Level 26

By: Anthony E. Zuiker

Narrated by: John Glover

Length: 9 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's Summary

Unlock a new level of fear. It is well known among law enforcement personnel that murderers can be categorized on a scale of 25 levels of evil, from the naive opportunists starting out at Level 1 to the organized, premeditated torture-murderers who inhabit Level 25. What almost no one knows - except for the elite unnamed investigations group assigned to hunt down the world's most dangerous killers, a group of men and women accounted for in no official ledger, headed by the brilliant but reluctant operative Steve Dark - is that a new category of killer is in the process of being defined. Only one man belongs to this group. His targets: Anyone. His methods: Unlimited. His alias: Sqweegel. His classification: Level 26.

©2007 Anthony E. Zuiker (P)2009 Penguin

People are being way too harsh...

I really liked this book. I will admit that I enjoy my share of Koontz, Patterson and Coben, however. I was really in the mood for a book that wasn't too, too deep (you know the kind...the ones you put in your living room to make yourself look intelligent) and this definitely fit the bill.

Everyone is reviewing it as terrible. Listen, the genre is what it is. I loved the narration and I was in the mood for the gore. If you don't like books like that don't read this one. Don't crucify it, though, for not being a crappy romance novel.

It's good. Obviously he left it open for a sequel. When it comes out, I'll read it.

15 of 15 people found this review helpful

Cyber-bridges give creepy depth

Level 26 is a cross-platform experience; it's a book backed up by some wickedly creepy online content. Honestly, though, without the cyber-bridges, I probably would have given this book only three stars.

The book was created by the same guy who created the CSI television shows, and since I tend to like dark, gritty fiction, I liked this very much. That said, there wasn't a lot of character development, and everyone fits neatly into one little box; the good guys are all good, and the bad guys are bad, and the government is shadowy and cruel.

If you like books that are both creepy and gory, you'll like this. If you like police procedurals, you probably won't, because it requires a very strong suspension of disbelief, both in the abilities of the antagonist and the ham-handed attitudes and overall incompetence of law enforcement.

This book is the gory equivalent of chick-lit; light in plot and character development, heavy in timekilling fictional fun. I enjoyed the book and the online content VERY much, and look forward to the sequel.

9 of 9 people found this review helpful

Awesome

This new book experience was awesome. I loved the narrator. I loved the book and logging in to the 26 community to watch the video. I really like the community. The contests, the fun people. Anthony Zuiker is to be commended for his new innovation. Try the LEVEL 26 experience. You won't regret it.

7 of 7 people found this review helpful

My First Review!

This story angered me so much that I felt obligated to write this. Between the irritating background sound effects and the 'cyber bridges' I felt like I was robbed. I couldn't hear a lot of what Mr. Glover was saying over the irritating and superfluous sound effects (a huge disservice to an excellent reader), and then I get to something like "if you want to know what happened, go to this web page and watch a video". This is incredibly audacious for a book that is barely average, especially since, after waiting all day to get home from work, I couldn't get on the web site to watch them. I found some of these cyber bridges on you tube, but not all of them. Enough. Bottom line, only listen to this book if you are on an iPad with an active internet connection and an active membership on their site. Otherwise, you'll be angry and frustrated.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Great Book

I loved the audiobook. It was really creepy. The narration was very well done and the videos brought the characters to life.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Awsome Narration

This book was sooo interesting and definately entertaining. I could not stay up by myself at night while listening to this book!!! The narrator made me feel I was right there with the characters. 5+ stars.;)

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

I very twisted look into a monster's mind

This book has a lot of twist and turns. It will have you guessing at what could be next. I will point out there is some adult content in the book. If that is something you do not like, then I would not suggest this book to you.

Plus, the web contexts on level26.com makes the book come alive. You get passwords that unlocks videos that add more to the book. You do not have to watch the videos, but it is a plus to the book.

I really enjoyed the book, and I am looking forward to the next one.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Thrilling & On the Edge

Level 26 has been one of the most riveting and exciting books that I have "read" in a long time. The book has interactive elements which you can pause when listening and experience online but my first time through I chose to just listen an didn't miss a beat. The book has you jumping at all the right spots and screaming in others.

Your hair will stand on end. The author did an amazing job on character development and I find myself wanting for another book in this series, but it is not that kind of tale. A series could end up like a movie's bad sequel.

I recommend this book to anyone that enjoys thrillers and being a bit on edge. It will have you checking not only your doors to ensure they are locked but looking for the boogieman in all the strange places.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

level 26: Brilliant narration

This is a story that breaks new media ground, as it's billed as the first-ever digi-book. It's beautifully narrated and extremely well crafted. If you do download the audio book, make sure that when you listen you have pen & paper handy or a voice recorder so that when the passwords for the cyber bridge links are spoken, you can get them down for future reference. The cyber bridges are password-coded links to mini-movies that expand on parts of the book. I will definitely download book two. Funny thought; I wonder if reading the book would have been as interesting as listening to the narration. John Glover really does a masterful job of capturing all character voices, especially Sqweegel...and reads at perfect pitch and pace.

I really enjoyed this. Hope you do to.

Oh, by the way...this book is not for the squeemish. Extremely violent, depraved and laced with every four-letter word you can imagine.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Awesome!!!

I loved this book. I listened while working out and only while working out, so I spent more time on cardio than usual because I had to hear how it would end. I still listen to it, if I get bored with my iTunes, I just start the book from the beginning. Well done. A great listen!!!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful