Book Review: 0.4 by Mike Lancaster

Title: 0.4
Author: Mike Lancaster
Date of Publication: 4th January 2011
Pages: 304
Source: Bought
Series: N/A
Synopsis from Goodreads.com:
It's a brave new world.

'My name is Kyle Straker. And I don't exist anymore.'

So begins the story of Kyle Straker, recorded on to old audio tapes. You might think these tapes are a hoax. But perhaps they contain the history of a past world...If what the tapes say are true, it means that everything we think we know is a lie.

And if everything we know is a lie does that mean that we are, too?

My Thoughts:
Wow. This was such a good book. I devoured it, and read it all in one sitting. I couldn't stop.
From the very first page, I was hooked. By the second chapter or so, there was no way I was putting it down soon. I didn't expect to read it all though.

What did I love so much about it? I'm not really sure. It's probably one of the only sci-fi books I've read, so that for me was appealing because it's something new, something that isn't a paranormal romance. Don't get me wrong, I will always love and will always read paranormal romance, but sometimes, I like to read something new, and exciting. And 0.4 is just that.

Kyle Straker narrates the story in the form of an old audio tape recording. The editor, Mike Lancaster, adds notes throughout the book, which enlighten the reader to the ways of the world, which is our world now, but the book is set as someone reading it from the future, who wouldn't know about certain things. So, he explains golf, Coldplay, and lots more, and these notes are very funny. Also, because it's supposed to be Kyle telling the story through three recorded audio tapes, there are gaps in the story where the tape is turning, or a new tape is being played. I liked these gaps, because it made you imagine what would have been said when the tape was turning, though you never find out.

I liked Kyle. He was straight thinking, brave and a strong main character. He tried to make sense of the strange things that had happened to him, even if the only conclusion he could come to was completely outrageous and probably not true. His voice was very readable, and I really felt as though I was experiencing the events along with him.

Overall, 0.4 was a very good read. I saw it on a Waiting on Wednesday post last year, and I immediately added it to my TBR pile, and then forgot about it until a few weeks ago, when I saw that it had come out. I had to buy it, and I'm so glad I did! It was awesome, and you must read it.

My Rating:

I give it 5 Feet!

Challenges:
2011 100+ Reading Challenge #5
2011 Debut Author Challenge #1