The Fold by Peter Clines

This book was fantastic! It it a gripping story that captures your imagination and doesn't let it go. As with any author I've not heard of I am leery but Peter Clines wrote a wonderful story.  And it isn't just Science Fiction craziness.  It is an in depth story. You learn about all the characters.  You get their back story and why they are the way they are.  There is humor. Seriously, the main character Mike is hilarious.  He is insanely intelligent.  He has an eidetic memory (remembers EVERY detail of his life exactly...it never fades) so he can be annoying but in an adorably awkward way.  He is like Sherlock mashed with the Doctor and a splash of Sheldon Cooper BUT he tries to act like a normal guy. 

The basic story is there is a secret government experiment going on to help with travel and things are "Funny".  This secret-ish government agency hires an old friend as a new set of eyes to see what's up.  He is a no one...a high school teacher but his memory is an asset the government needs.  Of course things go ten kinds of sideways and all hell breaks loose, quite literally.  And the best part is...it is NOT what you expect.  The author leads you down a path that makes sense and then slaps you in the face with a twist you won't see coming.  I highly recommend it, any fan of Mystery-Suspense who doesn't mind a touch of science fiction would love it.  At least that is what I think.  Additional thoughts in the spoiler.

SPOILER

I love Mike.  He is an annoying know it all but I think I would truly enjoy his company.  He tries so incredibly hard to be normal, it almost breaks your heart.  I love the way he describes his memory as ants.  They swarm with info because he remembers it all so he's clearly had to learn how to control them over the years so as not to go insane.  How he files things away and then retrieves them.  It is fascinating.

I knew something was up with the build team as soon as Mike got there but I had NO CLUE what was coming.  I really thought there was some sort of radiation thing going on affecting their memory and personalities.  I mean all they were doing was passing from one portal to the next, traversing hundreds of feet in seconds.  But when Olaf freaked out about the office and the pranks...I just knew it was going to be bad. 

Even when Bob came through a mangled mess I had no idea the twist about to slap me.  I thought maybe time travel or something.  After Mike and Jamie's bonding over drinks, I had hope for their relationship to blossom but it was clear Jamie was damaged so I wasn't expecting much. Then when she volunteered to retest after Bob, I died a little because I wanted her and Mike to be something, even if it was just friends.  But it was okay, she wasn't harmed and honestly she was so much nicer.  That should have been my clue! Then her and Mike hooked up and it was adorkable until he noticed her back sans scars and I didn't even get it then!

When Mike reveals that is isn't just a portal in their dimension, that it is opening doors in parallel worlds I actually squeaked.  I love stories with parallel worlds, said no Doctor Who fan...EVER!  So it is basically a dimension cannon but they can't control which dimension it opens...great!

The description of the bug people will give me nightmares for days.  Not because I don't like horror but because they were such good descriptions of such frightening things.  I hate roaches so all the comparisons to roaches and of course the actual plethora of green roaches creeped me out. 

The way it ended, I am kind of hoping for a sequel.  I would love to see more of what Mike and Jamie can get up to investigating other crazy phenomenons like this one.  It's like the X-Files meets Stargate! Excuse me while I geek out.

END SPOILER

It was such an adventure. I couldn't put it down! It was relatable.  Yes, its all sci-ency but there are other things we can all relate to... like even in fiction government is still really stupid (hey, it could kill us all...but can we make more).  Humans fail but we have the desire to survive.  We are selfish.  Knowing we don't know how something works won't stop us from messing with it.   We are curious by nature to a fault.  We strive to learn everything we can even if it might mean our extinction.








Thoughts while reading:

07/06	page 38		9.0%	"Me: Sooooo it's like a stargate...? *read a little further* "Don't say that in front of the scientists...they hate that comparison." Me: Soooo it's like a stargate, right...?"
07/06	page 94		24.0%	"I feel like all the mentions of "we aren't hiding anything" and "it's going to change everything" being said by different characters are important somehow"
07/07	page 132		34.0%	"I might coulda done without that vivid description but holy cow! Poor Bob...."
07/07	page 133		34.0%	""they don't seem to understand that his condition was new. They think he always looked like this." WTF!?!?!"
07/07	page 183		47.0%	""Did you all make a deal with the devil, and it runs on the blood of orphans or something like that?" Good one Mike..."
07/07	page 196		51.0%	"Wow that was one of the most adorable "dammit I actually like you" exchanges I've read in a while."
07/07	page 200		52.0%	"*spoiler* This is insanity!!!!! It's like timelines keep changing...wtf is happening?!?!? Where are the scars?!?!?!?"
07/07	page 205		53.0%	"OMG! Maybe they can find Pete's world....bring back rose and tentoo "
07/07	page 215		55.0%	"Even in books the best stories start off with "we got drunk""
07/08	page 253		65.0%	"Roaches covering the floor...that's a big ol' nope from me. Y'all are on your own!"
07/08	page 262		68.0%	"I'm going to have nightmares for a month...thanks."
07/08	page 273		71.0%	"I kinda want to be friends with Mike"
07/09	page 294		76.0%	"The gov't is just is dumb in fiction...Really smart person: "it will cause the end of the world!!!" Them:"But can we rebuild it?""
07/13	page 330		85.0%	"Um Jamie have you lost your mind..."
07/13	page 358		93.0%	"Are you f**king kidding me?!!?! Talk about indestructible!"

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books to review and give my honest opinion.