| Title | : | The Underlighters |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1484020562 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781484020562 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 430 |
| Publication | : | First published April 1, 2013 |
18-year-old Janelle Cohen is an electrician in an underground city. The world above has been swallowed by mind-destroying Dust. Her small life changes forever when a dragon attacks her on the way home from work.
Her friends worry that she has the Fever, Dust-induced insanity. A terrifying trip to the surface of the world, the ancient and abandoned Up, deepens the nightmare. With no world left above, she and the other Crows cannot afford to fail…
5 stars: “…You will be rewarded with a dive into the depths of imagination that may leave you questioning, breathless and inspired.” –www.TracingTheStars.com
5 stars: “… Engaging, ground breaking prose that is not afraid to test the reader’s boundaries. “—Sara Celi
5 stars: “…A wonderful read that is full of life, nightmares, fear, and dreams.” –Casey Peeler
NOTE: includes harsh language and some challenging content. Reader discretion advised.
The Underlighters Reviews
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I admit I had the opportunity to review this as a beta reader. It was good then, but much better now. I thoroughly enjoyed The Underlighters.
It’s a dark and horrific dystopian fantasy where nightmares take physical shape in the daylight. Within this cyberpunk-horror is an intricate tale of a young girl coming of age, learning she is strong and beautiful and worthy of love.
The thin veil separating dream and reality is torn and scattered for poor Janelle. This lovely young lady faces the daily trials of an underground society scraping by on scavengings from the surface, and what little they can produce in their farms.
This is a dark place made darker by strange, inexplicable happenings. Nightmarish creatures that have no right to exist are roaming the tunnels, stealing away the children. Janelle and her friends face hellish monsters born of their darkest fears.
She can hardly tell whether its real or if she's just losing her mind.
Read the Underlighters for an H.P. Lovecraft styled subterranean world of fantasy and horrors. You'll soon find yourself reading all of Michelle Browne's novels. -
Book Info: Genre: Dystopian Sci-Fi
Reading Level: Upper Young Adult/New Adult
Recommended for: fans of older YA/NA books featuring lesbian character, speculative fiction
Trigger Warnings: killing, violence, lesbian sex
My Thoughts: This is, overall, a pretty cool book. I loved the idea behind the Dust and the people having to move underground to escape it, even if it is never explained very well. But since the story is told in journal format, that's not too weird, as the person writing the journal would expect whomever read it to already know the history.
The main problem I had with it was the inconsistent timeline. The MC would mention a specific event took place on a certain day, and then spent several days reporting it in her journal. On the final day, which was almost a week later, it was written to sound like it had just happened that day. There were other instances of this, such as at the dinner saying that Janelle and Jay had already accepted the Crow positions, but several days later Janelle receives a letter saying they need her formal acceptance of the position, that sort of thing. It was not only confusing, it was somewhat aggravating.-
I did love the fact that all aspects of the QUILTBAG were readily accepted in the new world, and the idea of the term Between to describe all Intersexual people, as well as the pronouns “xe, xer, xis” to describe it, although the interchangeable use of “xer” and “xis” was somewhat confusing. Still, it was a lovely idea and one I hope someday we'll actually see.
Still and all, overall a good story and one I think a lot of folks will like. Just be aware there are fairly explicit lesbian sex scenes as well as polyamorous relationships. If that bothers you, best to move on. For the rest of us, it's a good, solid story.
Disclosure: I received an e-book ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Synopsis: Nightmares are bleeding into her waking world. Children are going missing. To save them, she must overcome her wreck of a personal life and a closet full of skeletons. She doesn’t know whether the horrors in the shadows are real... or if she is going mad.
18-year-old Janelle Cohen is an electrician in an underground city. The world above has been swallowed by mind-destroying Dust. Her small life changes forever when a dragon attacks her on the way home from work.
Her friends worry that she has the Fever, Dust-induced insanity. A terrifying trip to the surface of the world, the ancient and abandoned Up, deepens the nightmare. With no world left above, she and the other Crows cannot afford to fail… -
I probably wouldn't even be writing a review on this book. Yet, here I am because it is an arc. Had it not been an arc, it would have been my very first DNF.
I never read other reviews before starting a book. I don't want to get influenced by them. I do, however, look at stars ratings. And, wow, this one has a 5.0 rating. I was itching to request such a book that must be so fuckawesome. I have learned a valuable lesson. Never judge a book by it's star rating.
I don't know if I read a different book than everyone else, or if my brain functions on a different wavelength.
The characters in this book are completely, well, forgettable. I couldn't get myself to care about any of them. The book is intended to be the journal of Janelle, our mc. What struck me as odd was the full conversations that are quoted in said journal. Who is able to do that? Hell, I'm lucky if I can remember what I ate for breakfast. So, yeh, a little unbelievable.
The book was also slow. So slow. I can deal with that. So what made me almost DNF? It's something so small that even I cannot believe it almost made me rage quit.
It's a word. A term. A simple name. Cuntgirl.
Cuntgirl, apparently, is the name in that world for hooker or prostitute. I can curse like the best of them. In fact, I have a mouth on me worse than you can probably imagine coming out of someone like me. Honestly, it just ended up leaving a bad taste in my mouth. It made me cringe. That, along with underdeveloped characters, average plot and writing, and even some just extremely odd parts of the story, I cannot recommend this book. -
The Underlighters is a New Adult dystopian horror fantasy the likes of which I could never have imagined. It would sit proudly next to any Stephen King novel. Underlighters are the survivors of a distant disaster now forced to live underground under artificial lighting. It is all about the loved - seen through the eyes of Janelle an electrician living beneath Up (the surface)where The Dust prevails. Janelle searches for love, the lost and tries to come to terms with her dreaming and her sexuality which is explored with deep affection. Society has been forced below by The Dust, an almost sentient phenomena that causes nightmares to become real. And boy does the writer go to town on these nightmares. Janelle battles razor-tipped dragons, mutated creatures and for her troubles is selected to fight the Dust and save The Lost above. A truly terrifying read, but also a tender love story and a search for things we lose - namely The Lost - those infected by the Dust.
This hilling tale of dystopian horror is skilfully woven by Michelle Browne to leave this reader gasping and looking under the bed before the lights go off.
A FIVE STAR CHILLFEST to satisfy all horror fans. -
What a book!!! First, I have to say, I was impressed with the way this story developed. It was a natural progression of discover, unveiling, and growth. The character development transformed in with each passing detail about the world, the struggles, and the mystery of the dust. This dystopian fantasy focuses not only on the coming of age story of Janelle, but an interesting mystery about “dust” and missing kids.
Second- what great storytelling. I was impressed with Michelle Browne’s writing style when I read her short stories, The Stolen. What I was not expecting was how brilliant it would be in a full length novel. When I think of her writing style two images come to mind… Xena the warrior princess and a mad scientist. Her style is unique, strong, and precise, with a darker edge.
There is no confusion as to the feelings she wishes to convey. She chooses her words carefully, sets up her characters in the right way, and introduces you to her world in a refreshing way. There is no doubt about it, she pulls you in with her words, twists your mind with the story, and leaves you hanging onto the end with that bittersweet longing for more… -
Let me apologize now if this is taken wrong or offends anyone. Not my intention. But I am supossed to be honest here. I did not care for this book at all. I found it to be very confusing at times, and even walked away at some points to figure out what exactly I was reading. It's written from our main character Janelle's pov through her journal entries. That could have worked, except her entries went from how she was feeling to entire scenes and conversations that were word for word between other characters, then back to the journal feel of it. It just seemed odd. It would have probably worked better if it was actual scenes, and then maybe throw in a few journal entries. Either way, it's a different world that Janelle lives in, so she says a lot of things that might make sense to her, but were lost on me. The character development and world building should have been done in better detail. Most of the characters were so shallow I really didn't care for them. And the terms that were used, some I didn't get at all. Now I have a mouth like a truck driver and could put a sailor to shame, BUT there was one term that was used in reference to hookers. That term I got loud and clear and it rubbed me the wrong way. It could've been left at sugarplums, or thought of something else. But cuntgirls?! I mean seriously? Moving on....Where as the first 200 pages it felt like nothing much was going on, then all of a sudden 'poof' Janelle is a crow. Then one minute she's engaged to Chloe (one of the most superficial girls ever) to breaking up with her without actually talking (kinda how the engagement happened), and the next minute she's hot and heavy w/Una and Nathu. No preamble, nothing. They're just all happy in love even though 5 seconds ago they barely knew each other. But okay. Then all of a sudden Janelle saves the day, the Dust didn't mean to hurt anybody, and then it's over. Janelle, Una and Nathu go off into the sunset, that's when the dust finally settles (no pun intended) and all is right with the world. Sorry, I just didn't care for this book. It had a lot of promise, but fell short. Just my opinion.
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What a breath of fresh air, laughing fresh air.. hah.. if you read the book you will giggle a little too. When you live underground to avoid the Dust... Dust you say? Not zombies?? Not vampires? Not a pandemic? Nope.. DUST! Oh me oh my but this dust is more than just the maid wipes down off the piano on Tuesdays, this dust drove whole cities underground. Wait, it does have a dragon and scary spider monsters.. no clowns though!
Written in first person and in a journal style story, this had to be really good. I am not a journal style story fan, but I do love love love love first person point of view. But even if you are not a fan, and don't want to read someones journal... I want to stress, really stress, you should take a chance. Half the time I would forget I was reading Janelle's journal. This was her story, the communities and the worlds. Was it a memoir? No! Goodness, it was just wowzer!
Janelle was an incredibly well rounded, three-dimensional real character. Her voice was loud and because of this amazing ability for character development, Michelle was able to bring along the rest of the "cast". I fell in love with them and also developed an extreme desire to curb stomp a couple of the characters. After reading this the bar was raised. I have had to take a break from reading because the last three books after this were so poorly written to me, I am wondering if she possibly ruined me :)
Oh sex, yes there was sex lots of lovely sex! Oh wait, it was not erotica or messy or gratuitous. It was beautiful, cathartic and (dare I use it again) wow! Oh and there is nothing missed here, no orientation, no judgments just hey, this is how it is. Without any discrimination, this is how it is. Janelle's best friends get engaged and are so excited to have children in the home. She has inbetweens (bisexual) and uses the new genderqueer label of xer/xim/xe. I find it rare and refreshing.
OK... let's see... character development, great sex scenes, oh did I mention I love the cover.. what else could make this even more amazing? Her world building!! Yes guys you can have it all, and a drink right along with it.. and some great food (hydroponic potatoes rock apparently). I could go on and on and on... and on but I guess I should stop... maybe!
But why read it, other than I told you too? Well do you like stories about after an apocalypse? Well there is that! Do you like realistic sex scenes that are not written by a man but someone who is writing an important part of the story? (There are only a few but they are so touching I wanted to squeal and say thank you thank you thank you over and over again, those get 6 stars!). This was one! Could there be more... NO CLOWNS!!!!!! Oh, wait... seriously this book is so well rounded, clean and well written it should be on the top of the top of all the lists! Up is a mess, people breath in the dust and become disorientated and hallucinate. Which is when things start being seen in the tunnels usually sends folks to the clinics to be tested for Dust exposure... but when the hallucinations start attacking back?? We have nightmares coming to life and the party is on, baby!
In a nutshell, again wow! Clean, crisp no nonsense an No WGAS* descriptions. Everything that is in this book is needed and nothing extra to muddy this amazing story. My biggest critique? A little to much of a "Happily Ever After", but I'm cynic who doesn't mind not having one so I don't count. The last scene? Our lead in to the next book? Perfection and I don't say that lightly. And she can write sex better than most romance and erotica writers I know. it's real and made *looking around and whispering*...my girly parts tingle.
Five Breathing Regulators
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***Review has been done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official. For more information regarding our reviews please visit our Fansite:
www.facebook.com/NerdGirl.ng ***
So in all honesty, I got a slow start on this book, which might’ve been due to my own hectic brain, but though the book started slow for me, I’m incredibly glad I finished this book. I adore The Underlighters. This book takes City of Ember, increases the age, add the dystopian society and even mixes in some Neil Gaiman “Sandman”-like creepiness. It was wonderful. I love dystopian novels, and then, the first page mentions a dragon, I mean, where can you go wrong? The idea behind this plot is original, smart, and very very well organized.
Janelle Cohen, main character, is incredibly well developed. This book, while painting us a dystopian style society fraught with a nightmare mystery, is also working on the idea of sexual awakening and understanding. It’s an interesting issue to face, and I thought it was really well done throughout this book. There was only one scene dealing with this sexual idea that threw me out of the plot for a second, but the author ties it in perfectly, and continues on with the story. This is an wonderful subplot.
As for the main plot, after chapter one, I was captivated. Chapter one was slow going for me but once I got to the second one, I couldn’t put it down. I basically flew through the whole novel in my 3 hour flight. It was perfect. Mysterious, confusing in the right way, and there were clues everywhere. It’s smart and organized and detailed and it’s wonderful. I love the idea of walking nightmares, and the Dust is so imaginative and interesting, and I just kept reading because I had to know more!
This novel is definitely one to read. It’s very well written, presents a dystopian society I haven’t met with before (and that’s saying a lot, because I have read almost every dystopian novel out there, I love them) and gives you a edge of your seat mystery to boot! I loved every minute of the novel and I didn’t want it to end, and I think there is still more the author can explore in this plot area, and I’d be willing and ready to read it when she does, because this was one outstanding book! :)
*I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review* -
I got this book from the author, free of cost, in exchange of an honest review from my side.
Firstly I would like to thank Michelle Browne, author of The Underwriters fro giving me this wonderful opportunity of reading and reviewing this special book of hers.
I totally was blown away by this story, it's really really awesome and excellently executed by the author through her remarkable words.
I never before read a dystopian novel with the horror element woven so intricately with each and every scene and let me tell you that it really scared me to death when I imagined of stepping into the shoes of Janelle.
She was really awesome and the true soul and blood of this book and anyone who heart themselves a kick-ass and confident heroine who can take some serious matters on her strong shoulders then Janelle is the 'IT' girl for you.
The emotional whirlwind that the characters faces, the fear, hopelessness, the despair, the loneliness, the remembrance of the lost ones will really touch your heart and you'll fail in stopping the overflowing tears when the author will take you through the experience of these hard-core emotions.
The concept of DUST being the actual destroyer and problem creator is unique and quite unheard of but don't worry you'll be truly surprised by the thoughts of the author and the way she led the story through the rough and dangerous paths. The felt the underground live to be quite interesting though a little scary but this book really is one of the best dystopian novels ever read by me.
It's been a while since I stopped being scared of monsters but this book really brought out that part of me and I really had to sit on the edge of my sofa and constantly bit my nails off when thees monsters arrived.
This story encompasses all the segments that should be present in a really excellent story and in making the horror part alive the author didn't introduce gory descriptions which really feels nasty and eerie.
All in all a superb read and I bet ya all would be spooked like me at the end of the book so grab your copy and get on the ride. -
First of all KUDOS to the author on a completely original plot! I really enjoyed a different twist on a post-apocalyptic Earth. I have never come across anything similar to the Dust that has forced most of the Earth’s inhabitants to live underground. I really enjoyed that. I give this 3.5 stars.
This is the first time I have read a book in a journal format. I am still kind of up in the air on how I feel about it still. I did not like it at first but after a while it did grow on me somewhat. I think the major thing I don’t like about is instead of seeing the action through the words the character is just telling you what happened after it is already over and while you do get some insight into what she is thinking or feeling I prefer either 1st or 3rd person better.
What I liked about this book was the originality of the plot. The interaction between the characters that was written in the journal made you forget at time that you were reading a journal and it wasn’t happening right that moment. I liked how the Dust was overcame and how people made a life for themselves underground.
What I did not like about this book was I felt that I needed a little more information on the Dust. It was a little more clear towards the end but through the whole book I just kept trying to figure it out and I would like to have more information on it. Also where the guns were brought up in the story I was confused if these were supposed to me futuristic guns or just regular ones that we have now. There was several mentioned that they do not make like a .22 shotgun as well as the Models or calibers for the other ones mentioned.
All in all I really enjoyed the book. It was an entirely unique novel.
*I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review.* -
Michelle Browne has quickly become one of my favorite indie authors around. I read the Underlighters when it was part of the Loved, the Lost, the Dreaming short story collections (if you haven't read it, you totally should) and it's still one of my favorite horror stories of the modern generation. It breaks from the cliched Unholy Trinity of Horror, the zombie, the vampire, the werewolf, in lieu of the products of nightmares. I mean that literally, as much of the story is derived from the author's dreams. It takes balls to begin a horror story with an attack by a dragon, and Ms. Browne has them hanging like grapes. From her creative break from the mundane, to her unflinching views on sexuality, this book bares the author's soul and leaves the reader craving more. I'll not lie, after the dragon attack, the story starts off slowly, but it only builds from there. By the end, the story has reached such a frenzied, far fetched pace that it is a pure joy to read. I cannot recommend this author enough.
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I received a copy of this book via Goodreads to review.
Written in first person, via journal entry, I found this novel to be long and trying. Janelle Cohen is a 18 year old girl living underground whose dreams and nightmares are distorting her sense of reality. Her mixed up love life and state of mind keep her from knowing what is and isn't real. The main thing they have to fear in this underground community is...dust.
Yes like M Night Shyamalan wind in The Happening. Here it is breathing in dust. To be fair the dust is a poison and drug, much like a big pillow of Scarface sized cocaine floating around.
What I had the most trouble with is that the narrative from Janelle is written in such a voice that she might be twelve or fourteen. Not a eighteen year old woman. Someone who was forced to live underground in the circumstances Janelle and her friends are living in would to me, sound and act older. Not younger. Not so immature.
Sorry cannot recommend this one at all. -
The novel, "The Underlighters" by Michelle Patricia Browne, is a dystopian horror adventure with a great protagonist who progresses through her coming of age journey in the midst of a world none of us would recognize. That is, we wouldn't recognize it without the deft writing skills of Ms. Browne. She quickly establishes this new world environment and continues to add dark, complex layers to it as the story unfolds.
Despite the darkness and despair in the world she has skillfully created, Ms. Browne, in the end, has a lot to say about the strength of the human spirit and its ability to survive and overcome against some very long odds.
This is a terrific author with a unique voice who has a lot to offer and I strongly encourage readers who enjoy discovering new worlds to check this one out. -
I was given a copy of this for an honest review.
I didn't enjoy this book, I'm sorry. The idea was interesting but the execution was not done well. I found myself getting easily bored and distracted when reading it. The characters never interested me in the least. They fell flat and I really could have cared less for them.
I really not a fan of saying negative review. Doesn't mean I haven't but just something I don't tend to enjoy.
It wasn't for me, I had hoped it would be. I love post apocalyptic stories. And this one seemed like it would be different then the others of the genre that I have read with the crossover elements of scifi and horror. There is potential for this, I will say that. The author has came up with an interesting idea and story. But I think it needs tweaking, something to actually keep the readers attention.
So again sorry. -
'The Underlighters' is a dystopian sci-fi horror novel told in diary format by a teenager named Janelle. A few entries in she admits to being jittery and that's very much the tone that's been set from the beginning.
There are some creepy moments with freaky creatures, leading up to the big scares later. There are also some seriously sexy bits as there's a very sexually liberal attitude in the society created here. The world building Browne does so well is very much present, making all the little differences feel very believable. I was quickly drawn into the story and related easily to Janelle.
There are some really cool ideas in this novel and it's entertaining and scary throughout, I loved it!
Highly recommended for fans of sci-fi, horror & dystopia. -
This was surprisingly good. I loved the non traditional romance and the post apocalyptic future that felt incredibly real. The storyline and characters were gripping and believable even in the more fantastic elements of the story. The strange personal pronouns were a touch confusing, but I felt the context more than made up for this. Really enjoyable and addictive.
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This is a book review based on a free copy from the author. Many thanks go to the author for this generosity.
The same review is also available in my blog:
http://bookunderthesun.blogspot.sg/20...
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This book is one of those few which catch me in a grip in the beginning and just force me to flip through the story, trying to unravel the mysteries and know the truth behind. It is, unfortunately, also another book which left me disappointed in its choice to sparingly use obscenities in its story. How employing such useless words in a book could make it into a better story is just beyond me.
The subterranean held the imaginations of mankind, wonderful kinds like Journey into the Center of the Earth and horrors like Dante’s Inferno, for eons. So when the surface world was rendered uninhabitable by humans, they went down to eke out an existence. Such a world has an interesting twist to it – the world is only uninhabitable by human, but life goes on for animals and plants. This mirrors the biblical flood except it deals a punishment to mankind much more efficiently than a deluge, the latter of which wiped out innocent animals as well.
The Underlighters created a most intriguing and creative society – a liberal future where genders interaction is not bound by current conservative thoughts. I was confused in the beginning of the story when I tried to plot the relationships between characters, and when I read their names, I thought I had mistaken a boy for a girl and vice versa.
In The Underlighters, gay marriages are usual and there is also the possibility where three persons enter a marriage where all have a relationship with each other. OK, this gets weird here: this is not a love triangle. Due to the fact that a person can be bisexual, imagine all three of them being so. This creates a situation where all three of them really could love each other. Interesting thought…
There is also a third gender creation in this world – the Between. Essentially this gender is neither male nor female, yet it incorporated both. Brown even created gender pronouns for this androgynous and thought provoking situation – xe, xis, xer. Interesting as it is, I am not sure everybody could accept all the above in our reality.
Liberal as such situations may be, it does create complications to a society, especially so when it comes to a world where population does not suffice to fulfill tasks. With the human population decimated by Dust, liberal marriages do not create offspring, thus jeopardizing a society where the numbers dwindled and could not increase. Brown remedied this situation by suggesting regulations in the story through conversational hints to make sure the population can be maintained but I sincerely doubted such a change could happen.
The storyline of The Underlighters is rather straightforward, with almost nonexistent twists, although the story redeemed itself with an interesting ending. Reading towards the first quarter of the story does leave me perplexed as to what is the targeted audience of this novel. From the age of the protagonist and the hormonal outbursts in the story, not to mention all those complicated relationships, the story has the young adults in mind. However the amount of curse words and vivid description of sex, it somehow seemed to be more of an adult theme.
To portray the story in the format of a journal has a few advantages to the storytelling. For one, steamy erotic side of a personal life granted a voyeuristic feel to the story. It makes more sense to tell love stories and relationship gossips in a personal diary than it is in a story where horrors are happening although it still gets a little out of hand when they are too vividly described. This storytelling method also gets the upper hand with emotional bursts that are deeply personal. Brown no doubt made good use of this format to tell the story of The Underlighters, except for one contradiction – conversations.
And I barely noticed this discrepancy until I almost finished the novel. It just makes no sense that I would write a full conversation down in my own diary. I know, because I used to keep one myself. I would record my deepest and most personal emotions which I would not show to the world, but definitely won’t bother with writing what I conversed with other people. It is no big deal though as conversations formed part and parcel of all stories. Without it, the novel would just appear weird.
Another barely noticeable contradiction to the journal format is the fights themselves. Once again I do not believe that I will recreate the whole fight in my own diary, but it may be more suitable if Brown tries to describe the fights in Janelle “feeling the aftereffects of a slice to the abdomen by the rather huge whatever-monster”. This was how the story started, without laying out the whole fight with a dragon, but enough to leave readers speculate and let their imagination fill in the gap.
I believe that the story is more suitable to be portrayed as a first person narrative. The journal format is just too incompatible with the way the story would be told, but this does not hinder me from praising the story for its originality. I would appreciate that fewer obscenities be used because I read a book for its storytelling through masterful utilization of a language, not for the curse words. There just isn’t any advantage to a story by using curse words. It only dims it in my view. -
I would like to thank the author, Michelle Browne, for granting me the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review. Though I received the e-book for free that in no way influences this review.
Nightmares are bleeding into her waking world. Children are going missing. To save them, she must overcome her wreck of a personal life and a closet full of skeletons. She doesn’t know whether the horrors in the shadows are real...or if she is going mad.
18-year-old Janelle Cohen is an electrician in an underground city. The world above has been swallowed by mind-destroying Dust. Her small life changes forever when a dragon attacks her on the way home from work.
Her friends worry that she has the Fever, Dust-induced insanity. A terrifying trip to the surface of the world, the ancient and abandoned Up, deepens the nightmare. With no world left above, she and the other Crows cannot afford to fail…
5 stars: “…You will be rewarded with a dive into the depths of imagination that may leave you questioning, breathless and inspired.” –
www.TracingTheStars.com
5 stars: “… Engaging, ground breaking prose that is not afraid to test the reader’s boundaries. “—Sara Celi
5 stars: “…A wonderful read that is full of life, nightmares, fear, and dreams.” –Casey Peeler
NOTE: includes harsh language and some challenging content. Reader discretion advised.
What I like about this book -
The world building was creative and inventive, taking something most of us have limited knowledge of and turning into an entire world. Try imagining living underground your entire life, and if you are young enough sun is just a word to you. It might be associated with an image from a book, but you have no idea what it means to see it, or feel the warmth of the sun's rays. No take that world and create different social strata, where many people end up in the place of their own choosing as opposed to being forced into a social group based upon finances, or skin color. That isn't to say that this world is all peaches and cream, because it sure as hell isn't. But it IS the world they have to live in now, so everyone makes the best of a bad job.
The human dynamics are pretty cool and well done. They seem fairly spot on for the age groups, at least by our standards. The flexibility in sexual pairings is both a plus and a minus for me. I like the broader standards with which a person can choose to define themselves.
The personal power that Janelle discovers was a bonus, yet the ending felt a bit rushed for me. The final showdown made for good reading, but it end felt a bit premature. Which leads me into. . .
What I didn't like about the story as much -
The sexual freedoms weren't explained. So many things are similar to our society, yet many are quite different, and of those few are explained. It is left to the reader to infer from the language used what a word might actually mean. Does it describe a persons preferences? Their job? Their social standing? Do they have a choice in the matter? While I felt that Ms. Brown was trying to make a statement, much of the culture was too vague for me to understand the statement. What exactly is a cuntgirl? Or a sugarplum?
The final resolution left me feeling a bit cheated. It seemed to easy in the end. How could anything that powerful, and tapped in to the echoes of those gone before, not understand the pain it was inflicting? That left me feeling a bit like a free form writing exercise where you write as much of a story as possible within a set time limit, with the understanding that you must provide closure before your time is up. A great exercise, but not so great for a final product.
Overall - an entertaining read as long as you don't get hung up on the use of a specific word, and are willing to really and truly suspend disbelief for the ending to work. Definitely a poolside, or fireside, read. Though personally, I'd read it on a nice, sunny day!
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The Underlighters by Michelle Browne - Enter the Giveaway!Now Through September 19 at Tome Tender!
The Underlighters by Michelle Browne is a very disturbing look at a dystopian future world, holding only a bleak future for its inhabitants. Teenaged Janelle is training as an electrician, not because she is dying for the position, but because there isn’t much else in store for her future, until the day she comes home bloody and bruised with a fantastic tale of slaying a real dragon and the claw to prove it. But is everything as it seems in this dark and horrific tale? Is the underground world she lives in hiding a deadly force that may consume its inhabitants in a world of hallucinations and terror? What exactly is “Dust?” If inhaled, it produces bizarre effects, up to and including insanity. Isn’t this what she was told destroyed the upper world that lived in the sunlight? A mission to the upper world is a must and Janelle is determined to go. Does she join the Crows and endeavor to protect her people? What she discovers on the way changes her, causes her to grow as a person, in spite of the losses along the way.
I'm happy to see The Underlighters get its own cover, its own book! Once part of a collection of stories from talented author Michelle Browne, this tale needed its own identity! Her creative genius and love for her work shows in each page, each character and the vivid scenes she has created! The tension runs at full throttle often enough to make your head spin with the possibilities of what could happen next! I like that in a dark fantasy, just keep me on the edge of my seat and keep me guessing at what will happen next!
Publication Date: August 30, 2013
Publisher: Michelle Browne via CreateSpace
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(Notes stored here for the wife, who plans to have me read it eventually)
She enjoyed the Underlighters a lot, though she said it could benefit from very specific proofreading(I guess it was mostly clean, but there were some errors, particularly recurring errors with commas, that bugged her) and the narrative tone was the best when the author toned down the filler words intended to emphasize the youth of the narrator.
Her favorite thing, though, was in Browne's handling of the setting. She said that Browne had a very fluid view of sexuality and gender, and she really enjoyed how much more developed and open all of the characters became, without having to adhere to traditional ideas of gender, sexuality, or relationships. It's something I don't fully understand, just given my own nature, but she's certainly seen a lot more of the subtlety in those interactions, since many of her closest friends are people who fall between the cracks of sociological expectation in that regard.
There were a number of macabre elements and twists(though she didn't want to say what, in case I get time to read it) I don't think she was satisfied by the ending, or some of the plot points(she said there was one in particular that seemed to have no realistic consequences, even though the positive effects of it factored into the latter half of the story), but she seemed to enjoy the setting a lot. She said it was very gritty and well realized. She enjoyed the written tone, overall, and thought that the narration carried the visuals along very well. -
I received a copy of this book from the author for review.
The plot of The Underlighters is a not an atypical post-apocalyptic story. Something bad has happened, people are forced to adapt and the unlikely hero/heroine emerges to save humanity.
I can't say that I found anything really new or groundbreaking in this story. It was easy to read, though many of the characters actions were frustrating and seemed incredibly teenaged considering I understood the characters were supposed to be young adults. I felt that the relationships were very high school "she used to date him and they broke up and now she's dating her and he's not happy about it" and I didn't think the entire love/sexual relationship with Una and her husband added anything to the story.
The idea of the Dust taking form and causing havoc to the people living underground was intriguing, though throughout I found myself reading and comparing to other scenes in other science fiction or fantasy books. There are elements of Harry Potter, Divergent and even The Princess Bride in the story.
I'm sure that there is an audience for this story in the 14-23 age group, but given the immaturity of the main characters coupled with typos that should have been caught in proof reading, this book isn't for me. -
So this book was unlike anything I’ve ever read before. I loved it from the beginning–why? I LOVE stories about secret underground places. They have always fascinated me and that’s what drew me into this story. I loved the mystery behind the Dust and the way the underground city functioned. The journal format worked well for the story. Usually I’m not a fan of journal format but this was presented in a story, as in it had dialogue and read like an a story not a journal where its just the author talking the entire time with no dialogue.
The monster type things added an element of creepy but it wasn’t gory. I loved how the author explained the Dust and tied it into the story instead of taking an entire five pages to describe it. It was very nicely paced and I felt like I knew all of the characters and not just the main one. From experience, that is a hard thing to do. There were some other things I loved about the book but I can’t discuss them here because they contain spoilers. If you’re curious please read this book. I want to read it again and I can’t wait for the sequel *Michelle you better get on that*
I give this book five stars but if I could I’d give it a thousand. -
*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.*
To be honest, I wanted to read this book purely from the blurb. The blurb itself, is fantastic. It's short, snappy, grabs the attention and promises to deliver. The cover too, is amazingly crafted.
But onto the book itself. I felt like it fell flat for me, but I must stress this, that is purely on personal opinion! For many people, and I can see that in other reviews, this book is extremely well-liked.
That's because this book caters for a very specific audience. And whilst I really admire the writing style, I'm afraid I don't fall into that audience. There were parts in this book that I found myself skimming, not really getting into the story.
What I really do like about this book is the uniqueness. Instead of zombies, or aliens... we have the Dust, and this is a really original and possible idea.
I can't stress enough that this is a very good book, it's just not my type. It has amazing descriptions, realistic characters and a good plot. For many, I can see it being an amazing read, but unfortunately for me it was just ok. -
‘The Underlighters’ is something of a crossover novel, containing elements of science fiction and horror, but with some underlying messages about politics and social justice. Ms Browne’s characters live in an underground city, the surface of the planet having been taken over by The Dust – a dangerous and otherworldly entity from which the stuff of nightmares is fashioned.
Having read the author’s previous offerings of ‘And the Stars Will Sing’ and ‘The Stolen’, I was anticipating something special, and was not disappointed. The writing feels even more assured than in her earlier works, and there is a delicious moral ambiguity which swirls about the story like The Dust itself. Her ‘world creation’ is detailed and credible, her characters flawed and vulnerable. Ms Browne keeps us guessing where the story is going , and the ending pulls the various themes together nicely. Parts of the novel are very dark: just the way I like it, in fact. -
When I was reading the first few pages I already liked it. The writing is easy and likeable to read.
The protagonist is Janelle and I love her personality. She's kinda boyish what makes me like her more. Most of the time writers create really girlish protagonists so I like that Michelle made Janelle less girlish.
I also liked that Janelle was once with Raheed, then with Chloe and now with Una and Nathu. Most of the time characters are straight so it was lovely to read someting different.
Once you've started, it's hard to stop reading. You just want to know how Janelle's story continues. It's getting more interesting when you read further.
Reading the last few chapters was killing me. I was very nervous. I didn't know how the book was going to end.
Conclusion: I've never read something like this and I definetly recommend The Underlighters to everyone who's into something new! I loved every bit of it!
-I want to thank Michelle Browne for the ARC! -
I was provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Underlighters is a gritty (in a good way!), fast-paced horror/paranormal drama/romance set in the not-so-distant future.
It is written from the point of view of the main character, Janelle in a journal format. I found this novel to be very exciting. I loved the writing style and the whole feel of it. It was atypical of books normally of the genre.
Janelle is a young adult, about 18, who lives with her single dad in Underlighter City. She works as an electrician, a job she loves and is good at, but things happen that threaten her sanity, way of life, friendships, relationships as well as safety.
Underlighters will keep your blood pumping as you follow along on the adventures that were basically thrown into her life. A real coming of age story that is entertaining and well-written.
Very nice job Michelle Brown! -
“The Underlighters” by Michelle Brown is a dark dystopian novel that is very original: 18 year old Janelle and her friends like to hang out in the underground city in a post-apocalyptic setting where dust on the surface is a threat to human kind. Janelle gets attacked by a dragon, but nobody believes her. On top of that she suffers from nightmare visions that could be an effect of dust exposure and she has a hard time distinguishing between dream and reality herself.
I loved the setting and the narrative. I enjoyed not always knowing what was coming next and all the while wondering what or if anything would turn out to be an illusion. The story seems in parts written for young adults with a coming of age theme for our heroine (particularly well done), but then again it contains strong language and seems directed at a more mature section of that audience. All in all an interesting and very enjoyable genre blend that shines with originality and strong story telling. -
I need to reread it, but I really like Browne's world building. The character development isn't too bad but it's the world (and the Dust) that really stand out for me in memory.
