Book Review - The Unseen by T. L. Hines
Category Book Review T. L. Hines The Unseen
I needed some diversionary reading while away at a conference this week, so I took along my latest library acquisition... The Unseen by T. L. Hines. Between the flight and the first night at the hotel, this one didn't last very long. But it was an enjoyable read with some different angles usually not encountered in novels...
Lucas doesn't have much of a past that he can remember. All he knows is that he was raised in an orphanage, was very much a loner, and enjoys observing people from hidden locations. Lucas is an "urban explorer", a person who goes into buildings and areas normally off-limits (or even considered uninhabitable). He's perfectly happy squeezing into a closet cubbyhole or the top of an elevator and watching people for hours at a time. Blending into after-hours office space, he's able to eat lunch room stuff for free and sleep in tucked-away underground niches. With his part-time job as a dishwasher, he's got more than enough to be happy. But all that's about to change...
Lucas encounters another creeper who's closing in on his living quarters. He's able to deflect the guy away from his area, but he's intrigued about a "club" this guy mentions. The Creep Club is made up of other people who like to explore, but more specifically like to spy and record others. Lucas follows the guy to his own home and eventually gets into the club. But he's repulsed when he finds out that this group is really more interested in recording violence and mayhem, all without stepping in to stop it. He thinks he can just leave the group and not get involved, until a government agent intercepts him on the subway home and asks for his help in breaking up The Creep Club. Lucas is torn between wanting to fade back into the night and not wanting to see anyone get hurt if he can prevent it. Using his stealth and skills, he does his own reconnaissance on the agent and others, only to find out that his choices are extremely limited, and most of them end with his permanent disappearance. As events pick up speed, he's not sure who is working for whom, and whether anyone is really who they say they are.
I liked the story and plot quite a bit. The "urban explorer" idea is one that strikes a cord in me, exploring areas that have been abandoned or are off-limits for no good reason. And it really is difficult to guess the next twist in the story, as there are a few different ways that things could play out. I wasn't completely thrilled with the ending, as I don't think part of the story delivered on the build-up. But still, it took me twice as long to finish the last 50 pages as it normally would, as I couldn't keep my eyes open. But I was also not going to put the book down until I finished! Worth a read if you're into some slightly off-beat mystery thrillers.
I needed some diversionary reading while away at a conference this week, so I took along my latest library acquisition... The Unseen by T. L. Hines. Between the flight and the first night at the hotel, this one didn't last very long. But it was an enjoyable read with some different angles usually not encountered in novels...
Lucas doesn't have much of a past that he can remember. All he knows is that he was raised in an orphanage, was very much a loner, and enjoys observing people from hidden locations. Lucas is an "urban explorer", a person who goes into buildings and areas normally off-limits (or even considered uninhabitable). He's perfectly happy squeezing into a closet cubbyhole or the top of an elevator and watching people for hours at a time. Blending into after-hours office space, he's able to eat lunch room stuff for free and sleep in tucked-away underground niches. With his part-time job as a dishwasher, he's got more than enough to be happy. But all that's about to change...
Lucas encounters another creeper who's closing in on his living quarters. He's able to deflect the guy away from his area, but he's intrigued about a "club" this guy mentions. The Creep Club is made up of other people who like to explore, but more specifically like to spy and record others. Lucas follows the guy to his own home and eventually gets into the club. But he's repulsed when he finds out that this group is really more interested in recording violence and mayhem, all without stepping in to stop it. He thinks he can just leave the group and not get involved, until a government agent intercepts him on the subway home and asks for his help in breaking up The Creep Club. Lucas is torn between wanting to fade back into the night and not wanting to see anyone get hurt if he can prevent it. Using his stealth and skills, he does his own reconnaissance on the agent and others, only to find out that his choices are extremely limited, and most of them end with his permanent disappearance. As events pick up speed, he's not sure who is working for whom, and whether anyone is really who they say they are.
I liked the story and plot quite a bit. The "urban explorer" idea is one that strikes a cord in me, exploring areas that have been abandoned or are off-limits for no good reason. And it really is difficult to guess the next twist in the story, as there are a few different ways that things could play out. I wasn't completely thrilled with the ending, as I don't think part of the story delivered on the build-up. But still, it took me twice as long to finish the last 50 pages as it normally would, as I couldn't keep my eyes open. But I was also not going to put the book down until I finished! Worth a read if you're into some slightly off-beat mystery thrillers.
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