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Liked It “A really original and exciting book. I liked this one a lot.” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It “The premise of the story, a man (Lucas) who lives vicariously by spying on people from inside walls, duct work, and crawl spaces, making up complicated histories/lives for them in his mind, sounds interesting enough. Add in the wrinkle that he runs into a group of people called the "Creep Club"...” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“A really original and exciting book. I liked this one a lot.”
Lee B wrote this review Tuesday, November 10 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Can I go to 7 stars? Seriously, this was a fantastic read. I started it around 8:00p.m. and couldn't put it down until I finished around 11:40 p.m. Excellent, excellent story. I'll definitely be looking for Hines' other works.”
Jacki N wrote this review Friday, September 18 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I was pleasantly surprised. I thought it got a little slow and weird towards the middle with all the pheromone stuff, but the ending made up for it. Very clever story.”
Lizard wrote this review Monday, July 6 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“It started off really, really slowly and a little confusing. I HATED Lucas. I thought the 'urban explorer' would be cool, but it was pretty much creepy. Around the middle the action picked up and it became a total roller coaster ride. After that, I loved it.”
Kat wrote this review Wednesday, May 13 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“The premise of the story, a man (Lucas) who lives vicariously by spying on people from inside walls, duct work, and crawl spaces, making up complicated histories/lives for them in his mind, sounds interesting enough. Add in the wrinkle that he runs into a group of people called the "Creep Club" who seem to share his peculiar interest. Throw in the twist that our "hero" has a mysterious background (was he really an orphan? was he part of some weird scientific study he can't remember?) and is being pursued by some shadowy government organization, "mad" scientists and even the Chinese and this should be great, right? Wrong.
Elizabeth W wrote this review Thursday, February 12 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Some how, some way this manages to be unbelievably boring! The book at times goes for pages and pages with no character interaction whatsoever, only tediously detailed descriptions of what the main character is seeing and thinking. This might be ok if Lucas was charismatic or compelling in some way, but unfortunately he's just.... boring. He has no home, wandering from building to building setting up his bivouac in perfect position to spy on his chosen subject. He has no family or friends and works at a menial job as a dishwasher. There is absolutely nothing about him that inspired me to "connect" with him, which is rather ironic considering he explains his behavior (to himself) as searching for that "electric connection" that he gets every so often while spying on someone who seems to sense him watching them.
The conclusion was hollow and unsatisfying and, ultimately, I found the book to be much ado about nothing once all was said and done. It wasn't "bad" per se, just not my cup of tea.”
“This is the first book of Hines I have read and it is his latest. I have his others, having bought them after this one.
Peter wrote this review Saturday, February 7 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
I enjoyed this book. It had a pace just fast enough to keep your interest and to want to find out more. A very interesting subject, this one of viewing other people in their daily lives unseen by them.
The second half of this book was definitely better than the first. I did feel that Hines has not tied up the loose ends well enough at the end of the story. I was left with questions and the ends that were tied up, I felt could have been done a bit better.
There was only one aspect I found was not explained by Hines and that was what the Dark Vibration that Lucas experienced.
However, all of the above did not detract greatly from my enjoyment of the book.
Despite not particularly identifying with the "occupation" of what Lucas, the main character, does, I found myself liking and sympathising with his lifestyle, choices and his morality especially since becoming involved in the Creep Club.
Not my choice of genre but I am glad I have read this one. It will be interesting to see what his other previous novels are like.
Recommended”
“If you've ever felt like you're being watched, but no one is there take a closer look. It could be, you aren't alone. Someone like Lucas could be lurking behind that wall or above the ceiling tiles, observing you as you go about your daily tasks or your job.
CherylWriter wrote this review Saturday, January 31 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
That's what Lucas does. He watches people when he's not working as a dishwasher at a local Washington DC restaurant. He's an urban explorer, as familiar with Washington's underground network of tunnels and abandoned buildings, as most people are with city streets and their homes and places of employment.
Lucas does this because he longs for human contact, but doesn't know how to make and keep that contact. He's a man with no past; he can't remember his childhood or ever having a family. All he can recall is the line "Humpty Dumpty had some great falls."
So Lucas spends his days spying on people with normal lives, making up stories in his head about who they are and how they spend their days. Lucas is also a petty thief, not above swiping tokens from his unknowing subjects, and using them to build precise shrines in whatever place he currently calls home.
Then he discovers the Creep Club, a group of urban explorers just like him, he thinks. At last the contact he's longed for. But his sense of connection is short-lived when he realizes this group of people takes their spying farther than his moral code will allow. They delight in watching and filming the dark side of human nature--plans for a murder, a husband abusing his wife.
But when Lucas tries to stop the murder, he finds himself the prime suspect. He also becomes one of the watched and finds himself drawn into events he can't control. He wants to flee, but knows there is no where to go. Those that pursue him have already proven they can and will find him no matter where he goes. He's forced to play a game in which he doesn't have the winning move and has no way of playing a winning move.
Even though some parts of the book left me a little murky as to what was going on, the rest of the novel forced me to read to the end of the book.
"The Unseen" raises some disturbing privacy questions, especially regarding government and how far it may go in the name of security.
So the next time you feel like someone may be watching, but you're fairly certain you're alone, look again. Push aside the ceiling tiles or look for a small hole in the wall of the janitor's closet that faces the main room. Or not, if you'd rather not know.
”
“We've all had those moments when we felt like we were being watched--unseen eyes hovering nearby, taking in our every move.
Cathy Bryant wrote this review Monday, January 5 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
That creepy feeling becomes reality in T. L. Hines latest novel, The Unseen.
The main character, Lucas, has an interesting hobby. He likes to watch people without them knowing it. He is a loner who spends his free time sneaking into places that most people don't even know exist. From his unseen vantage points, he quietly watches people go about their every day lives.
Within a few pages, things get turned around, and Lucas gets drawn into a world of espionage and danger, losing the anonymity that he feeds on.
T.L. Hines is a skilled expert at enticing the reader into the story and compelling us to empathize with Lucas in spite of his questionable activity. All the characters are portrayed as unique individuals, clearly drawn and brought to life on the pages. In a word, they are unforgettable.
Before the book is over it has turned into a fast-paced, high-action suspense thriller that you can't put down. As I read the book I could see the scenes playing out in my mind, much like pictures on a giant movie screen.
The story won't just tug at you a little; it will grab you by the throat and refuse to let go until the last page is read. T. L. Hines not only puts the reader in the mind of the character, but in his skin.
After reading only a portion of the story, I found myself checking to see if someone was watching me. I even examined walls in public places to see if there were suspicious-looking holes, and I locked doors behind me in my own home (after checking all possible hiding places, of course)!
The Unseen by T. L. Hines is my third review for Thomas Nelson Publishers. Though it is not a typical read for me, it will become so after reading this book. I look forward to reading more novels by T. L. Hines.
The fact that the author was able to write such a compelling story without the use of profanity or sexual content makes this book a big winner. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a good read.”
“is unpredictable and somewhat disturbing. The genre is not my usual cup of tea but I found it a good read in that after each reading session thoughts of the book and the plot possibilities were much on my mind. The main character developed nicely although one of the main characters who was introduced toward the end was somewhat sketchy. It may have been on purpose, but I felt that I needed a little more for him because he was a foundational character.
Elaine Littau wrote this review Wednesday, December 24 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
We have all met people who are like the main character, Lucas, who is the “loner”. The places he frequents are also familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. Subways, elevator shafts, abandoned buildings, underground maintenance structures, and doors reading “authorized personnel only” are the playground of the characters of “The Unseen”. We have all wondered about those places especially since the television show, “Beauty and the Beast”, but this book takes the concept a few steps further into a place we all hope does not exist.
On second thought, I find it disturbing ”
“For many years Lucas Freund has lived his life by mostly being unseen. He has a fascination with hiding small nooks and crannies in buildings all over the city watching strangers through hidden peep holes. He makes up elaborate stories about their lives that give him comfort in between the times when he makes a connection with them. The connection happens when someone either feels his presence without seeing him or when someone seemingly makes eye contact with him again without seeing him.
24girl wrote this review Thursday, December 18 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Lucas is a loner with no permanent address. He sleeps in vacant buildings or underground tunnels. One night, his home for the time being is almost found by another “infiltrator”, Donovan. Surprisingly Lucas is drawn to Donovan and meets with him the next day. Donovan introduces him to a group called Creep Club whose members watch and record people in their homes... the one place Lucas never dared to watch.
Soon Lucas is approached by a federal agent who wants his assistance in gaining access to the group. Lucas is torn by this request but when people start disappearing and turning up dead, things start spiraling into chaos and Lucas is forced to figure out a way out of the trouble.
The Unseen pulls you in from the first chapter. Although Lucas has a strange way of life I was rooting for him right from the start. He’s such a likable character who is a “do-gooder” at heart. The book is full of surprises coming in the form of plot twists and other characters.
The only thing I felt let down about was a strange character at the end (when you read it, you’ll know who I’m talking about). Maybe I just didn’t understand the author’s intentions with this character but I felt he really didn’t belong in story and thought the book could have had the same type of ending without him.
To me the best part of the book was that it brought up a great point. Many of us see without really seeing. I know I’m guilty of being oblivious to my surroundings which drives my husband nuts. Reading this book has made me a little more conscious of the happenings around me and I’ve been constantly thinking, “Someone could be watching me right now”. I recommend this book for all suspense and thriller lovers.”
