The Reading Bud

Book Blog by Heena Rathore-Pardeshi

Book Review: Purgatorium by J.H. Carnathan

Author: J.H. Carnathan
Release Date: 27th May 2016
Genre: Dark Mystery, Thriller
Series:  
Edition: E-book
Pages: 430
Publisher: J.H. Carnathan
Blurb:
When his watch resets to zero, his morning starts again. Everyday his time always ends right at 60 Minutes, giving him only 5 minutes to stay at one particular place in his normal routine. The empty streets and familiar places are strange facsimiles of his previous life. He keeps reliving these same events over and over, barely able to remember anything and unable to maintain mental order as he stumbles through a strange existence. He soon learns that his physical body is in a coma and his consciousness is currently in a purgatory-like realm. As his body lies in a coma, his mind has been living a lavish lifestyle at a price: his sinful memories and his autonomy. After finding out his life support is coming to an end he must now run the last race for his life to decide if he is a “soul survivor” ready for a second chance at life or a lost soul willing to give it all up. He needs to outrun reapers, outthink the clock, and chase down his inner demons if he is ever going to get free. The race is on, and if he is going to survive, he’ll have to confront the world he’s always been so desperate to escape from.

Review

★★★+1/2

Purgatorium by J.H. Carnathan is a unique book with a story so intricate you wouldn’t mind being lost in it for hours.

When I first read the summary of the book, I was very intrigued and that was the main reason I picked it to read. Initially, it took me some time to get a hold of the theme of the story (obviously I knew it, but it took some getting used to) and once I got into the rhythm of the story flow, it only got more and more interesting.

Without giving away much, I’d just say that this book is more like a puzzle than a story; it has lots of clues and red-herrings and takes you on a mind-bending journey only to leave you baffled at the end. This is the first book of this kind that I’ve read and I did enjoy it. Though, my only problem was that I wasn’t able to feel a connection with the main character. I do get the abstractness of his identity, still, I wasn’t able to root for him to find himself amidst all the chaos.

I’d recommend this book to dark fiction lovers and to anyone who loves solving peculiar puzzles.

this review is also posted on Goodreads and Amazon

I love reading your comments, so please go ahead…

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

I’m Heena

Welcome to The Reading Bud, my cosy corner of the internet dedicated to all things books and authors. Here, I invite you to join me on a journey of discovering under-represented books, independent and small press authors, and all things book with a touch of love and loud purrs. Let’s get Reading!

Book of the Month

Read this captivating story on the adventures and hardships of Frank Knightlite, a man who strives to illuminate darkness with his lantern in search of answers to life’s questions.
You can get it here.
May 2018
M T W T F S S
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
28293031  

Reading is like breathing to me.

Recent Posts

  • Book Review: Holy Sister (Book Of The Ancestor #3) by Mark Lawrence

    Author: Mark Lawrence Release Date: 3rd April 2018 Genre: High Fantasy, Speculative Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Dystopian Series: Book Of The Ancestor (Book #3) Edition: Paperback Pages: 352 Publisher: Harper-Voyager Blurb: They came against her as a child. Now…

  • Book Review: Perfect Child by Lucinda Berry

    Author: Lucinda Berry Release Date: 1st March 2019 Genre: Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Dark Fiction Series: Edition: E-book Pages: 364 Publisher: Thomas & Mercer Blurb: A page-turning debut of suspense about a young couple desperate to have…

  • Book Review: Maybe The Dream Knows What Is Real by Steve Grogan

    Author: Steve Grogan Release Date: 24th June 2018 Genre: Horror, short story, dark Series:  Edition: E-book Pages: 61 Publisher: Self-Published Blurb: He was lost, directionless, unable to find his identity. He thought he found it in her, which…

  • Book Spotlight: Heaven’s Silhouette by Melissa Lynn Herold

    Welcome to TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring author Melissa Lynn Herold’s debut novel Heaven’s Silhouette. Presenting… Heaven’s Silhouette by Melissa Lynn Herold Book Name: Heaven’s Silhouette Author: Melissa Lynn Herold Series: Iyarri Chronicles – Book 1 Publisher:…

  • Audiobook Review: Recursion by Blake Crouch

    Author: Blake Crouch Narrator(s): Jon Lindstrom and Abby Craden Date Of Publication: 11th June 2019 Genre: Science-Fiction, Thriller Series: Duration: 11 hours Publisher: Random House Audio Blurb: A mind-bending new thriller from the New York Times bestselling author…