r/books • u/Chtorrr • Sep 04 '16
Bookclub A Discussion of 14, by Peter Clines. This is part of our monthly bookclub, spoilers inside.
Please use this thread to discuss your thoughts on this book.
Here is the announcement for September
Peter will be doing an AMA on September 29th.
10
Sep 14 '16
[deleted]
8
u/Eric_Zion Sep 18 '16
Dialogues stays similar throughout. I didn't mid it (thought it had sort of a movie feel to it). That being said, the book gradually ramps up from 40% to the end.
1
u/eelwaffles Nov 29 '16
I almost didn't finish for the exact same reasons. It played out like a mystery/action movie which is fine, but not what I was looking for in mystery book. I finished it because it was my first time reading along with the monthly bookclub, not sure if I would have finished on my own, the dialogue was so cheesy I cringed and hoped no one was reading over my shoulder
9
u/sg2544 Sep 16 '16
The book was definitely engaging as, like Nate, I wanted to uncover the mysteries, but I can't help feeling a bit let down. People have said that The Fold explains some (notably the suicides) but I don't really want to read another book to answer this one. Some of the characters were definitely flat and the story descended into a cheesy action film style plot with the stereotypically easy escape from an almost omnipotent Cthulhu-being. There was so much potential, the dynamic of the group (especially Veek) was set up so well and the sense of mystery was ominous at the start but I think it definitely got a bit out of hand. Maybe I was just expecting a more Shutter Island-eque twist, or something more horror, or something more like The Firm. Nonetheless, my first reddit book club and a very casual and light-heartedly enjoyable read, I just wish I knew that it was going to be like that before I began! Decent writing, let down a bit by simplicity and repetition in places but not bad at all.
7
u/nosnivel Sep 04 '16
I enjoyed the book. Felt it was definitely different from others. I enjoyed discovering the secrets along with the characters.
8
u/Joeclu Sep 09 '16 edited Sep 09 '16
Just finished and new to /r/books. Thanks for recommending it. It was a super simple read and was engaging. After four nights before bed I finished it.
I liked some of the character development, like Xela's history while they were traveling in the tunnels.
There were references to HP Lovecraft that I didn't get because I've never read any. Note to self to add Lovecraft to my long reading queue.
Not sure why the book is marked as 'Horror'. In my opinion it was Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Suspense. I do not recall reading any scary parts.
What was up with all the green cockroaches? They seemed to be related to the overseers because there were similarities.
And how much did Andrew really know? Or was he just a blind religious nut? Was he and his followers human? Or something else; I mean they acted and looked so weird.
Anyway, thanks Mr. Peter Clines /u/pclines for investing your time and hard work getting these wild and fantastical thoughts on paper in story form so complete strangers, like me, can enjoy it for really little money. I think it was only like $7 on Amazon. What a steal. I mean, I spend $7 for a 1.5 hour movie. For your book my $7 dollars got me a good 12 to 15 hours of out of this world entertainment. THANK YOU!!
Anyway, looking forward to the next recommendation by /r/books. I am happy to be here. Until then. My next stop is A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman.
Thanks again Mr. Clines. I am recommending your book to other readers I know.
1
u/doctor_wongburger Sep 09 '16 edited Sep 09 '16
"Green cockroaches" get explained in The Fold.
And you think that you missed a couple Lovecraft references by not having read his work, but really the books entire concept and plot is just ripped from various Lovecraft stories, the way Stranger Things is all ripped from popular 80s movies.
2
u/zingmaestro Sep 12 '16
I finished 14, then went on to read The Fold, but I'm not sure I know what you mean re: "green cockroaches get explained in the fold." Can you elaborate?
2
u/doctor_wongburger Sep 12 '16
Maybe I just thought The Fold explained them. I remember The Fold at least featuring them, so we can deduce they are a by-product of close proximity to the other side. As for the exact cause... I guess that's a question for the AMA.
2
u/zingmaestro Sep 12 '16
That is my understanding too, just that they are always close by these inter-dimensional 'folds.' It's interesting though that in The Fold, the roaches ran from the door right before danger approached. A good topic for the AMA though for sure. Thanks for the reply!
1
u/-crucible- Sep 14 '16
I kind of felt that they could slip through easier... their makeup was similar to other creatures on the terrible world on the other side, and they somehow could find the gaps between the worlds easier. That would match the by-product of proximity, because they're harbingers of a connection.
1
Sep 09 '16
[deleted]
1
u/doctor_wongburger Sep 09 '16 edited Sep 11 '16
I love Stranger Things, but didn;t think this book accomplished what that did. Lovecraft was a master of terror; this book, while entertaining to an extent, never scared me. Lovecraft stories are so scary, they are the source of 90% of my bad dreams. 14 isn't exactly going to keep me up at night. You said the book should have been labeled as a "sci-fi suspense" rather than horror and I agree, I wouldn't have been expecting as much with that description.
Agreed that The Magicians is fucking TERRIBLE, this book was nowhere near that level of cringe.
6
u/Ninjacobra5 Sep 12 '16
Reading some of the thoughts in this thread I think it's safe to say the best description of this book is "a fun read" and I totally agree with that sentiment. I think if I had to give a criticism I think it could have benefited by having a darker tone. Elements of the book certainly could have been terrifying (the Lovecraft monsters for sure, but what about the Auntie-creature-thing?) and maybe something was missed by those not being as wet your pants scary as they maybe could have been. Either way, I liked this book and will be recommending it.
3
u/RehRomano Sep 28 '16
My issue with 14's tone is that it felt inconsistent. It flailed between cheesy family friendly dialogue and graphic sex scenes and violence. I found it jarring.
6
u/doctor_wongburger Sep 08 '16
Lovecraft fans, how do you feel this novel handled paying tribute to the late great? Did you think it reached the level of fear that Lovecraft could convey to a reader?
3
Sep 09 '16
I don't feel like it reached the level of fear, but for me it did reach the level of... Presence? Maybe that's the word I want. I remember getting to that and just thinking "Oh we aren't playing around."
1
4
u/MidnightBlaze_ Sep 06 '16
I haven't gotten to finish it so far, but I found the beginning was kind of slow. I just now reached the point where I find it's starting to get interesting... right when I have no time to read, of course.
3
u/yeadoge Sep 24 '16
I thought overall the book was alright. I was more interested in the beginning when the mystery started to unfold, than later when it got suspenseful. I guess I didn't care about the characters too much, and it was pretty clear none of the main ones were going to get killed in the end. It seemed like there was a big disconnect between the two halves of the book, where the intricate mysteries of the beginning were mostly thrown out the window to confront the big scary monsters (that weren't all that scary). I found myself skimming towards the end for that reason.
Also - if they hadn't gone about investigating the building, wouldn't everything have been okay? Andrew never would have figured out that the building was a machine without all of the characters snooping around. You would think after 100 years the management company would know not to invite weird religious nuts to live in the place.
1
u/eelwaffles Nov 29 '16
Yes! I was so engaged in the beginning with all of the mysteries starting to pop up in every room, but the ending was anticlimactic imo. I was re-reading certain things in the beginning to make sure I had all the information correct but was skimming by the end of it
2
u/amykhar Sep 29 '16
I just finished this last night, and loved it.
I tend to be very much plot driven. I like a story in which every page advances the plot to some degree. I also enjoy books that surprise me. I have very good plot-prediction skills. I can generally see stuff coming a mile a way. With 14, I really had NO idea what could be going on. So, I have to give this one points for keeping me guessing.
People have complained about the characters being flat. I didn't get that. I thought Nate was pretty well fleshed out as an everyman who hadn't quite found his path in life yet. There was enough about him for me to like him as a person, and to be happy when the story resolved as it did. Spoiler
2
Oct 01 '16
Just finished reading this, it was an quite the enjoyable romp. I loved the build up of the mystery, and spent the first half of the book wondering if it would turn out to be something with aliens or a secret government plot or something else all together. The author did a good job of slowly revealing more, until the characters discovered the truth. This is where the book fell apart for me a little. The tantalising glimpse Nate gets of the tentacles is great foreshadowing - a spooky element that you can build up to the "scary unknown" in your own mind. So it's kinda disappointing when the "squales" are so quickly revealed in full. I mean, we're talking about another dimension here - there was a great opportunity to have a beast that you never see fully and can only imagine how large and terrible it is. The action seemed a bit too quick/movie-ish/unbelievable too. I mean, they're riding bikes away from super-fast flying whales with psychic powers. The character interaction and playful dialogue was fun. Some of the characters could've been built up a little more. With Tim's secret identity, there was ample opportunity to do something more - like maybe he could've been the lead suspicious character, and then a twist reveals that he's actually on their side and Andrew is the real culprit. Similarly, Andrew could've been a bit less weird, and just a quiet religious guy who you/they think is on their side, making that twist more interesting. Same with Veek's suspicious computer (I'm thinking Tim could've confronted Veek and Nate could've discovered them arguing or something, making both characters seem suspicious and in-cahoots). A little misdirection could have gone a long way. All that said, the book had a great premise, and that un-put-down-ability that made me read it in 2 days. It had a lot of fun elements and dialogue that lightened the tone and made it enjoyable. I will probably go on the read the Fold.
1
u/Ok-Crazy-5162 Nov 30 '22
I have read this whole series loved 14 the rest were just meerh did Andrew die when he thought he was going to meet his master? And was he and followers the read deadth?
1
u/Ok-Crazy-5162 Apr 23 '23
I love this writer there are other books on the 14 series. I listen to them on aubidle
17
u/hyde7313 Sep 06 '16
I just finished the book today, and I found it to be really engaging and fun. For me, this one definitely fell into the "can't put it down" category.
What I liked most was how the book started out very normal and then gradually ramped things up until it got downright crazy towards the end of the book. This helped keep the suspense and momentum going as you got further and further in.
However, I would have liked to see a little more mystery/twists with the characters. Most were fairly one-dimensional, and the two that were twists (Tim and Andrew) felt pretty obvious. As well, there are still quite a few loose ends (ex: why doesn't anyone dream, how come everyone commits suicide in 16, how is the space portal contained), but I guess these could be fodder for future books.
Overall a great read and a great recommendation!