Book Review for Clutch I Am Just Junco-by J.A. Huss

11/09/2012 avians , imaginative , nightdogs , scary , Sci-fi , thriller 4 Comments

I give this book five stars *****      

This futuristic story, set in the year 2152 surprised me because honestly I don’t read these types of books. However, as the story progressed, twisting around dark corners from scene to scene, I was pleased at how the author managed to sprinkle some horror into this stewing pot of illegal bioengineering and deception.

Nineteen-year-old Junco Coot is the main character in this imaginative tale. As a child she was trained to be a soldier in the Rural Republic where her father was ranking commander. She knows how to handle a gun and in fact is a trained sniper. I was hoping for more scenes displaying her sniper skills, but that’s just because I’m personally interested in expert marksmanship. But Junco is one tough chick who knows how to handle herself and has a foul-mouth that fits her character perfectly. And although she’s a capable person–a survivor who not only can put up a good fight but knows how to live off the land–she’s also emotionally fragile and harbors fears that grounds her and makes her a believable character.

After Junco crashes a military vehicle called a Goat, she meets Tier. He’s an avian which is basically a human with wings and talons for feet. He’s considered an alien because avians don’t live on earth. I liked his character except it annoyed me when he called Junco "darlin’" but that’s just my own personal pet peeve. Aside from that, I enjoyed getting to know him and the history of his people. At first, though, Junco views Tier as the enemy and attempts to kill him several times. However, circumstances bring them together, and Junco finds herself struggling to trust him.

Here–in my opinion–is where the story picks up and captures my interest. They end up in a cavern inside a mountain which happens to be a breeding ground for nightdogs. Those creatures freaked me out, and I shared Junco’s horror when they chased and attacked her. I was pleasantly surprised when the author threw this into the story. Another scene that chilled me to the bone was when the bots were chasing after them down underground tunnels. After Junco fires at them, they explode, then self-reassemble into more bots.

Holy, shit!

They cannot be totally eliminated.

This was one of many action-packed scenes throughout the book.

Junco also has a house that’s a sentient being.

How cool is that?

The author has a great imagination, and she skillfully intertwines these surprises without overwhelming or diminishing the story. I have to admit, I was hoping Junco and Tier’s relationship would develop more. It ran hot and cold throughout the story, leaving me to wonder if they truly have feelings for each other.

During the chaos Junco faces, she discovers she’s been betrayed by the people closest to her and just about everything in her entire life is smoke and mirrors. I’m not going to go into the whole sordid detail about how tragic it is to find out you’ve been manipulated mentally and physically by a sinister government for their own twisted agendas. You’ll have to read the book to find out. I don’t want to spoil it for you.

I was going to give this story 4 stars. However, the author’s awesome imagination and ingenuity deserves 5 stars. I recommend this outrageous book because it’s worth reading.

Here’s where you can buy CLUTCH and connect with this wonderful author:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/CLUTCH-Just-Junco-Dot-ebook/dp/B009BIOJTU
Website: http://www.iamjustjunco.com/
Author Blog: http://jahuss.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IAmJustJunco
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JAHuss
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6446815.J A Huss