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DREAMS OF APRIL TEN
By Stephen LaFevers
RFI, West 1-58697-841-1
EbookSelect people in America are spontaneously burning, just sitting in their chairs, and bursting into flames for no apparent reason. Police are stumped and specialists are investigating.
Meanwhile another group of people are dreaming about a young girl named April Ten. From the dreams, we learn that April might be involved with an experiment and a giant disaster that killed many people.
Lafevers focuses on two gentlemen who dream of April Ten. One is Scott Adams, a university teacher. Scott, with his best buddy Charlie, go on a road tip to find April Ten.
Hartley James, an e-business entrepreneur who runs a research company, also dreams of April and tries hypnotherapy to find out why. He quickly gets on the trail of April Ten, leading to Scott Adams.
Hartley and Scott eventually cross paths and discover that they are not who they thought they were. In fact, they discover that they are not WHAT they thought they were. They fall deeper into a corporate/government experiment and realize they were part of a disastrous day that changed their lives.
"Dreams of April Ten" is LaFevers' second novel and he certainly doesn't fall into the curse of the Sophomore Slump. Instead of repeating the style, plotting, characterization and tone of his first book (the humorous, world hopping adventure "The Last Guardian") Lafevers creates something new, expanding his voice and skill.
The exploration of genetic engineering and spontaneous combustion is all-interesting, but it doesn't compare to the tight plotting and complex mystery that LaFevers executes. This is one intense page turner that will keep you wondering till the end.
One might expect something that run so strong through out most of the book to fall flat on its face in the end, but this one doesn't. The ending literally explodes with a showdown/family reunion straight out of "Scanners" and "X-Men" and reveals more than one surprise you will never see coming. I was reminded of Koontz's early novels before he became a repetitious machine that satisfies the executives.
"Dreams of April Ten" is an entertaining and carefully plotted mystery that kicks some serious ass. For God's sake, don't mess up and pass this novel over.
Review by Mike Purfield
Critical Raves for Mike Purfield's "Dirty Boots."
"If you're looking for a good read, something you've never experienced before, then this is the book for you." Paul Kane of Terror Tales.
Rated 3 out of 4 by Unhinged Magazine.
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