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The Loop
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Horror (2020)
Stranger Things
meets World War Z in this heart-racing thriller as a group of teenagers attempt to survive the night in a town overcome by a science experiment gone wrong.
A small town nestled in the hills of western Oregon becomes the epicenter of an epidemic of violence when the teenaged children of several executives from the local biotech firm become ill and aggressively murderous. Suddenly the town is on edge, and everyone must do everything it takes just to survive…
A small town nestled in the hills of western Oregon becomes the epicenter of an epidemic of violence when the teenaged children of several executives from the local biotech firm become ill and aggressively murderous. Suddenly the town is on edge, and everyone must do everything it takes just to survive…
303 pages, Hardcover
First published September 29, 2020
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26453 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,174 reviews
December 16, 2024
**3.5-stars rounded up**
Turner Falls, Oregon, is a small town with a very big problem.
A local biotech company's experiments have gone terribly wrong, but when local misfit teens start to notice, who is going to believe them?
Y'all, The Loop was a bloody, gritty, gruesome, good time!
I liked the protagonist, Lucy, quite a bit. She's smart, witty, and slightly jaded, finding a strength within herself she didn't even realize was there. Her arc was satisfying.
Along with her two friends, Brewer and Bucket, Lucy and the boys come face-to-face with the bioengineering gone horrendously wrong.
Johnson does't shy away from gore and general stomach-churning details. We stan.
There is also a conspiracy podcast element which I adored. It was an exceptional device for tying in biting social commentary, which is one of the hallmarks of a solid piece of Horror fiction, in my opinion.
The podcast host was realistic and I thought he was an excellent addition to the cast. I can't imagine the story without him.
The comparison to Stranger Things is understandable, although these kids seem much more mature than the original pack from ST. I mean, obviously there is a big age difference.
However, the overall vibe, is there.
If you are looking for a fast-paced, smart, evil corporation, Horror Thriller...wait, is that a thing?
Apparently, it is now and I want more of it. I had a ton of fun with this. The Loop doesn't take itself too seriously and I enjoy that.
I am excited to read more from this author. I think he made really great choices with how this story unfolded; it's not perfect, but it's certainly solid.
It was humorous and horrifying, which are two things that go so well together.
Like peanut butter and chocolate. Do not disagree with that.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Gallery Books, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review.
I appreciate it so much and urge any horror lover to give it a shot.
Turner Falls, Oregon, is a small town with a very big problem.
A local biotech company's experiments have gone terribly wrong, but when local misfit teens start to notice, who is going to believe them?
Y'all, The Loop was a bloody, gritty, gruesome, good time!
I liked the protagonist, Lucy, quite a bit. She's smart, witty, and slightly jaded, finding a strength within herself she didn't even realize was there. Her arc was satisfying.
Along with her two friends, Brewer and Bucket, Lucy and the boys come face-to-face with the bioengineering gone horrendously wrong.
Johnson does't shy away from gore and general stomach-churning details. We stan.
There is also a conspiracy podcast element which I adored. It was an exceptional device for tying in biting social commentary, which is one of the hallmarks of a solid piece of Horror fiction, in my opinion.
The podcast host was realistic and I thought he was an excellent addition to the cast. I can't imagine the story without him.
The comparison to Stranger Things is understandable, although these kids seem much more mature than the original pack from ST. I mean, obviously there is a big age difference.
However, the overall vibe, is there.
If you are looking for a fast-paced, smart, evil corporation, Horror Thriller...wait, is that a thing?
Apparently, it is now and I want more of it. I had a ton of fun with this. The Loop doesn't take itself too seriously and I enjoy that.
I am excited to read more from this author. I think he made really great choices with how this story unfolded; it's not perfect, but it's certainly solid.
It was humorous and horrifying, which are two things that go so well together.
Like peanut butter and chocolate. Do not disagree with that.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Gallery Books, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review.
I appreciate it so much and urge any horror lover to give it a shot.
October 1, 2020
Character driven, riveting apocalyptic YA sci-fi, fantasy with Stranger Things meets World War Z, Inbetweeners and Freaks and Geeks vibes! I’m sold!
Yes, amazing combination is served well with popcorn and gin-fizz! Of course I jumped in without having second thoughts!
But I have to warn you my friends! This book is not everyone’s cup of Early Grey: It’s gory, bloody, wild, dark and extremely violent journey! If you have delicate stomach, a hater of teen slasher movies or expecting something less disturbing, this is not a great pair for you! It can give you nightmares and make you paranoid ( I checked the doors at least seven times and saw shadows following me at the house. When my husband saw me on the floor after I fast jumped from my seat, I acted like I was doing my push ups! My arms still hurt like hell)
So I gave you my warning. It’s up to you whether you choose to read or not!
The nightmarish story starts at a small touristic town named Turner Falls located in the hills of Western Oregon: an ideal place for your weekend holiday escapades. But this place is also home of IMTECH: a science and biotech corporation. IMTECH’s brand new exploration is a special kind of parasite which has been taken from another specie’s tissue. They just implanted those parasites to teenagers to their great mind control plan which unfortunately gets out of control. Those teenagers start to turn into crazy killing machines, full with fury and vengeance. They seem like younger extras of Walking Dead series walking down the streets bloodthirsty, looking for their new victims.
Meanwhile Lucy and Bucket are the juniors and also outcasts of the high school, who are keeping their heads low, acting like ghosts not to be bullied more but a fight breaks out near the end of high school days and everything gets under control! Lucy decides to fight back and gathers her new friends to help her for this fight or die mission!
It’s action packed, disturbing, stimulating, blood freezing, intense, complex reading, criticizing sensitive issues including racism, bullying.
First half of the book is a little bumpy and slow paced. You have to push yourself harder not to dnf@%20 but after 80 pages later, juicy parts ( a lot of pouring blood!) start. Lucy is extremely likable, badass character you may easily root for.
If you ignore the slowness and long introduction of first 100 pages and if your endurance to gory things level is high enough, this is surprisingly twisty, moving, dazzling and also horrifying story.
I cut some star points because of my bumpy start and some of less likable and forgettable characters but I’m still rounding up 3.5 stars to 4! I mostly enjoyed my reading experience and highly recommend it to the genre less and not so delicate readers with highly functioning stomaches.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books/ Saga Press for sharing this ARC with me in exchange my honest opinions.
Yes, amazing combination is served well with popcorn and gin-fizz! Of course I jumped in without having second thoughts!
But I have to warn you my friends! This book is not everyone’s cup of Early Grey: It’s gory, bloody, wild, dark and extremely violent journey! If you have delicate stomach, a hater of teen slasher movies or expecting something less disturbing, this is not a great pair for you! It can give you nightmares and make you paranoid ( I checked the doors at least seven times and saw shadows following me at the house. When my husband saw me on the floor after I fast jumped from my seat, I acted like I was doing my push ups! My arms still hurt like hell)
So I gave you my warning. It’s up to you whether you choose to read or not!
The nightmarish story starts at a small touristic town named Turner Falls located in the hills of Western Oregon: an ideal place for your weekend holiday escapades. But this place is also home of IMTECH: a science and biotech corporation. IMTECH’s brand new exploration is a special kind of parasite which has been taken from another specie’s tissue. They just implanted those parasites to teenagers to their great mind control plan which unfortunately gets out of control. Those teenagers start to turn into crazy killing machines, full with fury and vengeance. They seem like younger extras of Walking Dead series walking down the streets bloodthirsty, looking for their new victims.
Meanwhile Lucy and Bucket are the juniors and also outcasts of the high school, who are keeping their heads low, acting like ghosts not to be bullied more but a fight breaks out near the end of high school days and everything gets under control! Lucy decides to fight back and gathers her new friends to help her for this fight or die mission!
It’s action packed, disturbing, stimulating, blood freezing, intense, complex reading, criticizing sensitive issues including racism, bullying.
First half of the book is a little bumpy and slow paced. You have to push yourself harder not to dnf@%20 but after 80 pages later, juicy parts ( a lot of pouring blood!) start. Lucy is extremely likable, badass character you may easily root for.
If you ignore the slowness and long introduction of first 100 pages and if your endurance to gory things level is high enough, this is surprisingly twisty, moving, dazzling and also horrifying story.
I cut some star points because of my bumpy start and some of less likable and forgettable characters but I’m still rounding up 3.5 stars to 4! I mostly enjoyed my reading experience and highly recommend it to the genre less and not so delicate readers with highly functioning stomaches.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books/ Saga Press for sharing this ARC with me in exchange my honest opinions.
September 30, 2020
NOW AVAILABLE!!!
Is this where we're at? Finding joy in the prospect of slightly diminished atrocities?
is there any better quote to sum up 2020?
this is a single-night sf/horror bloodbath tale of biotech hubris gone explosively wrong. it's being marketed as World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War meets Stranger Things, but it's also got lovecraftian tentacles and cronenberg body horror. most succinctly, it's "what if john hughes made splatterporn*?"
it'd be this: a sinister nightmarescape in smalltown oregon featuring outsider teens banding together to fight off the zombie-like attacks of the richie-rich kids who'd long tormented them with the human brand of mindless cruelties, now taking "mindless" and "cruel" bullying to whole new levels.
it's a gorefest tempered with unexpectedly heartwarming elements—love and loyalty and sacrifice and all the verybest qualities of humanity, even when sometimes the most merciful, human thing you can do is put someone out of their misery with a wrench.
if you are the kind of person who needs trigger-warnings, who quivers at the thought of reading about people and animals suffering any physical and emotional trauma, whether it be racist namecalling or serial dismemberment, this ain't your book, but if you want to read about a badass brown orphan girl's enviable courage in the face of extreme circumstances and SO MUCH eye trauma, this will surely tick your boxes.
on a personal note, i probably didn't do myself any favors reading this at the same time as bingewatching BrainDead—a show about outer space insects eating the brains of DC's politicians and taking over their bodies toxoplasmosis-style, with more messily exploding heads than any of michelle and robert king's other shows, but we all gotta live with our decisions, or die trying.
* and if he acknowledged the existence of races other than caucasian.
*****************************************
jeez louise.
review to come.
*****************************************
GOODREADS GIVEAWAY WINNNNNNERRRRRRR IS MEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!
come to my blog!
Is this where we're at? Finding joy in the prospect of slightly diminished atrocities?
is there any better quote to sum up 2020?
this is a single-night sf/horror bloodbath tale of biotech hubris gone explosively wrong. it's being marketed as World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War meets Stranger Things, but it's also got lovecraftian tentacles and cronenberg body horror. most succinctly, it's "what if john hughes made splatterporn*?"
it'd be this: a sinister nightmarescape in smalltown oregon featuring outsider teens banding together to fight off the zombie-like attacks of the richie-rich kids who'd long tormented them with the human brand of mindless cruelties, now taking "mindless" and "cruel" bullying to whole new levels.
it's a gorefest tempered with unexpectedly heartwarming elements—love and loyalty and sacrifice and all the verybest qualities of humanity, even when sometimes the most merciful, human thing you can do is put someone out of their misery with a wrench.
if you are the kind of person who needs trigger-warnings, who quivers at the thought of reading about people and animals suffering any physical and emotional trauma, whether it be racist namecalling or serial dismemberment, this ain't your book, but if you want to read about a badass brown orphan girl's enviable courage in the face of extreme circumstances and SO MUCH eye trauma, this will surely tick your boxes.
on a personal note, i probably didn't do myself any favors reading this at the same time as bingewatching BrainDead—a show about outer space insects eating the brains of DC's politicians and taking over their bodies toxoplasmosis-style, with more messily exploding heads than any of michelle and robert king's other shows, but we all gotta live with our decisions, or die trying.
* and if he acknowledged the existence of races other than caucasian.
*****************************************
jeez louise.
review to come.
*****************************************
GOODREADS GIVEAWAY WINNNNNNERRRRRRR IS MEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!
come to my blog!
August 7, 2020
“Shit, dude . . . You always look good to me.” She’d never said anything like that before, but it was true, and he had to know that their mutual low-key crush was part of what sustained their friendship. And they were probably going to die soon anyway, so she figured she might as well put it out there. “Now give me your f**king shirt.”
Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for sending me an ARC of The Loop in exchange for an honest review.
This book bills itself as a “heart-racing conspiracy thriller as a lonely young woman teams up with a group of fellow outcasts to survive the night in a town overcome by a science experiment gone wrong.” That is a spot-on plot description.
This book also bills itself as “Stranger Things meets World War Z.” There, I must respectfully disagree. The Loop and Stranger Things both involve teens dealing with something otherworldly, but there is little similarity in tone. And the oral history, reserved storytelling style of World War Z bears no resemblance to this tale.
The writing here is raw, and a little bit over the top. The pace is frenetic. There’s horror and gore, but there are also threads of raunchiness, even elements of a teen sex comedy. It has a clever opening that sets the mood and allows for a quick data dump of backstory. The main character, Lucy Henderson, is well-developed, far more so than any of the other characters. And the book has a really strong ending.
Rather than Stranger Things or World War Z, The Loop reminded me of the books of Scott Sigler and the cult classic movie Return of the Living Dead. Both are compliments. A fun, fast read.
May 26, 2020
TSK TSK TSK, SOMEONE'S BEEN A BAD LITTLE CORPORATION!
Something disturbing has begun in Turner Falls, Oregon. Home to IMTECH, a Science & Biotech Corporation. And it's about to get wild.
Using another specie's tissue, IMTECH created a biotech (like a parasite) and secretly implanted it in some of the town's teenagers. The goal was to control them. Let's just say, it backfired and the opposite occurred. All teenagers implanted became "infected" with an uncontrollable rage to kill and cause pain. The infected torture and kill everyone they come into contact with. A random group of people, including a few uninfected teenagers will spend every second fighting for their lives while trying to also understand what has happened so they can try to stop it before its too late.
Initially, I was off put at first. I thought it started very slow and felt mediocre. I even set it down for a while.
Finally around 100 pages in, the story did more than just pick up; it punched you in the face and hit you on the head with a hammer for good measure!! Because WOW folks: This is one bloody disturbing action book. It is extremely graphic and can be overly crass as well. Definitely not for the faint of heart. I think the author was smart to have the POV from a teenage girl instead of a boy. It lessened the graphic attack, only slightly, but it was a good idea.
On another note: The author is able to create great dialogue among the characters that helps to lighten and entertain. Additionally, character development of the main character was excellent. It gives the book more depth than just a raging kill fest. I think the author had many positive attributes going for him. This book takes you through a myriad of emotions, highs and lows, rotating constantly. Ultimately, this is a highly stimulating read. If not for the long and slow start, and the initial crass tone I would have given 4 stars.
*Thank you to Simon & Schuster via Edelweiss+ for the digital review copy.
Something disturbing has begun in Turner Falls, Oregon. Home to IMTECH, a Science & Biotech Corporation. And it's about to get wild.
Using another specie's tissue, IMTECH created a biotech (like a parasite) and secretly implanted it in some of the town's teenagers. The goal was to control them. Let's just say, it backfired and the opposite occurred. All teenagers implanted became "infected" with an uncontrollable rage to kill and cause pain. The infected torture and kill everyone they come into contact with. A random group of people, including a few uninfected teenagers will spend every second fighting for their lives while trying to also understand what has happened so they can try to stop it before its too late.
Initially, I was off put at first. I thought it started very slow and felt mediocre. I even set it down for a while.
Finally around 100 pages in, the story did more than just pick up; it punched you in the face and hit you on the head with a hammer for good measure!! Because WOW folks: This is one bloody disturbing action book. It is extremely graphic and can be overly crass as well. Definitely not for the faint of heart. I think the author was smart to have the POV from a teenage girl instead of a boy. It lessened the graphic attack, only slightly, but it was a good idea.
On another note: The author is able to create great dialogue among the characters that helps to lighten and entertain. Additionally, character development of the main character was excellent. It gives the book more depth than just a raging kill fest. I think the author had many positive attributes going for him. This book takes you through a myriad of emotions, highs and lows, rotating constantly. Ultimately, this is a highly stimulating read. If not for the long and slow start, and the initial crass tone I would have given 4 stars.
*Thank you to Simon & Schuster via Edelweiss+ for the digital review copy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 2, 2020
Review originally published at Cemetery Dance:
https://www.cemeterydance.com/extras/...
You know, if I didn’t have to sleep, eat, or tend to the family during this stay-at-home order, I would have sat and read this one straight through. This book is everything.
Cue some strange intro music like the eerie riffs from X-Files or the digital notes of that synthesized melody from Stranger Things and settle into this binge-worthy genre mashup. Best known for his bizarro-horror style and flavor, Jeremy Robert Johnson is an unexpected hero for the coming-of-age conspiracy thriller genre.
Wait, is that a genre, or did JRJ just invent it?
In any event, this book covers a lot of ground and offers something for everyone: A strong, female protagonist named Lucy; witty (hilarious) sidekick besties, Brewer and Bucket; and a rocket-fueled storyline about a biologically engineered virus leaked from a lab and wreaking havoc in a small, rural town in the Pacific Northwest. There’s even a likable radio personality known as the Nightwatchman that gave me strong Pump Up the Volume vibes. Do you remember that movie with Christian Slater? Well I do. One of my favorite aspects of Johnson’s writing is the way everything is stylistically cinematic to read like a cult-classic from a familiar era (definitely the late ‘80s to mid-’90s).
But wait! That’s not all!
Given that this is a Jeremy Robert Johnson novel, readers can expect thoughtfully executed social commentary—primarily race and class. I enjoyed how Johnson utilized tension between kids from middle class families and the privilege that rich kids enjoy. Folded into this tension is Johnson’s natural-born talent for wit and sarcasm as well as his flair for spot-on pop culture references—a trifecta of storytelling gifts that Johnson’s fanbase has come to expect from his books.
On that note, this is where I recommend JRJ’s collection of stories, Entropy in Bloom. The Loop showcases his talent for breathing authenticity into his characters through realistic dialog and meaningful relationships in a way that I have seen in his short story work but is fully realized in this novel.
The Loop is a unique creation capable of melting even the hardest hearts. I dare you not to feel your feelings. This is a favorite book of 2020 for sure, and possibly my new favorite book of Johnson’s.
https://www.cemeterydance.com/extras/...
You know, if I didn’t have to sleep, eat, or tend to the family during this stay-at-home order, I would have sat and read this one straight through. This book is everything.
Cue some strange intro music like the eerie riffs from X-Files or the digital notes of that synthesized melody from Stranger Things and settle into this binge-worthy genre mashup. Best known for his bizarro-horror style and flavor, Jeremy Robert Johnson is an unexpected hero for the coming-of-age conspiracy thriller genre.
Wait, is that a genre, or did JRJ just invent it?
In any event, this book covers a lot of ground and offers something for everyone: A strong, female protagonist named Lucy; witty (hilarious) sidekick besties, Brewer and Bucket; and a rocket-fueled storyline about a biologically engineered virus leaked from a lab and wreaking havoc in a small, rural town in the Pacific Northwest. There’s even a likable radio personality known as the Nightwatchman that gave me strong Pump Up the Volume vibes. Do you remember that movie with Christian Slater? Well I do. One of my favorite aspects of Johnson’s writing is the way everything is stylistically cinematic to read like a cult-classic from a familiar era (definitely the late ‘80s to mid-’90s).
But wait! That’s not all!
Given that this is a Jeremy Robert Johnson novel, readers can expect thoughtfully executed social commentary—primarily race and class. I enjoyed how Johnson utilized tension between kids from middle class families and the privilege that rich kids enjoy. Folded into this tension is Johnson’s natural-born talent for wit and sarcasm as well as his flair for spot-on pop culture references—a trifecta of storytelling gifts that Johnson’s fanbase has come to expect from his books.
On that note, this is where I recommend JRJ’s collection of stories, Entropy in Bloom. The Loop showcases his talent for breathing authenticity into his characters through realistic dialog and meaningful relationships in a way that I have seen in his short story work but is fully realized in this novel.
The Loop is a unique creation capable of melting even the hardest hearts. I dare you not to feel your feelings. This is a favorite book of 2020 for sure, and possibly my new favorite book of Johnson’s.
October 29, 2020
This book started off so strong and had an amazing beginning. I adored Lucy the main character and her best bud Bucket and love interest of sorts, Brewer. I had such high hopes after reading the first 25% but then it all started to go downhill from there.
Honestly I have to blame myself for this. I haven't read zombie fiction in years and now I remember why I stopped. Once you've read one you have basically read them all. While this book doesn't have zombies, per se, it has teenagers that turn into flesh eating maniacs caused by a local biotech company. So we have Lucy and pals on the run for the entirety of the book. Rinse and repeat for 200+ pages. It just became so tedious and boring. It's hard to imagine that a book so gory and violent could be boring but there you have it. I honestly stopped caring about anyone and all I could focus on was how much longer until I was finished. 2 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Honestly I have to blame myself for this. I haven't read zombie fiction in years and now I remember why I stopped. Once you've read one you have basically read them all. While this book doesn't have zombies, per se, it has teenagers that turn into flesh eating maniacs caused by a local biotech company. So we have Lucy and pals on the run for the entirety of the book. Rinse and repeat for 200+ pages. It just became so tedious and boring. It's hard to imagine that a book so gory and violent could be boring but there you have it. I honestly stopped caring about anyone and all I could focus on was how much longer until I was finished. 2 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
August 18, 2020
THE LOOP by Jeremy Robert Johnson is a standalone coming of age horror thriller with a science fiction aspect to it. Turner Falls, Oregon is a small tourist town that has recently seen an influx of biotech and related firms locating to it. Lucy and her friend nicknamed Bucket are juniors at the local high school and are the only minorities in the school. When a fight breaks out in class near the end of the school year, it is only the beginning of what is to come.
Lucy was a character that took a while to get to know, but was definitely someone you could root for. She had a distinct voice and her motivations seemed believable. The secondary characters were less three-dimensional except for Bucket and Brewer. However, they enhanced the story and the relationships seemed believable. The writing in the first third of the book did not flow well for me. However, it picked up as the action and stakes increased. Themes include family, trauma, racism, bullying, biotech research and development, violence, friendships, and much more.
Overall, this was an interesting and compelling read that had high stakes and some unusual plot twists. However, there are many instances of extreme violence and gore in this book as well as some language and I would not call this a fun read. If you are a fan of horror novels, then you may want to check this one out. Am I glad I read this one? Absolutely!
Many thanks to Gallery Books – Saga Press and Jeremy Robert Johnson for a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
Lucy was a character that took a while to get to know, but was definitely someone you could root for. She had a distinct voice and her motivations seemed believable. The secondary characters were less three-dimensional except for Bucket and Brewer. However, they enhanced the story and the relationships seemed believable. The writing in the first third of the book did not flow well for me. However, it picked up as the action and stakes increased. Themes include family, trauma, racism, bullying, biotech research and development, violence, friendships, and much more.
Overall, this was an interesting and compelling read that had high stakes and some unusual plot twists. However, there are many instances of extreme violence and gore in this book as well as some language and I would not call this a fun read. If you are a fan of horror novels, then you may want to check this one out. Am I glad I read this one? Absolutely!
Many thanks to Gallery Books – Saga Press and Jeremy Robert Johnson for a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
September 14, 2020
3.5 Stars rounded to 4
Ok, so hear me out... This book was incredible in so many ways, but it also had so many unnecessary inclusions that I could have done without, hence the "not fully 4 star" rating. I'm not even referring to the content warning aspect of this novel; if you're the type of person who finds themselves offended by virtually anything, this probably won't be the book for you. It's violently graphic, gory, and uncomfortable, which are all things I enjoyed (gulp: what kind of a person does that make me?), but it also included full on animal violence and racial slurs that I just can't get behind. If you're looking for an all out bloodbath for fall, this is definitely it, and I felt like that World War Z meets Stranger Things comparison is fairly accurate. Also, it's really ambitious and successful in the aspect that the entire novel takes place in essentially one evening, so I guess what I'm saying it proceed at your own risk, but if you're looking for something that pushes the envelope, give The Loop a try.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
Ok, so hear me out... This book was incredible in so many ways, but it also had so many unnecessary inclusions that I could have done without, hence the "not fully 4 star" rating. I'm not even referring to the content warning aspect of this novel; if you're the type of person who finds themselves offended by virtually anything, this probably won't be the book for you. It's violently graphic, gory, and uncomfortable, which are all things I enjoyed (gulp: what kind of a person does that make me?), but it also included full on animal violence and racial slurs that I just can't get behind. If you're looking for an all out bloodbath for fall, this is definitely it, and I felt like that World War Z meets Stranger Things comparison is fairly accurate. Also, it's really ambitious and successful in the aspect that the entire novel takes place in essentially one evening, so I guess what I'm saying it proceed at your own risk, but if you're looking for something that pushes the envelope, give The Loop a try.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
January 25, 2023
I had so many hopes for this book and I was let down by all of them. Definitely not the way I wanted to start out 2021.
For starters, this was billed as a “Stranger things x World War Z” crossover, and although I know nothing about the latter, I was a big fan of stranger things. But the only comparison I could see was a foreign entity terrorizing the town (a pretty vague similarity). And while Stranger things had an excellent plot, lovable characters, and lots of suspense, this book had none of the above.
By the end, what little plot was built up is absolutely pointless. The characters are all pretty annoying, there is a completely unnecessary amount of gore, and the details of the outbreak only get more and more bizarre. I feel like the author was going for shock value with every aspect of his writing, from the risqué comments made by all of the characters, to the absolutely over the top violence, and everything in between.
Which leads me to my next point: this is not a YA book. I’m 21 years old and I can’t imagine someone the same age as these characters (middle of high school) or younger reading it. I didn’t even want to read it. The only two themes seemed to be sex and violence.
I also want to point out that the author of this book, I am fairly certain, is white, and the main character of the book, Lucy, is from Peru. She experiences lots of racism and slurs used against her throughout the story. I am in no way qualified to speak on the accuracy of her representation, but if any of my POC friends have read this, please let me know your thoughts!
The only reason this gets 2 stars is because, for some odd reason, I was compelled to keep reading through each horrible turn. Maybe it was grim determination, or a hope that somehow things would get better. Either way, the ending was seen worse than the beginning, and I was left disappointed.
Content warnings: LOTS of violence, mentions of sexual assault, suicide, death of family members
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers! All opinions in this review are my own.
For starters, this was billed as a “Stranger things x World War Z” crossover, and although I know nothing about the latter, I was a big fan of stranger things. But the only comparison I could see was a foreign entity terrorizing the town (a pretty vague similarity). And while Stranger things had an excellent plot, lovable characters, and lots of suspense, this book had none of the above.
By the end, what little plot was built up is absolutely pointless. The characters are all pretty annoying, there is a completely unnecessary amount of gore, and the details of the outbreak only get more and more bizarre. I feel like the author was going for shock value with every aspect of his writing, from the risqué comments made by all of the characters, to the absolutely over the top violence, and everything in between.
Which leads me to my next point: this is not a YA book. I’m 21 years old and I can’t imagine someone the same age as these characters (middle of high school) or younger reading it. I didn’t even want to read it. The only two themes seemed to be sex and violence.
I also want to point out that the author of this book, I am fairly certain, is white, and the main character of the book, Lucy, is from Peru. She experiences lots of racism and slurs used against her throughout the story. I am in no way qualified to speak on the accuracy of her representation, but if any of my POC friends have read this, please let me know your thoughts!
The only reason this gets 2 stars is because, for some odd reason, I was compelled to keep reading through each horrible turn. Maybe it was grim determination, or a hope that somehow things would get better. Either way, the ending was seen worse than the beginning, and I was left disappointed.
Content warnings: LOTS of violence, mentions of sexual assault, suicide, death of family members
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers! All opinions in this review are my own.
January 28, 2022
The Loop was pleasant surprise. It started out a little YA but consistently escaladed in action, intensity and horror until the bloody end.
The basic premise is Lucy and her friends band together as a big tech science experiment goes horribly wrong in their town. The description tags it as Stranger Things meets World War Z but I disagree. I'd say it's Dazed and Confused meets The Faculty.
They rename you ‘test subject’ or ‘enemy,’ or they assign you a race or a nation or a class—and then they don’t have to think about you anymore.
Lucy was a fantastic narrator. I felt her pain and bravery and complex emotions of the violence around and within her. The entire plot played out like a conspiracy theorist's wet dream. There was shady tech companies, government cover-ups, and radio jockey 'truth-finders'. But it worked for the story.
All in all, The Loop was a blast to read. I highly recommend for anyone who like sci-fi horror.
The basic premise is Lucy and her friends band together as a big tech science experiment goes horribly wrong in their town. The description tags it as Stranger Things meets World War Z but I disagree. I'd say it's Dazed and Confused meets The Faculty.
They rename you ‘test subject’ or ‘enemy,’ or they assign you a race or a nation or a class—and then they don’t have to think about you anymore.
Lucy was a fantastic narrator. I felt her pain and bravery and complex emotions of the violence around and within her. The entire plot played out like a conspiracy theorist's wet dream. There was shady tech companies, government cover-ups, and radio jockey 'truth-finders'. But it worked for the story.
All in all, The Loop was a blast to read. I highly recommend for anyone who like sci-fi horror.
October 6, 2020
In the town of Turner Falls Oregon, a group of teens get the surprise of their life at a party in the caves nearby. This is not your run of the mill kegger!
THE LOOP spends a bit of time introducing us to these high schoolers-most of whom are considered outsiders by their peers. Lucy is the main character and she was my favorite. Having suffered from a terrible early childhood, she now has adopted parents that really care for her. Unfortunately, she is not capable of really caring for them. Her small group of acquaintances are cute, and her friend Bucket, adorably so. When they discover what's going on in the caves, all of their lives are immediately put into danger, and so begins the story that rockets from this point all the way to the final page. Will Lucy and her friends be able to protect themselves and their families from their discovery? You'll have to read this to find out!
This book isn't easily categorized-it features teens as the main characters, but this is really not geared towards them. There is a LOT of gore and general nastiness going on here, and the mystery behind it all is a lot to get your head around. I loved it though! It took a little while to get going and to get me to care for these people, but both of those things did happen eventually.
I'm going to leave off the plot and talk about the characterization here. Lucy was fully fleshed out, and I liked that, but the rest of the characters? Not so much. We learn more about Brewer later on, and discover that he's not the loser everyone thought he was, and we learn that Bucket kind of is the loser we thought, but a likable and honorable one.
Denouements-they're a powerful thing; sometimes they're silly, and sometimes they make a lot of sense. Sometimes the author wimps out from doing what needs to be done, but I'm happy to say that is not the case here. This was the finale that the story called for and the author didn't shy away from it. To that, I say BRAVO!
I finished this with tears in my eyes and eager to read more from Jeremy Robert Johnson!
Highly recommended!
Get your copy here: https://amzn.to/3jGrpVm
*Thanks to the author, NetGalley and Gallery/Saga Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*
THE LOOP spends a bit of time introducing us to these high schoolers-most of whom are considered outsiders by their peers. Lucy is the main character and she was my favorite. Having suffered from a terrible early childhood, she now has adopted parents that really care for her. Unfortunately, she is not capable of really caring for them. Her small group of acquaintances are cute, and her friend Bucket, adorably so. When they discover what's going on in the caves, all of their lives are immediately put into danger, and so begins the story that rockets from this point all the way to the final page. Will Lucy and her friends be able to protect themselves and their families from their discovery? You'll have to read this to find out!
This book isn't easily categorized-it features teens as the main characters, but this is really not geared towards them. There is a LOT of gore and general nastiness going on here, and the mystery behind it all is a lot to get your head around. I loved it though! It took a little while to get going and to get me to care for these people, but both of those things did happen eventually.
I'm going to leave off the plot and talk about the characterization here. Lucy was fully fleshed out, and I liked that, but the rest of the characters? Not so much. We learn more about Brewer later on, and discover that he's not the loser everyone thought he was, and we learn that Bucket kind of is the loser we thought, but a likable and honorable one.
Denouements-they're a powerful thing; sometimes they're silly, and sometimes they make a lot of sense. Sometimes the author wimps out from doing what needs to be done, but I'm happy to say that is not the case here. This was the finale that the story called for and the author didn't shy away from it. To that, I say BRAVO!
I finished this with tears in my eyes and eager to read more from Jeremy Robert Johnson!
Highly recommended!
Get your copy here: https://amzn.to/3jGrpVm
*Thanks to the author, NetGalley and Gallery/Saga Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*
April 26, 2023
My thanks to Gallery Saga Press, Netgalley, and especially the author Jeremy Robert Johnson. I loved this book! I had heard that this was going to be made into a series on some Netflix, Hulu or whatever! I'm not one who usually cares about a t.v. thing. However, I loved the book enough to know that if it's on Netflix or Hulu, I'll definitely watch this! This is a story that not only has character building, but "for me" I felt all the hurts. I loved some 4 to 6 people in this story. Which only made the last 60% horendous. I do love an author who has the wherewithal to make us feel....Then, send a flaming bowling 🎳 ball at the end! This author is now on my Amazon wish list. I loved this book, and would definitely recommend it! Good shit, Maynard!
April 26, 2022
Wow!! Another fast paced and crazy violent read!!
Not the most original plot (I think I’ve read like 3 books with the plot-line of an epidemic of violence just this year alone lol) but I still loved how this executed!
This one takes place in a town where a biomedical corporation is up to no good, shenanigans ensue, and our main characters have to survive the night against everyone who’s inexplicably turned into weird homicidal maniacs.
I really enjoyed it. The main character had a pretty unique voice, there was plenty of action and blood and gore, and I really liked the sci-fi aspect of the story. Also, the humor interlaced throughout wasn’t cringey or out of touch, which I appreciated. The main characters are teenagers, and they seemed like genuine teenage voices imo.
**just a heads up, as I said there’s lots of violent bloody gory stuff, and that includes violence against animals.
Not the most original plot (I think I’ve read like 3 books with the plot-line of an epidemic of violence just this year alone lol) but I still loved how this executed!
This one takes place in a town where a biomedical corporation is up to no good, shenanigans ensue, and our main characters have to survive the night against everyone who’s inexplicably turned into weird homicidal maniacs.
I really enjoyed it. The main character had a pretty unique voice, there was plenty of action and blood and gore, and I really liked the sci-fi aspect of the story. Also, the humor interlaced throughout wasn’t cringey or out of touch, which I appreciated. The main characters are teenagers, and they seemed like genuine teenage voices imo.
**just a heads up, as I said there’s lots of violent bloody gory stuff, and that includes violence against animals.
May 1, 2020
Oh wow, I was not ready for 2020. And I'm not just talking about all of the craziness happening in the world today. I wasn't ready for all of the amazing books that 2020 has given the horror community so far. It makes me more and more excited for all of the amazing books that will continue to come out this year. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if my end of the year list of favorite books read in 2020 was mostly books released this year. But right now I'm focusing on Jeremy Robert Johnson's fantastic upcoming 2020 novel THE LOOP.
I knew this book would be good. I adore everything I've read from Johnson. I just had no idea that this book just might be my favorite of all the works I've read from him thus far. This book has some amazing characters, but right off the bat I'm going to say that Johnson's protagonist, Lucy, is one of my favorite female characters in a long while. Lucy is young, and flawed, and vulnerable, and absolutely badass. Lucy makes you care so much about this story. Lucy is a goddamn gem of a character, and I love her so much.
I also love Bucket and Brewer, but for different reasons, and if I'm being honest, mostly because they have Lucy's back. They truly care about her and would do anything for her. Holy wow can Johnson write brilliant characters. But what about the story, you ask? The story! The story is bonkers crazy and just a teensy bit too much like the world's current real life situation. It's basically about biological warfare (anyone hear any conspiracy theories about a virus leaked from a lab recently?) and a parasite that turns people into weapons. It's about class, and money, and what money can get you, but also how money can make you a terrible soul sucking jerk who no longer cares about human lives. It's also about being young and falling in love and being forced to accept that the world can be an awful place. In a nutshell, this is a book that reaches out and smashes you straight in the feels and leaves you reeling.
Pandemic, epidemic, biological warfare... all of these horrors come from the same place. They come from greed and hubris. In the end the details don't really matter. It's the lives that matter, the people who fought against everything to survive. Lucy and her friends fight hard in THE LOOP. You are definitely going to want to read their story. It's timely, and soul crushing, and full of food for thought. In our current situation, Lucy and Bucket and Brewer seem even more real and important than any other fictional characters. This is a story I needed right now. Johnson has definitely touched a nerve.
I knew this book would be good. I adore everything I've read from Johnson. I just had no idea that this book just might be my favorite of all the works I've read from him thus far. This book has some amazing characters, but right off the bat I'm going to say that Johnson's protagonist, Lucy, is one of my favorite female characters in a long while. Lucy is young, and flawed, and vulnerable, and absolutely badass. Lucy makes you care so much about this story. Lucy is a goddamn gem of a character, and I love her so much.
I also love Bucket and Brewer, but for different reasons, and if I'm being honest, mostly because they have Lucy's back. They truly care about her and would do anything for her. Holy wow can Johnson write brilliant characters. But what about the story, you ask? The story! The story is bonkers crazy and just a teensy bit too much like the world's current real life situation. It's basically about biological warfare (anyone hear any conspiracy theories about a virus leaked from a lab recently?) and a parasite that turns people into weapons. It's about class, and money, and what money can get you, but also how money can make you a terrible soul sucking jerk who no longer cares about human lives. It's also about being young and falling in love and being forced to accept that the world can be an awful place. In a nutshell, this is a book that reaches out and smashes you straight in the feels and leaves you reeling.
Pandemic, epidemic, biological warfare... all of these horrors come from the same place. They come from greed and hubris. In the end the details don't really matter. It's the lives that matter, the people who fought against everything to survive. Lucy and her friends fight hard in THE LOOP. You are definitely going to want to read their story. It's timely, and soul crushing, and full of food for thought. In our current situation, Lucy and Bucket and Brewer seem even more real and important than any other fictional characters. This is a story I needed right now. Johnson has definitely touched a nerve.
January 23, 2021
2.5 Stars
This book read like a cheesy B horror movie… and not in a good way. What a disappointment. This book was all action and not enough story. The teenagers were unbelievably annoying and I just wanted them to be killed off. I probably should have DNF's this one, but it read so fast that I figured I might as well finish it so I could rate and review it.
This book read like a cheesy B horror movie… and not in a good way. What a disappointment. This book was all action and not enough story. The teenagers were unbelievably annoying and I just wanted them to be killed off. I probably should have DNF's this one, but it read so fast that I figured I might as well finish it so I could rate and review it.
April 17, 2021
I so badly wanted to like this book, yet it turned out shallow, incongrous and with so much wasted potential!! A huge disappointment!
November 3, 2020
I'm rounding this story up to 3 stars due to originality and character potential. The story somewhat reminded me of "The Goonies" if the villains had turned into bloodthirsty zombies.
The unlucky teens, Lucy, Bucket and Brewer, found themselves attempting to save their town from an alien-like invasion after almost everyone had been "infected". I found the gruesome descriptions of violence and language out of sync with Lucy's philosophical thoughts. Almost like there were two different stories trying to mold into one. And even though I just finished, I'm already unclear on exactly what happened...
*Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the free copy of The Loop in exchange for my honest review.
The unlucky teens, Lucy, Bucket and Brewer, found themselves attempting to save their town from an alien-like invasion after almost everyone had been "infected". I found the gruesome descriptions of violence and language out of sync with Lucy's philosophical thoughts. Almost like there were two different stories trying to mold into one. And even though I just finished, I'm already unclear on exactly what happened...
*Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the free copy of The Loop in exchange for my honest review.
September 8, 2020
"It was so surprisingly calm that it took a few minutes before anyone in the room even noticed the way that Chris Carmichael was twitching at his desk."
The first hint that something has gone wrong in Lucy Henderson's town is a horrific event in her high school classroom. The violent-nature of the event triggers trauma from Lucy's past, an emotional wound that goes so deeply into her psyche that she hasn't begun to process it- let alone the damage it has left behind.
It doesn't help that Lucy feels like an outcast and an outsider in her small hometown. Part of this is baggage from Lucy's past, but the majority of it is the racism and tribalism she faces from the small-minded young adults in the community. They won't let her forget she looks different from them and torment her with their racial hatred on a near-daily basis.
The only semblance of friendship in her life is with a young man who goes by the name of "Bucket," for reasons that are explained in the story. (No spoilers.)
When all hell breaks loose in town, Lucy and Bucket only have each other and a few acquaintances to help in a race to save their families. The nightmare that they had been living solely in their minds becomes all too real.
"What the hell is going on in this town? Sometimes it feels like things are f*cked up in every direction, you know?"
The character and world-building of The Loop is well done in that I connected deeply with Lucy and Bucket before the story took off.
My lack of enjoyment of the book stems from the graphic nature of the violence against people and animals, both physical and mental. There are also brief instances of sexual abuse between underage teens as well as the discussions of porn with descriptions vague enough that young adults reading this book will immediately turn to Google to answer any questions they may have. There is bullying, unaddressed by the adults in the young peoples' lives, as well as the trauma Lucy suffered at the hands of a system that should have protected her.
Which brings me to another discussion point, this is not a book for young adults. If it was television, it would carry a mature rating. The horror genre has a huge following and graphic violence is definitely a part of that. That being said, it is strange to me how cavalierly some treat depictions of absolutely horrific things.
I feel like society has become desensitized to violence in the media we mindlessly consume. Descriptions of fingers popping through eyeballs and knives cutting through flesh is delivered as a matter-of-course, part of what makes the story so scary.
I picked this title out of the myriad being published in the next months because it was compared to Stranger Things, a horror show, true, but one that leans on the psychological and paranormal scares far more than the physically violent ones. I watched that show with my young daughter. I would not let her read this book, at least until she's 18.
I say that as a former librarian but also a mother.
All that being said, there are beautiful lines in the book that perfectly capture the agony of mental pain.
For example: "She imagined herself tilting her head back and opening her mouth to scream again, only this time her mouth kept opening and her jaw detached like a snake's and she kept splitting until she was cleaved in two and all that came out of her was white flame."
But I didn't feel that the beauty of those fleeting moments made the time I spent reading the title worth it.
Recommended only for adult horror readers who can handle the triggers of violence and everything else described above.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free digital advance readers copy of this book. The brief quotations I cited may be changed or omitted in the final, printed version.
The first hint that something has gone wrong in Lucy Henderson's town is a horrific event in her high school classroom. The violent-nature of the event triggers trauma from Lucy's past, an emotional wound that goes so deeply into her psyche that she hasn't begun to process it- let alone the damage it has left behind.
It doesn't help that Lucy feels like an outcast and an outsider in her small hometown. Part of this is baggage from Lucy's past, but the majority of it is the racism and tribalism she faces from the small-minded young adults in the community. They won't let her forget she looks different from them and torment her with their racial hatred on a near-daily basis.
The only semblance of friendship in her life is with a young man who goes by the name of "Bucket," for reasons that are explained in the story. (No spoilers.)
When all hell breaks loose in town, Lucy and Bucket only have each other and a few acquaintances to help in a race to save their families. The nightmare that they had been living solely in their minds becomes all too real.
"What the hell is going on in this town? Sometimes it feels like things are f*cked up in every direction, you know?"
The character and world-building of The Loop is well done in that I connected deeply with Lucy and Bucket before the story took off.
My lack of enjoyment of the book stems from the graphic nature of the violence against people and animals, both physical and mental. There are also brief instances of sexual abuse between underage teens as well as the discussions of porn with descriptions vague enough that young adults reading this book will immediately turn to Google to answer any questions they may have. There is bullying, unaddressed by the adults in the young peoples' lives, as well as the trauma Lucy suffered at the hands of a system that should have protected her.
Which brings me to another discussion point, this is not a book for young adults. If it was television, it would carry a mature rating. The horror genre has a huge following and graphic violence is definitely a part of that. That being said, it is strange to me how cavalierly some treat depictions of absolutely horrific things.
I feel like society has become desensitized to violence in the media we mindlessly consume. Descriptions of fingers popping through eyeballs and knives cutting through flesh is delivered as a matter-of-course, part of what makes the story so scary.
I picked this title out of the myriad being published in the next months because it was compared to Stranger Things, a horror show, true, but one that leans on the psychological and paranormal scares far more than the physically violent ones. I watched that show with my young daughter. I would not let her read this book, at least until she's 18.
I say that as a former librarian but also a mother.
All that being said, there are beautiful lines in the book that perfectly capture the agony of mental pain.
For example: "She imagined herself tilting her head back and opening her mouth to scream again, only this time her mouth kept opening and her jaw detached like a snake's and she kept splitting until she was cleaved in two and all that came out of her was white flame."
But I didn't feel that the beauty of those fleeting moments made the time I spent reading the title worth it.
Recommended only for adult horror readers who can handle the triggers of violence and everything else described above.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free digital advance readers copy of this book. The brief quotations I cited may be changed or omitted in the final, printed version.
October 31, 2020
This is one of those YA horrors that are specifically designed to appeal to a certain young reader if that certain young reader is certain that they want ALL the excuses to take all the drugs they want because they're being uber-controlled by a synthetic lovecraftian nightmare burrowing through their bodies -- I.E., their hormones.
No, no, this isn't a SATIRE or a COMMENTARY on young people's... ahem... drives or feedback loops... it really IS all about the lovecraftian cybernetic horror burrowing through their bodies.
And let me tell you... *WHEW* If I were young, I'd really prefer to have an outside uber-evil force to blame all my crap on, too. :)
All I had when I was young was Christianity. Do you KNOW how much baggage and mental loops you have to go through to make THAT work? NO THANK YOU.
So. Total honesty here. I got annoyed with the teenager angst. BUT, I really, really loved the narrative asides and media stuff. The investigative conspiracy stuff was fun as hell. And so was the eventual worldbuilding. I didn't even mind MOST of the teenage angst. It was pretty honest and not that annoying. Mostly.
End score? It amused me even if it didn't blow me away. All that transhumanism gone squiddy wrong always tickles my funnybone. And brainstem.
No, no, this isn't a SATIRE or a COMMENTARY on young people's... ahem... drives or feedback loops... it really IS all about the lovecraftian cybernetic horror burrowing through their bodies.
And let me tell you... *WHEW* If I were young, I'd really prefer to have an outside uber-evil force to blame all my crap on, too. :)
All I had when I was young was Christianity. Do you KNOW how much baggage and mental loops you have to go through to make THAT work? NO THANK YOU.
So. Total honesty here. I got annoyed with the teenager angst. BUT, I really, really loved the narrative asides and media stuff. The investigative conspiracy stuff was fun as hell. And so was the eventual worldbuilding. I didn't even mind MOST of the teenage angst. It was pretty honest and not that annoying. Mostly.
End score? It amused me even if it didn't blow me away. All that transhumanism gone squiddy wrong always tickles my funnybone. And brainstem.
May 24, 2021
THIS. BOOK. IS. AMAZING. I had to shout that out right at the top because shouting is the only way to accurately portray how much I freaking LOVED this book. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever read before, the perfect blend of horror and thriller, and I was glued to my seat from the very first page, quite literally. Seriously, I was so damn riveted by what I was reading. It’s just so dark and wild and warped and I haven’t enjoyed the hell out of a book like this in a damn long time. I literally sat with my jaw dropped to my chest for the last like, 100 pages. I haven’t been LEGIT shocked by a thriller like this in a long time, I can normally predict the ending and various twists from a mile away but this one absolutely floored me and shocked the hell out of me time after time. I DESPERATELY need more books like this in my life!
October 5, 2020
This is one of those ratings that in no way captures how this book feels; this thing was, above all, intense, and there's no simple liking or disliking going on. I have complicated feelings about it!
First off, World War Z meets Stranger Things is misleading - think more Lord of the Flies meets Slither, maybe, but that still doesn't entirely capture it. There's no sweet nostalgia here - this book couldn't have been written before the days of school shootings and thoughts and prayers taking precedence over actual attempts to tackle the problem. No, this is all sharp points and bleak worldviews, but not to the point of despair. This book and it's characters aren't going quietly, they're here to rage against the dying of the light, and rage is the operative word. There's a true well of feelings here, and sometimes it got so intense I had to take a break and read another book, because talk about resonance making the reader really connect.
There's definitely a sense that this might be a marmite book. Honestly, I'm on both sides of the debate, and the rating is mainly of a reflection of how much this book made me feel - like art, right? It's not about what you feel, but the fact that it's getting a response from you. There are definitely parts of this book I didn't like at all. It's sad, and gory, and man can teenage boys say some disgusting things. But it's also got that fire behind it that I can't help but admire, and it has really, really, gotten to me.
Well, those were a lot of words to say what I wanted to say about this book, so hopefully it's been helpful to someone out there. If not, well, you're not alone, because I'm still sorting out how I feel too.
First off, World War Z meets Stranger Things is misleading - think more Lord of the Flies meets Slither, maybe, but that still doesn't entirely capture it. There's no sweet nostalgia here - this book couldn't have been written before the days of school shootings and thoughts and prayers taking precedence over actual attempts to tackle the problem. No, this is all sharp points and bleak worldviews, but not to the point of despair. This book and it's characters aren't going quietly, they're here to rage against the dying of the light, and rage is the operative word. There's a true well of feelings here, and sometimes it got so intense I had to take a break and read another book, because talk about resonance making the reader really connect.
There's definitely a sense that this might be a marmite book. Honestly, I'm on both sides of the debate, and the rating is mainly of a reflection of how much this book made me feel - like art, right? It's not about what you feel, but the fact that it's getting a response from you. There are definitely parts of this book I didn't like at all. It's sad, and gory, and man can teenage boys say some disgusting things. But it's also got that fire behind it that I can't help but admire, and it has really, really, gotten to me.
Well, those were a lot of words to say what I wanted to say about this book, so hopefully it's been helpful to someone out there. If not, well, you're not alone, because I'm still sorting out how I feel too.
August 9, 2020
With a great opening sequence of a classroom out of control as a high school student seems possessed and a cave scene filled with flesh eating teenagers run amuck, "The Loop" is a cross between Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Stranger Things and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It is an action-packed horror story about an isolated town out of control as parasitic-controlled teenagers burst out of control. The first half is the best though.
February 14, 2023
1.5 stars. HATED! Just found it very tedious and boring. Not for me.
May 5, 2020
Thank you Saga Press, Sadie Hartmann, and the Night Worms for my copy and the fun buddy read!
Jeremy Robert Johnson’s THE LOOP is a heart-stopping thrill ride that has everything you could want in a story. This brilliant book is complete with conspiracy theories, a virus epidemic, biological warfare, mystery, violence, gore, realistic characters, friendships, and a tiny bit of romance. Did I mention there is a podcast?!! So yeah, I’m looking at you - yeah, you - you need this book. It’s an incredibly fun read! So entertaining, you will ignore everything around you and forget your name for a few hours. IT’S THAT GOOD.
In the small town of Turner Falls, Oregon, we follow our main protagonist Lucy, who is a badass high school student, along with her friends Bucket and Brewer. When a classmate suddenly goes crazy and attacks a teacher and then is subsequently killed, it shakes Lucy up and turns this quiet town on its head. I don’t want to say more about the plot - trust me it’s better to go in blind.
Several characters play a role, but Lucy is at the heart of the story. She’s a standout character and what makes this book so unique. My favorite characters tend to be complicated, the perfect blend of delicate and strong, fierce and heartfelt, flawed but moral. Lucy, Bucket, and Brewer, who are considered outsiders, are thick as thieves, and who take refuge in the local caves meet this description.
Johnson is a gifted writer with a limitless imagination. THE LOOP is the second book I’ve read from him, and I continue to be blown away by his talent. THE LOOP takes place in one night, which adds to that compulsive, grab-the-book-by-both-hands-and-don’t-let-go feeling. I enjoyed every bit of the viscerally immersive chaos, carnage, and mayhem. So if all of the above sounds like your brand of horror, then you know what to do.
Jeremy Robert Johnson’s THE LOOP is a heart-stopping thrill ride that has everything you could want in a story. This brilliant book is complete with conspiracy theories, a virus epidemic, biological warfare, mystery, violence, gore, realistic characters, friendships, and a tiny bit of romance. Did I mention there is a podcast?!! So yeah, I’m looking at you - yeah, you - you need this book. It’s an incredibly fun read! So entertaining, you will ignore everything around you and forget your name for a few hours. IT’S THAT GOOD.
In the small town of Turner Falls, Oregon, we follow our main protagonist Lucy, who is a badass high school student, along with her friends Bucket and Brewer. When a classmate suddenly goes crazy and attacks a teacher and then is subsequently killed, it shakes Lucy up and turns this quiet town on its head. I don’t want to say more about the plot - trust me it’s better to go in blind.
Several characters play a role, but Lucy is at the heart of the story. She’s a standout character and what makes this book so unique. My favorite characters tend to be complicated, the perfect blend of delicate and strong, fierce and heartfelt, flawed but moral. Lucy, Bucket, and Brewer, who are considered outsiders, are thick as thieves, and who take refuge in the local caves meet this description.
Johnson is a gifted writer with a limitless imagination. THE LOOP is the second book I’ve read from him, and I continue to be blown away by his talent. THE LOOP takes place in one night, which adds to that compulsive, grab-the-book-by-both-hands-and-don’t-let-go feeling. I enjoyed every bit of the viscerally immersive chaos, carnage, and mayhem. So if all of the above sounds like your brand of horror, then you know what to do.
September 27, 2020
Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, the silver screen spectacles of Hollywood have been one of the hardest hit industries with current productions having been forced to shutdown, and only having just recently resumed filming after months of inactivity, while movie theaters faced prolonged closures, and in some cases permanent shutdowns due to the lack of income. For those big-chain theaters that were able to weather the pandemic and have reopened, they now face a drought of customers unwilling to put their lives, and the lives of their loved ones, at risk of a potentially deadly disease or its long-term health damage.
What does any of this have to do with The Loop? Well, as a fan of movies and TV, Jeremy Robert Johnson’s latest is the type of book that makes me think, Who needs movies?.
The Loop is a big-budget, big-screen, horror spectacle filled with chills and thrills in prose form, the kind that puts your imagination into overdrive as the prose plays out in your movie of the mind. For my money, this book is going right up there with Adam Cesare’s Clown in a Cornfield as one of 2020’s best high-end horror cinematic-experience-in-a-book releases that you’re likely to find.
A former developer of cutting edge medical breakthroughs, IMTECH has begun producing a new biological implant that promises to provide augmented reality far beyond any wearable tech currently on the market. Unfortunately, the corporation has begun testing its applications on a wealthy suburban city in Oregon, injecting its teenage test subjects to disastrous results. First, teens go missing. And then the brutal murders begin...
Johnson does not traffic in small ideas here, nor does he skimp on the gore. The Loop is chock full of body horror, techno-horror, and just plain old squirm inducing horror rife with a variety of savage maulings and mutilations. Underneath all the glorious and plentiful blood spill is a pair of great big, brass brains. Johnson balances the horrifying viciousness of an otherwise quaint and quiet small town filled with murderous, rampaging teens with a hell of a lot of scientific verisimilitude and reasonable-enough technical explanations to provide a meaty, high-concept raison d’etre.
Stuck in the middle of this are two teens, Lucy and her best-friend, Bucket. The former is a Peruvian transplant thanks to an adoption after the death of her birth parents, while Bucket and his family are Pakistani immigrants. Their brown skin makes them outcasts in white suburbia, but given the past trials and tribulations in each of their personal histories, they’re also the most capable high schoolers to weather this insane storm. Johnson writes his teen characters well, and their relationship always struck me as smooth, natural, and realistic. I really enjoyed watching Lucy come into her own over the course of this catastrophe, even as she struggles with not only what she’d done, but what she’ll have to as the violence wears on. Johnson depicts this weird, horrific coming-of-age scenario with chilling aplomb, and he really makes you feel for what Lucy and Bucket go through as the story escalates. And boy howdy, does this fucker ever escalate!
To circle back to the movies - because The Loop really is like a movie on crack in highly addictive book form - picture Michael Crichton by way of David Cronenberg, coupled with Christopher Nolan’s flair for great big action beats. I think this should give you a glimmer of what to expect from JRJ here, but only just a small glimpse, really. The Loop has a lot going on in its pages, with a very high, off the charts WOAH to WHAT THE FUCK?! ratio. I’m not sure of the last time a book has so throughly impressed me with its scientific acumen and unrelenting blood-thirst that made say WOW! as frequently as this book. To call it impressive is an understatement.
In case you couldn’t tell, yeah, I fucking loved this one. Highly, highly, highly recommended.
What does any of this have to do with The Loop? Well, as a fan of movies and TV, Jeremy Robert Johnson’s latest is the type of book that makes me think, Who needs movies?.
The Loop is a big-budget, big-screen, horror spectacle filled with chills and thrills in prose form, the kind that puts your imagination into overdrive as the prose plays out in your movie of the mind. For my money, this book is going right up there with Adam Cesare’s Clown in a Cornfield as one of 2020’s best high-end horror cinematic-experience-in-a-book releases that you’re likely to find.
A former developer of cutting edge medical breakthroughs, IMTECH has begun producing a new biological implant that promises to provide augmented reality far beyond any wearable tech currently on the market. Unfortunately, the corporation has begun testing its applications on a wealthy suburban city in Oregon, injecting its teenage test subjects to disastrous results. First, teens go missing. And then the brutal murders begin...
Johnson does not traffic in small ideas here, nor does he skimp on the gore. The Loop is chock full of body horror, techno-horror, and just plain old squirm inducing horror rife with a variety of savage maulings and mutilations. Underneath all the glorious and plentiful blood spill is a pair of great big, brass brains. Johnson balances the horrifying viciousness of an otherwise quaint and quiet small town filled with murderous, rampaging teens with a hell of a lot of scientific verisimilitude and reasonable-enough technical explanations to provide a meaty, high-concept raison d’etre.
Stuck in the middle of this are two teens, Lucy and her best-friend, Bucket. The former is a Peruvian transplant thanks to an adoption after the death of her birth parents, while Bucket and his family are Pakistani immigrants. Their brown skin makes them outcasts in white suburbia, but given the past trials and tribulations in each of their personal histories, they’re also the most capable high schoolers to weather this insane storm. Johnson writes his teen characters well, and their relationship always struck me as smooth, natural, and realistic. I really enjoyed watching Lucy come into her own over the course of this catastrophe, even as she struggles with not only what she’d done, but what she’ll have to as the violence wears on. Johnson depicts this weird, horrific coming-of-age scenario with chilling aplomb, and he really makes you feel for what Lucy and Bucket go through as the story escalates. And boy howdy, does this fucker ever escalate!
To circle back to the movies - because The Loop really is like a movie on crack in highly addictive book form - picture Michael Crichton by way of David Cronenberg, coupled with Christopher Nolan’s flair for great big action beats. I think this should give you a glimmer of what to expect from JRJ here, but only just a small glimpse, really. The Loop has a lot going on in its pages, with a very high, off the charts WOAH to WHAT THE FUCK?! ratio. I’m not sure of the last time a book has so throughly impressed me with its scientific acumen and unrelenting blood-thirst that made say WOW! as frequently as this book. To call it impressive is an understatement.
In case you couldn’t tell, yeah, I fucking loved this one. Highly, highly, highly recommended.
December 22, 2020
"I'm only me. I'm right now. I'm here.
Maybe I've lost my mind, but this feels right.
I wish I'd lost my mind a long time ago."
I thought I already knew what my favorite book of 2020 was going to be BUT THEN Jeremy Robert Johnson rolls up like, NOT SO FAST, BITCH. This book, I am wrecked. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
.
The Loop was a pulse pounding, explosive thrill ride from beginning to end. I dare you not to binge this book.
It had EVERYTHING (and more!):
✔A strong female lead
✔Believable friendships
✔Fast pace and THRILLING narration (majority of this book takes places over one night)
✔Brutal scenes
✔Medical experiments gone wrong
✔Tears
Maybe I've lost my mind, but this feels right.
I wish I'd lost my mind a long time ago."
I thought I already knew what my favorite book of 2020 was going to be BUT THEN Jeremy Robert Johnson rolls up like, NOT SO FAST, BITCH. This book, I am wrecked. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
.
The Loop was a pulse pounding, explosive thrill ride from beginning to end. I dare you not to binge this book.
It had EVERYTHING (and more!):
✔A strong female lead
✔Believable friendships
✔Fast pace and THRILLING narration (majority of this book takes places over one night)
✔Brutal scenes
✔Medical experiments gone wrong
✔Tears
December 5, 2020
A techno take on a classic "zombie apocalypse" setup, The Loop offers a lot of crazy scenes, fast-action, hella-bloody violence, and some really great, memorable characters. Johnson never disappoints. Crazy fun.
December 10, 2020
Something is happening to the teens in the small town of Turner Falls, OR. It all starts when three teenaged children of execs from the local Biotech firm IMTECH flip out and become murderously violent. Our protagonist Lucy, witnesses one of her classmates attacking another student and then their teacher in class. From there, things spin even further out of control as these violent impulses seem to be contagious. We follow Lucy as she tries to avoid being hurt and also tries to figure out what is going on and how to stop it.
This was certainly a thrilling ride and I would classify it as an extreme medical thriller. We have biotech gone wrong. While the main characters are teens this could be equally enjoyed by teens or adults. The book is gory and all that you'd expect in a book where people are overcome with violent impulses. I liked Lucy as a main character. She didn't really know what the hell was going on but still push through her situation.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
This was certainly a thrilling ride and I would classify it as an extreme medical thriller. We have biotech gone wrong. While the main characters are teens this could be equally enjoyed by teens or adults. The book is gory and all that you'd expect in a book where people are overcome with violent impulses. I liked Lucy as a main character. She didn't really know what the hell was going on but still push through her situation.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
November 11, 2020
3.5 rounded down. This was a solid book, but definitely a YA. It had a solid start and I immediately connected with the characters and developed empathy for the realistic family and life situations they were going through or had already experienced. Where it kind of fell flat for me was the action portions towards the end. Now granted I did listen to this via audiobook instead of reading it, so it may have actually read a bit better than it sounded, so take my review with a grain of salt as far as that goes. I felt this was very realistic in the sense that you never knew who would survive among the main characters (very much like in The walking Dead series), which I very much appreciated! The ending was definitely not what I expected, and that's not a bad thing! I definitely think this is one I will probably go back and reread at a later point because all of the crucial elements were there - great writing style, great characters interesting situations, and zombies!!! I would definitely recommend this to any fan of YA books, science fiction and mild horror. This is an author I am going to continue reading, and I cannot wait to read his next release!
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