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Loading... The Temps (2022)by Andrew DeYoung
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. An apocalyptic novel with a fairly unsurprising outcome. The victims are most of the world, after being exposed to a toxic gas released in a local industrial accident and then deliberately by an evil conglomerate and a much-admired executive. The story's primary narrator is Jacob, a lost boy college grad who is dissatisfied with his lack of achievement, status, and rejection from grad school. When he discovers some hard truths about the tech campus that shelters the few survivors, he's doomed and the narrative is taken up by a trio of women. The premise that it's the intrinsic evil in all humans is pretty scary, and I hope, not true, but a good premise for this type of armageddon. It's unsettling but ultimately dissatisfying. no reviews | add a review
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"Jacob Elliot doesn't want a temporary job in the mailroom at Delphi Enterprises, but after two post-college years of unpaid internships and living in his parents' basement, he needs the work. Then, on his first day, the unthinkable happens: toxic gas descends on a meeting in Delphi's outdoor amphitheater, killing all the regular employees and leaving Jacob stranded inside the vast office complex. Wandering through Delphi headquarters Jacob finds other survivors: Lauren, the disillusioned classics major who's now writing online personality quizzes; Swati, the yoga instructor with derailed college ambitions; and Dominic, the business school student who will do almost anything to get ahead. Stranded in the wreckage of the company that employed them, the temps band together to create a miniature world that's part spring break, part office culture-until a shocking discovery disrupts the survivors' self-made paradise and drives them to find the truth about the apocalypse that brought their world to an end"-- No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.6Literature English (North America) American fiction 21st CenturyLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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I found it hard to start this book, as the introduction was boring, but it did provide some context of what's to come.
“Jacob squinted. “What’s the point?”
Lauren shook her head. “I honestly don’t know.”
There were many instances of the book going into tons of detail, which sometimes was helpful to be able to visually see what's going on. However, in multiple cases, it felt like the author was adding padding to the book to make it longer.
“The book, Lauren realized, didn’t just preserve knowledge; it preserved their past selves, captured them in amber. But their identities weren’t set in stone. They were changing whether they wanted to or not, just as the world outside had changed.”
“Lauren clenched her teeth and sunk deeper into her chair, wishing herself five or ten minutes into the future”
There is a one chapter in the book, where the author switches from present to past in the middle of the chapter. It was very confusing, and I felt I had to stop reading to full understand the switch. I wish the author did a better job with the switch.
When reading I felt the book was going to end a certain way, however, there is a big twist within the last few chapters. After I started reading that, I just wanted to finish the book. Thanks to the author for ending the book the way they did.
““Hello,” he said. “My name is Tristan Brandt. I’ve been waiting for you.”” ( )