The Heartless City by Andrea Berthot

This the second book that I've read from the publisher Curiosity Quills.  The first one, Alice Takes Back Wonderland by David D. Hammons, was such a delight that I had high expectations for The Heartless City by Andrea Berthot.  I reviewed Alice Takes Back Wonderland on Book Babe here.  More recently, I received a free copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.

Like the first Curiosity Quills book that I tried, The Heartless City is also derived from a classic novel. It's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, a precursor of every modern horror novel in which a man turns into a monster.   The Heartless City isn't a retelling of Stevenson's work, but an imaginative extension of his concept.  I would categorize it as YA dystopian alternate history.  It takes place in a terrifying Victorian/Edwardian London that never was.

                           

Why am I reviewing this dystopian novel based on a famous horror story when I've often stated quite emphatically that I don't read horror and that I'm not fond of dystopias?   I just had a feeling when I read the description that this wouldn't be the sort of book I mean when I say that I detest those genres.

The next question is why I would review this book for Book Babe. There is a male protagonist, but he encounters a dance hall waitress by the name of Iris Faye, who is a great deal more than she appears to be.   The plot actually revolves around Iris, and she is a very strong female protagonist.

So what happened to London in this alternate timeline?  After the death of Dr. Jekyll, a drug that turned men into Hydes became widely distributed. Many Londoners of all classes were becoming monstrous Hydes.  Queen Victoria and Parliament fled the city.  London was quarantined.  A quarantine is normally established to contain an epidemic of a contagious disease.   The Hyde phenomenon was neither.  The Hyde drug needed to be deliberately injected in order for someone to become a Hyde. In Berthot's version, the Hydes lack compassion and therefore consume human hearts.  This makes them monsters who are somewhat akin to those trendy zombies. Zombies can't think for themselves and therefore consume human brains.   No one can tell these lumbering creatures that eating hearts or brains won't help them.

Enter our heroine Iris Faye, the only girl who dares to walk alone through the streets of this London after dark.    How does Iris survive?  Who is she really? The answers to these questions would be spoilers.  It takes the entire book to answer them fully.

As in many YA novels, there is a romance element.  It is the expected romance between the two teen protagonists. Romance fans will be happy to know that despite all obstacles, there is a HEA ending for them. Male protagonist Elliot Morissey is the son of the Lord Mayor's personal physician.  He is grief-stricken by the death of his mother at the hands of a Hyde.  A girl who doesn't fear the Hydes is a revelation to him.  He is fascinated by Iris, and she helps him find the courage that he never knew he had.

 I have to admit that I was also fascinated by her.   Once I had the explanation for the mystery that was Iris, I had to work it out in my mind.  Was the resolution scientifically feasible?  I'm still not sure. I have arguments for and against it written in my book journal.   Since there is a possibility that it might be plausible, I'm willing to consider this novel science fiction rather than fantasy.  Other readers may think otherwise.  YMMV, folks.

Iris is the name of the goddess of the rainbow in Greek mythology.  The rainbow is a sign of hope.  I found this to be a hopeful book and it was largely because of Iris.



  
    


                              

                              

                                

Sapient: When A Scientist Takes Unbelievably Foolish Risks

I’m seeing in reviews that Sapient by Jerry Kaczmarowski has been shelved as a technological or medical thriller on Goodreads.  For me, it’s science fiction though it certainly has thriller elements.  I received this book from the author for free in return for this honest review.

                                             

My biggest problem with this novel is that the research project in the book was supposed to be a cure for autism, and it was never fully explained why autistic individuals  would benefit.   As the book opens, we are shown that the intelligence of some animal subjects was increased by the virus that was being utilized in the study.  Why should this impact autism?  I wonder what the author believes about this condition. Autism isn't mental retardation.  Based on my own reading,  autism seems to represent a spectrum of variant brain organization. While a great number of people with autism are very impaired, some of them have remarkable skills and capabilities that they wouldn't have if they weren't autistic.  Not all of those who are autistic would want to be cured.   I question the premise of this novel.  Would an autism research program, presumably helmed by experts on autism, authorize this research and consider it a likely cure?

Then there's the totally reckless protagonist.  Dr. Jane Dixon knew very well that her research needed to be tested extensively and that it would take years before it would be approved as safe for humans.  She also ought to have known that the reasons why it takes so long are not arbitrary rules.  She didn't even know the long-term effects of the virus on the rats who were her original test subjects.    Yet she made a series of  foolish decisions that were professionally inexcusable.  Yes, she had an autistic son, but it seems to me that her behavior would have been much more forgivable if she had been completely ignorant of the possible consequences.  Since she did have a background in scientific protocols, I considered her as irresponsible toward her child as she'd been with her research.

It seems to me that woman scientists have enough trouble being taken seriously in their profession without a woman in science being portrayed in a novel as clueless and untrustworthy.  This is why I thought  Dr. Beth Thomas from the CDC was a more sympathetic character.  I completely understood her perspective and thought she was shabbily treated within the narrative.  Dr. Thomas recognized the risks, was motivated by a desire to protect the public and was probably more qualified to do Jane Dixon's research.

Another very likeable character was Bear, the dog who had just been brought into the study as the novel opened.  Bear was loyal, trustworthy and ultimately heroic.  

The CDC wasn't the only American agency that was interested in what Jane Dixon was doing.  It turned out that the Pentagon was also interested.  Frankly,  I thought the intentions of the military for this project were quite horrific.  The author didn't explore the ethics of the Pentagon's intentions at all.  If I were the protagonist, I would have wanted to protect any future canine research subjects from the military's  plans for them.

The Pentagon's representative, Jim Rogers, was probably intended to be likeable.  He did have characteristics that made him seem appealing , but I thought that his ethical compass with regard to the treatment of animals was extremely off-kilter.

There is a romance sub-plot and a HEA ending for that romance.  The resolution for the research project, however, was very disturbing to me.  In the end, no one was considering the possibility that the virus could still mutate, and that there might be massively unforeseen consequences.   I don't even want to think about the potential dystopian chain of events that could develop.

I didn't hate Sapient, but I did think that there were some very sizable improbabilities involved in the concept, the plot and the characterization of the protagonist.  This book didn't work for me.

                                                       

 

A Better World by Marcus Sakey: Great Characters Hanging From A Cliff #Giveaway

A Better World is the second volume in The Brilliance Saga by Marcus Sakey.  Although I haven't read the first book, I felt that this novel included enough background so that it could stand on its own.  I never felt lost.  The concept, the plot and the motivations of the characters were all understandable to me.    I received an ARC of A Better World through the publisher via Net Galley in return for an honest review.

A Better World is a science fiction novel with a strong thriller vibe.  Covert agents are very central to the novel including the protagonist, Nick Cooper.  When the book opens, he is employed by a fictional covert agency in the United States called the Department of Analysis and Response (DAR).  In some respects, Nick is an old fashioned thriller hero.  He loves his country and he wants to save the world.  Yet unlike James Bond, he is also a family man and his family is very important to him.   He is also a more complex thriller hero who is introspective.  His introspection actually isn't portrayed as a weakness.  Since he is capable of evaluating his own performance, he can avoid repeating any errors that he has made so that his next action will be more likely to accomplish his goals. I considered him a strong and sympathetic hero. 

 The science fiction aspect involves mutated humans called Brilliants with paranormal powers.   It invites comparison to Marvel's X Men.  Certainly the Brilliant leader, John Smith, has attitudes similar to those of Magneto.   Both were victims of the inhumanity of  unmutated humans when they were younger which caused them to develop tremendous resentment toward the ungifted.  Yet I feel that Magneto was a sympathetic anti-hero, but that Marcus Sakey's character John Smith is  thoroughly villainous and lacking in dimension.  Perhaps it's because I read and was impressed by  X Men: Magneto Testament  which depicts his experiences as a Jew in the Holocaust.  Sakey didn't give us an equally powerful flashback to John Smith's past experiences in Hawkesdown Academy.    I concede that the Academy system is shown to be an awful one, but I wanted to see how it personally impacted the young John Smith, so that he could be more real to me.   Nick Cooper is also a Brilliant, by the way, but he felt like a deeper character.

The female Brilliant character, Shannon, wasn't particularly complex, but she pleased me anyway because she is independent, resourceful, turned out to have excellent judgment and has a very cool paranormal gift.   Perhaps other Book Babe readers will feel the same way about her.

Yet despite the fact that I liked some of the characters, I have a longstanding dislike of  cliffhangers. I have always believed that the central conflict of a novel's plot should be resolved within that novel.  A series should not be a single book chopped into parts.  They should tell different stories about the characters or stories which take place in the same milieu.  I think that cliffhangers are manipulative and that they seem to display a lack of confidence in the strength of the work.  Does the author or publisher actually think that readers would be less interested in a new story about Brilliants?  Regardless, I personally prefer fiction that is fully resolved.  If it had been a completed novel, I would have given A Better World one more bike.

                                                 

                                                                                              

Tara here...so what'd you all think of Shomeret's review? Are you a fan of this series and hoping to acquire book two? Here's your chance! Shortly after Shomeret scheduled this review, a brand new paperback copy of this title landed on my doorstep with a note saying this copy was to do with as I pleased. And I've decided to share it with you book babes. See the Rafflecopter below to found out how this book can be yours. And everyone, take a moment to comment on Shomeret's review, show her some Book Babe love!

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Strong is Sexy Heroine of the Week: Angel Taylor

Book: The Quest
Author: Susan Kearney
Heroine: Angel Taylor

THE QUEST is the fourth book in my series of strong heroines--and don't worry, you needn't read the other 3 first. Book four starts right at the beginning of Kirek and Angel's story. You see, he stows away on a hunk of salvage that Angels going to claim--a sneaky way of meeting one of Earth's best space salvage captains. Angel grew up with a sick mother and learned to take care of herself. She won her ship in a card game and she's willing to fight for herself and her crew. But when she meets Kirek, he pushes all the right buttons and she learns that falling in love takes the most courage of all.

Why does it take courage to fall in love? Well, first the heroine has to open herself up to the idea of having feelings. And that's tough, because you can be rejected. You can be hurt. Or you can be swindled. The Universe is a tough place and to survive it's a battle of the fittest. So letting down her guard is difficult for Angel. And yet, Kirek has a way of sneaking under her skin, of seeing things in her she didn't know were there. And when he asks the very private Angel to share her mind, she's staggered by the idea of opening up both her heart, her thoughts and her soul.

In addition Kirek suspects Angel has secret powers, ones she must learn to accept--for herself, for him and because the future of the galaxy is at stake!!

The linked books in this series are The Challenge, The Dare, The Ultimatum and The Quest.

If you are interested in the Rystani Warrior series, you can read more about them at www.susankearney.com


Blurb:

A warrior on a mission

Kirek of Rystan's objective is to destroy the Federation's deadliest enemy, but he needs help. When assistance comes in the form of a sexy and irresistible space pilot , he takes on a second goal--to win her heart.

A woman with a plan

Captain Angel Taylor's going after the biggest salvage haul in her career. Fiercely independent, she can't imagine a life with Kirek, a traditional Rystani warrior with extraordinary psi powers -- but he has seductive skills she can't resist.

The Quest

Teaming up, Angel and Kirek risk their lives to fight the evil Zin empire -- but Kirek's biggest battle of all is to win Angel's love.

Strong is Sexy Heroine of the Week: Janel Canton

Book: A First Love Never Dies
Author: Margaret Taylor
Heroine: Janel Canton

 Janel Canton is Strong and Sexy for several reasons. First and foremost is her ability to survive on wits alone. All through High School, Janel was bullied mercilessly by her peers. She was taunted and beaten at every turn but managed to survive with her wits intact and joined the Government right after graduation. As an analyst her first assignment was to correlate and catalogue the number of women disappearing in the U.S. She discovered a pattern but was too good at her job and ended up being kidnapped from Earth and sold in the Flesh Markets of the Jaikalor Consortium.

She escaped and again survived the transition from owned property to free woman on her wits alone. Since then, she’s worked her way up to command a Long Hauler for the group known as Spi-Corp and along with some of her fellow Captains has created a Space Railroad of sorts that ferries rescued Human women wherever they wish to go in the Great and Grand Universe.

Blurb:

Janel Canton must be pregnant by the time Fleet Commander Pearson Acto catches up to her again and only one man will do for that. Her one true love, sexy Montana Sheriff Jake Reeves. But returning to Earth she finds he's still mourning his dead wife and has become very comfortable in the small-town life. Will introducing him to reality of the Universe be enough for him to move on to a new life?

Sheriff Jake Reeves never thought the nerdy girl he and his cronies picked on in High School would someday become a star ship captain capable of holding her own in just about any situation. But when he meets up with Janel again at their 20 year reunion, that's exactly what he finds! Gone is the nerdy little mouse that never fought back. In it's place, is a rough and tumble, no holds barred, drop-dead gorgeous woman who he's going to have one hell of a time not falling in love with...

Excerpt:

They entered one of the far holds and she managed to shock him yet again. It looked like any of the other cargo areas he’d seen so far, but she walked over and pressed a hidden button. The farthest wall melted, fizzling away right in front of his eyes. Behind it was a group of women, four in all, seated around a table. They looked up, eyes going wide with fear until Janel spoke. “Easy girls, this is the man I was telling you about.”

They visibly relaxed and a tall, lanky blonde offered him a tentative smile. “Hi.”

She was beautiful, by any standards, and he could certainly see why the Consortium would have wanted her. At least 5’10”, the woman had high cheekbones, soft, porcelain white youthful skin and bright green eyes. 

He looked over the rest of the group. Two of the others were brunettes, tall like the first and the fourth was a creamy skinned African American. Janel took the initiative and made the introductions.

“Jake, this is Terry, Jenna, Sally and Alexia,” she said, indicating each in turn.

Terry was the blonde, Jenna and Sally the brunettes, leaving the African American, Alexia. The four women gave him tentative waves and he turned to Janel. “Where did they come from?”

She smiled, moving into the newly revealed room. She began picking up scattered bits of clothing from the floor. “They boarded in Penom,” she said, bundling the tattered remains under one arm as she went. “My sister ship, the Urmish rescued them from a caravan near the Tenturan system. They couldn’t make Alcantian space for any plausible reason, so,” she let the indication hang in the air. She stepped back to the side wall. “You girls get some rest. You’ll be safe soon.”

Now, everything made sense. Why she hadn’t been able to stay on Earth, why she’d been forced to bring him along, beyond just the healing of his shoulder!

“You had to meet them, didn’t you?”

She smiled and nodded slowly. “Yes. The Urmish had to continue on and the only time we could meet in Penom without raising any eyebrows, was when we did.”

She pressed the button on the wall and the holograph reappeared. Janel wrapped the bundle tighter under her arm and headed out of the hold. “I wanted you to see them Jake because I have a favor to ask.”

He stopped, turning her to face him as he spoke. “You want me to see the safely to Earth right?”

She chuckled, shaking her head. “No, the Alcantian’s will do that. What I want from you is to help them once you get home to find their families and re-acclimate to Earth.”

“But can’t you just wipe their memories? Like you would have done to me?”

She shook her head. “No, that’s not the way we typically do things. I want them to remember, they need to remember. They’ve had enough alterations done already. Help them, when you get back, come up with plausible explanations for their disappearances. Give them back the lives that were taken if you can. If you can’t, help them to build new ones.”

With that said, she turned and walked away, leaving him standing there. He didn’t follow. He needed a moment to assimilate it all.

Janel was turning out to be an entirely different person than he’d originally thought. Despite her words of a couple of days ago, she wasn’t bitter in the slightest about her youth. No, she was a much stronger, much better person than he’d given her credit for. She was risking her life, and from the sounds of it, her very soul to help women like the ones he’d just seen. Maybe not with every cargo run she made, but certainly when it counted the most.

He wondered if he’d have had the strength to survive what she had. Would he have been able to cope? Been able to deal with having his mind fucked with, having his entire life erased? He’d had a good, happy one – at least until Stella’s death – and the thought of losing those memories, losing those happy times made him shudder.

Janel’s early years hadn’t been so pleasant. No thanks to him, mind you, but still, she had wanted it back; had fought so hard against the alterations to her personality that it had only taken his face to break through it.

His face…

Wow…that was a big chunk of humility to swallow! She’d said it was only a close resemblance, but still, it was a pill that thumped its way down his throat instead of sliding smoothly.

Are you an author with a strong heroine in your book? Want to see her featured? Find out how here.

Strong is Sexy Heroine of the Week: Captain Ariane Stephanie Austin

Book: Grand Central Arena
Author: Ryk E. Spoor
Heroine: Captain Ariane Stephanie Austin

While certainly no physical weakling, Ariane's greatest strength is her driving, indomitable will and a refusal to allow anything to beat her -- even when she's uncertain of herself at times. Originally meant as a last-ditch, and assumed-useless, backup for AI pilots, Ariane was suddenly thrust into the position of leader of the little group of humans who found themselves stranded in the alien construct called The Arena -- and had to find some way to get them home. This led to confrontations and political maneuverings with, potentially, the entire human race at stake -- culminating with a one-on-one battle against Amas-Garao, a "Shadeweaver" with apparently supernatural powers who was assumed to be invincible, and whom she nonetheless defeated with a combination of luck, insight, and utterly unyielding drive that would not admit of the *possibility* of defeat.

There's nothing as sexy as a woman who's confident and playful at the same time, and that describes Ariane to a T; she's also a thrill-seeker, a professional space racer, and lover of adventure who has found that, despite the terrifying, real-life stakes in play in The Arena, she's more alive and HERSELF there than she was in the Solar System of 2375. That confidence and energy are enough to attract any eye. And the lovely blue hair doesn't hurt, either!

Blurb:

It was supposed to be a simple test flight, one that pilot Ariane Austin was on only as a last-ditch backup; intelligent, superhumanly fast automation would handle the test activation and flight of humanity's first faster-than-light vessel. But when the Sandrisson Drive activated, every automated system crashed, the nuclear reactor itself shut down, and only the reflexes and training of a racing pilot saved the test vessel Holy Grailfrom crashing into the impossible wall that had appeared before them, a wall which is just part of a monstrous enclosure surrounding a space twenty thousand kilometers across. With all artificial intelligences inert and their reactor dead, they had to find some other source of power to reactivate the Sandrisson Drive and—hopefully—take them home.

And that was only the beginning. As Ariane, Dr. Simon Sandrisson, darkly enigmatic power engineer Marc C. DuQuesne, and the rest of theHoly Grail's crew explore the immense artifact, they discover that they are not alone; they have entered a place the alien inhabitants call “The Arena,” and there is no way out without joining one of the alien factions . . . or winning recognition as a faction in their own right, playing by the Arena's rules – and by the Arena's rules, one failed challenge could mean death or worse – perhaps for the entire human race.

Surrounded by alien factions, each with its own secret plans and motivations, some wielding powers so strange as to be magical, Ariane sets out to beat the Arena at its own game. With DuQuesne's strategies, Sandrisson's genius, and her own unyielding determination, she's going to bring the Holy Grail home – even if she has to beat every faction in the Arena to do it!

Are you an author with a strong heroine in your book? Want to see her featured? Find out how here.

Strong is Sexy Heroine of the Week: Kyri

Book: Phoenix Rising
Author: Ryk E. Spoor
Heroine: Kyri

Kyri's proven her strength by surviving the loss of her mother, her father, and her dearly-loved brother Rion, and still having the inner courage and sense of justice to recognize that the god her family has followed for generations now needs *her* help as much as she needs Its assistance -- even though it would seem that the deaths of her family were as nearly unjust as anything could be; she has dedicated herself to righting these wrongs, cleansing and restoring the honor of the Justiciars -- Myrionar's corps of holy warriors -- and shows her physical strength in an unyielding and implacable constitution which allows her to take anything an opponent throws at her and just... keep... coming.

Besides her beauty, Kyri's sexiness comes from that dedication and absolute focus on doing the right thing. This is a woman who knows what she likes, will defend it to the bitter end, and -- for the lucky man or woman to draw her notice -- would dedicate as much devotion and ardor to the personal relationship as she does to her holy mission. In the rare moments she's allowed to show her non-warrior side, we see someone capable of great depth of empathy, support, and tolerance -- characteristics which will prove vital to her greater mission, as well.

Blurb: 

A breakout new fantasy epic filled with strong world-building, engaging characters, and wondrous adventure.

Kyri: a highborn young woman whose life is shattered by the murder of her kin. But even as Kyri flees her beloved land Evanwyl, she knows that she is her family’s only hope for justice, and Evanwyl's only chance to escape a growing shadow of corruption and destruction.

Now Kyri must venture across Zarathan, a world on the brink of a long foretold Chaos War. It is a struggle that will rend the foundations of existence and may usher in a long age of darkness –that is, if Kyri and her companions do not succeed in holding back the tide of evil that is rising. Those companions include valiant swordsman Tobimar Silverun, Prince of Skysand, exiled on the turn of a card and a prophecy, who is now seeking his people’s lost homeland; and Poplock Duckweed, an unlikely hero whose diminutive size is as much weapon as it is a weakness.

Kyri’s quest is as simple as it is profound: find a legendary, ancient weapon smith, take up the sword and armor of a new order of warrior-defenders, and bring the power of justice and vengeance to the evil and corruption that has darkened her native land.

Are you an author with a strong heroine in your book? Want to see her featured? Find out how here.

Spotlight & Giveaway: Colonization by Aubrie Dionne

Andromeda has spent all seventeen years of her life aboard a deep space transport vessel destined for a paradise planet. Her safe cocoon is about to break open as Paradise 21 looms only one month away, and she must take the aptitude tests to determine her role on the new world and her computer assigned lifemate. As a great-granddaughter of the Commander of the ship, she wants to live up to her family name. But, her forbidden love for her childhood friend, Sirius, distracts her and she fails the tests. The results place her in a menial role in the new colony and pair her with Corvus, “the oaf”.

But when Andromeda steps foot on Paradise 21, her predestined future is the least of her worries. Alien ghosts from a failed colonization warn her of a deadly threat to her colony. And when Sirius’s ship crashes on the far ridge in an attempt to investigate, she journeys to rescue him with Corvus. 

Andromeda now must convince the authorities of the imminent danger to keep her protect her new home. What she didn’t expect was a battle of her own feelings for Sirius and Corvus. 

Can she save the colony and discover her true love?


Excerpt

We were the only people in the corridor, and the air thickened with static friction. He dropped his head next to mine, our foreheads almost touching. “What a great adventure, Annie.”

He glanced down at my quivering lips. Was he going to kiss me?

We hung suspended for a small eternity. So many emotions swirled through me at once, I couldn’t process all of them: excitement, elation, fear. My conscience murmured one word. Forbidden.

I pulled my head back before it was too late, feeling my heart tear. “You could have gotten us into trouble.”
He took a deep breath, as if he tried to repress his own feelings as well. “Just wait until we reach Paradise 21.”

Our destiny slapped me in the face. The truth was a wall between us. Our assignments loomed in our future and soon there’d be no more adventures. Not for the two of us, anyway. A hundred teens made up our graduating class and the possibility we’d be matched together was slim, especially after they computed my miserable test results.

Buy Links:     Amazon           Barnes & Noble


About the Author:

Aubrie grew up watching the original Star Wars movies over and over until she could recite and reenact every single scene in her backyard. She also loved The Goonies, Star Trek the Next Generation--favorite character was Data by far--and Indiana Jones. But, her all time favorite movie was The Last Unicorn. She still wonders why the unicorn decided to change back to a unicorn in the end.

Aubrie wrote in her junior high yearbook that she wanted to be "a concert flutist" when she grew up. She majored in flute performance at the University of New Hampshire on a full scholarship, then secured two teaching jobs at a University and a local community music school. While playing in orchestras and teaching, stories popped into her head, and she used them to make the music come alive for her flute students. Her students said they were so good, she had to write them down! Maybe they were right, who knows? Two careers seems to keep her busy. For now.

She is represented by Dawn Dowdle and writes sweet and adventurous fantasy, science fiction, and contemporary romance.

Twitter        Site       Blog      Goodreads

Giveaway:

Aubrie is giving away a digital copy of her book. For a chance to win please fill out the rafflecopter below.


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Virtual Code: Infinity Love by D.F. Krieger

HUGE thumbs up for uniqueness. In a time when 1,000 ebooks are releasing a day, it's quite a feat to write a story nobody has read, and Krieger pulled it off.


The heroine Zayda is designing a program that through virtual reality allows you to "visit" your dead loved ones. So she uses the program to see her dead husband, but only when it's too late does she realize the emotional ramifications of this...what if you don't want to go back to the real world?

And there's a glitch...she has taken a microchip of her husband (this is kinda futuristic, technology wise) and because of this chip, her husband is REAL, just in virtual land. He's not a program after all.

I had a hard time at moments visualizing stuff, but that's probably because I know nothing at all about these things. I know how to open a program and type and that's about it. I felt kinda dumb at moments. LOL

But it was a solid, unique, and entertaining read, and I can see why the ending may be controversial, but it made perfect sense to me. If you have nothing in your life to lose...well, then...

Four bikes. I won this from the author in a blog hop.