Lifers

by Martin Griffin

Paperback, 2001

Status

Available

Call number

823.92

Genres

Collections

Publication

Chicken House Ltd (2001), Edition: 1

Description

Preston explores dark Manchester in the hunt for a missing friend. Deep in the bowels of a secret institute, he discovers a sinister machine. The world inside is a cavernous dimension filled with problematic teens. Friendships are forged, promises broken and lives lost in a reckless battle for freedom, revenge-and revolution.

User reviews

LibraryThing member roses7184
It's tough to pinpoint exactly what type of book Lifers actually is. I lean towards a mystery or thriller, but in fact this book is kind of a genre mash-up. Take a bit of dystopia, some science fiction, a dash of mystery, shake it all up and you'll have Lifers at the end. This story defies
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categorization, and it was honestly kind of refreshing in a way.

Now, I feel it only fair to let all readers out there know that this book is written in third person. After much practice, I've learned to connect better with this type of writing. I do know that it is difficult for some people to feel fully immersed though. The saving grace is that Griffin does an excellent job of putting you right inside Preston's head. From the very first moment that he stumbles upon the mystery surrounding Alice's disappearance, it's easy to follow along with him. Despite anything else, Preston's ability to problem solve and keep calm under pressure is a constant.

As for the story itself, I was actually quite impressed with the way it was laid out. It's tough to share too much without spoilers, but there's a really clever basis to all the madness that Preston gets wrapped up in. I was intrigued by the science fiction portion of this story. The idea of being lost somewhere beyond. The concept of being so far from any type of help that it feels hopeless. I would have definitely liked to see more character build up, but the story kept me rapt.

If the beginning of this book seems a little slow, keep at it. Once I reached the middle, I was so wholly impressed with the way that things were being strategically laid out, and the build up to the ending honestly had me breathless with anticipation. Preston's wild misadventure ended up being something that I wasn't expecting, but was really glad I read. If you're looking for the type of story that doesn't fit nicely into a genre, and will challenge your mind, this is what you're looking for.
Show Less
LibraryThing member roses7184
It's tough to pinpoint exactly what type of book Lifers actually is. I lean towards a mystery or thriller, but in fact this book is kind of a genre mash-up. Take a bit of dystopia, some science fiction, a dash of mystery, shake it all up and you'll have Lifers at the end. This story defies
Show More
categorization, and it was honestly kind of refreshing in a way.

Now, I feel it only fair to let all readers out there know that this book is written in third person. After much practice, I've learned to connect better with this type of writing. I do know that it is difficult for some people to feel fully immersed though. The saving grace is that Griffin does an excellent job of putting you right inside Preston's head. From the very first moment that he stumbles upon the mystery surrounding Alice's disappearance, it's easy to follow along with him. Despite anything else, Preston's ability to problem solve and keep calm under pressure is a constant.

As for the story itself, I was actually quite impressed with the way it was laid out. It's tough to share too much without spoilers, but there's a really clever basis to all the madness that Preston gets wrapped up in. I was intrigued by the science fiction portion of this story. The idea of being lost somewhere beyond. The concept of being so far from any type of help that it feels hopeless. I would have definitely liked to see more character build up, but the story kept me rapt.

If the beginning of this book seems a little slow, keep at it. Once I reached the middle, I was so wholly impressed with the way that things were being strategically laid out, and the build up to the ending honestly had me breathless with anticipation. Preston's wild misadventure ended up being something that I wasn't expecting, but was really glad I read. If you're looking for the type of story that doesn't fit nicely into a genre, and will challenge your mind, this is what you're looking for.
Show Less

Original language

English

ISBN

1910002259 / 9781910002254

Barcode

91120000468704

DDC/MDS

823.92
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