The Swarm [NOOK Book]

( 171 )

Overview

Who could imagine...waking naked on a beach with 12,000 other people and no memory of how you got there...

Celebrate October and Halloween season in Bay Isle, New Jersey and enter THE SWARM...

BOOK SUMMARY

At the peak of summer season, the people of Bay Isle, New Jersey suddenly and inexplicably become ...
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The Swarm

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More About This Book

Overview

Who could imagine...waking naked on a beach with 12,000 other people and no memory of how you got there...

Celebrate October and Halloween season in Bay Isle, New Jersey and enter THE SWARM...

BOOK SUMMARY

At the peak of summer season, the people of Bay Isle, New Jersey suddenly and inexplicably become part of a “swarm” and head mindlessly towards the beach. They have become puppets to an unseen phenomenon with one purpose: to reproduce. On the beach, the 12,000 people of Bay Isle take part in a massive copulation event. Meanwhile, a few people on Bay Isle—people who are physically infertile or unable to reproduce—are left to watch the event in stark terror and fear. As the act comes to an end, the people begin to “come awake” from their trance with no memory of what happened.

The government orders the island blocked off. People are prevented from leaving or entering. Tensions grow as it becomes apparent that there are not enough “emergency contraception kits” on the island. The government profiles the island, inventorying all the residents and vacationers. The women are given free “abortion pills” and pregnancy test kits. Brochures on grief, rape trauma and STDs are provided. Meanwhile, weeks pass and thousands of women test “positive” on the government-provided test kits. Many take the provided “abortion pills”, though there are some who choose Pro-Life. As the “Swarm” pregnancies gestate, and with no apparent cause of The Swarm uncovered, superstitions grow…and spread. Attacks on women pregnant from The Swarm spread across Bay Isle, which is now engulfed in chaos. A video leaked to the internet called “Women Pregnant from Swarm” shows a woman in stark confusion, walking into walls and trying to press herself through them.

And secreted away in an attic, one deranged man believes his wife has become pregnant with Jesus Christ in the Second Coming. In the close dark, the woman feels the movement. She sees the pink iridescent lights cycling in her womb. From her breasts leaks colostrum that is horrific: brilliant, glow-in-the-dark, alien.

This single woman holds the secret of The Swarm within her womb…and the fate of Bay Isle.

In a work of staggering originality and terror, young author Rob Heinze pulls no punches and propels the story forward to a vibrant and stark conclusion.
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Editorial Reviews

Julie Zusin
It was AWESOME!!!! This author has a remarkable talent, pulling you into his story from the very first chapter. I never expected such a good read from someone who is not even properly published. I read this book at one sitting because he did a remarkable job of the story-telling. He says he wrote it in only 8 days. Unbelievable! The story was believable if you are the type who likes Stephen King who I adore. There is loads of talent in this authors work.
Debra Mauldin
If you love Stephen King, this book is a must read. Rob Heinze writes a riveting tale. The Swarm kept me glued to my seat. Fast-paced, terrifying, spendidly written.
Mariana Blair
A haunting story,I could not put it down! Just finished another book of his called Skylights..a very good read also :)
Amber Norrgard
The Swarm does live up to the hype, and captures the reader's attention immediately, and is a very Stephen King-esq type novel.
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Product Details

  • BN ID: 2940013773615
  • Publisher: Rob Heinze
  • Publication date: 1/15/2012
  • Sold by: Barnes & Noble
  • Format: eBook
  • Sales rank: 89,582
  • File size: 183 KB

Meet the Author

Rob Heinze is 30-years-old, lives in NJ, and writes about the places where the temperature is always 13 degrees colder and where the slant of sunlight is always crooked. Most importantly, he likes to write about the people who stray into these places. He is the author of 16 novels of horror, fantasy and suspense (including OLD DIRT ROAD, WEEDS, EASTERLY RETREAT) and one collection of short stories (SKETCHES FROM A CELESTIAL SEA, Volume 1).

His novel, THE SWARM, became a No. 1 bestseller on NOOK Horror books within one week and hit No. 10 of TOP 100 NOOK Books in one week. It has sold nearly 20,000 copies in eight months.

He is hard at work on a long dark fantasy series, the first book of which is nearly complete. He hopes to provide the first book for free, either permanently or for a limited time. Visit his website blog http://www.sketchesfromacelestialsea.com, and subscribe to his email list, to be included in updates.

You can find him on Twitter @rob_heinze, Facebook under The Swarm, or at his website www.sketchesfromacelestialsea.com. He loves to hear from readers that enjoy his work.
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 3.5
( 171 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(41)

4 Star

(45)

3 Star

(40)

2 Star

(16)

1 Star

(29)

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 171 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted February 17, 2012

    Whoa...

    I am so happy I didn't listen to the negative reviews, citing bad spelling and typos. Wow! If you like a good scifi/horror type book, this is a great read! Whoever called the writer illiterate is far too stupid to realize how good and powerful this book is. I also saw something on the author's website that offered a deeper insight into the book and the ending (i dont want to ruin it!), and wow, wow, I loved this! Even went back to re-read my favorite parts

    11 out of 12 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 9, 2012

    Great Book

    This was a great book only wish it could have been longer. Couldnt put it down once I got started cant wait to read more from this author.

    11 out of 13 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 18, 2012

    Brilliant and compelling stuff

    THE SWARM by Rob Heinz is one of the most refreshing books I have read in years. As a big Steven King fan I cant find other authors in this genre that are even decent. This guy is beyond decent! Yes, there are some typos and misspellings in the work, but with the raw power of the story, I was able to move right past them. I suspect that Heinz will probably sometime soon hire a proof-reader (at least I hope!). I read some of the bad reviews saying the writing was juvenile, or incoherent/disjointed, and there were a lot of grammatical errors. I also read some of Heinz's other books and saw alot of stylistic elements echoed in those books too (THOSE OF THE LIGHT & DARK, for one). He sometimes has this weird tendency to write things like, "At the end of his arm was a hand and that hand, shaking, grasped for the doorhandle." It is a little strange, and awkward, but I think Heinz is doing it for a reason...like to draw the reader's mental eye directly to that item, sort of like in a movie. As a sometime writer myself, I think that Heinz purposely violates the rules of grammar in some cases, especially what one reviewer wrote as "disjointed thoughts" during rapid internal thoughts or memories. Like there is a scene where Colin Redman remembers his past and there is a long, long sentence reflecting his memories. This violates a lot of grammatical rules, but its for a purpose and it works. Have any of you "grammar police" read books by Faulkner, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Stephen King or McCarthy? If not, please do and tell me if their works always bow to the rules of grammar and tell us all why they violate those rules. By the way, I also think there is much more to this book than the story itself, which is excellent. Things like I said above, Colin Redman remembering his past. What is the symbolism of the light disappearing in the basement or the changing of days? I think it represents the lose of childhood, or the protectiveness of youth and innocence. Also, there's the seagull that lands on Colin's balcony. That seagull is pretty much a reflection of Colin, isn't it? Heinz tell me if I am right! I also think that Heinz has a knack for using good metaphors and similes, which is the stamp of any talented writer. As a writer myself, I usually want to hate on other writers, but it is hard to do here. As a reader, I want to read more of his stuff. Read the book, but cautiously if you dont like Stephen King, violence, disturbing scenes (read the book description, geez) or strange scenes...and if you are silly enough to not read it based on what the few reviewers perceived as syntax and grammatical errors (and not stylistic choices by the author, which I think they are), then you are missing out on an original, terrific read!

    7 out of 9 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 7, 2012

    A Fair Attempt

    It was in the end a fair attempt but all and all, unremarkable at best ... This said given that these are the initial efforts of an up and coming writer I do see promise of something better in future.

    Regarding the story itself, I found the pacing rather mixed ... by this I mean to say that it was fast a points I would have prefered it to go slower and in turn slow at points I felt should have been faster. I found the detail lacking at points were I would have enjoyed a good measure more discription and by and large the characters were rather shallow and lacking on several levels.

    The idea for the story itself was a good draw but the text fell short of the intended goal.

    7 out of 15 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted February 15, 2012

    Mind boggling!

    As an avid Stephen King reader, I definately recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the sci-fi thrillers! This book is well written, with intriguing characters and an entrancing story line that keeps you wondering "What if.." and "What happens next?!" Well done Rob Heinze, definately gave me some chills!

    6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted February 14, 2012

    Highly Recommend

    Absolutely awesome, this author is going to be wickedly great. Will read everything he has written

    5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 14, 2012

    Love it

    I love reading stories like this one. I really enjoy this book. Only on chapter 4 but im hooked. I honestly dont find anything so bad about it. Im a young adult and i dont take offence to any of what was written. I hope to read more stories like this. Thanks for sharing.

    5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 13, 2012

    Bring on the heinz

    Great read,eerie and compelling,left me wanting more

    5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 13, 2012

    Loved it!

    The person that said burn this book has no clue of what a good book is....love the way you make us know your characters in detail. I read a lot and you sir have become my new fave! Please don't writing.

    5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 13, 2012

    Good quick read

    Couldnt put it down, read it in one session. Glad i found a new author to give me nightmares

    5 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 19, 2012

    Swarm is amazing

    I just finished swarm! It is amazing. I am a BIG fan of stephen king. Sorry Mr. King but watch out you got a heck of a writer fixing to pass you up!!!!!!!!!

    4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted February 17, 2012

    Great Read!!!

    I am a lover of Stephen King and Koonz...and to tell the true I was floored by how much I like this book. Bought it, started reading this morning and could not put down until I finished it! Excellent story line, great writing. Hope this one becomes a movie although I know a movie would not do this horror story justice.

    4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 22, 2012

    Fantastic

    This book is really good i was hesitant to read it but im so glad i did. I wish it was longer, i am looking forword to reading more from him.

    3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 21, 2012

    Good up and coming author

    I personally enjoyed this book and definitely look forward to what he comes out with in the future. Definitely an author to watch. As for the naysayers he explains why there are problems with the text at the beginning of the book.

    3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted February 20, 2012

    Excellent read

    Very imaginative, well written page turner from start to finish. Would recommend to all of my friends who love scifi/thrillers.

    3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted June 30, 2012

    Paid for blank pages

    Not sure what happened but all the pages are blank. Not happy at this ripoff

    2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted June 12, 2012

    Not worth the money

    This story was so crudely written. There were huge gaps in the plot; all the characters start drawing the same conclusion without any skepticism. It seemed ameturish. I regret purchasing it.

    2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted April 2, 2012

    Sorry

    I really am sorry, but reading a book with multiple (and I do mean MULTIPLE!) spelling and grammatical errors is like listening to a CD with a deep scratch in it. Eventually the skipping sound is unbearable. Add to that an ill conceived story line, no real resolution to the "plot", and unmemorable characters, and you've got a whole lot of nothing. Far worse than Stephen King's worst, and not nearly worth the small amount of money I paid for it. I don't rate books very often, but this one drove me to it. You get what you pay for, and this book is no exception to the rule. Pay a couple of dollars extra and buy something actually worth reading!

    2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 18, 2012

    Great Read!!!!!

    I loved this book. The storyline was original and fresh, at times completely horrifying, and well worth the typos. All throughout the reviews and at the beginning of the book, there are warnings about typos so if you're the type of person who can't get past those then don't read this book. For those of you looking for a good scifi thriller-- you've found it!

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted March 15, 2012

    Poorly written by an apparent teenager

    I stopped reading this book after about 10 pages--too many egregious four-letter words and very immature style. No wonder it's self-published.

    2 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 171 Customer Reviews
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