The plot is ridiculous, but a lot of other people have covered that. What I want to talk about is the dialogue. It's often stupid, and I'll give just one example to illustrate my point. Early in the book, the President of the United States on an alternate Earth is talking with a couple of generals about the fact that ancient monuments around the world are exploding and gigantic "lenses" which have apparently been buried beneath them for many thousands of years are now emerging from them.

"Any idea if they're natural, then?" the president asks his generals.

Natural? The president is asking if these gigantic lenses which emerge from beneath monuments that have mysteriously exploded are somehow the work of natural forces? Is he the stupidest man in the world?

"We don't think they're natural, Mr. President." one of his advisors replies. Good point. This guy has a good grasp of the way nature works, it seems. Nature doesn't create giant lenses that destroy ancient monuments before arising out of them and aiming themselves at the sky.

"But it's a good question," one of his generals then replies.

No. No, it wasn't a good question. It was a ridiculously, unfathomably stupid question. It's like asking if cars grow from the soil. And it's a bit of dialogue that, very early in this story, caused me to lose faith in the author completely.

For all you people who gave this book five-star reviews, what did you make of this ridiculous exchange and why did you decide to keep reading?

Frankly, I could hardly put this book down, because I wanted to see how the author managed to bring everything together (the trans-dimensional "Perils of Pauline") for 3 distinct parallel Earths, each with its own impending crisis. There is nothing particularly new in the concept of intelligent reptilian beings who use humans as a food source. I first read such a tale by Edgar Rice Burroughs, a pulp fiction magazine writer of the early 1900's who invented Tarzan.

The first half of the book is particularly riveting. It is a composite of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, and various other Sci-Fi channel "mysterious alien invasion" movies and mini-series. The only thing missing is Will Robinson and the Robot from Lost in Space!

What bothered me most was 2 things:
1.the maudlin sentimentality regarding the family of the 2 major human characters, Martin and Wylie/Wilie. Some pages oozed with artificial sweetener as the author threw in a bit of hip grinding married sex (yes, married people have sex. So what? I didn't buy this book to read about THAT!). There were also numerous scenes of gushing love between the parents and their children. (I love my family too, but again I didn't buy this book to read about THAT!).

2. The ultimate fate of the parallel Earth invaded by Reptilians. SPOILER: As a result of all the horrors that occurred to humanity, the author wants us to believe that human beings developed spontaneous psychic powers of telepathy, the ability to repair melted furniture and appliances with a casual touch, the lose of all "bad" people and "bad" impulses and the END OF DEATH. In detail, one little girl's body was found dead, but she miraculous was resurrected, so I guess the New Age point the author was getting across is that people on this parallel earth will be equal to Jesus Christ after 2012. I guess all it takes to become spiritually enlightened is to be chased around in the dark by mechanical spiders and other Reptilian bogeyman devices?

Hmmmm....now I realize that being invaded by Reptilians who suck out the soul is a rather unpleasant experience, but just what in heck would cause the author to proclaim that from such experience comes a "new humanity" with the powers of the X MEN?!? I've met people who survived being in a Nazi concentration camp, and they (at best) developed a spiritual sense of faith in God and forgiveness for others, but no ability to read minds, transport teddy bears with their mind, etc. The end of this book reminded me so much of the Celestine Prophecy, where for some inexplicable reason at one point (having read the prophecy) everyone starts to glow with light, the pixies come out from hiding and everyone lives happily ever after. OK, fine (roll of the eyes).

Whitley (author), sometimes you have a great idea, and then you just take it to extremes. I can see how this may make a great movie, but leave out all the corn syryp and New Age crap at the end, or it just might not work.

Would I recommend buying this book? NO! Check it out of the library. If I could turn back time, I wouldn't buy it. I enjoyed the read only to feel (at the end) that I wasted my time. It's like watching a CSI episode on TV, and at the end everyone develops angel wings and starts singing Amazing Grace and flies off into the clouds together. You'd think, WTF? That's my reaction to the way the author brought this all together.

2012 was supposed to be a sequel of sorts to "The Grays" yet it does not revisit the characters from that book nor does it follow-up in any way whatsoever from "Thee Grays". it is nearly unintelligible and the story line and premise and chatacyers are poorly developed and put in unrealistic situations and just bizarre dangers. I could barely follow and was frustrated all the way thru. I tossed the hardcover bool in the dumpster as I could not see passing it onto to another reader with any good faith. How did Streiber come up with such an implausible, laughable premise and
storyline? Streiber maybe needs a sabbatical from writing as this book as this book is sophomoric and maturely written in the extreme. I was sorely disappointed by the downright ridiculous story and effects and the dialogue was bad, bad, bad. Don't bother to read unless you want a good sad laugh. And I read everything the man has ever written. A real mess of a novel. If he had stuck to characters and groundwork laid out in "the Grays" he might have had a winner. Trash reading at its worst--for shame Whitely Streiber--foisting this sad exercise on your loyal readers.

I could NOT put this book down! It grabbed me from the first page to the last. If I could say anything negative about this book it would be that I did not get ENOUGH!!! I wanted more!

This book was 319 pages - but I would have loved 640. I wanted MORE - MORE - MORE!!! Especially when Whitley describes the alien world of the serpents!! I found their world fascinating! I would have loved to seen and felt that world in the way that only Whitley can provide. His written word is almost poetic - like living in a world of the dreamer!

I have read most of Whitley's work and this book is a mix of his beliefs and experiences that only can be told using fiction! WONDERFUL! Please Whitley do it again and again and again!!!! LOVED IT!!!!

I CANNOT WAIT FOR THE MOVIE!!!