Customer Reviews

Something In The Water (Torchwood)

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

 

 

First, let me say that I had my hopes up when I bought this book. Owen is my favorite character in Torchwood, and I was enthusiastic when I read that he'd be the central character.

And you know what? I was right to keep my hopes so high! This book is absolutely perfect. The characterization is spot-on, the dialog is amazing, and the action is, ultimately, just Torchwood. While I've never had the pleasure of reading his other works, Mr Baxendale is responsible for several fairly highly-rated Doctor Who novels as well, and his experience in the genre shows well in "Something in the Water"!

A mysterious epidemic, a man long-dead who still manages to communicate, and a centuries-old legend combine to make a thrilling, engaging story. The characters all have their moments, and Owen in particular is wonderful in this story. You just don't get much better than this!

However, I would add that this book is NOT for the squeamish. There's a great deal of "hospital stuff" in this book, and if you're grossed out by textual descriptions of blood, illness, and other icky stuff, this might not be the book for you.

All in all, a fantastic book, with very "real" characters and interactions, an intriguing plot, and a mystery that'll keep you guessing to the last. What're you waiting for? Read it!

For me, TV tie-in novels are just a quick fix to tide me over until the new season. Often these works, lacking the fast pacing of an episode and the life the actors breathe into their characters, seem a bit flat.

But this book is every bit as enjoyable as the show it is based on--the best book in the series so far. It really captures the nuances of the characters and the way they interact with each other. Every character has something real to contribute to the story.

There are touches of humor, but the author resists the temptation to overplay flamboyant wisecracking. There is a certain "gross out" level (okay, I'm a bit squeamish), but I feel it serves the story and isn't just thrown in gratuitously. The overall plot is excellent--tight and complex with some interesting twists and turns that kept me turning pages.

If you love Torchwood, give this book a try. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Owen Harper really shows his character in this novel as he, and the rest of the team, rush to figure out what is happening to the people of Wales. People are getting sick. Lots of people. And it is all a plan. A plan to invade Earth from the inside. From the inside of the Earth people. Trust me, it is gross but makes sense once you get into the book.
Coughs, colds and Water Hags, oh my.

I've gotten hooked on Torchwood. I have no idea why everyone on the net didn't think very highly of the first season (which I'm about halfway through), but I love the darker, sexier, gorier tone of the show. A guy should follow his passions, so I picked up my first Torchwood novel, Something in the Water by Trevor Baxendale. I really like the handsome design of the books, small hardcovers with nice cover art--though I don't know why they put a blank page at the end of each of the book's 29 short chapters, which basically means over ten percent of the book is blank pages. But anyway, it was an enjoyable, fast-paced read that captured what I've seen of the show quite well. It has the usual "evil alien (are there any other kind on Torchwood?) has come to Earth to cause a ruckus" plot, but the "water hag" alien reproduces like something out of . . . well, the movie Alien. It's certainly a gory & gross book, though unfortunately without the sex and profanity of the show. I'll definitely pick up another one in the series to see what I think.