Customer Reviews

Never on These Shores

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The premise of Mr. Pastore's story is neither "bold," "new," nor "exciting." Alternative histories have had a very successful niche market over the past 20 or so years, Harry Turtledove perhaps being the master with his extended series of "what if the Civil War turned out differently" series. Of course, one of the later ones ends up in the science fiction realm, with aliens attacking Earth during the Second Great War. But, if you like Mr. Turtledove's style, and understand what you are getting into, at least you know it will be well developed and written. Occasionally, speculative crosses into the mainstream, with, for instance, Phillip Roth's _The Plot Against America_, which touches a very similar theme--Lindbergh becomes President, and Nazi or Nazi leaning groups gain control of the government. Relocation camps, oppression of minorities, etc., follow.

Mr. Pastore's work is another matter. Poorly proofed and edited, it is stunning in its banality. It might have made a good graphic novel, a la _V for Victory_, in which the images would have supported pared down prose. Paring down the purple prose here would have been a good thing. Pastore's descriptions of his characters' steely attributes appear a parody of Ayn Rand at her very worst, and include little of what made her writing good.

But, I am not as eloquent as others, so I will let this review sink you into the miasma of this Lead Zeppelin of a book:

[...]

June 09, 2008
Never on These Shores

Fc9780977719624_4 An online publicist sent me a copy of Never on These Shores by Stephen Pastore to review on my blog. I accept books for review, but it's always with the following caveats:

1. I can't promise exactly when I will get to the book. I don't want reading to be a chore.

2. I don't promise a good review.

Most of the books to which I would not have given a glowing review fall into the "not my cuppa tea" category. Sometimes I offer these books as giveaways on my blog because I know there are people out there who love the stuff that I don't care for. One woman's junk is another person's treasure!

With apologies to the publicist, I cannot in good faith either:

1. Categorize this book as just "not my cuppa tea."

or

2. Give it away on my blog.

This might just be the worst book I have ever read. The premise definitely piqued my interest. It's May, 1942. The U.S. is being invaded by the Germans and the Japanese on several fronts. It's the alternative history of WWII. I hoped to be shocked and fascinated, like I was when I read The Plot Against America by Philip Roth which detailed the history of the U.S. after Charles Lindbergh defeated Franklin Roosevelt by a landslide in 1940. I'm afraid that Stephen Pastore is no Philip Roth and Cohort Press is no Houghton Mifflin. But I'll get back to that later.

First, let's look at the story. In more talented hands, the story could have been brilliant. The very idea that the U.S. could be invaded and defeated by foreign powers is beyond the comprehension of most Americans. Taking such an alien concept and exploring it, courageously exposing some ugly realities that might have evolved, could have produced a great novel.

Pastore's major error, in my opinion, was to people his novel with too many flat, undeveloped characters in too many places. The novel bounces from place to place without allowing the reader to develop a relationship to the situation or the characters. There is graphic violence that could have enhanced the horrors being described, but the acts of violence take place so matter-of-factly and suddenly that we don't really care because we didn't know the victims well enough to fully experience the tragedy.

I looked at some reviews of Pastore's book and promptly lost faith in the objectivity of book reviews. On the Cohort Press website, a review from "LA Times online" is quoted as follows: "I can't remember a book that made me care so much about my country." A glance at the book jacket and on the editorial reviews on Amazon.com indicates that this quote is not from the LA Times at all, but from "[...]" which doesn't seem to exist as a website. Another review states: "A new maga-thriller is on the scene this summer and it promises to be a block-buster." This review is from the "Boston Journal News" which does not seem to exist except in this Amazon review and on the publisher's website. "Maga-thriller?" - not so much? Other reviews on the book jacket, the publisher's website and Amazon are suspect at best with links to websites that no longer exist and URL's that seem to indicate reviews from a reliable source but do not, in fact, relate to that source at all.

If I am really swept up in a book, I probably would not even notice an inconsistency like this, but it was so typical of what makes this book an insult to the reading public. On page 175, Travis "eyed the growing dark stubble of his beard. He found the tube of shaving cream...and then began the distasteful act of shaving...After a few minutes, his shave complete..." A couple of hours later, on page 191, "Travis rubbed his hand over the stubble of his blond beard." Aaaaarrrrggghhhh!

Now, as for Mr. Pastore's publisher, Cohort Press. As best as I can figure, "cohort" must refer to a friend who is an equally bad and/or sloppy writer. I don't know all the ins and outs of the publishing business, but I assume that somewhere along the way, there should be a multi-step editing process during which errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation are eliminated. Now, I know I'm kind of picky about this stuff, but I'm not talking about subtle points of comma usage. (The comma usage IS atrocious, but see, I'm not talking about that.) I'm talking about glaring errors that could not possibly be overlooked. For example:

"It's hulking mass sat like a pregnant Leviathan..." (I'm not even going to mention the bizarre visual there...apostro-tastrophe!)

"A bunch of us are going into town on passes in a half or so..." (A half minute? Half hour? Half day?...and there's nothing about it that indicates that it might be slang.)

"The man with the cross moved promptly to the front of the church, began to dig a small hole some shovels from one of their pickups, and firmly set the cross into its foundation." (Small hole? Some shovels? Perhaps a "with" might work here?)

"All persons desiring to go to North Carlina, South Caroling and Virginia..." (This tells me that MAYBE there was a cursory spell check which would have recognized the error in the great state of Christmas songs as a word.)

And especially for Leigh who LOVES the misuse of homophones:

"His face taught and tense as he looked down upon her, rocking, rocking." (Can we have a verb here? I don't think his face was "teaching.")

I guess I am naive. I think that if someone's work is published in a book, that means it passed a certain quality test. It doesn't necessarily mean that I am going to like it and I'm OK with that. But publishing a book and putting it out on a bookstore shelf for $[...] should provide at least a minimal assurance to the reader that the volume has been proofread! I am going to be more suspicious of book reviews in the future.

Di

This would make for a better read if there wern't so many slopy "typos". It appears this is from a self published, vanity press, not a major publisher, and apparently there is no "Victor Hugo Award", all that being said, this plot is an interesting concept, at times skillfuly rendered, at others almost unreadable. If a friend has a copy borrow it and try it for yourself. An eventual rewrite might render a first class "what if" literary scenario.

Reviewed by John Cartwright for Reader Views (5/07)

"Never on These Shores" by Stephen R. Pastore is one of those rare novels that come along these days that readers will find difficult to put down, either literally or figuratively. It has a "what if" premise that many of us thought about in history class: what if the Germans, Japanese and Italians invaded the U.S.? In the smugness of the Cold War, we were taught that such an invasion was impossible because the Axis Powers would have no "soft spot" to attack. Well, Pastore has solved this problem and fortunately we won before his idea got into the wrong hands. The Japanese land in Canada which has surrendered along with France and Britain, the Germans have allied themselves with Mexico (by force) and the Italians are in Cuba, all en masse. And all this happens before page 1!

If anyone can start this book and put it down, they're a better man or woman "than I am Gunga Din." This book is no soporific for insomniacs. In the tradition of such books as "The Winds of War" and "War and Remembrance," the action spans the American continent where Pastore has left the meek and humble (women, old men and gays and blacks) to defend the homeland against the pernicious onslaught of the Nazis and their allies. The American forces are stranded overseas after Hitler decides not to invade Russia and Great Britain falls. This is more than plausible; it was only a hair's breath away and if you don't believe it, read this book. Meager attempts at WWII "what ifs" have been written before, most notably "Harris's Fatherland," but nothing so grand in scope and so eminently believable. Pastore somehow manages to take the reader not only inside the fear-filled residences of New York City and Miami Beach apartments, but into the cotton fields of Texas and the gay bars of San Francisco. The KKK becomes a willing collaborator with the Nazis led by Rommel and blacks and Jews are rounded up and sent to concentration camps. I don't want to discuss any more of the plot for fear of giving too much away, but there is so much good writing in this book that one could spend hours talking about it at cocktail parties, cafes, and book clubs. What an immense joy it is to see such a book emerge from the pink dye-covered novels that are the current flood of sappy fiction inundating the shelves of American bookstores. And if HBO or some other movie factory does not pick this book up to turn into a silver screen gem, well then producers need to put their comic books down and take a long vacation. Rarely have I read a book where I care so much about the characters and see them not as ghosts inhabiting the page but real people that might actually be alive somewhere. This is the greatest tribute a reader can give to the author's art.

Don't think this novel is only action and adventure, either. There are moments of true great writing in the way Hemingway once said that he would be content to "write one true sentence." Much of this book will leave you weeping, occasionally laughing but always wondering, "What would I do?" It becomes a real journey of the soul and one cannot ignore the truths that emerge in light of the current history of our great nation when we seem to have lost our way. Pastore has offered up a real lesson in patriotism and genuine American values that have been shoved under the expensive rug of the oval office all too often.

There is no doubt that there will be more "Never on These Shores" volumes; thankfully Pastore leaves us wanting -- no craving -- the continuation of this story. I would write him a letter myself and beg, but critics are supposed to be above that, right? I wonder if the publisher will forward my plea....

Received book free of charge.

After reading the author's other book, Guilt, I had to purchase this one. It is very, very different and I don't think it is fair to compare them. But, my husband enjoyed this more than Guilt. The Japanese have taken most of California, the Italians have invaded Florida and the Nazis have matched up from Mexico through Texas. This is the opening context of the novel. The year is 1942 and the world war in Europe has gone very differently, which we find out about by Pastore's imaginative insertion of a few pages of a history book that is written years from now. If this all sounds a bit much, it might be, but you would never know it from the way this first book author grabs you by the throat and forces you to watch the United States come apart at the seams both literally and figuratively.

I have some issues about the amount of violence that is graphically depicted, some of it quite strong even if it is well-written. If it was a film, I could turn away during the "nasty parts," but in a book you must skim and then figure out where to start again, a practice I would not advise. On the other hand, if you accept Nazis marching through the cotton fields of Texas I suppose they would be doing the unspeakable, which is in fact what they did in Europe. What happens as you read this novel, is that you are swept away because of its episodic nature. There are cliff-hangers by the dozen and this structure, something like a Dickens novel, leads you to read on despite the fact that you might be trying to get to sleep. I would not recommend this for those of you who love a cuddly blanket and a book before you nod off. It is strong stuff and clearly it is designed to shock your boots off. This it does with a rare literary flair.

In this era of politicians and the media shouting "terrorism" 30 or 40 times a day until you're numb, this book is an indication of what is really terroristic: the loss of our freedoms not because it takes 3 hours to get on a flight to St. Louis, but because there are platoons of enemy soldiers marching through the streets of your hometown and rounding up "undesirables." Europeans, of course, have a memory of this in the not-so-distant past and it makes them a little more skeptical about starting up a fracas as the US did in Iraq. They know the consequences of war in the homeland. We can, fortunately, only imagine it and Pastore does a remarkable job handling this difficult terrain. In fact, he shines as an author to be watched.

The Japanese have invaded Canada and taken over almost all of the West Coast. The Nazis traveled through Mexico and have occupied Texas. Also, the Italians were able to wage a battle from the seas in Cuba to obtain control from Florida to Atlanta.


Our troops are stuck in the European countries. The only people left that can help defend the United States are women, young men, and anyone else who were not able to join the military. As if having our enemies in control was not bad enough. The KKK are supporting this take over and trying to rid the United States of all the Blacks, Jews, Asians, etc. Will we once again be able to taste victory or will be have to accept defeat?




I hope all these questions and more get answered in Mr. Pastore's other books he has coming out titled Never on These Shores Volume 2: War in the Heartland (Feb 08) and Never on These Shores Volume 3: Doomsday (July 4, 08). This novel was my first by Mr. Pastore and I thought it was very well written. He did an outstanding job with Never on These Shores. From the first page Never on These Shores was packing on the heat full speed ahead and didn't let up till the end. If after reading this book you don't feel proud to be an American than something must be wrong with you (sorry to say). Never onThese Shores had my nose glued in the book reading as I couldn't put it done in order to see what happened. If you are looking for a novel that will bring you intrigue, suspense, adventure and having you cheer for the good guys than you really have to check out Never on These Shores by Stephen R. Pastore. Hopefully after reading Never on These Shores you will find yourself like I am doing wanting to check out Mr. Pastore's other two books to find out what happens next.

I seem to be on a bit of an "alternative history" kick right now. I find it fascinating to see how things might have played out if a rather insignificant event turned out differently. In Never On These Shores by Stephen R. Pastore, you're given a look at what might have been if Hitler had taken Britain and signed a peace treaty with Stalin...

World War 2 turns out completely different. Hitler is able to keep Russia in check with a peace treaty, allowing him to concentrate fully on his next goal... invading the United States. But Germany isn't the only group with that goal. The Japanese have laid waste to the west coast, from Seattle through Portland, all the way down to San Francisco. Their goal is to take over Los Angeles, and their level of brutality towards their captives brings to mind the Nanking atrocities. The Italians have landed in Cuba and are using that as a base to invade Florida on their way up the east coast. Germany befriends the Mexican government and gets support to invade through Texas. So where is the bulk of the American military? They're all stranded in Northern Europe. Not only has their ally been defeated (Britain), but the Atlantic is controlled by Germany and can't be traversed safely. That leaves the defense of the United States in the hands of women, children, the elderly, and gay men. Obviously before the days of "don't ask, don't tell"... Completely outmanned and with little training, those who are left at home must figure out a way to fight back...

Pastore doesn't spend a lot of time building up the story. He starts hot and fast with the mayor of San Francisco losing his head (literally!) when he attempts to surrender the city to the Japanese. He then takes a few characters throughout the country and follows their stories as they try and survive the invasions. Pastore also does not pull any punches when it comes to being politically correct in his writing. Racial slurs pepper the conversations, which would be accurate based on the times. Neighbors and fellow citizens do strange things when faced with life and death situations. For instance, the KKK attempts to join up with the Nazis in Texas as they both have similar goals of racial purity. But when given a bit of power, you see a truly ugly side of human nature emerge. It's not hard to imagine the story-lines coming to pass if something like this were to actually happen.

Also, as an FYI, keep in mind this is the first novel of a series. I kept getting closer to the end wondering how he was going to wrap everything up. But on the last page you see the "Coming Soon" title of the next book. I'll be there to read it, no question. I will warn readers who are easily offended with graphic violence and language that they might want to steer clear of Never On These Shores. There's plenty of both. But if you want to read something that will make you think and imagine life in an alternative history, you'll love this one.

This is my husband's book but it looked interesting so I decided to read the first 3 or 4 pages. I was hooked. Then I got shocked. This could really have happened! Scary. Loved it, loved it. But where's the rest?
The book ended in the middle of the action, than it said there would be more books in the series. When???? Hurry please. Husband has to wait his turn. A great ready, but sort of shocking in places.