Customer Reviews

Running On Instinct

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

 

 

Having read Luiken's recent YA novels, Violet Eyes and Silver Eyes, I was curious to see how her first novel aimed at adults would turn out. I wasn't disappointed.

The story focusses on a group of people with psychic powers, or Talents, known as Kithkinners. As it begins, some of them know each other, and others meet and interact as the story progresses. Penny, married with a three-year-old son and eight months pregnant, knows she has to get away. She doesn't know why, but her Danger Instinct is telling her she must. Her husband, after an unusual encounter with a neighbour, trusts her instincts. April is babysitting for Kirsty when her cousin's boyfriend, Gavin, shows up at the door, injured and on the run from the law. Genevieve is haunted by dreams of the Selector, and after a man using his words shows up and tries to kill her, she knows she has to leave.

Their paths cross and the secrets to their identity lie in a simple nursery rhyme that they remember from their childhood. The talents they have will eventually save them from the monstrous Selector and his minions.

That's making the story sound cliched and predictable, but it's far more complex than that. Although other reviewers have argued that the novel is incoherent, I found it to be one of the most wonderfully woven-together stories around. Everything just clicked into place. It's a story about instinct, love, trust and terror. A worthwhile read, to say the least.

Luiken's first adult book is a winner. She has a wonderful ability to weave a complex plot, combining many elements to produce a fascinating novel. The story hits the ground running and doesn't let up until the last sentence of the last page. If this is any indication of what Luiken can give readers, it's a great start!

Luiken's first novel is an extraordinary novel of suspense and psychological thriller; terrifically paced and shocking. For those who enjoy the early work of Dean Koontz and Michael Slade, Running On Instinct is a novel you won't want to miss...Gary S. Potter Author/Poet

"Running on Instinct" is a perplexing book. Its premise, that an extremely powerful, deeply disturbed psychic is culling 'imperfect' paranormals from the human herd is interesting, and potentially compelling. Unfortunately, Luiken has a somewhat fragmentary writing style that creates unnecessary confusion, and interferes with an otherwise effective story.

The focus of the tale is a group of people who are related through a paranormal parents. Over time all of them had been adopted by normal families and now were unaware of each other. Many of the older children had become members of the KithKin Club, an association of psychics was created to protect themselves from a previous effort at extermination. These children and young adults, the Carver family, as well as their closest relations and loved ones make up most of the cast of the book.

KithKinners have many talents. Most important, and the ones that drive the book is the ability to sense danger, and 'shine' which allows the possessor to influence the people around him or her. Then there are seers, illusionists, telepaths and even those who can sense the deaths of those they love. The Carvers, unaware of their relationships have suddenly all come under attack wherever there are, and will need every one of these talents to escape intact.

The villain of the piece is The Selector, a psychotic with exceptional mental powers who can invade dreams and steal control of lesser humans. As a result, not only are the Carvers' at risk from within themselves, they are also subject to attack from unsuspected sources. The Selector seems to be able to move and strike at will. He also has the ability to trap a human's consciousness in the recesses of his mind. If the purpose behind his hunting of the Carvers comes clear only gradually, the horror that follows his victories becomes apparent right from the first page.

The flaw in this concoction is that every character gets equal time without warning. As a result the reader is left the task of trying to integrate eight separate stories into a coherent whole. Most of us will fail to some degree, and feel confusion as the story switches from viewpoint to viewpoint like a slide projector gone awry. The sense of chaos never quite goes away and even the end is fragmentary. Characterization also suffers for the same reason. The book is readable, but never seems to develop a coherent rhythm. I kept getting the feeling that it would make a better film than it would a book, probably since the additional visual information would have better differentiated the characters.

Luiken shows writing talent but needs more disciplined editing. I have read several worse, lately, so I'm inclined to be a bit generous and find enough positive value to give it three stars. I believe the author also writes books for young adults as Nicole Luiken, so perhaps what is lacked is simply the difference between the young adult reader and grumpy old reviewers such as I.

Marc Ruby for The Mystery Reader

Because of his parapsychological abilities, the Selector seems God-like as he uses mind control to grab the soul of individuals, forcing them to join his army. With his need to cleanse humanity, the Selector seems more like the devil as he kills anyone with a physical or mental disability. His selection process goes much wider than say the federal Disabilities Act, as the sentence for corrective lens is death.

His opponents, who are trying to stop him, are not even at a David level vs. his Goliath. Instead he sits at the top of the food chain while they remain below the lowest rung. Killing them seems as elementary as ABC to the Selector. However, a quartet of survivors struggling with the unexpected savagery and injustice of the Selector, are trying to endure as they prepare for a final showdown that they instinctively know they can only lose.

RUNNING ON INSTINCT is an exciting thriller if the reader does not ask questions of why. The Selector will remind the audience of Freddie Kreuger (that is from the sequels and not the original Elm Street movie). He is clearly the focus of the tale though his victims take more center stage. N.M. Luiken provides an engaging concept within an action-packed tale, but fails to explain why the Selector chooses to cleanse the race, which leaves the audience feeling shortchanged. Still those who enjoy a dynamic energized thriller that never slows down and are willing to suspend belief will delight in Ms. Luiken's debut novel.

Harriet Klausner