Johnny Moscato

I thoroughly enjoyed reading ISOLATION ISLAND by Johnny Moscato. How far would you go to win a million dollars? That was the original premise of 10 contestants set on a deserted island in the Pacific. The one who outlasts all others wins. If you want to quit, it's only a radio call away. But what happens when those hosting the contest find themselves stranded on the same island and then start finding dead contestants? Two of the contestants are former felons for murder. Are they back to their own ways?

The story is captivating and kept me reading to see what happens next. There were many twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end. Many of the characters are likable...and then they die. Who is the killer and who will survive? Highly recommended.… (altro)

Jimmy Darwin is a strange book. Most of the book consists of the many challenges he faced being "slow" or mentally handicapped. But we later find he also has a rare gift that could benefit the world, a savant in reading DNA. If you liked Forrest Gump then you will like this, but this lacks the romance. I did NOT like Forrest Gump, it was too unrealistic. If it was going to be a fantasy then add vampires or something and make it good. But a mentally handicapped man going doing all he did? No way! Same with this book. After all the realistic and unfortunately cruel way people sometimes treat people who are different, now Jimmy is traveling the world, and doing things he probably could not ever do. It was interesting, especially him being able to read the DNA.… (altro)

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'd say this is closer to 3.5 stars....

The Project is a story set against the backdrop of an America in the aftermath of a great earthquake. The earthquake resulted in the appearance of a land mass I the middle of the ocean that hadn't been there previously. A man named John Greenleaf "discovers" and aims it as his own. He founds the country of Adrianna and, within five years, is a thriving nation with technology the likes of which the world has never seen. The source of this technology is unknown, but it has the ability to provide free electricity. Adrianna also has plants which provide a free and unlimited source of food, and another plant which has the ability to cure cancer. Greenleaf's plans to bring this technological to the rest of the world in order to bring down the corrupt corporate and political powers currently in control.

The author has crafted together a creative and interesting story. I was kept intrigued by wanting to know where Adrianna came from, with its advanced technology and unique plant life. I also identified with many (not all) of the author's views on the current state of politics, big business (especially big pharma) and the growing gap between the rich and the poor.

It fell short, I felt, in the writing, though. The characters were not very well developed, nor were the relationships between them. The main character met a woman named Alaska, and within just a few days, they are calling each other "baby" and appear to be crazy in love. I think character development was sacrificed too much in the name of getting the message across, which is frequently delivered through his characters' speeches and conversations. The delivery is very plain and direct. It often felt akin to trying to be convinced that the author's point of view is correct, rather than allowing the readers to view, for ourselves, the flaws of our current political/economic system, and coming to our own conclusions.

Overall, this was a worthwhile read. I enjoyed the elements of science fiction and dystopia contained within the story. I would recommend that anyone give it a try.… (altro)