book prominently featuring evil children can't produce chills than there's definitely something wrong there.)

There were few moments, especially in the last few chapters that strained credulity, and the ending was a cliche I unfortunately saw coming from the beginning when a certain object was found in the aftermath of an explosion (and it doesn't help that a quote on the cover tells you straight out it's going to be a cliffhanger).

But despite all this it was entertaining enough to keep my interest and convince me to read it all the way through. I'd recommend it if there's nothing better to be had, and there's of course the chance that fans of this particular genre might enjoy it more than a casual reader.

Rating:
Summary: a real heart stopper
Review: I thought this book was very good. I really feel that this book gives a person a glimpse into the mind of a cult, and what happens when a person is brainwashed by the cult's leaders. I expected the children to get together again, but I did not expect some of the twists that happened at the end of the book.

I feel that this book is set up for a sequel in the future and I feel that this might even make a good movie. (Perhaps cast David Duchovny as agent Barrows, and Christina Ricci as Mary Hummock.)

Read this book!

Rating:
Summary: Very good, but....
Review: If you ever saw the classic 1960 English movie, "Village of the Damned," you could probably relate to this book in a different manner. As it stands, though, the Kaminskey's fall short in providing the chilling doomsday of the aforementioned children with the white eyes.
Instead we have twelve children released from a cult commune by their insane leader, Josiah Hummock. Once released, the complex is blown to smithereens and Hummock along with it. (Although don't miss an early reference that might provide a hint to the ending?). At any rate, FBI Nick Burrows and psychologist Sally Price try to get the kids out without any violence; when it does occur, Nick is blamed and sent to a field office in Tulsa. He also loses his globetrotting wife, and he hits the bottle! Nothing new, there, huh?
However, four years after the event, the children all disappear from their homes; two of them fake their deaths to lead them, and a deadly plan is set forth in motion.
While an interesting premise, the Kaminskey's fail to generate the chills or impending doom they obviously intended. The childrens' murders are predictable, although the poison in the doughnuts is a new one! Burrows and Price rush to convince everyone that the kids are plotting something, but no one believes them. Typical again.
This book, written in 1999, obviously hoped for a sequel, as the ending is another one of those, "never count out the bad guys" finales. Since no sequel has emerged since then, one can only feel a little cheated by the nasty ending. RECOMMENDED, BUT ONLY MARGINALLY.

Rating:
Summary: A DIRTIER DOZEN
Review: If you ever saw the classic 1960 English movie, "Village of the Damned," you could probably relate to this book in a different manner. As it stands, though, the Kaminskey's fall short in providing the chilling doomsday of the aforementioned children with the white eyes.
Instead we have twelve children released from a cult commune by their insane leader, Josiah Hummock. Once released, the complex is blown to smithereens and Hummock along with it. (Although don't miss an early reference that might provide a hint to the ending?). At any rate, FBI Nick Burrows and psychologist Sally Price try to get the kids out without any violence; when it does occur, Nick is blamed and sent to a field office in Tulsa. He also loses his globetrotting wife, and he hits the bottle! Nothing new, there, huh?
However, four years after the event, the children all disappear from their homes; two of them fake their deaths to lead them, and a deadly plan is set forth in motion.
While an interesting premise, the Kaminskey's fail to generate the chills or impending doom they obviously intended. The childrens' murders are predictable, although the poison in the doughnuts is a new one! Burrows and Price rush to convince everyone that the kids are plotting something, but no one believes them. Typical again.
This book, written in 1999, obviously hoped for a sequel, as the ending is another one of those, "never count out the bad guys" finales. Since no sequel has emerged since then, one can only feel a little cheated by the nasty ending. RECOMMENDED, BUT ONLY MARGINALLY.

Rating:
Summary: What a waste of time!
Review: This book held such promise! After reading the back cover and looking at the chilling front cover, I expected so much more than this rather lame, unclimactic tale. I never felt any chills, the plot never built to any real speed, and the violence was completely ordinary, neither gruesome nor disturbing. I kept reading, because I expected an explosive ending. HA! The ending was both predictable and laughable and I could not have cared less whether they were able to stop the kids from killing their "big" target. Moreover, the book never made any real attempt to explain the few bits of bizarre behavior the cult members did display, their beliefs, or the psychology of the cult at all. All in all, it was a GREAT idea for a story that was bungled by very inept hands. And to think, it took TWO of them to write it!