Is Zona believable?

Use this forum to discuss the July 2020 Book of the month, "Zona: The Forbidden Land" by Fred G. Baker.
Post Reply
User avatar
ArriettyClock
Posts: 111
Joined: 13 Jun 2018, 00:39
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 140
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-arriettyclock.html
Latest Review: The Judge part 1 and 2 by Ian RB Morris

Is Zona believable?

Post by ArriettyClock »

Did you find Zona believable ? Are there any descriptive areas that you think were lacking in the novel which could have helped you understand Zona better? (e.g. descriptions of the locations, or more background on why it's forbidden, or a better scale on how large it is?)
It was a bit annoying that the novel was slow to start, and I think this contributed to my impatience surrounding the Zona.
ankushavhad
Posts: 483
Joined: 12 May 2020, 23:28
Favorite Book: Gardening With Guns
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 68
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-ankushavhad.html
Latest Review: The Mindset by Ace Bowers

Post by ankushavhad »

I read some of the recent reviews. I am not sure, if it's a geographically pinned place, but as the novel goes, it's an unexplored region of Siberia the story revolves around.
User avatar
Topsey
Posts: 282
Joined: 21 Jul 2018, 12:25
Currently Reading: Something Wicked This Way Comes
Bookshelf Size: 28
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-topsey.html
Latest Review: The Fisherman and his Foundlings by Phillip Leighton-Daly

Post by Topsey »

I think perhaps it could be made more believable as a real place if there was more description to explain its existence. As you said, why is it forbidden? I think if the author had done a better job at answering some of those questions it would feel a lot more believable.
User avatar
Brenda Creech
Previous Member of the Month
Posts: 3382
Joined: 09 Mar 2019, 13:34
Favorite Author: Mary Pat Ferron Caines
Favorite Book: The Reel Sisters
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 356
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-brenda-creech.html
Latest Review: Was She Crying for Me? by Jerry Hyde
fav_author_id: 253250

Post by Brenda Creech »

I'm not finished reading the entire book yet, so I can't make an educated judgement on this question. However, I do agree with you about the slow start. I like for a book to capture my attention early on to keep me interested!
B. Creech
"Like beauty in the eyes, the divinity of the rose may be in the nose that smells it, and the lover that beholds it." Eckhart Aurelius Hughes
shynmr
Posts: 27
Joined: 29 May 2020, 17:12
Currently Reading: Zona: The Forbidden Land
Bookshelf Size: 25
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-shynmr.html
Latest Review: My Father Wakes Up Laughing by Jo Simons

Post by shynmr »

I found the beginning pretty suspenseful because I was waiting for something to happen. I thought there would be more early conflict between the characters, so I was a bit disappointed that it never really came to fruition, but I don't think the beginning of the book detracted from the overall quality of the novel.

The level of detail about the location gave me the baseline I needed to use my imagination to fill in gaps. Because it was a work of science fiction, I didn't need the area to be especially well-defined for the book to be an interesting read. From the geopositions in Randall's journal, you can also build a better idea of where in the world the expedition is supposed to be. You'd have to do a little legwork, which the author could have removed by inserting a graphical representation, but you can see the general area to which the satellites would triangulate.

As to why the area was forbidden, I thought the explanation was more or less sufficient. It might have been useful for the author to include more information about governmental differences between the US and Russia, but I thought there were sufficient implications to paint a mental picture. The maps at the beginning of the book supplemented my reading of the text for the specific encampments and activities, so I was satisfied.
User avatar
book_fanatic_
Posts: 458
Joined: 14 Apr 2020, 00:32
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 26
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-book-fanatic.html
Latest Review: Wonder by Jon Trovato

Post by book_fanatic_ »

I think the author could have done a better job in the description of Zona. Several questions are left unanswered about its being forbidden and the geographical location. The writer could have been a bit more illustrative to engage the reader more.
She read books as one would breathe air, to fill up and live. - Annie Dillard
Latest Review: Wonder by Jon Trovato
Salma_asa
Posts: 220
Joined: 07 Jan 2020, 08:14
Currently Reading: Serendipity Mystery: Diary of a Snoopy Cat
Bookshelf Size: 18
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-salma-asa.html
Latest Review: Child of the Sun Complete Edition by Michael Van Cleve

Post by Salma_asa »

It's a fiction. It is up to one's range of imagination if you want to believe or not. But the author must give enough elements to picture everything. I think there wasn't enough.
User avatar
IchbineinBerliner
Posts: 134
Joined: 25 Jul 2019, 13:23
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 33
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-ichbineinberliner.html
Latest Review: The Memoir Man by Frances Webb

Post by IchbineinBerliner »

shynmr wrote: 04 Jul 2020, 21:58 I found the beginning pretty suspenseful because I was waiting for something to happen. I thought there would be more early conflict between the characters, so I was a bit disappointed that it never really came to fruition, but I don't think the beginning of the book detracted from the overall quality of the novel.

The level of detail about the location gave me the baseline I needed to use my imagination to fill in gaps. Because it was a work of science fiction, I didn't need the area to be especially well-defined for the book to be an interesting read. From the geopositions in Randall's journal, you can also build a better idea of where in the world the expedition is supposed to be. You'd have to do a little legwork, which the author could have removed by inserting a graphical representation, but you can see the general area to which the satellites would triangulate.

As to why the area was forbidden, I thought the explanation was more or less sufficient. It might have been useful for the author to include more information about governmental differences between the US and Russia, but I thought there were sufficient implications to paint a mental picture. The maps at the beginning of the book supplemented my reading of the text for the specific encampments and activities, so I was satisfied.
Agreed. I thought the opening chapters were pretty suspenseful, and I agree that the explanation was adequate.
User avatar
Tan TR
Posts: 218
Joined: 13 Jan 2020, 11:28
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 31
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-tan-tr.html
Latest Review: We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko by Matthew Tysz

Post by Tan TR »

At first, I was confused with what exactly was the Zona and more importantly how it looked. It would have been better if in some parts the author went into more detail about how exactly does the Zona look. But once invested in the story, it was easier to imagine. However if a place like that actually exists, well, that is the question.
User avatar
Elvis Best
Posts: 1272
Joined: 12 Oct 2017, 02:36
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 86
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-elvis-best.html
Latest Review: Teething Problems by Mark Fletcher

Post by Elvis Best »

Well, I think the author did just enough with the description of Zona. I loved how I had to use my imagination to fill in the rest of the gap, as it gave me some possession over the place. Too information or detail would have defeated the story the author wanted to tell. After all, it was the expedition that hooked me in.
"People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within." -Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
User avatar
Florence Nalianya
Posts: 638
Joined: 24 Jun 2019, 10:33
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 82
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-florence-nalianya.html
Latest Review: The Prodigy Slave, Book One: Journey to Winter Garden by Londyn Skye

Post by Florence Nalianya »

No, its full of very many imaginations.
User avatar
AvidBibliophile
Previous Member of the Month
Posts: 2679
Joined: 30 Aug 2019, 12:53
Currently Reading: Gold Digger
Bookshelf Size: 480
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-avidbibliophile.html
Latest Review: How I Became Santa Clause by Chris Kringle

Post by AvidBibliophile »

I didn’t mind the degree of descriptive elements. I think part of what makes Zona so alluring is all the mystery that surrounds it! By slowly introducing new and unexpected details, readers were able to ‘discover’ it together on their own expedition. Geothermal waters and volcanic rumblings, unidentifiable botanical specimens, and ancient animal species all seemed believable in this context. It was easy to picture the majestic valley at the end, snuggled within a meteorite crater surrounded by waterfalls! Other than the fence electrocutions and horrific maulings, it sounded like quite the tundra/tropical paradise.
User avatar
angela roura
Posts: 82
Joined: 24 Jun 2020, 09:41
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 16
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-angela-roura.html
Latest Review: The Tempter's Bane by Kyle McCurry

Post by angela roura »

As this book is a work of fiction, I believe that the reader's mind/ imagination can fill Zona in with what they see fit. As many other people say, in these cases it makes it more mysterious!
User avatar
Prachi Randeria
Posts: 76
Joined: 06 Nov 2017, 07:01
Favorite Book: Worldlines
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 28
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-prachi-randeria.html
Latest Review: Last Words from Above by Jeremy Brown

Post by Prachi Randeria »

I do agree with you that the book is a bit too slow in the beginning. If it were a bit more gripping in the beginning then it would have been a fantastic read. About the mysterious description of Zona, it is a work of fiction and the bits left out, make it even more intriguing.
User avatar
Rodel Barnachea
Book of the Month Participant
Posts: 1580
Joined: 24 Jun 2020, 22:16
Favorite Author: Lemony Snicket
Currently Reading: The Unfakeable Code®
Bookshelf Size: 84
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-rodel-barnachea.html
Latest Review: An Accessible Iliad by Emer Jackson
fav_author_id: 5004

Post by Rodel Barnachea »

Well, it's fictional. If it were to be a real place, I don't think it's believable at all.
Post Reply

Return to “Discuss "Zona: The Forbidden Land" by Fred G. Baker”