If Not for the Dawn

By: Dane St. John

Narrated by: David DeBoy

Length: 15 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

Eight people are on a perilous collision course in a world that never sleeps. Their individual journeys are the culmination of a leading neurosurgeon’s herculean efforts - 10 years before - to save his dying wife’s life. His research results in a chance discovery that will later completely alter society when AltaMira Pharmaceuticals releases Vigorex, the most explosive drug in a century, one that manipulates nucleotides in the human mind in a way that allows people to sleep and experience R.E.M. while they're awake.

As the story unfolds, a colorful cast of characters begin to take the drug, which if not taken properly will have hazardous consequences. But each of these people has undergone a deeply traumatic episode in their formative years, which will affect them in differing ways; murder, arson, kidnapping, vigilantism, among other crimes, will characterize their nightly personalities and send them crashing into one another.

©2012 Dane St. John (P)2013 Cherry Hill Publishing

Critic reviews

"It takes the skillful work of a brilliant new author to sustain the suspense of a truly engaging narrative. You will find in these pages a staggeringly sober, meticulously researched and captivating chronicle of a gritty underworld reality. Following the lineage of influential narco-thrillers (e.g. A Scanner Darkly, Strange Days, and Limitless), St. John creates an architectural masterpiece in the convincing construction of a comprehensively systematic landscape of socio-psychological drama, the harsh reality of which is so recognizably human that it speaks authentically to the most deeply-rooted shadows and fears of our inner selves. While his prose is infused with rich language, imagery and metaphors - a true poetic testament to great literature - the incessant unfolding of the almost obsessively scripted suspense drives the reader onward into an entirely consuming cinematic journey. This is contemporary storytelling at its finest." (Lisa Marie Quillinan)

Wow, there was a lot going on!

I had mixed emotions about this one. There was just so much going on. For an audiobook it almost seemed like there were too many characters to keep up with. In a paperback it would have been easier to keep up with them all, however, the characters really didn't have any depth and layers so other than keeping them straight it wouldn't have made too much of a difference. I had no emotional attachment to any of the characters and truly believed I didn't really care what happened to any of them. I believed that until the end when I realized YOU DON'T FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ALL THE CHARACTERS!!! The concept was really well thought out and very interesting and had there been one main character I think it would have come out a lot better. It is apparent what the author was trying to do and the idea was great but I just couldn't get that into it. I think others could though. It wasn't a bad book, it was well written, the topic was interesting, it just simply had too much going on.

Dont be fooled by reviews

I was told 2 things by the reviews on multiple sites

1. intriguing plot
2. engaging characters

it was neither.



i would buy it as its a fun interesting listen to help pass the time, but please don't hold high expectations as I did based on the reviews.

Interesting

Really interesting premise, and enough action to pull through to the end. But ultimately the characters and the contrived way their stories intersected to prove a point failed to impress me.

Interesting, but a little slow.

Any additional comments?

This book was a little slow, especially when the author likes to give every single characters back story, even if they are not really vital to the story. But it was still rather interesting. Especially the dialogue at the very end. As crazy as this sounds, that one chapter was thought provoking enough for the entire book.

Slow...Slow...ROCKET!

For the amount of lead up to the climax, everything wrapped up VERY quickly and VERY dramatically...The very end left a little to be desired, but overall worth the read...cool premise.

Meh

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

It could have been a really good story, the concept of the book is awesome, but it seemed very predictable. I pretty much had the entire book figured out by the time all the characters were introduced. It started pretty slow, when it got interesting is when it became predictable. Not a bad story - just not something incredible mind-blowing exciting.

Would you be willing to try another book from Dane St. John? Why or why not?

Maybe

Did David DeBoy do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

So - So....

Could you see If Not for the Dawn being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Maybe a made for TV movie - not more than that..

Any additional comments?

Meh

I feel a headache coming on....

If you could sum up If Not for the Dawn in three words, what would they be?

Complex. Sprawling. Frightening.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Wow. Difficult question. This book is at once messy, as well as important in many ways. The concepts ( saving time ) are very real, as is the idea of using drugs to "improve efficency".

To improve the story? Perhaps bringing the characters together sooner, and showing us a clearer roadmap to a resolution earlier. On balance, this is a well crafted story however.

What about David DeBoy’s performance did you like?

David had enough room to bring each charcter to life, and he did so with aplomb. In fact, our hero was likely the least well developed of all the main charcters.

Accents, tone and timing were excellent. I am becoming a fan of this performer, and this is book showcasing his growing skills well.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

How to create time.

Any additional comments?

The reviewers raves on this book pulled me to it, and , for the most part, I was as taken as they were. It loses the track at points, and the resolve is somewhat murky ( a sequel pending? ) but the concept, and execution, are well worth the credit.

I am too tired to continue writing now however . ;-)

Did not want it to end

What did you like about this audiobook?

I loved the characters. Especially , Jake-the detective and Mia-the blind girl

Does the author present information in a way that is interesting and insightful, and if so, how does he achieve this?

I loved that it switched through the life and view point of different characters like you were hearing different stories that all related to the same subject matter-no time to tire or a specific character and how they all came together at the end.

What did you find wrong about the narrator's performance?

Nothing! I loved the narrator

Captivating... you'll stay up late listening!

If Not For The Dawn is a captivating psychological thriller that takes you on a journey through eight seemingly unrelated lives, the dark place they each retreat to because of their own individual hardships, the refuge they find in this 'miracle drug', and the hypnotic collision that follows when their lives intersect in a surprising climax. St. John's characters are beautifully developed and are brought to life through his artful prose, his colorful imagery and his imaginative story telling. This is one of those books you are dying to know what happens next but you don't want to end. It's a favorite, in print and on audible.

Jake Paris, THE MAN! WOW !

What a psychological thriller...always twists and turns...but the best is how this author makes you feel like you are actually part of the story and one of the characters...can't wait for the next JAKE PARIS !!