Customer Reviews

The Jason Strain (Friday the 13th)

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This isn't a bad story, but what it also isn't is a continuation of the classic Friday the 13th series that most people would be expecting when they order a copy of this book. Other books in this standalone novel sequel series, all written by different authors relate well to the classic movies made over the past 25 years. In fact the best of them refer to events in those movies as historical facts. This has not been done by Christa Faust with The Jason Strain.

I believe Christa had already written this story, heard about (or her agent did) the 25th anniversary celebration series and thought well that'll get me more exposure and rewrote Jason into it the story as he really plays no central role or even necessary role in the story for the plot to work and he's not even a main character. On its own, this is not a bad story, granted not an original idea anywhere within (all parts of the story have been done before ie The Running Man by Stephen King and also his book The Cell for the later half of the novel, that half also borrows from every other living dead zombie movie around.) Without Jason, The Jason Strain would be another B grade adventure which probably would have pleased those who stumbled across it, but as the author knew, without Jason hardly anyone would have picked it up.

If you haven't even heard of this book the basic plot is Jason is captured by a television production company and transported to an island off Costa Rica to be the surprise guest on the second season of Xtreme Elimination. Also transported there are a number of death row American prisoners, both male and female. This show takes Survivor to a new level, inmates must kill each other until there is only one left alive. The winner gets their death sentence reduced to life in prison and cushy one at that. Meanwhile a hot female scientist (one of those typical Hollywood written character scientists who just don't seem to know their hot or care) Dr Cain is obsessed with harvesting whatever immortal genetics are in Jason to make a new immortality virus. Of course Jason isn't going to just lie down and cooperate with either of these ridiculous plans.

If this is your first novel from the 25th Anniversary series don't be put off about reading the others. Friday the 13th Carnival of Maniacs by Stephen Hand in my opinion is the best. All books are standalone storylines and do not relate to the other authors novels in the series so you do not need to read them in any particular order.

Before I picked up a single book in this series based on the popular Friday the 13th films, I was told that most of them were bad beyond belief, with The Jason Strain among the worst, along with half of the Jason X series. But I took my chances (and my money) and plunked down the cash to get them anyway. I enjoyed the novelizations of Jason X and Freddy vs. Jason, so I had high hopes for the other books. And after reading Christa Faust's original novel The Jason Strain, I still do, but they've been brought down significantly.

My love for Christa Faust is split. I loved her novelization for Final Destination 3, but didn't care too much Nightmare on Elm Street: Dreamspawn. This book did nothing to sway me one way or another, which is, I guess, a good thing.

The Jason Strain's plot is relatively straight forward. A twisted television producer creates the twisted television show Xtreme Elimination, which takes death row convicts, tosses them together on an island, and lets them have at each other. Last one alive has their sentence reduced to life in a cushy federal pennetentiary. But this year, the executives decide to shove Jason Voorhees on the island, just to shake things up.

The drawback of having death row cons as your characters: ALL of them are instantly unlikeable, save for Buth, the "Butcher," who may or may not be guilty of the crime for which he will fry. And being death row inmates, nearly nobody can relate to them properly.

Also, Jason seems to have been added as an afterthought. Its like Faust an original story and was told to add Jason Voorhees to make the story marketable. Also, theres a weak subplot about scientists wanting Jason's DNA to use in research for diseases. Fortunately, Jason never quite feels forced into the narrative, but neither, too, did he feel like a natural element of the story.

I really wanted to enjoy this book, and for the most part, I did but not as much as I would have liked. The kills are fun, and the narrative is solid. But its no literary masterpiece. I recommend only hardcore fans of the series (or horror, in general) seek this out.

Okay, in the movies, when Jason took Manhattan, it was easily the worst in the series. Here, Jason is taken to Costa Rica, simply appalling. This book couldn't decide what story it wanted to tell. We start off with "The Most Dangerous Game" style of hunting humans using death row convicts and a "Survivor" type reality game show, we move into "Outbreak" with a genetic manipulation that leads to rapid spreading disease and then get slopped into "Night of the Living Dead" where anyone killed by Jason becomes a infectious maniac zombie. This story is simply disastrous. I've been pretty lenient in accepting the new Black Flame novels on Friday the 13th (but not the Jason X series). I've enjoyed the others enough, this one completely blows though. The story could have easily been done without using Jason for any part of it and it would have been better. The Jason/F13 franchise is only used here to try and sell the book. The author has no concept of what the whole Jason/F13 is for and this is just so ridiculously weak that I warn others to stay away from it.

Right off the bat, to let you know, I am new to the Friday the 13th/Jason genre. I recently watched Jason X on DVD and liked it. This is the first book in the Friday the 13th series I read. I liked it so much, I got all the rest but one (and that includes the new Jason X series).

As for The Jason Strain, I thought it was fairly well written and very exciting. It had all the elements of a nice read, action/adventure, romance (albeit quick), drama, and of course with Jason-- a lot of blood.

Will this go down in history along side the great classics? Probably not, but if you want an easy read with Jason, his machete and zombies run amuck, indulge yourself with this book.

"The Jason Strain" has the same problem that "Hell Lake" (Another Friday the 13th book from Black Flame)had. The back cover sounds great, but the book falls short. At least "Hell Lake" did stay with the idea pitched on the back cover. "The Jason Strain" does not!
The idea sounds like a 'can't miss'-A new reality show puts convicts on a island. The last one alive gets their death sentence turned to life in prison. What the convicts don't know, is that Jason is also on the island, and of course Jason could care less about TV shows, rules, cameras....
I was patient with the book well over 100 pages into it. I was fine with meeting all the characters, even though at this point Jason had just made a few cameos in the book. I was counting on the story picking up when the convicts get on the island and face Jason.
But the book chooses to take off with another plot that I could have done without. It's too bad, bacause "Jason on Survivor" could have been cool.
But like other posters have written, this book wants to throw every plot idea in but the kitchen sink. And I agree, that this story didn't need Jason in it at all. He is a wasted after thought. Too bad.
I do enjoy the "Jason X" Books, and the "Nightmare on Elm Street" set as well. So far though, the "Friday" books have been a mixed bag. "Church of the divine psychopath" was the best. "Hell Lake" tried, but was hard to get through-but at leasr Jason IS in that book!!!! I skipped "Hate Kill Repeat", to read this one first. Bad idea on my part.
The next book sounds good-Jason's mother is back! Will this idea be wasted as well? We'll find out.

Growing up on slasher films, particularly on Friday the 13th, I have been really critical of all the Black Flame novels. I've read every one of them so far (including the piece of garbage Jason X series), and each one gets more and more outrageous. Here's a little hint-- STICK WITH WHAT WORKS! No one wants to read about churches, criminals, or zombies!!! This is Friday the 13th, NOT Night of the Living Dead!!! We want to read about Camp Crystal Lake. We want to read about Jason. We want to read about some promiscuously hot teenagers getting hacked up with his machete. NOT this collection of nothing.

As I read 'The Jason Strain', I didn't know whether I was reading a new version of 'Survivor', another version of 'Night of the Living Dead', or a new sequel to 'Jaws'. This book had no idea what it wanted to be, and in the end it is clearly evident that it is NOT worthy of the 'Friday the 13th' name.

To top it all off, the thing takes place in Costa Rica???? Are you KIDDING ME??? Give me a break. And don't get me started about Jason killing that shark. The Black Flame book series keeps disappointing me more with every novel, just like they have with the Nightmare on Elm Street series. I feel dumber for actually reading this book. It is many hours of my life I'd like to have back.

My advice to the author is if you're going to write a zombie novel, write a zombie novel. If you're going to write 'Survivor: Costa Rica', write 'Survivor: Costa Rica'. Just don't give it the name 'Friday the 13th'.

My advice to the reader is to save your money. Don't let this book collect dust on your shelf like it will on mine.

First I'm going to ask the author something: Why, WHY, did you call this book "Friday the 13th", when has absoloutely nothing to do (except Jason) with the rest of the movies. Another New Line-author who's totally missed the point.

First of all, only 0.1% of the story takes place at Crystal Lake. Some soldiers then captures Jason (ehh, am I the only one who can see something's wrong already?) and the rest at the story take place at FREAKING COSTA RICA!!

Second of all, the first 100 pages Faust does nothing then descripe each characters life-story in details. Guess how many times we see Jason in that part of the boke (- and how many he kills).

Also, it's poor writed, the kills are nothing much (except some few), and the whole zombie-fact just made me wanna rip the book into pieces.

I'm not saying that you're a moron if you liked this book, but if you did, you have not understand what "Friday the 13th" is all about. Like I said: Good read for others, terrible crap for hard-core fans.

1/5.