24/7

I was given 24/7 as a Christmas gift and, not being a big fan of thrillers, did not expect to like it. I was pleasantly surprised. In fact, surprise seems to be the word that best describes this novel. Mr. Brown has a wonderful, if twisted, imagination that makes it all but impossible to anticipate what will happen next. His plots are so compelling that you forget you are reading and if you're not careful, will loose an entire night's sleep. Despite the large cast I felt connected to the main characters and frequently found my heart in my throat. On two occasions I gasped out loud. Even as a frequent reader (I read at least two book a week) I can count on one hand the number of times that has happened in the last five years. But perhaps the most surprising aspect of 24/7 is the plausibility. It could happen. Which makes this book compelling and frightening. I recommend it for anyone who loves a good story.

Would you vote for someone to die? What if that was the only way to save another person's life? Those are just two of the questions driving this pulse-pounding novel. First time writer, Jim Brown proves that he has the chops to be around for a long time. The plotting is incredible. And the twist are unpredictable and amazing. If your life was in the hands of the public, what would you do to endear yourself?How far would you go to win a game if winning was the only way to stay alive? For contestants on the fiction reality show, 24/7 these question become real when terrorist take over the broadcast. But despite the action, and there is plenty of it, 24/7 is in reality a psychological thriller. Because, even though the back drop is reality TV the true target is society. This is what Stephen King's (Richard Bachman book) Running Man should have been.

I loved this book. The pace is astonishing fast and the characters riveting, especially the lead a single mother who will do anything for her daughter. The plot lines are unique, enthralling and amazingly, all tie together in the end. The premises is a live reality show that turns deadly when the contestants are infected with a virus lethal in 24 hours. Each day there will enough injections for all but one. The person who dies is decided by on line voted. Using just around the corner technology Brown creates a program that cannot be taken off the air. The nation is both enthraled and appalled. And the Navy, forced to blockade the island to ensure the virus doesn't spread, has been given a time limit after which they will blast the entire facility to bottom of the sea. Meanwhile the contestants must continue to play the game but with deadly consequences. And that's just the beginning. Once you start reading it's hard to stop. Brown should be commended for writing a book that is compelling and at the same time, layered. It's only after you close the book and begin to think about what you've read (and you will think about it) that you realize how deeply layered the story truly is. What, on the surfaces is a fun, rollicking novel also contains profound social commentary and sounds a disturbing warning we all should hear. I haven't been excited about a new writer since Judy Mercer and I can't wait to see what Jim Brown's next book.

I love to hate reality shows and so I was absolutely surprised to love this book. But I do. Mr. Brown is an amazing writer with a natural gift for keeping you perched on the edge of your seat and turning the page. To my knowledge this is the first book to be set in the world of reality TV but I'm sure it won't be the last. It will however, most likely be the best. The lead character is a single mom driven by her love for her daughter (think Ashely Judd from Double Jeopardy) who refuses to give up even when an unexpected twist puts her in greater danger than anyone else. Her passion for survival is matched on the mainland by a reporter's quest to find answers (I even liked the reporter. Now that's amazing). Each time you think you've got it figured out the writer throws you another curve and the truly amazing thing is it all makes sense in the end. I can't wait to read Jim Brown's next book.

To my knowledge, broadcast-journalist Jim Brown is the first person to adapt the current rage for Reality TV into fictional form. His debut novel is not only a thematic trail-blazer, but an imaginatively-conceived, utterly chilling expose of the darker, more appalling side of America's obsession with vicarious thrills and violence. Its plotting and pacing are truly extraordinary; its characters, unforgettable; and its writing...absolutely first-rate!Loosely based around the overall concept of the "Survivor" TV phenomenon, he has envisioned a scenario wherein the game situation suddenly becomes a life-or-death reality for its twelve players after a madman seizes 'Control' of their isolated island location while the TV cameras continue to operate 24/7. As the world watches in horror, the sponsoring network's entire technical staff is wiped out by an Ebola-type virus, and the contestants themselves are infected with a delayed version of the same deadly disease. The only way that they can stay alive is to receive a daily injection of a life-prolonging antidote. Control's dictum: that one-by-one decision shall rest entirely in the hands and votes of the viewing public. What immediately evolves into a frantic race against time and popular opinion for his protagonists is further complicated by an unusually effective twist in the plot (which also paves the way for its shocking denouement): if they can successfully accomplish a diabolically-individualized task wherein they are forced to face their worst fears under lethal circumstances, they will be rewarded with 'safety stones' which can cancel out a percentage of the negative votes that might be cast against them. Meanwhile their numbers diminish and their odds narrow as the government (at a loss for any other way to contain the unknown disease) hovers on the brink of a decision to obliterate the island. Cliff-hanger! In a nutshell, reality TV becomes the ultimate in reality reading, and Jim Brown has my vote to garner enough critical safety stones to take him straight to the top of the best-seller list!