Jim Brown (2) (1956–)

Previously I had read Jim Brown's novel Boom (click here for that review) and loved it. It has taken me awhile but I finally picked up a copy of his 2001 novel 24/7.

On a small Caribbean island a woman joins the newest reality TV show: 24/7. For Dana Kirsten, winning the $2 million prize could mean saving her child’s life. But while the country watches her every move, Dana is entering a fight for her own life–and a conflict that will shake the world. . . .

The setting of the book is Vassa Island, with a whole Survivor meets Big Brother type of scenario. Contestants are monitored all day, every day, with constant surveillance cameras that broadcast their every actions and conversations around the world. But within minutes of the first show of the new season, things go horribly wrong and the contestants are fighting for their lives to survive.

It is up to one lone camera-man turned reporter to unravel the pieces of the puzzle in time, before each contestant is picked off one by one.

The story is fast-paced, engaging and pulls the reader right in. It makes a strong statement about how we have become a voyeuristic society and how we'll judge people based on what facets they put across.

As a fan of reality TV shows for a long time now, especially the sociological aspects of the contests of Survivor and Big Brother, this novel was right in my wheel-house. I enjoyed it a lot and would recommend it to folks who like the similar.… (meer)

24/7 was a pretty good book that is now probably past its time. It was released at a time when reality tv was really taking off and proved to be a social commentary on the addictiveness of Americans on that genre. The book centers around a group of contestants on a game show taking place on an island. The contestants are promised that their biggest fears will be exploited with the whole world being able to watch them 24/7. Viewers from home then vote to see who has to leave. However, there become problems when the losing contestants don't simply leave the island; they die. This had a "Saw" feel to it in that players had to complete challenges in order to have a better chance of living and in fact one example was of a narcissistic woman who had choice of whether or not to lose her hand. The love interest was at times predictable, but Brown was able to keep it fresh by created twists with the male. The ending seemed weak and rushed and predictable and had a twist that I didn't see coming but that still disappointed me as it has been used soooo many times before. Overall, worth the read if your laying about. Didn't hate it, didn't love it.… (meer)

hmmmm. why would i give a coveted 4.5 starts to a horror/suspense novel that's based on a frequently-used premise, and written with average literary skill? because, the premise that starts out hackneyed, spins out of control into something pretty horrific. the parable is all the more frightening because it is meaningful for the era we're in, one where nothing is sacred, and everything is available for our viewing pleasure. could Brown's make-believe reality show ever actually happen? there's a good chance it could. it's nothing but prescient that this book was written before modern-day reality shows really got out of hand.

in this novel, a reality show that promises a million dollars + your biggest wish, brings a motley group of people together on an island. boring? played? think again. we have the typical fast relationships formed -- for better or for worse -- but we also have espionage, double-agents, apocalypse, and artificial intelligence as God.

to say any more would be to introduce spoilers. check this one out, if you're into modern-day Lord of the Flies tales, or dystopic fiction. i read this one twice.… (meer)