Eyes Everywhere Book

We all remember where we were on September 11th. Since then, we've watched the movies and read the newspaper clips. Each one of us felt that day, but keep the consequences of another's actions buried and go on about our lives. What we don't take into account, what's become a sort of white noise in our every day norm is the after effects. What little we do notice has become jokes to be played out on late night talk shows and cartoon illustrations or has been altered and re-told in order to fit the storytellers agenda.

Warner's latest novel draws a hefty amount from the fallout of 9/11. What he doesn't take into account is that in order to manipulate a good storyline around such an event requires delicate finesse and patience. And I'm sorry to say, but neither was present. In what can only be called a convoluted mess, Warner's carefully constructed ideas fall short of anything resembling a storyline. Relying entirely too much on the reader's reaction about our "new world order", rather than building up and fleshing out his protagonist's world, you are thrown into his meltdown at it's height. Bad move.

Right from the start, you are thrust into Charlie's life, and man is it a mess. But, well, you can't really feel bad for him. He seems like a kook the minute you're introduced and only cements this opinion throughout the novel. As for the rest of the cast, they're a group of one-dimensional, stereotypical, cardboard cutouts. Half of them over-react and the other under-react; there is absolutely no balance or realism maintained here.

What does manage to stay true is the atmosphere. Conveyed honestly, the atmosphere is chaotic, the mood constantly changing and shifting, but always digging further and further from what safety you hold close to you. But that rainbow, yeah that only lasted so long.

The big disappointment, the one that really shocked me, was Warner's style. This wasn't anywhere close to being his natural voice. No, this was forced. The one thing I enjoy about Warner's books, even if I'm not thrilled with the story, is his ability to make me feel at home. No formalities, no presumptions, and no pretension, just good old-fashioned storytelling. I have no idea what the hell happened, but this was most certainly not the author I've come to know and appreciate.

So, as much as it kills me to have to do it, Eyes Everywhere gets a 2. Unless they're giving it away with a free phone, dismiss this book like a petulant child at Wal-Mart. My suggestion, hold out for his next release.



-As posted on Horror-Web.com