Rowe Books

Claude B. Levenson's biography of the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual and political leader, expertly details the events and circumstances surrounding Tenzin Gyatso's formative years. Chronicling the occurrences from Gyatso's birth until his exile at age twenty-four, Levenson simultaneously provides a comprehensive memoir of the Precious Victorious One's life and elucidates the traditions of Buddhism and the lineage of the mystical Dalai Lama. The author's extensive knowledge of Buddhism and Tibetan history, as evidenced by her numerous other works on the subject, is a major strength of this biography. Additionally, the personal conversations recounted in this biography between Levenson and the Dalai Lama provide insight into and humanize this almost god-like figure.
Although strong in its factual components, Tenzin Gyatso: The Early Life of the Dalai Lama lacks analytical depth. Levenson briefly mentions the influences of Buddhism on the Dalai Lama's pacifist nature; however, as the biography concludes with Gyatso entering into exile, the reader is not afforded the opportunity to learn about the peaceful progressive movement led by the Dalai Lama, or the nonviolent methods used as part of this movement. Levenson's biography serves more to illuminate the enigmatic process by which Lhamo Thondup came to be Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso rather than to examine the Dalai Lama's work as one of the twentieth century's most renowned nonviolent leaders.
Upon reading Tenzin Gyatso: The Early Life of the Dalai Lama I felt unsatisfied. This, however, is a credit to, not a detriment of, Levenson's biography of the fourteenth incarnation of the Dalai Lama. I was so captivated by the humility and intelligence of the Dalai Lama, as portrayed in Levenson's memoir of Tenzin Gyatso, that I was not content to learn simply about the first twenty-four years of his life. I instead felt compelled to further explore the life of Tenzin Gyatso and his efforts in the struggle for a free Tibet. Claude B. Levenson's Tenzin Gyatso: The Early Life of the Dalai Lama serves as an excellent starting point in a journey to understand the life of this great spiritual and political leader.

There is a great deal of mystery around impotence and its causes and few people have tried to get to the bottom of the problem. This book is one of those that break through the wall of ignorance and present impotence for what it is, a human condition. The book explains the origins of impotence, what causes its development and what are the ways in which it can be threaten. However, if you want a far superior book then read ""Natural Penis Enlargement: New methods of avoiding and curing impotence, premature ejaculation, and erectile dysfunction safely and inexpensively. NEW Secrets that your doctor won't tell you, No Pumps, No Pills and No Gadgets!" by Platinum Millennium, a groundbreaking book about sexual disorders

Easy and fun reading, this book gives an insider look at the Chilean wine industry, and the people who make it work. It also provides an interesting look at the lifestyles and culture of Chileans living outside the great metropolis of Santiago.
Not very analytical, nor pretending to draw any profound conclusions, the book is nonetheless a fun and interesting read.
It would have benefitted from better editing.

This book is very straight forward and alphabetically listed in translation style with sentence examples. A nice little refence guide. My only critisism is that it could probably have been a bit more comprehensive, but it is definitely a good starting point for anyone new to Aussie expressions.

This is one of the few books that my 6 month old daughter loves to hear me read again and again. I strongly recommend the Yoyo series for getting babies interested in books and concepts like numbers, colors, etc.

Surprise Winner of the Man Booker Prize, this satire about a Columbine-like school shooting has moments of brilliance, and equal moments of tedium. Overall, the first-person narrative about a massacre in small-town Texas is swiftly moving, entertaining, and full of clever jabs at Hicksville, U.S.A., the media and the legal system. Told by Vernon Little, a 16-yr. old witness to the murders at his high school -- the gunman his best friend, Jesus -- the narration is written in a slap-dash, hip, disaffected voice that at turns feels like a teenage version of Hunter S. Thompson, but with a style unique to the author himself (in this first novel by Australian Peter Finlay, under the pen name DBC Pierre).

The first 150 pages barrel along; the next 50 meander a bit; then the final 75 come flashing forth in a fevered run to expose all the secrets and tie up all the loose ends. A satisfying climax and, though definitely not for all tastes, a recommend.

Vernon God Little is a dissecting and vitriolic literary overview of the modern American culture and its media obsessed thirst for celebrity, looks, and fame (both good and bad). Though, to some extent the novel is minutely inflated, DBC Pierre, the pseudonym for Peter Finlay, it does indeed touch a nerve that internally says, "Finlay's not too far off the mark."

Vernon God Little takes place on school grounds, and when sixteen kids are murdered in a rage killing, Vernon Little, because he was on friendly terms with the student killer and had some insights on the boiling rage that seethed inside him, becomes suspect number one, all due to police incompetence, unrestrained media involvement and witnesses who give false testimony. When all that is merged into the pot and heaped against a boy who is not fully developed intellectually and in many other respects, DBC Pierre, creates and an almost credible scenario for his protagonist, a skittish flight to Mexico, an escape from the dominating lights, cameras and ridiculously incessant "How do you feel?" questions that reporters and media personnel often like to harass citizens and victims with.

The dialogue of the novel is realistically imbued with hard bitten and cynical indifference, for the act of murder is not really murder to some people; it is unreality. The conveyance of genuine human suffering by those left behind after an unimaginable tragedy is in some skewered perception of folks not of grief but an acting competition for who can obtain the most time on camera. DBC Pierre conveys that observation very very well; it is one of the hard truths laced throughout the book.

Vernon God Little my not be one of the best novels to have won England's preeminent writing prize-the Man Booker-but it sure did earn its nomination, for it is brooding, crude, acerbic, all the fancy terminology; it does reflect-sad to admit-our present-day-culture. And when a novelist (not to mention a first timer) is able to convey an unpleasant truth (even if we want to ignore it), you have to admit, that's one hell of an achievement!

This book is considered a satire, but really good, modern satire optimally has one foot in reality (i.e., The White House Mess, Thank You for Not Smoking). Even though the author takes great leaps into the sea of outrageous and ridiculous, there are so many holes in the plot where it is supposed to be realistic that it is distracting. For instance, the narrator is a high school student who witnesses the end of a shooting at his high school and is accused of it, but apparently there are no witnesses that saw what happened. But those who die are only those in his physics class and they fled the classroom to the front lawn of the school. So, even though the shots are loud, no one in the whole school, or outside it, saw what was going on? The plot's more stupid than biting in parts, and parts are a bit disgusting, but the protagonist and his narrator's voice are fascinating. In brief, I'm surprised that it won the Booker Prize. But while it's not particularly enjoyable or great, it's generally well-written.

Didn't love it, didn't hate it....the writing style blares at you. Sentences are sometimes funny/clever, sometimes overly "poetic" in a melodramatic way that actually affected my gag reflexes. Few times the writer uses a more UK word that didn't fit....like, would a Texas teenager call dollars "banknotes"? I found myself pausing and mentally trying to make excuses for the word....maybe Vernon watched a lot of BBC America? Maybe he heard someone say it in class...possibly he read it even though he's not really what you'd call a scholar, but at times somehow too "wise" for his overall character...The description for the book here at goodreads begins "surprise winner of Booker prize"...yeah, I was surprised...shocked even, after reading it. I had higher hopes for the novel because I usually really enjoy Booker prize winners and the concept of the novel sounded really interesting. I found that around page 150 I was really laboring to get through the rest, having come too far to abandon it at that point.

What a strange book! A surprise winner of the 2003 Booker Prize and certainly not what I expected.

I suspect that many people, particularly the prudish and easily offended, will be aghast at the book and mark it down accordingly. I am not in that camp. The use of four letter words is fine depending on context and, in the context of this book, they are of no problem. The book, however, can be marked down for other reasons.

I found the plot to be confusing. I found the characters to be little more than caricature. In fact, except for a brief section well into the book where Vernon is arrested in Mexico, I really couldn't wait for the torment to be over. Quite simply, this book has been given way too much hype.

Having laid my cards on the table, this will still not turn people off the book. My opinion counts for little in comparison with a Booker Prize. Regardless, you have been warned!

Mark Twain famously wrote a scathing critique of Cooper's whole body of work; this critique, "Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offenses", is widely available on the Internet and speaks to the flaws in this book far better than any review written since.

The Last of the Mohicans is probably the best of Cooper's novels, and true devotees of historical adventure may be able to see past its numerous flaws. But compared to many of its contemporaries, it falls completely flat. The prose isn't nearly as lively as that of "The Three Musketeers", the story not nearly as exciting, the protagonists not nearly as richly or fully drawn, the antagonist merely a lurking evil presence, rather than a developed individual.

For those looking for historical adventure, you're better served by Dumas, Sabatini, or a bevy of modern authors.

James Fenimore Cooper (1789-1851) is sometimes called the "American Scott". Like Sir Walter Scott who romanticized the Scottish past, Cooper focused readers attentions to the the American frontier. His most famous works are the Leatherstocking tales featuring Natty Bumpo. The novels in the series include: The Deerslayer; "The Pathfinder"; "The Last of the Mohicans"; "The Pioneers" and "The Prarie." The most famous of these novels is "The Last of the Mohicans" set during the French and Indian War in North America. Natty Bumpo the hero of the tale is said to be 40 years old; he is an experienced woodsman knowledgable in fieldcraft; Indian fighting and how to survive in a brutal frontier setting in upstate New York.
The novel includes exciting fights with Indians; escapes from Indian captivity; word paintings of nature; a love story and a tale lamenting the passing of the last of the Mohicans.
The characters are:
Natty Bumpo-the intrepid scout for the British who rescues damsels in distress while escaping Indian capture. He is the hero of the novel and the Leatherstocking series.
Duncan Heyward-A brave but inexperienced British major who is love with the inspidly portrayed Alice Murno. Alice is a stick figure with no depth or character development.
Cora Munro is the sister of Alice. Both of these siblings are the daughters of British soldier Munro who is the commander at Fort William H enry. The fort is captured by the French and their Indian allies. Alice and Cora are captured and taken to an Indian village.
Chingachgook and his son Uncas. Good friends of Hawk-eye (a nickname for Natty Bumpo). Uncas is the last of the Mohicans. He is love with the dark skinned Cora.
Mauga. The evil Indian who is the major foe of the English and the friends of Hawkeye.
The novel is written in an old fashioned literary style which lends itself to slow reading for moderns. The language does not, however, get in the way of the nonstop action. The book is one of the first novels written by an American author assisting at the birth of our literary heritage. Cooper's views on Indians is not politically correct. It is worth your time and effort to become acquainted with this literary milestone.

I liked the book, Last of the Mohicans. I notice that many reviewers who gave it one or two stars are kids who had to read the book for an advanced English class or who saw the movie and decided to read the book. It is NOT an easy read (which is probably why many kids did not like the book), but I thought it was worth the effort. It was a little difficult keeping the characters straight at first because Cooper has several names for the key characters and switches between them freely.

My favorite character was actually one that I would guess is an outlier - David Gamut. His manhood is often insulted by Hawkeye, (Hawkeye calls David's pitch pipe his "tooting weapon" and he pokes fun of his useless profession of psalmody) yet David's bravery is no less than the heroes of the tale. Sure he can't shoot a gun (it would be against his principles anyway), but he sticks with the sisters when they are kidnapped by Magua and is able to come and go freely among the Indians as he is viewed by them as not having all of his mental faculties. He saves Uncas' life by secretly switching places with him and tells Hawkeye not to avenge his death should he die for the ruse. His moral character is higher, I believe, than the vengeful Indians and Hawkeye. While Hawkeye tolerates or even disdains David at the beginning of the book, I think he grows to like and even admire David by the end.

The plot was interesting to me and sure some of the language is convoluted and Cooper's vocabulary is admittedly far superior to mine. However, if you keep a dictionary nearby, you'll learn several new words and enjoy an exciting tale.

"The Last of the Mohicans" is a novel for the ages and its hero Hawkeye is a man who teaches life lessons with each page you turn. Many people believe that this novel has outlived its worthiness but once turn of the pages will reveal to the reader a world that is both savage and young, characters that are both civilized and savage, and a story that harkens back to the beginnings of the new world. Cooper's language is hard to swallow sometimes, and the movie is easier to watch, but the reader who settles into the pages of Hawkeye's life and world is rewarded with lessons about friendship, love, survival and the rite of passage that all people go through. It is a definite must read for both English and History classes as it explores the beginnings of this great country in which we live.

Since there are already over 100 reviews of this book and probably thousands have been written over the years, I'll do this one without benefit of book in hand, from memory and without a lot of details. It took me many years to get over the antiquated language barrier and to finally read the book. The classics are always harder to read than contemporary fiction, but sometimes it's worth the effort.

What tipped the scales for me and piqued my curiosity was watching the recent movie with Daniel Day-Lewis, Madeleine Stowe, Russell Means, and Eric Schweig, and realizing that this was a good story. Also, I'm very familiar with the setting in upstate NY: Lake George, Balston Spa, Glenns Falls, Scroon Lake, and surrounding area--at least as it is now, and it was fun imagining what it would have been like in those days, when the land was virgin, settlers could lose their scalps if they weren't careful, and the France contested with Britain for supremacy of the land.

The book wasn't a romance--at least not in the modern sense of the word--with love scenes and the like. But it was a romance in the old sense in that the three main characters; Hawk-eye, and the two Mohicans, were larger than life heroes; in the moral, physical, and spiritual meanings of the term. The elder sister Cora was also a well developed, strong willed and heroic character, which surprised me a little considering the age in which the book was written.

For me the most interesting character of the novel was Chingachgook's son, Uncas, who was the "last of the Mohicans," a noble race of American Indians, which formerly occupied the lands by the "salt lake," (i.e., the Atlantic Ocean), and were dispossessed and robbed of their lands and heritage by the original Dutch settlers and others. Uncas was a tracker extraordinaire, even better than the indomitable Hawk-eye in this respect. But he was young, inexperienced, and impetuous, which was eventually his undoing when he came up against the evil, and formidable Magua. But before he died, he was recognized as a king or great chief of his people, an heir apparent. So decreed the venerable Tamenund, a 100 year old patriarch and judge of the Delaware peoples, a related tribe to the Mohicans. This episode would have been difficult to write into an action movie, but it would have been great if it had been.

Another interesting character completely eliminated from both the 1934 and 1992 movies was David Gamut, a preacher psalmist, whose moral presence and as a comic relief, was an integral part of the novel.

All in all, this is still a book worth reading, if only to get a glimse of the way things were then and might be again.

Breggin illuminates the ineffectiveness of certain psychiatric "treatments" for "mental illness." He addresses ECT, Drug therapy, and questions the validity of the biochemical approach. Most significant is how Breggin has the courage to bring to the fore the part parents play in "mental illness" in children and teens. I am a parent of what the dominant powers that be call a "mentally ill" teen. I give kudos to Breggin for not caving in to the status quo of our society; that is that we deify science and in so doing forget to look at how "mental illness" as well as anything else we tend to LABEL is the result of the many aspects that influence who a person becomes: social cultural(school, parents), the indivual's experience of those influence, the context of the person and much more. I praise Breggin for his courage in showing the importance of parents and the impact they have. AS for biochemical causes we need the validity of such "scientific evidence" questioned. Kudos to Breggin for challenging the status quo, and the abuse of power and authority!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wrote a long review of this book but as usual, Microsoft cut me off before I could publish it. So I have to make this short. Anyone who wants the whole review should refer to my blogspot. Briefly, as someone who is searching for evidence that the CIA is using a two-stage method developed in the nineteen-sixties involving ECT and narco-hypnosis, I was particularly impressed by Breggin's expose of Dr. Gary Carl Aden, the major advocate for ECT in California. He quotes an article in the San Diego Union which states that "Dr. Gary Carl Aden, 52, of La Jolla gave up his medical license effective September 8 after allegations that he had sex with patients, beat them and branded them with heated metal devices, including one which bore his own initials." I have checked with the San Diego Union and the story is true. He also used narco-hypnosis. As I suspect that this (perhaps shorn of its kinky elements) is precisely the combination of techniques being used by the Agency, I invite anyone with further information on Aden to write me.

This book will open your eyes to the myth that if you can't fix something with a pill, then it can't be fixed at all.

An exvellent read. A bit advanced, but still can be followed and understood. A word of warning: If you have a psychiatrist treating you, he/she probably won't appreciate your input from this book. But I still think it informs and then allows you to discuss treatment options more factually, as opposed to just being passive in your care decisions.

A must read for those who find themselves blindly accepting yet another prescription, because the doctor said to.

I think Peter Breggin's book is an accurate portrayal of psychiatry today but is his problem with the fact that current anti-psychotics (except for Clozaril which has its own set of severe side effects including blood dyscreias) can cause tardive dyskinesia which I have in severe forms and tardive psychosis (still not a named criteria but I am under study for) or psychiatric medication as a concept? I do feel I benefited from treatment and many people do, as a person with a psychiatric disability (schizoaffective) so I wouldn't want that option taken away. But perhaps people's minds, including the author of this book would change if there were new anti-psychotics that didnt' cause Parkinsonianism or diabetes and promoted a full recovery. There are in study and its not a hypothetical. Having made a full recovery from glycine, a glutamate antagonist, a new class of antipsychotic in study, the difference in recovery has been night and day. This will be documented in research and although it will published in a psychiatric journal, came from a consumer advocate, not a "study patient". Yes what Peter Breggin says is all true. But what if it could change? What if treatment existed where people could recover fully and have their selves as they should have existed returned to them and not feel "drugged up". As this will be a reality, I would like this to be added as new information to the book and hope that thanks to it that people can experience the full mental recovery I did without the debilitating and very real world Parkinsonian conditions which I am under studies for new treatment as well. Why abandon the system when we can change it and humanize it?

Peter Breggin is the Erin Brokovich of the Psychopharmaceutical Industry! The widespread "chemical abuse" of millions of people by psychiatrists, is an international crime! Peter Breggen's book(s) are the most powerful whistleblower revelations against this global multi-billion dollar psychiatry industry. Governments need to recognise that they are actually funding with billions of taxpayer dollars, the barbaric brain damaging and controlling of multitudes of people they are elected to protect.

"Toxic Psychiatry" is more than a wake up call, it is trumpet call to confront this diabolical nazi-like "poisoning" of millions! It is a must read for all. Having been involved in counselling for nearly 30 years, I have seen first hand the dis-diagnoses and subsequent mind-altering "treatments" of the psychiatric fraternity empowered by the psychopharmaceutical giants. The results of lifelong enslavement to "diagnostic labelling" and to the chronic poisoning by mind/body disabling medications, is a modern day holocaust affecting millions, which continues to be supported by governments of most nations.

One sip will make you special. Two will make you heal from most harm. Take three sips from Mona, the espresso machine, and wha-bham, immortality.

That's the lure that Justine Bennett, current Guardian, and her dragon lady friend Theresa, have been fending off for nearly 200 years, with little to show for it. No love life, let alone sex, no alcohol, no friends, and very little action in general.

Until, that is, pretzel mogul Derek LaVille's fervent hard work begins to pay off. He's found the infamous Guardian of the Goblet of Eternal Youth and is all to eager to kill Justine, and save not only himself, but future male progeny from early demise. And hey, what's a little beheading between complete strangers? Loads of heat, sex on the brain, lots of excitement, and oh yeah, just for fun, Satan's attempts to claim Justine's mom, Iris, who's been living it up in Purgatory on probation, as his love slave for all of eternity. Not to mention learning more about her absent father and the half sibling she wished she could forget. It's not all fun and games when lives, and unlives, are at stake in a race to figure out how to undo the curse, save her ghostly mother from gloom-doom Hell with Satan, avoid the chamber of tortures, and oh yeah, that thing called love.

Hell, it's all in a day's work. Right? It'd better be, because it doesn't take long for Derek and Justine to see that they have more in common than meets the eye, and oh hell, they might have just found each other's soul mates. And the clock, it really is ticking...

While not a deeply woven tale of emotion, it is a fun little read that keeps your attention to the end. You won't mind the completley superficiality of the characters, and in fact, it works for this type of romance. The paranormal element was well imagined and kudos for Rowe for being so creative and just going with it. The plot itself was well done and fairly complete. Though, there were some random and unexplained parts that you just shrug at, then move on. The cheesiness of it was not only intended but over the top, and tongue in cheek, that you'll just smile and roll your eyes, but in a good way. Will it tug at the heart strings or make your jaw drop? No, but who needs that, when the adventures begin to unfold in a one-two punch that manages to keep you riding high?

Though despite its frills and fun, it's superficial and generic tag line can't carry me to read the next one in the series, which is more of the same, unless I need a very uncomplicated read.

Derek is trying desperately to stop the curse that is killing the men
in his family. Each man dies on their thirty first birthday. Derek is
next and his twin brother Quin is right behind him. He has one week to
find and kill the Guardian, and take the Goblet from her to break the
curse.

Justine Is the Guardian and she has spent two hundred years protecting
the Goblet from those seeking it's secret to eternal youth. Justine
lives with her friend Theresa who was transformed into a dragon after
drinking from the Goblet. Protecting the goblet keeps them isolated
from almost everyone except for Iris, Justine's deceased mother who
appears periodically from the afterlife to visit.

Iris appears one morning and informs Justine that unless she passes a
Qualifying Incident, Iris will not be able to go to heaven. Instead
she will be made Satan's lover. Satan has been trying desperately to
woo Iris to no avail and has found a way for the Council to possibly
approve his request to have her. The Council is the governing body of
the Afterlife.

Derek discovers where Justine lives and goes to her home hoping that
she is the Guardian. After a brief tousle and some interesting
conversation, Justine and Derek decide to have dinner and trade
secrets. During their date the attraction between them becomes
undeniable and before they know it they're wrapped in each other's
arms. On their way out of the restaurant they're confronted by a
Rivka--one of Satan's helpers. The Rivka needs to kill Derek before he
kills Justine. Instead, Justine and Derek team up and try to find a
way to break Derek's curse and save Justine's life as well. If she
doesn't kill Derek for trying to steal the Goblet, Justine will be
sentenced to The Chamber of Unspeakable Horrors.

Justine and Derek discover a huge secret that Justine's mom has been
hiding. They also discover who is responsible for Derek's curse. Now
they know who they have to find and what they have to do next, they
still need to kill each other to save themselves though. Is it
possible for Justine and Derek to solve their dilemmas, stay alive, and
stay together?

I was very impressed with Date Me, Baby, One More Time. Stephanie Rowe
transforms what would normally be considered frightening events, into
sexy, side-splitting antics. Satan is absolutely hilarious.
Everything that comes out of his mouth is both silly and scary. Every
character in this story is a riot. Justine and Derek are a gorgeous
and sexy couple and they can really kick butt too! With books like
this, who needs television? Date Me, Baby, One More Time is a must
read. Pick it up and you'll see why!

Nannette
reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

There is nothing boring when it comes to a chick lit novel about an immortal guardian named Justine, whose sole purpose in life is to protect Mona, a Goblet of Eternal Youth(conveniently disguised as an espresso machine thanks to it's shape-shifting ability), while a man named Derek La Valle strives to break a dreaded curse that kills every man in the La Valle family when they turn 31, while Justine's deceased mother is being wooed by Satan (literally), and Justine's best friend and second in command (who happens to be an 11 foot dragon) meddles in her affairs and fights a strong cyber sex addiction.

There is never a dull moment in this novel! If you're a fan of supernatural chick lit, then Stephanie Rowe's loose series (beginning with the book Date Me Baby, One More Time) is a perfect fit for you! It's light and fun, and definitely creative in many ways. Sometimes you'll be reading it and thinking "My gosh, where does she come up with this stuff!?!", but thats all part of the fun. There are a few surprises, and a ton of imagination.

The plot drags a teeny bit at times, but overall it's a very satisfying story. At the very least, it's different. It seems to me that most supernatural chick lit is either about witches or vampires, but this one takes the term supernatural to a whole new level by creating it's own mythology and paranormal beings! It's full of wit and humor, and you won't be disappointed.

Bottom line, it's a fun easy read, and a great addition to fans of the chick lit genre!

I really had to force myself to read this one, thinking, maybe it will get better. Unfortunately it didn't. I really enjoy parnormal romance/urban fantasy books. But, this one was just not believable. It really was silly and the characters were 2 dimensional at best. If you like your reads more on the fluff side (as this one is)try the Undead series by Maryjanice Davidson.

Totally silly book. The plot was non existant or not worth writing. The characters were just as silly and the book has the WORSE Satan ever. A simpering stupid and very very annoying character. NO real character development and all they do is whine about their respective lack of sex lives. 5/10

Why does a man throw his life away? How strange can it get? A very different kind of thriller. Not always satisfying, but you can't look away.

Like others I bought the book on the strength of the recommenders.
I assumed it would be action packed but with a degree of mystery. That it would surprise me with unexpected but plausable turns in the road. It might even make me laugh in the process.
It did none of those things. It is predictable, slow and just boring.
The whole first 2 parts I am wondering when will the story start?
The characters were so confusing. In many places I had no clue who was speaking and saying what. I still have never figured out the thing Fontana had on Manny and Kip. I think. Never made sense.
A lot of the terminology is not really explained. You egt the impression the writer doesnt really knwo much about cruise ships, but pretended to be detailed. The details were not very descriptive.

The ending is horrible. Huge holes. A person will have a huge home on the water, and no alarm? Fontana meeting up with them again, is so nuts. The entire relationship between Matt and Julia was just perverted and stupid. She knew those things, and still did what she did?? yuck!

I was so upset when i closed this book. i wanted my money back.

I have to agree with the people who didn't like this book. The glowing reviews of it must be coming from people working for the publisher or friends of the author. There were some interesting parts and it had great story potential, but there were holes in the plot the size of a cruise ship! A couple of small irritating things like attributing a line of dialogue to the wrong character during the main heist you could probably overlook, but the last two chapters of this book are just plain intolerable. These people are wanted and they are driving around a small town in the car the cops are looking for! With a trailer on the back! The ending itself is just lazy and bizarre. This guy knows he's being followed, has two guns available and doesn't even think to maybe try and kill them first??? And I'm still not even sure HOW it ended. I guess it was supposed to be some sort of twist, but why? She could have taken everything and left when she went the first time. Why even come back? I liked the short story about the cannibals more than the rest of the book. It was at least interesting and somewhat amusing even for a tale about cannibals. I do hate the ending was so bad though. I could have tossed it in my pile of paperbacks to sell at the yard sale if the main character had half the smarts at the end that he had in the other twenty-some chapters. But I'm afraid this one goes in the dumpster.

"Fever," the debut of author Sean Rowe, is an engaging heist novel in the tradition of Elmore Leonard and the film "Ocean's 11." It's a fast, fun and funny romp through South Florida that makes for an ideal late-summer book.

Its lead character is a former FBI agent working as head of security for the world's largest cruise line. When his stepbrother arrives on the scene and blackmails him into helping out with a plot to hijack a cruise ship (which is conveniently carrying a fortune in drug money), his already disappointing life takes a turn for the worse.

"Fever" has plenty of action and a nicely twisted plot. What really distinguishes it, though, is the author's way with characters and his ability to make these flawed people both human and sympathetic. That is the sign of a gifted writer.

I got this book based on all the glittering stars and glowing reviews on this site. After having tortured myself by sticking with it to the inept end, I can only conclude that there must have been a tear in the fabric of the universe letting through the readers of Bizzaro world to write them, because this book stank. The premise sounded intriguing, but the actual plot, and I use the term very loosely here, was dull, had poor focus and little substance. The ending read like the author suddenly tired of writing the book and just abruptly finished it off. Instead of a mastermind, Mission impossible like plan that would actually be needed to take a major cruise liner, especially after the Achille Lauro, this book describes essentially a walk onto the ship that you'd have to be brain dead to believe. Fast paced? Unh,unh. Thriller? I don't think so. Put this on your 'avoid' list.