Rating: 
Summary: 4 1/2 stars
Review: See storyline above.Being Jim Brown’s first novel, I must say he sure came out with a bang! The originality of the story is timely. A reality show gone haywire, where people actually die. Hmmm. I sure hope this doesn’t give the producers out there something to mull over. After all this was real ‘survivor’. It was, without a doubt, a very entertaining story. Action, mystery, and a little lovin’, will keep the reader racing to the end to solve the mystery. The writing style was good, but I think will improve with another novel or two under his belt. I think Jim Brown will become an author to keep an eye on. Highly Recommended for younger adults
Rating:
Summary: A Fun Thriller!
Review: Sure, there are times when you think "yeah right, like that could happen" when things become a bit too convenient, but this book is alot of fun. It twists and turns, weaving together the stories of two main characters and it keep you guessing. Wasn't thrilled with "who" it turned out to be, but up until that part I really enjoyed the book, reading it in pretty much one sitting. If you like thrillers, check it out.
Rating: 
Summary: 24/7 fails on so many levels
Review: The book starts when a last-minute contestant, Dana Kirsten, arrives at Vassa Island to participate in the latest reality show called 24/7. In this game contestants are stranded on an island that is totally surrounded by hidden cameras as well as cameras the contestants wear at all time. Every three days, the viewing public would vote one person of the island. If any contestant acquires any 'safety stones' during the game, he or she gets to remove 10% of the vote already accumulated for every stone collected. The last person standing will win two million dollars and their heart's desire. The problem starts when everybody who is not a contestant drops dead AT THE SAME TIME, due to an ebola-like virus that every contestant is infected with. At that moment, a garbled computer voice identifies himself as CONTROL. It states that the game is in play and that every day at noon, a contestant will be killed at the end of each viewer vote. The remainder will get a 24-hour vaccine that will help them live for another day. In my opinion the book is a royal mess. There are too many characters involved, too many unrelated situations, too much implausibility. Where can one find a virus that works at precisely twelve o'clock? Where were the producers of the show while this was going on? How come nobody had a clue that the 'safety stone' games were going to be dangerous? Didn't the game builders figured there was something dangerous with the sets they were constructing? When did everybody figure out that Zodiac signs were involved? There were too many scenes that were skipped or ignored. There were too many settings that were a little too convenient. The author wants to show how extreme voyeuristic television has become but he rarely talks about the viewers. The only time we know about the viewers is when the find which of the 638 cameras will show a contestant stripping. How is the public going to be ashamed with voting somebody for death if we don't get to see how they vote? There is so much more I could say about this book but I am going to stop here. If you want to read about a fictional reality show, I recommend the Richard Bachman (a.k.a. Stephen King) novella, THE RUNNING MAN. Forget about the Schwarzenegger movie. The message from the book is not the same as in the film.
Rating: 
Summary: Waste not a second
Review: The info in the afterwood is more interesting than the whole book. Mindless psuedo-entertainment.
Rating: 
Summary: I'd give it 11!
Review: This book was awesome! I can't remember the last time I read such a thrilling book. The characters kept you captivated and the plot twists were both unpredictable and exciting. Fans of reality shows may not like this book, since it downplays them...but i would give it 11 stars. I've suggested this book to many family members who, after reading it, ahve told me how much they liked it.
Rating:
Summary: I'd give it 11!
Review: This book was awesome! I can't remember the last time I read such a thrilling book. The characters kept you captivated and the plot twists were both unpredictable and exciting. Fans of reality shows may not like this book, since it downplays them...but i would give it 11 stars. I've suggested this book to many family members who, after reading it, ahve told me how much they liked it.
Rating:
Summary: A thriller from the start all the way through
Review: This book was well written for Jim Brown's first novel. The topic of have a reality TV show taken over is an new, unique, and most definatly a real idea. This is a must read for those that enjoy books with bad guys, blood, love, and the armed forces all at the same time. 24/7 is hard to put down and it keeps you guessing until the very end. This book would also be a great movie idea. Hint hint! I can't wait to see what Jim Brown's next book is like. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: This is a fantastic book
Review: This is one of the best thrillers of the year. There's a message here, one we all should take heed of but few will. Jim Brown a veteran TV Anchor knows his stuff and gives us the scoop from the other side of the camera. The action is fast, the characters memorable and the plot amazing. The tribe has spoken, this is a terrific book.
Rating:
Summary: Game Show Scenario Turns Deadly Real!
Review: To my knowledge, broadcast-journalist Jim Brown is the first person to adapt the current rage for Reality TV into fictional form. His debut novel is not only a thematic trail-blazer, but an imaginatively-conceived, utterly chilling expose of the darker, more appalling side of America's obsession with vicarious thrills and violence. Its plotting and pacing are truly extraordinary; its characters, unforgettable; and its writing...absolutely first-rate! Loosely based around the overall concept of the "Survivor" TV phenomenon, he has envisioned a scenario wherein the game situation suddenly becomes a life-or-death reality for its twelve players after a madman seizes 'Control' of their isolated island location while the TV cameras continue to operate 24/7. As the world watches in horror, the sponsoring network's entire technical staff is wiped out by an Ebola-type virus, and the contestants themselves are infected with a delayed version of the same deadly disease. The only way that they can stay alive is to receive a daily injection of a life-prolonging antidote. Control's dictum: that one-by-one decision shall rest entirely in the hands and votes of the viewing public. What immediately evolves into a frantic race against time and popular opinion for his protagonists is further complicated by an unusually effective twist in the plot (which also paves the way for its shocking denouement): if they can successfully accomplish a diabolically-individualized task wherein they are forced to face their worst fears under lethal circumstances, they will be rewarded with 'safety stones' which can cancel out a percentage of the negative votes that might be cast against them. Meanwhile their numbers diminish and their odds narrow as the government (at a loss for any other way to contain the unknown disease) hovers on the brink of a decision to obliterate the island. Cliff-hanger! In a nutshell, reality TV becomes the ultimate in reality reading, and Jim Brown has my vote to garner enough critical safety stones to take him straight to the top of the best-seller list!
Rating:
Summary: Reality With A Twist
Review: When I first examined this book prior to reading it I have to confess I was quite sure that I was not going to like it. It's plot, basically that of a reality TV show gone horribly wrong, sounded almost like a modernized "Friday the 13th," mostly an excuse for gratuitous violence. Fortunately, the problem wasn't the book, just some very poorly written advertising copy. I found my initial impression was quite wrong. Jim Brown, a broadcast journalist, reveals in his first novel enough talent and imagination to enjoy a promising career as a novelist. The core of the plot is a reality TV show where 12 people will be left on Vassa, a Caribbean island, to struggle against both nature and their own fears. Extensive broadcasting and communication facilities ensure that the world will be able view all their activities and, by voting, gradually eliminate players until one is left to claim the prize - two million dollars and their heart's desire. But someone has other plans, and shortly after the show starts a tailored virus kills the show's entire crew, and the 12 contestants find they are playing for the highest stakes, their lives. On-island the most important characters of the 12 are Justin Rourke, a pilot who struggles to find a way to stop the terror and Dana Kirsten, a last minute replacement contestant. Dana has entered the contest because her daughter is suffering from a degenerative form of leukemia and will die if she doesn't have an opportunity to participate in a new treatment program. These two quickly join in their efforts. Don't think that the other contestants are poorly done, though. Each of them has some quirk or fear that is exploited by the traps built into the island. My favorite was a mad scorpion stampede, but there is something for every reader's ghoulish streak. Off-island, several threads develop and blend together. Tucker Thorne, an unknown press photographer, starts out by outsmarting a serial killer who is supposed to be dead and then finds himself in possession of information about Vassa Island that catapults him to a major news career. Dr. Sherman Lorrik, a specialist on terrorists, is called in by the President of the United States. His tasks are to find a way to resolve the Vassa crisis and to manipulate the outcome of the now fatal votes. The government itself must deal with the mystery of the Vassa plague and the islands mysterious ability to defend itself. For everyone involved this is a race against the clock. The story line is quite complex with a great many imaginative twists and turns. It is surprising that, with such a large cast, most of the characters are satisfactorily developed. This is not simply an action story but a tale with plenty of puzzles and thinking to it as well. Brown gives away very little, and seems to take a great deal of pleasure in misleading the reader. Expect a lot of red herrings, with a totally outrageous ending. "24/7" is almost good enough to seem completely believable despite some technical plot devices that are nearly science fiction. But despite the occasional raised eyebrow this is a very readable book. Marc Ruby - for The Mystery Reader
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