Review by vagrimes -- Enif by Russ Ber
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Review by vagrimes -- Enif by Russ Ber
[Following is a volunteer review of "Enif" by Russ Ber.]
Even from a young age Jerry Humphreys has been interested in rocks. He turned his interest into a career with a degree in geology and the purchase of a geology business in downtown Tucson. He even proposed to a fellow geologist, Mandy Miller, the love his life. He decides to investigate an area of the Chiricahua Mountains where people have reported strange sightings, thinking he will uncover a geothermal gas deposit that will make him rich. Once he arrives, he is met with a riddle that he solves to reveal the mouth of a cavern. Armed with his cell phone, flashlight, and wilderness survival training, he enters.
He is immediately sealed inside. Unknowingly, Jerry has entered the portal to Enif, a star located light-years away from Earth. Jerry must continue through seven underground caverns, each of which grows his mental and physical strength. In each cavern he faces countless opponents and avoids death at every turn. Along the way he is met by Andromeda, a guide sent to him from Enif to aid him in his journey. The two fall in love, threatening Jerry’s memory of his fiance, Mandy. If Jerry can make it out of the caverns, he can get back to Mandy and his life in Tucson; however, he is unprepared for the caverns to change him in unimaginable ways, training him for a life on Enif.
Enif, by Russ Berg, is a fictional novel appropriate for those who enjoy stories about adventure. It seems especially well-suited for young adult readers, not only due to the absence of profanity and sexual content but also because of the similarity to a video game. Similar to a video game, Jerry defeated countless foes using powers he slowly gained by progressing through the seven caverns, each of which could be thought of as a level. He gained sporadic power-ups for his staff, his primary weapon, and utilized special fruit to recharge his health and stamina. These aspects made it fun to track Jerry’s progress through the caverns.
The first thing that struck me when reading this book is the sheer creativity that went into developing the storyline. I was continually impressed by the depth of Berg’s imagination, creating countless monsters, adversities, and landscapes that envelop the reader in Jerry’s world. My favorite thing about the book was the stunning visuals created by the author; Berg described Jerry’s surroundings using each of the five senses and provided relatable analogies to aid the reader’s understanding. Additionally, I was pleased with the sophisticated vocabulary used throughout the book. It seemed especially well-suited for young adult readers who could use this to expand their vocabulary.
My least favorite thing about this book was the overall length. While undeniably creative and well-written, it was not enough to distract me from continuously feeling like this book could have been half as long without jeopardizing the quality. In my opinion, the unnecessary text detracted from my overall enjoyment of the book. I was also disappointed by the ending. Without giving away any spoilers, I will just say that a large aspect of the book remained unresolved. It may be justified if there is to be a sequel, but it was frustrating nonetheless.
I am giving this book 3 out of 4 stars. The book was astoundingly creative and well-written, with minimal editorial errors. I enjoyed reading the book and felt it is well-suited for a young adult audience. That being said, the overall length and lack of a complete resolution at the end prevented me from giving this book a perfect 4-star rating.
Readers should also be aware that the page count for the Kindle edition is incorrect. Although the page count is listed as 512, this is specifically for the hard-copy book. One hard-copy page is equivalent to approximately two Kindle pages.
******
Enif
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Even from a young age Jerry Humphreys has been interested in rocks. He turned his interest into a career with a degree in geology and the purchase of a geology business in downtown Tucson. He even proposed to a fellow geologist, Mandy Miller, the love his life. He decides to investigate an area of the Chiricahua Mountains where people have reported strange sightings, thinking he will uncover a geothermal gas deposit that will make him rich. Once he arrives, he is met with a riddle that he solves to reveal the mouth of a cavern. Armed with his cell phone, flashlight, and wilderness survival training, he enters.
He is immediately sealed inside. Unknowingly, Jerry has entered the portal to Enif, a star located light-years away from Earth. Jerry must continue through seven underground caverns, each of which grows his mental and physical strength. In each cavern he faces countless opponents and avoids death at every turn. Along the way he is met by Andromeda, a guide sent to him from Enif to aid him in his journey. The two fall in love, threatening Jerry’s memory of his fiance, Mandy. If Jerry can make it out of the caverns, he can get back to Mandy and his life in Tucson; however, he is unprepared for the caverns to change him in unimaginable ways, training him for a life on Enif.
Enif, by Russ Berg, is a fictional novel appropriate for those who enjoy stories about adventure. It seems especially well-suited for young adult readers, not only due to the absence of profanity and sexual content but also because of the similarity to a video game. Similar to a video game, Jerry defeated countless foes using powers he slowly gained by progressing through the seven caverns, each of which could be thought of as a level. He gained sporadic power-ups for his staff, his primary weapon, and utilized special fruit to recharge his health and stamina. These aspects made it fun to track Jerry’s progress through the caverns.
The first thing that struck me when reading this book is the sheer creativity that went into developing the storyline. I was continually impressed by the depth of Berg’s imagination, creating countless monsters, adversities, and landscapes that envelop the reader in Jerry’s world. My favorite thing about the book was the stunning visuals created by the author; Berg described Jerry’s surroundings using each of the five senses and provided relatable analogies to aid the reader’s understanding. Additionally, I was pleased with the sophisticated vocabulary used throughout the book. It seemed especially well-suited for young adult readers who could use this to expand their vocabulary.
My least favorite thing about this book was the overall length. While undeniably creative and well-written, it was not enough to distract me from continuously feeling like this book could have been half as long without jeopardizing the quality. In my opinion, the unnecessary text detracted from my overall enjoyment of the book. I was also disappointed by the ending. Without giving away any spoilers, I will just say that a large aspect of the book remained unresolved. It may be justified if there is to be a sequel, but it was frustrating nonetheless.
I am giving this book 3 out of 4 stars. The book was astoundingly creative and well-written, with minimal editorial errors. I enjoyed reading the book and felt it is well-suited for a young adult audience. That being said, the overall length and lack of a complete resolution at the end prevented me from giving this book a perfect 4-star rating.
Readers should also be aware that the page count for the Kindle edition is incorrect. Although the page count is listed as 512, this is specifically for the hard-copy book. One hard-copy page is equivalent to approximately two Kindle pages.
******
Enif
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Warramunga's Aftermath of War by Greg Kater
