When there are millions in need of rescue, how will YOU survive?
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First came the snow. Then came the screams. Six hundred and fifty pupils, confined to their classrooms, waiting impatiently for the break-time bell to ring, eager to rush outdoors for a snowball slugfest. But when the first foot crosses over the doorway to the playground, something goes terribly wrong: the boy is strangely powerless to prevent himself from falling ... and then screaming. If the pupils thought being restricted to a classroom for half an hour was hard, all of them are now about to get a lesson in the real meaning of the word "confinement." No one can leave the building. Not now, not when school's over, not tonight, and not tomorrow. It's the same story all across the country, in every school, every workplace, every home, every vehicle: death is waiting outdoors. No one knows whether the phenomenon is a freak weather condition, a chemical weapon, or a divine curse. One thing is certain: what's lying outside is not snow. And unlike snow, it is not melting away. Tensions escalate as the dreadful reality dawns. What will happen when our food runs out? How can we be rescued if we're merely a handful among millions? How can the rescue services function when vehicles can't use roads and aircraft have nowhere to land? How will anyone anywhere survive?
A novel by Darryl Sloan
Copyright 2006 Darryl Sloan. All rights reserved.
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Reviews
"Chion has to be one of the most unique thrillers I've ever read. I mean, how many thrillers will there be that rehash, dinosaurs,
sharks, killer viruses, aliens or rampaging beasts? Well, never fear, because Mr. Sloan has made a monster out of pristine white snow,
of all things, and this story will grab you and hold you just as fast as the fluffy flakes themselves! ... On every level, it delivers right up to the end."
"Darryl Sloan has built his novel on a truly original notion. The word Chion (as explained in the epigraph) is a Greek term that means "like snow." What's falling
is white and cold, but it does not melt and is more adhesive than superglue ... Is it acceptable to leave hundreds to their doom? Is it right to save that one
person in circumstances where everyone else is already as good as dead? Can a boy barely in his teens find answers to questions which challenge
even adult readers? ... It's gripping stuff, never dipping into the typical end-of-the-world clichés ... Ranking right up there with Lucifer's Hammer
[by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle]."
"Chion is a magical story that's a must have ...
There is more to this novel than just a high concept. Inside the school, trapped by the weird snow, a genuine, beautifully evoked, human drama unfolds ...
This is a book that exemplifies the very best of POD - something that would be overlooked by the mainstream but is, nevertheless, important and necessary
to read. A+"
"The story starts strong and quick. The scenario is
convincingly nightmarish and fiendishly clever. The narration is intimate
and natural ... Jamie's plan of escape is
clever and plays fair, leaving the reader excited to follow wherever Sloan
leads."
Readers' Feedback
"I really liked it! I thought you did a very good explanation behind the 'science' of the snow. I'm not sure I would have gone into that much detail, but it really
helps with the story's believability factor. The tragic love story between Jamie and Tara is very well observed and touching. You're lucky you see this kind of
thing every day. I have to think really hard to remember awkward teenage romances. It's a stark world you describe when they get outside and some of the
visuals have the power to stay with the reader - people caged in their cars is well creepy. Jamie is a good protagonist and thinks his way out of situations
very cleverly ... It's a fantastic adventure story, brilliantly paced and constantly inventive. Well done."
"My first impression of the gluey snow was confusion, mainly because I was expecting the snow to be toxic in some way ... Once I’d got into the story,
however, I found I took to the idea completely (and tried to work out ways myself of how I would go about escaping). The scientist's view on the glue’s resin
and hardener really drew me in. I was halfway through when I felt disappointed (only in that I wanted the story to last), because I was really getting into the
survival aspect of it, and felt that seventy more pages wouldn’t be enough for that. The way you took the story off so that we were left with the two characters
and their survival helped, because all those pages were, then, their adventures. The twist at the end was good ... I really enjoyed Chion. It was well
written and well paced ... Well done, Darryl."
"It was a great read and a story that flowed very well. It left you feeling everything that Jamie was feeling and sympathetic to the
hard choices he needed to make in order to survive. I am glad that I got it after we had the snow here, as it gives you a whole new
perspective on life and how people change under extreme circumstances. Look forward to your next book."
"Jamie leaving Mr. Parka and Mr. Leather to die: talk about a
kill-or-be-killed circumstance. I mean, really, what would you do if
faced with that choice? This is something I personally haven't yet
decided upon. I honestly can't imagine myself being so selfish as to
do what it takes to preserve my life at the cost of another, and yet
if that occasion ever occurred, how much would the panic and the
aforementioned survival instinct dictate my actions. I'm sure for you
that writing that scene was difficult. It seems to me Jamie, to a
large degree, isn't just a mere character on a page but an extension
of yourself. The whole 'write what you know' thing. And when penning
it you would have had to take into account what Jamie would do but,
since you were living the scene with Jamie and Tara, what you would
also do if it came down to it. I'm not saying you'd allow others to
perish to save your own skin, but I'm sure you must have paused from
the keyboard and seriously wondered how you'd personally tackle this
while also keeping in mind where the story was going and what else
needed to be accomplished in the tale."
"It took me back to my teen years, when, as a Tripods fan, I was reading as much young adult sci-fi as I could get hold of
(John Christopher and John Wyndham being my favourites). Chion has a tangible atmosphere and pacy plot; the science bits ring true;
the main characters are likeable and believable. Unlike many sci-fi novels, it didn't go overboard with the horror angle. It was simply a very
enjoyable read! Thanks for the experience."
"Nice one, Darryl! I've just finished reading Chion, and thought it
was an excellent read. I know I shouldn't really compare it with
other works of literature, but for me it was reminiscent of John
Wyndham's The Day of the Triffids and also, in a way, The
Chrysalids. That's supposed to be a compliment, by the way. I would also say that it was
a real page-turner, but that's an awful cliche, isn't it?"
"I just finished it last night. I couldn't sleep, and it was such a good story I couldn't put it down until I finished it. The writing is clear,
easy to read, and flows smoothly. It captures the progress in a way that keeps it interesting. I had sympathy for the characters,
and wanted to keep reading to find out what happened to them. It's an original story - which seems to be hard to find now-a-days - and
has a good message. This is definitely a page turner. It caused me to do something I’ve never done before: pickup from the middle and,
without stopping, continue all the way to the end. Chion makes many 'traditionally published' books I’ve read pale in comparison."
"If you enjoyed John Christopher’s Empty World then you should enjoy this novel. I started it on a Friday and finished it on the Sunday.
If this novel were to add a new word to the English dictionary, it would be 'unputdownable.'"
"I really enjoyed Chion. If I might be so bold, I found it quite John Wyndham-esque, and I mean that as a compliment.
I have certainly been recommending it."
"I was very impressed with the book, finished it in one sitting yesterday evening, obviously directed at a younger age group than I belong to (I'm in my thirties),
but excellent reading all the same."
"I love it! It was so gripping. I kept wanting to see what was going to happen next. Kudos!"
"Read it within two days, really enjoyed it. Hope you have another one on the way soon!"
"Loved the book. A good premise for an end-of-the-world scenario. John Christopher-esque."
"Great author! Highly recommended!"
"Another great book, from a great author."
"I cannot sing your praises highly enough as a writer."
"Great book."
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