Title:
EXODUS 2022
Author:
Kenneth G. Bennett
Genre:
Sci-Fi Thriller (pre-apocalypse)
Audience:
NA/Adult
Release
date: May 20th, 2014
Publisher:
Booktrope Publishing
Summary:
Joe Stanton is in agony. Out of
his mind over the death of his young daughter. Or so it seems.
Unable to contain his grief, Joe loses control in public, screaming his daughter’s name and causing a huge scene at a hotel on San Juan Island in Washington State. Thing is, Joe Stanton doesn’t have a daughter. Never did. And when the authorities arrive they blame the 28-year-old’s outburst on drugs.
What they don’t yet know is that others up and down the Pacific coast—from the Bering Sea to the Puget Sound—are suffering identical, always fatal mental breakdowns.
With the help of his girlfriend—the woman he loves and dreams of marrying—Joe struggles to unravel the meaning of the hallucination destroying his mind. As the couple begins to perceive its significance—and Joe’s role in a looming global calamity—they must also outwit a billionaire weapons contractor bent on exploiting Joe’s newfound understanding of the cosmos, and outlast the time bomb ticking in Joe’s brain.
About the author
Kenneth G. Bennett is the author of the
young adult novels, THE GAIA WARS and BATTLE FOR CASCADIA, and the new sci-fi
thriller, EXODUS 2022. A wilderness enthusiast who loves backpacking, skiing
and kayaking, Ken enjoys mysteries, science fiction, action adventure stories
and, most especially, novels that explore the relationship between humans and
the wild. He lives on an island in the Pacific Northwest with his wife and son
and two hyperactive Australian Shepherds.
THE GAIA WARS series was optioned for film
by Identity Films, LA in 2012, and both GAIA and BATTLE have been featured as
Top 100 Bestsellers in Teen Literature and Fiction on Amazon. Kirkus Reviews
called THE GAIA WARS “A solid first entry of a promising, imaginative new
young-adult fantasy series featuring a well-crafted character.”
Excerpt
Joe awoke in the quiet darkness of his bedroom to find
Ella sleeping peacefully beside him. He guessed it was the middle of the night
but he felt alert. Aware.
He remembered that he’d fallen asleep still
dressed, with the lights on. And he remembered something sweeter: Ella helping
him, gently, tenderly, out of his clothes and into the sheets. Ella leaning
over him. Kissing him. Checking the cuts on his head.
He lay still now, and his thoughts began to
drift to the painful experiences of the previous days.
No.
Not gonna think about
that now.
Shoving his worries aside, he focused on a
subject far more pleasant. One he found endlessly fascinating: Ella.
He slid closer to her and curled against her
back. Traced the smooth curve of her right hip with his fingers and kissed her
gently on the neck. The rhythm of her breathing changed slightly but she didn’t
wake.
Joe lay there, intoxicated by the feel of her
body and the delicious scent of her skin and hair—hair still damp from a
shower. The woman was a dream. Beautiful. Smart. Athletic. Funny. He loved her
for all of those things and for reasons far deeper.
He couldn’t quite explain it, but in the ten
months that they’d been together she’d somehow become a part of him. He needed to see Ella Tollefson every day
like he needed air and light and water. Needed to touch her and hold her. Look
into her mesmerizing green eyes. Hear her voice. Her laugh.
He’d had other girlfriends. Been in other
serious relationships. But he’d never experienced anything like this. And the
fact that Ella seemed to feel the same way about him only added to his
amazement.
Joe lay there in the dark, thinking about a
trait that had attracted him right from the start. Ella was strong and
confident, gregarious and self-assured, no doubt. But her strength was balanced
with a sweet vulnerability. A vulnerability tinged with sadness, tinged with
loss. He hadn’t understood the sadness until weeks after their first encounter,
and learning the full story had only made him love her more.
I’m
not the only one healing, he reminded himself,
as he lay next to her in the dark.
He listened to Ella breathing, and his mind
went back to the day they’d met.
5 Star Review
I have received the book from the author for an honest review.
This is my first encounter with author Kenneth Bennett's work, and it will not be the last. His thought provoking, mind blowing writing had me glued to the book from the first page. Everything just flowed, paragraph into paragraph, sentence into sentence; one after the other as the story line becomes intriguing by the minute. Ever building as you delft deeper within the secrets of the book becoming more acquainted with the plot. Spellbound by the thoughts and actions of each character that appeared in each chapter, growing steadily to give you this great book. Who could have known that sea life could be so fascinating but yet complex as we discover the heart of the plot in the depths of the ocean. The humans mere vessels for the task at hand. The great Exodus to save themselves from the acid waste buried within our seas, and oceans. Fighting back or rather taking back what men had stolen from them. I just loved Mia's character, getting to know her and her quest as she connect with humans in the most extra-ordinary ways. Opening herself to reveal her heart to Ella, Joe and Dr. Dieterlund. Stopping at nothing to find the people who could help her in her hour of need.
And the end, I didn't see it coming, but yet fitted perfectly within the book's composition. Fluently written it was perfect in its delivery and it took me a few moments to gather myself; thinking what if this really could happen? Each character's development uniquely blended with the plot, making it compelling; giving you a heart wrenching feeling as you walk with the two main characters; Joe and Mia. Getting to know them better. You are disgusted with the lengths people's greed could take them as they become a puppet of their own demons. The suspense filled moments when you think there simply cannot be any thing left with which Joe could be harassed, assaulted, damaged and tortured to get the demon's way; but then the author digs deeper and came up with more ways that turned your gut; thinking there is no way that this young man could endure more.
A book I can whole heartily recommend to science fiction lovers; filled with scientific breakthroughs, geniuses and the unexpected twists that revealed more than you hoped for. People's endurance will once again captivate you as they are put to the test, knowing they can help. Using all resources to safe the day.
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GIVEAWAYS DETAILS:
tour wide giveaway
*Prizes:
1 Kindle Fire
*5 signed paperbacks
I loved the character Mia the most in this book. Her innocence but yet wisdom could be felt throughout the book.
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ReplyDeleteI am glad you liked the book as much as I did. I too loved Mia. And it really made me think about her and animal intelligence long after the last page.
ReplyDeleteHi Lynelle-- thank you for featuring Exodus 2022 and for the thoughtful, generous review. The whole post is great and your site is beautiful. It's wonderful to see the book here. Best wishes,
ReplyDeleteKenneth G. Bennett