I never thought I'd finish it, but I did & I liked it :-)
344367
The story kind'a started real slow.  The major action only took place in the 1st few pages when a kid drowned accidentally in the pond.  After that, the following chapters just crawled & slithered, & I have been tempted many times to put it down & leave it unfinished.
After being able to read it through (finally), it was a relief to know that it was not a waste of time afterall.  Alice was a character you have to understand.  She's not the typical predictable, one-dimensioned, character often portrayed in easy-to-read books.  She was multi-faceted & only reading the book through would allow the reader to get into Alice's deepest core & learn to understand, & yes, accept her as one of us in this ill society.
After reading Alice's first chapters bearing her chaotic mind, then Howard's chapters on self preservation, then back to Alice's chapters on acceptance & survival, I couldn't help but admire this fictional character.  She may not be the heroine we would normally look up to (considering her own personal flaws), but we, especially the women, can learn fromher mistakes & draw strength from her character.
1058752
I have to say that when I started reading this book that I was at first not quite sure that this was going to be a book for me. But, I kept reading it and I found I just could not stop reading it. So I did finish it in just a day not like me at all. So now I need to pick up more of your work because I really enjoyed it a lot. A question when will you think about adding more to the story?
3012603
I picked up this book because it was so well reviewed & I thought it was an interesting topic about which I knew very little.  It was impossible for me to put down.  I was at my company's annual retreat when I started it & I probably nearly lost my job because rather than participate in the activities I wanted to hunker down & continue racing through the book!

It's fun & fascinating for a bunch of reasons, and a lot of the reviewers have talked about them:  interesting tale of the disease's spread, new research by Barry, little medical lessons sprinkled in, the twist about Pres. Wilson, winding non-linear storytelling, and many more.  For me the real fun was later; I was raving about the book to my mom, who then casually told me (as if I'd known all along - parents!) that my grand-uncle (grandma's brother) died of the flu in Europe.  I never knew, and it made all of it so personal.  I wonder how many other folks would learn the same thing about their family history... s-o-o-o many people died.
3800097
Hmmmm, surprise ending for me?? Anyway, it was great!
1707437
I'm not philosophical.
I try to be.
I am not a scientist, or a mathematician, despite working on a Masters degree.
I don't read a lot of sci-fi -futuristic type novels.
But, I try to be open minded about them.
When I requested to be a part of the read and review group for Journey to Virginland Epistle 1, I really had no idea what I was getting myself into.
None.

At first it was really hard for me to get a grasp on. I was intrigued by this life of Dog and the quest for life and its meaning.
I like to think myself intelligent so please don't let this steer you away from reading this novel. You might enjoy it. For the record, it wasn't that I didn't enjoy it, it was more that I did/could not enjoy it as much as I had hoped.

It was for me personally, a difficult read.  I read it. Taking the words for nothing more than surface value. If I strayed from that I was going from book to Nook Tablet to laptop trying to do a little research in order to connect the dots on what I thought was real vs. what was purely fiction.  I felt because I was not a philosophy, religion, or history major I just didn't get some of the remarks that were made. Because of this I did not have a full grasp of the story being told.

Despite that, the story was still amazing, at least what I could understand. It was completely intriguing, and I was so excited to read it because the publisher's description painted a very vivid picture. It really made me wonder what life would be like in the future.
So, it might seem I am a bit torn. I liked it, even though I did not understand a lot of it, but I did grasp the general idea. I didn't like it because it made me feel ridiculous about questioning my own intelligence.
1955886
The Eighth Day was in my Kindle for several weeks before I decided to read it. I wasn't really sure I was gonna like it but decided to give it a try. Believe me when I say I was pleasantly surprised by the story line and the unexpected twists and turns. Very rewarding subject line for these aggressive and angry times. Good read. Very thought provoking!!!
1030837
I've got to admit that I was a bit reticent about trying this book, but the price was fair, so I gave it a try. I was greatly surprised as it turned out to be a really good read and an ending I didn't anticipate. There were a couple slow points where he got bogged down a little too much in the details, but it moved fairly smoothly overall. After finishing it, I would have been glad to have purchased this in paper copy and may still do so to lend to friends as I refuse to lend my brand new Kindle to *anyone*!  :)

I'm just curious if the author is considering writing any more within this particular world or perhaps a sequel to MetaGame. I'd certainly like to read other things by him.
4905939
...but that's not to say it was bad, either.  I found the plot to move slowly at first, and it didn't capture my attention nearly as well as 'A' did until the middle of the book.  Then things began to pick up the pace,  and I couldn't wait to finish it because I wasn't sure about the ending.  That's always fun for me, and it turned out to be a twist (in my opinion).  My only real complaint is that I felt like there was a loose end hanging  with the Danzingers.  Still and all, I enjoyed it and certainly would never  dissuade anyone who enjoyed 'A' and thought of continuing the series.
3848938
I am positively stunned that I enjoyed this book.

First, for the record, I am agnostic. However, I have always had a fascination with things greater than myself, religions included. So when I came across this book, I had to give it a shot. I've often had problems with the literal interpretations of the Bible, & I feel hypocritical thinking that some of its lessons or rules are valid, while others aren't.

I've read the Bible. Probably not as thoroughly or as deeply as I should, but, my brain has processed its words. But this book helped me remember just how elite or absurd or what have you the good book is. I've often wondered if I could live by its literal law.

And now I know- no. I couldn't. I feel part of something that transcends my life, but in my own humble opinion, I am not disciplined enough. I'm not that devoted to following so many rules all at once. Bad? Maybe. But that's my own issue.

Another thing that this made me realize, is that if Bible is literal law- I am a horrible person. I sin more times a day than I could possibly count. But, so does he. So it's something that's learned, I suppose.

Overall, I found this book easy to follow but not easy to swallow. He kept me entertained with little jokes & stories. Unlike some reviewers who claim this to be boring, I wasn't expecting a book full of Michael Bay explosions & car chases, so I had no issues there.

This edition that I have IS however an old ARC copy, so there were some spelling errors & grammar issues. But those weren't too common.

I think that anyone with an interest in religion, no matter what path, should at least give this a try.
1472709
I connected with the characters right away. I thought the book was funny. I felt a connection to one of the characters (trying to keep this spoiler free so I'm not saying which one!). It didn't end the way I wanted it to and I did feel like the ending was a little cheesy. BUT that may just be because it wasn't ending how I wanted it to. This had been on my TBR for a long time; I'm glad I finally read it!! :)
3694782
I didn't think I was going to like this book when I started it, but it surprised me. It made me think about my own life a great deal! I loved the way she got the perspective of the daughter and the husband. It was not predictable....I was surprised at the end. It was a quick, worthwhile read!
1175077
I don't know what I was expecting, but it was interesting and I was anxious to finish it and see the end come together.
1696384
Wasn't sure at the start if I was going to like it or not. Seemed like an interesting read and took the plunge - wasn't disappointing!
some of the Artificer's artifacts are a little far-fetched or convenient, but that's fantasy for you :)

It will be good to see a sequel
2463838
Honestly, I didn't think i was going to be entertained while putting this togther. but I was...
2685553
Lol I didn't even realize it ended ! Beautifully written . Honestly, i like it because it puts into words everything all I believe in. Its beautiful. Just read it.
3201355
I am normally not a reader, I can start a book but normally don't finish it.  This one I did finish because it held my interest, and I was determined to finish it
4638976
I'm not certain what possessed me to read this, but I did; and I found myself captivated all the way to the ending.