{"id":4473,"date":"2016-07-20T15:09:46","date_gmt":"2016-07-20T19:09:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.monsterlibrarian.com\/TheCirculationDesk\/?p=4473"},"modified":"2016-07-20T15:12:30","modified_gmt":"2016-07-20T19:12:30","slug":"book-review-the-hatching-by-ezekiel-boone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.monsterlibrarian.com\/TheCirculationDesk\/book-review-the-hatching-by-ezekiel-boone\/","title":{"rendered":"Book Review: The Hatching by Ezekiel Boone"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\u00a0<\/em>The Hatching<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>by Ezekiel Boone<\/p>\n

ISBN: 9781501125041<\/p>\n

Available: Kindle ebook, print<\/p>\n

Release date: July 2016<\/p>\n

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Spiders. Man-eating spiders. Highly cooperative man-eating spiders. I\u2019m relatively certain that I twitched my way through this book.<\/p>\n

The Hatching<\/em> begins in\u00a0the\u00a0jungles of Peru, with a guide leading \u00a0Minnesota businessman Henderson and three women on a path,\u00a0when their seemingly quiet walk through the jungle is disturbed by a man screaming and making his way toward them. Their way is further blocked by what appears to be black liquid. The black substance washes over the poor man, sending the group running through the jungle.<\/p>\n

The story then focuses on FBI Agent Rich in Minneapolis,\u00a0who is investigating a fatal plane crash. He makes a gruesome discovery after a large spider crawls out of the face of one of the unfortunate passengers, who turns out to be Henderson. We learn that other\u00a0countries are facing a similar problem, but no one is communicating, and things continue to unravel around the world.<\/p>\n

In Washington, D.C., Professor Melanie Guyer receives a mysterious package from a dig site in Nazca, Peru. Inside is an ancient egg sac that contains a never-before-discovered spider that breeds at an alarming rate and has a taste for flesh.\u00a0\u00a0The rest is the stuff of nightmares.<\/p>\n

What unfolds are stories of different people all over the world trying to make sense of everything. The lives of the characters touch each other briefly or are more intimately entwined. The chapters jump from one location to another, but the way the story is told, it makes sense for them to do so. It actually adds to the confusion the characters feel, and also provides the reader at times with what is going on in multiple regions.<\/p>\n

There are a few characters I really enjoyed. United States President Stephanie Pilgrim is a no-nonsense, strong, female character. She\u2019s able to make quick decisions, but knows when she need to consult outside resources before making decisions like grounding worldwide travel. The survivalists of Desperation, California, including husband and wife Gordo and Amy and their friends, Shotgun and Fred (the town\u2019s only gay survivalist couple), are an enjoyable crew. \u00a0Their characters are well-developed, and I enjoyed the dynamics and friendship between them.<\/p>\n

I found the pacing to be a bit slow going at the beginning , but once the story picks up, it keeps a fast pace. It is also a frightening book. The way Boone describes the movement of the groups of spiders and how they act in a confined space within Dr. Guyer’s laboratory is disturbing. I read it in a relatively short time. I can\u2019t tell if that was pure enjoyment or if I just wanted to see what happened with the spiders\u2026ugh. This is a very good read. Fair warning, though: if you don\u2019t like spiders, it would probably be best for you to stay away from this one. Recommended.<\/p>\n

Note: The Hatching\u00a0<\/em>ends on a cliffhanger. Based on the author\u2019s Goodreads page, he\u2019s working on the next one, Skitter<\/em>. Recommended.<\/p>\n

Contains: a lot of spiders, some gore<\/p>\n

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker<\/p>\n