You ever go to the Mall and see those annoying white guys that are trying to act black but just look like a terrible goofball and are as annoying as hell? You know the ones, hat side ways, have the buzzed eyebrows, have the saggy pants, are loud, and use once popular slang like “Yo! And Yeah Boyzzzzz!” which is now seriously outdated. Well this book is about one of those guys who gets cancer and decides to rob a bank. A few chapters in, instead of rooting for our main character I was like Thank God this stupid ********* is dying. I believe Keene was inspired by the Offsprings "Pretty Fly for a White Guy" when he came up with this character.

Ok I will elaborate to my angst of this book. I see what Brian Keene was trying to do, he was trying to make a character similar to Slim Shady aka Eminem aka a rare white boy who can pull off the whole rap angle, but instead he came up with a Vanilla Ice wannabe that is annoying as hell, who works a factory, lives in a single wide trailer, has a wife and son, who is broke but still manages to blow his paycheck on cigarettes and going to the bar instead of his wife & kid. Soon he is laid off of work, discovers he has cancer, and does the typical “GOD WHY OH WHY did this happen to me?” Where I as the reader answers “because you are a waste of the human gene pool”. Him and two more annoying Tupac, Dr. Dre listening even more annoying white guys decide to wrong a bank. Which of course you know they will f*** up just from the introduction of these characters.

I really want to like Brian Keene, and I believe he has potential to be a great writer; my biggest problem about his 1st three books I have read is that I do not really care about the characters at all. Where King, Koontz, Laymon, Ketchum, etc. have succeeded in making the reader care about the character Keene falls short.

Aside from the main character being a wannabe loser who I am excited that he will eventually die, the book does have some positive to it. The story does have kind of a twist to it toward the end, and some of the action sequences toward the end was somewhat exciting. The last few chapters stand out, just getting to them is tedious. I will still pick up Brian Keene’s work, I see a lot of potential, and I hope he improves on his character development skills. ( )

You have grown up hating the town you live in and want to get out as soon possible. Yet as with a lot of people’s dreams, some just don't come true. Life happens or so it does for Tommy O’Brien, Keene’s main character.

O’Brien is living the life most folks fall into, marriage, children and the usual 40 hour grind. As if life isn’t hard on it’s on merit, O’Brien is faced with several life changing events one so devastating it leaves him literally on the edge of death. He’s not only lost his job at the factory but he’s found out he has terminal cancer. He’s scared and he’s alone in his disease because the last thing he wanted was his wife to worry. What was he going to do?

Overwhelmed by the events that happen in his life O’Brien turns to his friends; after all he can’t keep it bottled up inside him because he knows if he does his wife and their son will be left with absolutely nothing. Sitting in the car with his best friends, John and Sherm, they devise a plan that hopefully will help him care for his family in his departure from this earth. The plan has to be carried out quickly though, because time is something O’Brien doesn't have the luxury of.

Brian Keene's “Terminal”, is truly a page turner. I really enjoyed this book. Do you want to know what happens to O’Brien and his family? How are John and Sherm going to help their buddy in his time of need? I seriously suggest you read the book and find out! You will not be disappointed; Keene's spun an unforeseen heartwarming tale woven with love, friendship and a touch of the super natural. 4 Stars - Reviewed by Michael S. Timlin, Authors on the Rise Book Reviews ( )

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