Nuclear Winter Wonderland: A Wild Tale of Nuclear Terror, Kidnapping, Gangsters and Family Values [Paperback]

Joshua Corin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2008

An underachieving college kid has six days to save the world from atomic annihilation in this offbeat tale about a frenzied race from the icy Pocono Mountains to the dark heart of Walt Disney World. It all begins as Adam Weiss and his sister Anna head home to New Jersey for winter break. Pulling into a highway rest stop, they are confronted suddenly by a lunatic nuclear terrorist who kidnaps Anna and leads Adam off in furious pursuit. Along the way he teams up with a dyspeptic ex-mob thug and a Spanish-speaking female clown, creating an oddball rescue squad that is soon busy dodging the police and defeating an army of shadowy opponents. The showdown comes at midnight on Christmas Eve—when Hollywood-style entertainment meets 12 nuclear missiles.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Striking the right tone in a comedy-thriller can be tough, as Corin's disappointing debut shows. Adam Weiss, a University of Michigan fraternity boy, is driving home to New Jersey with his twin sister, Anna, when a stop at a rest area turns the trip into a disaster as an elderly man who calls himself Ebbets kidnaps Anna. Adam later encounters a state cop who ignores the tale of Anna's abduction, a female Spanish clown and an old drunk. Soon the cop is dead and Adam, the old drunk and the clown are on the run. Adam contacts Ebbets, who tells Adam he's hidden 12 atomic bombs and intends to blow them up on Christmas eve. Adam spends the rest of the novel chasing Ebbets in an attempt to save the world and free his sister. While readers don't expect absolute realism in their thrillers, they do demand that the plot makes sense and follows at least elementary rules of logic. In his relentless search for humor, Corin misses both of these targets. (Oct.)
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From Booklist

*Starred Review* Adam Weiss’ twin sister, Anna, is kidnapped by Ebbetts, an unpleasant and possibly cancer-ridden man who might have plans that involve a nuclear device. Desperately searching for Anna, Adam acquires a couple of sidekicks: Filbert, a man of small stature who used to do something brutal for the Mob, and Cherry Sundae, a Croatian female clown who only speaks Spanish. If that isn’t enough to make you dive right into the novel, consider this: it is remarkably polished and stylishly written (remarkably, because the author hasn’t been doing this for years: this is his first novel). It is richly comic, surreal without being silly—except where it intends to be silly—and playful in its use of language. Christopher Moore writes this way, and so does Robert Rankin, although it would be a serious mistake to assume that Corin is imitating them or anyone else in any way. If you can judge a writer’s future output based on his first novel, Corin is one of those writers who, years from now, other newcomers will be imitating. --David Pitt

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Product Details

• Paperback: 275 pages
• Publisher: Kunati Inc. (October 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1601641605
• ISBN-13: 978-1601641601
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,367,638 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Joshua Corin is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter. NUCLEAR WINTER WONDERLAND is his first novel. He currently teaches English and theatre at a college in Atlanta.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why did it have to end?, October 6, 2008

By 

Suzanne B. Dickerson "Suzanne Dickerson" - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Nuclear Winter Wonderland: A Wild Tale of Nuclear Terror, Kidnapping, Gangsters and Family Values (Paperback)

I became attached to the characters and their adventures to the point of not wanting to read the last chapters because I knew it had to end. Corin's story line missed nothing! All age groups will be entertained with the fast moving excitement of this thriller. Josh give us more!

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my Top 10!!!, September 4, 2008

By 

A. Hutchison (Boston) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nuclear Winter Wonderland: A Wild Tale of Nuclear Terror, Kidnapping, Gangsters and Family Values (Paperback)

Never have I fallen in love so quickly with a novel as I have with this one. I can safely say that it is in my Top 10. It is by far the wittiest book I have read. Corin has an uncanny ability to blend both reality and comedy into a fast paced thrill ride of a novel that never slows down. As a teacher, this is the kind of work I love to give to my students. Captivating and authentic - one that they talk about before, during, and after class.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Constant Rollercoaster!, October 9, 2008

By 

Bethany "Bethany" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nuclear Winter Wonderland: A Wild Tale of Nuclear Terror, Kidnapping, Gangsters and Family Values (Paperback)

The thing I loved most about this book was that there was never a lull in the action. It was also intelligent. And funny. And suspenseful. Oh my! I fell in love with the characters without realizing it and as soon as I had finished reading I contemplated starting all over again. This book keeps you guessing right up to the last page and has an ending that leaves you wanting so much more, but you're still so satisfied. Corin is definitely an author I want to see more from.