Leap Point

Rating:
Summary: Read in the daylight; think about it all night long.
Review: At first I was intrigued by the combination of dark foreshadowing and a private investigator ala Bogart. It wasn't long before this book raised those little hairs on the back of my neck (read especially the part about the children in the Tombs---!) I admit I already had some preconceived notions about downsides to VR--so the author's admission that this is a cautionary tale fit for me.

Rating:
Summary: Like a bad music video
Review: I couldn't read the whole thing, but wrestled through more than half of it. There is gratuitous violence, child pornography, and I found the characters to be unbelievable in their intentions and attitudes. This one goes under the heading "trashy science fiction with no redeeming value."

Rating:
Summary: "Science Fiction" for Action/Adventure readers.
Review: I'm one of many who grew up reading Sci-Fi but slowly, and I thought permanently, turned away from the genre. Leap Point and Ms. Kenyon's previous book, The Seeds of Time, brought me back.

So, how did she re-hook an action-adventure reader? By combining "real" people and "real" social issues, tremendously well presented science thought, and non-stop action. Not complete "reality" as we feel we know it; not total fantasy. Just the right amount of "Hmmm, now that's an interesting possibility...".

Give this "Sci-Fi" book a good read fellow action/adventure readers. After that, read "The Seeds of Time". See if you don't start appreciating the genre again...

Rating:
Summary: Pretty good read...
Review: If you've ever wondered what all those kids (and everyone else, for that matter!) are doing staring vacuoulsy into computer monitors, wandering aimlessy about with headphones on, or feeding our country's fiscal future into video games at the local arcade--well, Kenyon has a plausible explanation: it's aliens! And why not?! This is a little like "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," without--quite--the pods. This is a pretty good read, a lot of fun. There's a strong woman protagonist, an out-of-step (so to speak) gumshoe, a smarmy villain right out of "Lost in Space," and a swell group of repulsive aliens whose name will--literally--make you spit!

Rating:
Summary: The more you read, the faster you read.
Review: Just finished Leap Point; I loved it. This is only my second sci-fi book, the first was Kenyon's other book, Seeds of Time, and for the very same reason I loved that one, I love this one: The momentum keeps building with one climax after another; it's a great adventure in a world that seems totally plausible. She peoples her tale with interesting characters whose weaknesses and strengths drive the story. The premise of the story is downright scary, but Kenyon gives you a breather with some laugh-out-loud passages. This isn't just a book that takes you on a wild unpredictable ride, it haunts you every time you click onto the internet. Her style is easy, not forced, and her descriptive imagery is vivid. Can't wait for her next book.

Rating:
Summary: Mainly the characters
Review: Really cool idea, and parts of the story was enjoyable, but the main problem I had was with the characters. They were too unbelievable for me; they accepted too quickly with what was going on, and were ready to believe anything. There were other problems I had with the story that I couldn't put my finger on, but it just rang wrong.

Rating:
Summary: Another fabulous Tale by a complete Writer
Review: This is a tale of the struggle against world dominance by beings from another world. A woman struggles to cope with the loss of her daughter and fights to find the person to blame it on and in the midst of her search stumbles onto a group of alien beings that are in the process of pulling humankind into there net of control... somewhat reminiscent of the Body Snatchers syndrome but instead is a brain snatching plot that is very unique and very possible.... This book is another masterpiece by Kay Kenyon, the more you read the harder it is to put the book down... This is a Science Fiction fans delight... Bravo Kay Kenyon !! Thanks for another fabulous book....

Rating:
Summary: Can't wait for the movie!
Review: This is quite a little page turner. Set in the near future in small town America, it centres around a very old sci-fi theme - attempted conquest of Earth by aliens. In this case, however, the mechanism for achieving this is a virtual reality computer game.

The characters are a little stereotyped (e.g., beautiful heroine who unwittingly ends up having to save Earth plus classic villain type, ala Lex Luthor), but it all seems to add to the fun.

The strength of Leap Point, however, is its plot. There are a number of strands which are nicely integrated and keep the story moving along at a good pace.

All in all, this is tailor-made for Hollywood - four and a half stars.

Rating:
Summary: A Small Town. A Galactic Presence.
Review: This is the story of virtual reality gone bad, and the end of the world beginning in a small town. It explores the trivialization of technology in a future just around the corner, and how one woman's fierce devotion to her child intesects with a dread alien intention.