The Unnoticeables by Robert Brockway

The Unnoticeables by Robert Brockway
Buy The Unnoticeables by Robert Brockway at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Paranormal
Reviewer: Luke Marlowe
Summary: Fun, gruesome and darkly funny, Robert Brockman’s The Unnoticeables is an enjoyable read. Flicking between time periods, the mix of the fantastical and the supernatural with the grimy and urbane makes for a varied and fast paced read.
Buy? Maybe	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 288	Date: July 2015
Publisher: Titan Books
External links: Author's website
ISBN: 978-1783297979
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Carey is a punk living in New York City, 1977. Sick of watching his friends be abducted and killed, he doesn’t care about the rumours of strange monsters and supernatural happenings – all he wants to do is drink beer and kick ass. In the present day, Kaitlyn is in Hollywood. A stuntwoman, she has a missing best friend, has just escaped an attempt on her life, and an angel is waiting outside her door. The survival of the human race lies in the hands of Carey and Kaitlyn. We are, all of us, well and truly screwed…

Robert Brockway is an editor and columnist for the popular website Cracked.com. He has previously written a non-fiction book and a serial Science Fiction novel, but this is his first standalone novel.

Urban Fantasy is huge at the moment – with Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files, Mike Carey’s Felix Castor Novels and Ben Aaronovitch’s Rivers of London series all the rage, and new series being released every week, it seems.

Where Brockway’s book stands out is the way it takes those Urban Fantasy elements, and combines them with a myriad of other influences, giving the book a darker, more chaotic tone that certainly compels the reader, even if the plot sometimes lacks a little and the characters err on the side of unlikeable. I was reminded of such comic book classics as Preacher and Hellblazer, the tar men are straight out of a Lovecraft story, and the punk aesthetic gave something original to the part of the story that focused on Carey’s youth. There is something very raw and alive to Brockway’s words, which give this novel a lot of colour and really made it a page turner. Things do get rather convoluted along the way, but it’s a fun ride nevertheless.

This isn’t a quiet novel – it’s particularly in your face, violent, rude, and rather obnoxious. But somewhere underneath the bluster – these characters have depth, and the writing can be extremely clever. This is a varied read, but overall I enjoyed the ride – many thanks to the publishers for the copy.

For further reading I would recommend The Naming of the Beasts (Felix Castor) by Mike Carey. Carey is an acclaimed comic book author, and wrote last year’s hit The Girl With All the Gifts. The Felix Castor novels are exciting urban fantasy novels with a hugely likeable protagonist, and are well worth a read.

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You can read more book reviews or buy The Unnoticeables by Robert Brockway at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy The Unnoticeables by Robert Brockway at Amazon.com.

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