14 question

It wouldn't make sense to destoy the portal between worlds. The Squale may know how to use it or manipulate it to aquire more food, sacrifices, etc...That would be my guess anyway.

I didn't have such a huge problem with the big monsters.It was the mutant cockroaches that bugged me. They get mentioned through the whole book, so right through I'm thinking, mmmm don't forget about those cockroaches. Then Nothing...CMON!!!
My real problem was that it kept reminding me of Koontz 77 Shadow Street. Except with totally boring characters.

This book was made to be a movie.

Because the author needed the monster to fly off so that the story could continue on and eventually end. I found that part a bit confusing as well but accepted it and continued on.

Have to agree w/Erik I got the sense that the main Squale was planning on using this as a portal to our world, not exactly sure how though

I will admit, the cockroaches not being explained bugged me. They were basically there to tie in to the otherworld creatures with an extra arm, and to assure everyone that if anything hitched a ride back, they probably wouldn't survive if they get too far from the building.

Still, I really enjoyed the book

Really? That was the only suspension of disbelief item for you?

I thought the suicides would've been a side effect from 14 being next door. I mean, the wall between the two apartments is cold so there's some leakage coming off 14. The suicides were all within the first 6 months too so I'm chalking it up to slow space radiation.

For me the roaches were overseeres brought from the other dimension into ours . Because of the extra leg I think ;)

Peter Clines is a Goodreads author. Did anyone ever ask him about the Room 16 suicides? I just finished the audiobook last night, and that was the one unresolved question which really bugged me (no pun intended). I like Nicole's thought about them being a side effect from sharing a wall with Room 14, but like Nikki, I don't really understand why the effect would be suicides.

Agree that Cline left things hanging. He contrived to steer the plot via the squale. The squale knewthey were in the building, trying to restart the machine, but he (it) just flew off and let them have at it?

No way would the gang have taken bicycles out after their fallen comrade, either. That was just stupidity -- more plot contrivance.

The green roaches were never explained, nor were the numerous suicides. We can guess, of course, but it "bugs" me that Cline made such a to-do about those two issues, then left them hanging.

A rather poorly written plot, IMO, but a fun book.

I listened to The Fold first, so I knew a bit more about what was going on, and still this book is just really stupid. The narrator saves it somewhat and I gave the audio book 3 stars, so its an ok adventure. I'm happy to accept the basic premise in the story, that's part of the deal, but its all the other silly crap that bugs me.
SPOILERS
* "No one had dreams", no, No one remembered having a dream, big big difference.
* If the building being shut off is just a building, why does the portal (The Fold) form there?
* Why does the wall in 16, made frigid by space in 14, not cool the air in 16?
* Why does 16 make people commit suicide?
* Why is Veq's apt always the same temp even if the windows or door are wide open?
* One atmosphere on one side of a 3' by 8' door with space on the other would have a force of around 50,000 lbs, yea they're gong to pull it shut and the latch is going to hold it shut, please. And why is there no air leaking around the door despite all the description of cutting away the paint in the crack around the door?
* The machine works unattended for 100 years with no adjustments so why all the switches and knobs, clearly it does not need adjusting.
* Didn't they take pics of every area of the controls? Why not just go look at those instead of doing the whole dust thing?
* Somehow in the late 1800s they dig a tunnel 5 or so miles long and a mile deep down to where they can see lava far below. Yet in 100 years this seeming plate boundary has not moved or filled with lava. How fortunate, and improbable.
* A few men, or even a few hundred men likely could not carry a huge copper cable (explicitly stated as no connections) 5 miles long down a switch back tunnel.
* Geothermal generators do not put the pipes into lava (good way to melt things), and require lots of exhaust for cooling.
* Why when supposedly the world is at risk of invasion of the squales, do they not focus on restarting the machine but instead go after Oscar who after being pulled out a window by a squale is certainly dead.
* A giant winged tentacled carnivore coming after you on the open desert is indeed pretty scary, unless of course you had a shoulder fired missile let alone a few F-16s. The whole idea that these things destroy worlds is nonsense.
* How do the asymmetrical roaches get through if the machine is keeping the portal closed, and we are to believe that a researcher is unable to generate any interest among her peers about asymmetrically legged roaches that never eat anything yet continue to live, unless they are taken away from the building in which case they crumble. Yea nothing unusual there!
* Lock Mgt knows about the building, they are producing spares. Yet instead of populating the building with their people they rent it out to others and let them kill themselves and risk the portal being opened etc. Yea that's sensible.
* The characters are very one dimensional too but that's not a logical flaw, that's just bad writing.

Maybe I should have only given it 1 star.

I don't think the suicides were explained. it was suggested that it was just because that room was so close to RM 14 but after finding out what RM 14 was all about i wouldn't of thought it would of depressed people.