What My Reads Have to Say
Checkpoint is a paranormal/science fiction story by Daniel Scuderi. The author describes the book as “a modern-day interpretation of the Book of Genesis.” The story’s protagonist is Christopher Brennan, a high school senior. As the story begins, the plane that Chris was a passenger on has crashed. The mortally wounded young man finds himself looking at his body. The spirit of his girlfriend, Camilla, who preceded him in death, calls to him. As he rises away from the Earth and his body, he recalls the events leading up to this moment. He, Camilla, his brother Alex, and his brother’s girlfriend Luna were attending prom when a group of militant Christian soldiers burst into the gym and brutally attacked the students.
The story has an esoteric and at times almost poetic narrative. Although there are references to the Book of Genesis, I did not interpret the story as being a fire-and-brimstone admonishment to embrace Christianity or suffer the consequences. In fact, I felt that the story was critical of that approach. The dialogue and events indicated that being cruel but embracing a certain set of beliefs is no different than being cruel for the sake of assuming power over others or cruelty for the sake of sadistic gratification.
I give Checkpoint three out of four stars. I believe that the book was professionally edited. I found only a few errors in the text. I was extremely impressed with the unique ideas presented by the author, and I resonated with the sardonic tone of the narrator. Although the music being played was different, the song remains the same when it comes to the cast of characters. My younger self was a devout Catholic who was starting to question my faith, less because I doubted the existence of God than because of the judgmental and unkind nature of the “True Believers” I was surrounded by. I despised the snobby and shallow upper-middle-class trust fund brats that I attended school with as well. My younger self would have gotten along well with Chris.
As much as I liked the story, I knocked a star off for the depiction of George, a large security guard who was described thusly:
“Wobbling like a penguin on a water bed, he made his way to the side doors, carrying an overabundance of food and bags, like he was entering a movie theater with an extra-jumbo popcorn, leaving a butter trail behind him.”
The author managed to describe Carol the bus driver, who was a large woman, in a positive fashion. I wish that he hadn’t felt the need, when describing George, to resort to the unfortunate gluttonous, inept fatty trope that all too many authors feel is a necessary inclusion in their stories.
Although Checkpoint is a well-written and unique story, it is not a good choice for everyone. The book contains a great deal of graphic violence that may be unsettling to some readers. I recommend the story to readers who are seeking a literary experience that is well off the beaten path and isn’t afraid to examine the unpleasant truth that people often do terrible things to one another in the name of God and righteousness.
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OnlineBookClub.org - ciecheesemeisterFollowing is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Checkpoint"
Checkpoint by Daniel Scuderi is a suspenseful thriller in which a young man named Chris is living in almost a dream-like state but the illusion shatters when his world comes crashing down. Chris isn’t sure what to do with his life, but he is sure that he loves Camilla. He found her when he was in the most agonizing pain and she swooped in like an angel to save him. Chris, Camilla, Alex, and Nicole were living in their own bubble when everything was turned upside down. Suddenly nothing made sense, their once perfect life was destroyed as the world around them came crashing down. Their school was attacked by “soldiers” who seemed to be doing the Lord’s work. Chris has to think of something to protect Camilla and get out of this mess alive. But before he can do that, he has to understand what is really going on.
Checkpoint by Daniel Scuderi is a complex story, one that will make you want to read on and try to understand what is going on. Author Daniel Scuderi has laid out some amazing imagery from the very beginning; he describes Chris’s imagination and dreams very vividly and allows the reader to get lost in his world. Chris is your typical teenager at the beginning of the story, but as the story progresses, you will see how he matures, changes and develops into a man who has seen death right in front of him. The first person narrative is actually very interesting and the author handled it really well. The tension was thick as the story progressed, it made me sit on the edge of my seat and hold my breath. I enjoyed how the chapter names foreshadowed what was going to happen next and it felt incredible. This is a really good story and I enjoyed it very much.
Rabia TanveerReaders' Favorite
Checkpoint is a work of thriller fiction with speculative, post-apocalyptic and surrealist elements, and was penned by author Daniel Scuderi. With explicit language, mild sexual situations and graphic violence throughout, the book is best read by adults and mature young adults at the upper end of the age spectrum. Our protagonist and narrator is Chris Brennan, a suspicious figure who finds himself in a town stuck amongst the remnants of what seems to be a global outbreak of war. As reality falters and the fight for survival intensifies, Chris and the other central characters are forced to face poignant questions about creation, reality and the world that awaits them now.
Author Daniel Scuderi has created a thrilling psychological work that rockets through a fascinating plot and will be sure to leave readers with many questions to puzzle out long after they put the book down. My religious knowledge is not extensive, but I did pick out the interesting parallels between this novel and the Book of Genesis, where the author plays with the idea of creation and destruction and what that now means to us in a very modern, human sense. The narration is nail-biting and well crafted, as Scuderi uses a genuinely unreliable voice in the quick-to-move and difficult-to-fathom Chris Brennan. This adds to the disjointed and surreal feeling of the work as a whole, and it is this knife-edge of reality which the narrative hinges on to give it its impact at the end. Overall, Checkpoint is a fascinating read that anyone seeking a truly unique perspective on post-apocalyptic drama will enjoy very much.
K.C. FinnReaders' Favorite
Told from the perspective of Chris Brennan, a modern-day equivalent to Adam, he meets Camilla, his Eve. As they fall in love and begin their life journey together, events take a drastic turn when they enter a futuristic world filled with war and destruction. Checkpoint by Daniel Scuderi recounts a human's journey through life, examining the need to rule and battle for superiority, at the cost of nature and civilization's future. Chris is unsure of what situations are his reality and which are his dreams as he tries to survive what appears to be World War III. Chris is forced to look at events in history and question whether humanity has learned anything from past decisions of hatred and violence. Was this catastrophe he finds himself in inevitable? The biggest question has to be, 'What's a nice place like this doing around people like us?'
Checkpoint by Daniel Scuderi has an imaginative plot jam-packed with bizarre occurrences that not only entertain but educate the reader. Although this is a well-written piece of fiction, the subtle but powerful messages throughout read like a futuristic history book. The characters have well-defined values and personality traits and the conflict brings so much depth and interest to the story. The section which covered entering a concentration camp was chilling and very realistic because it relayed the emotions of the prisoners so well. However, this story is filled with golden nuggets of insight. Racism, unwillingness to live your authentic life, the existence of God and the afterlife are just some of the subjects covered. This story will make you gasp in horror at humanity's ignorance and arrogance at times. For me, this is the type of novel that has the ability to change how you see the world and treat those you share the planet with.
Reviewed by Lesley Jones for Readers' FavoriteReaders' Favorite
Checkpoint by Daniel Scuderi is a spellbinding, beautifully written story that puts the reader in a dreamlike world. The surrealism in the writing is exacting, but it doesn’t fail to appeal to the finest of human sentiments, exploring themes of friendship and love, survival, and death. Readers encounter young characters whose lives are quickly disrupted by an impending threat. Can they survive the chaos that looms ahead? Can Chris Brennan stay close to the woman who occupies a special place in his heart, Camilla Roy?
This is a highly descriptive narrative. At the start, the reader thinks the protagonist is delusional, following a girl who changes her color every time he comes closer to her. But this style of writing captures the world of an infatuated teenager. The narrative is suspenseful and the use of religious symbolism is striking. One example is the protagonist’s encounter with the snake slithering over the tree’s branch, holding the apple, watching them play. There is the feel of the replay of the Genesis story, only it has a beautiful twist to it. The drama is strong and the characters leap off the pages with life. The story is told in the first-person narrative, and in a strong voice. Daniel Scuderi has an evocative style of writing that will arrest anyone’s attention. Checkpoint is conflict-driven, a story with memorable characters and a world that feels so strangely familiar, the world between dreaming and wakefulness.
Romuald DzemoReaders' Favorite
CHECKPOINT
by DANIEL SCUDERI
Checkpoint is a terrific read for mature audiences with inquisitive minds.
Tom O’Reilly, Ph.D.Barnes & Noble
Told through the perspective of a modern day Adam and Eve, our main characters are placed in a near futuristic world where their unique story is irrelevant, like the rest of us. From a rhythmic beginning, the story then takes a drastic change out of no-where that really takes you off guard and as a result the story begins to take a wicked turn forcing the main and new characters, to adapt to a war zone, from the lives their forced to leave behind. The whole story represents the entirety of humanity's lifespan from beginning to end and how humanity ends the way it began. Bit of a snake eating it's tail story. The whole story is told through the 1st person perspective of our modern day Adam and he has to find out what has caused what appears to be WWIII. This story tackles humanity's struggles told through the author's unique vision, and by the end, that no one saw coming, all the pain and questions are answered with a new ending that makes you think and question your beliefs and traditions.
Chatty-Patty60Barnes & Noble
Scuderi has a terrific imagination that will take the reader to the outer limits of their Mind.
CHECKPOINT
by DANIEL SCUDERI
First, the cover is a real eye catcher which is what caught my attention.
Second, chapters are short and concise
Third. The story is gripping and won’t let you go even when you think “ok, I got it.”
I immediately identified with the main premise that would become my lifetime journey.
This novel of science fiction, emotion, drama and vivid imagery pushed me to the outer limits of my imagination and sent me into that vast area that we refer to as the Sub Conscious mind.
There, in the comfort of stillness, I tackled the age old questions of who am I, where did I come from, and what is my life’s purpose?
Then the author challenges the reader to “feel the wind in our hair” as we contemplate the moment. Here I take the liberty of assuming that the author knows full well that only a few of us are aware the we “live in the moment.” Or as the late Ernest Holmes said “there is only the now” and if that is not enough, Scuderi brings us into the immediate reality of incidents of animalistic brutality by one human being against another which caused him “anxiety and occasional depression”. It’s all too much for any rational human being, especially one so young who already recognizes the flaws in human society, but also is grateful for those moments that bring joy and happiness.
I strongly recommend this book, especially for those who wish to take a journey to the unknown and return joyfully to the reality that is life.
Tom O’Reilly, Ph.D.
PennyAmazon 