Customer Reviews

Fragments

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I couldn't put the book down! I had a big project due, butinstead of working on it, I spent the entire weekend reading thisnovel. I was kept guessing until the very end! The story is extremely well developed and very well written. (I'd say more but I don't want to give anything away.) From the very beginning I felt attached to the characters. This is one of the best books I've read in a while and as a bookstore manager I read a ton of books!

I simply could not put this one down - I read it in two sittings over the course of a weekend. The level of scientific detail is just right - doesn't overwhelm the reader with jargon, but doesn't patronize either. The characters are well-defined and sympathetic. The lead characters play off each other well, reinforcing the age-old science vs. spirituality debate. I wonder if Mr. David has thought about turning this into a screenplay - it reads like a movie as is. Definately worth your time.

The concept of fusing several savant talents into one "mind" is both original and interesting. Unfortunately, it never really goes anywhere. The set-up is well done. The characters are introduced well. After that, the plot just loses substance.

I think the main problem here is that the author couldn't decide where to focus. The book would have been better, and more cohesive, if the focus had been on the experiment and the resulting events. Instead, we get the formulaic romance: They meet, they disagree/argue/misunderstand, they work together, they (apparently) begin a relationship. The whole thing is very forced and quite repetitive. At times, the dialogue reads like an old teen-gothic romance. Distracting.

As others have noted, the ending is quite abrupt. It leaves the reader feeling that either something was left out, or that the author just ran out of things to say.

This is the first book I've read by James David. I believe this is only his second novel. The concepts are there. If the storytelling improves with time, this will be an author to watch.

Fragments is a very original book with characters that are easy to get to know and get attached to. Dr. Martin and his team have gathered idiot savants from all over the world and experiments combining each amazing talent into one great mind. However, this is being conducted in a house where a young woman was raped and murdered, here soul still wandering...

Quite simply, this is one of my favorite books of all time. Any time I don't have a new book to read, I drag my already old and haggard copy out and start it all over again. I can't recommend this one enough, all I can say is, if you're reading this review, then you're wasting valuable time that could be put to use reading Fragments.

has one of the most chilling, creepy beginnings of a book I'ver ever read. Howerever gets a little predictable in some ways, but nice mix of horror, mystery and sci fi. I'd recommend it, and I hope James David keeps writing.. characterizations quirky and believable..read this one!!

I picked up this book in Tucson at a used bookstore along with about 20 others. I live in San Francisco so large used bookstores don't really exist here. I read this one straight through. Fascinating mix of the supernatural, a ghost story, science, and a little tentative romance. The author weaves a riveting story about a group of savants brought together to scientifically "weave" their each unique special talents into one new mind, but the experiment is tainted by the presence of the ghost of a girl who had been raped and trapped, and died in the house where the experiments were conducted many years before as well as by a psychically gifted but criminal man who can suggest thoughts to others who is seeking to develop his gifts through the experiments. It reads far too quickly. I can't wait for more from this author.

This is one of the most original stories I've read in a long time. The characters are likable (and unlikable) and the premise is really interesting. Perhaps a bit more info on the supernatural presence of "Frankie" would have been nice. I highly recommend this. I read it quickly because I couldn't wait to see what happened next. Read this book...then go get a Slurpee. (You'll understand after you read the book)

That about says it all. It's been a very long time since I have read a book that kept my attention enough to read it in two nights, putting it down only when I had to. A story with characters, settings, and emotions that draw you in. A must read for someone looking for a _good_ book.

James F. David is one of the most under-appreaciated authors out there. Wes Martin, a reseach psychologist, works on an experiment where he brings together the minds of five savants, each with a special talent. He wants to create a one superior being. But the minds are being altered by a spirit of a murdered and raped girl, who wants revenge for her pain. Along comes another specially-gifted, but evil, participant who wants to use the fusage for his own superiority. Great psychological thriller, one you will keep reading till the very end.