Forecast for Eyewall: A Category 5-Star Best Seller
By Freelancer on April 27, 2011
Format: Paperback
Batten down the hatches: the forecast for Eyewall predicts a tour de force that will blow you away. The pace is frenetic; the characters realistic as neighbors; and the plot causes your stomach to tighten, one scene after another.
Bernard knows weather and nature, and he knows how to write about it so that the rest of us can understand barometric pressures, cloud nomenclature and storm surges in everyday terms.
He also knows human nature. He overlays three plot perspectives and the dynamics of several relationships that cover just about every range of emotion from work stress to marital problems, family struggles and heroism, all in a manner akin to Greek tragedy.
Hurricane season (and school vacations) start soon. This is a definite beach read for the summer!
***
By James Stevens on April 28, 2011
Format: Paperback
Just finished Eyewall, Buzz Bernard’s thrilling account of a Cat 5 hurricane hitting St. Simon’s Island in Georgia. As seen from three perspectives, readers struggle with flying through a hurricane eyewall, frantically trying to get away from a storm surge rolling over the island, and dealing with the varying emotions involved.
Eyewall will be on the lips and laps of many beach-going readers this summer, especially in the South. A new writing star has appeared. More, soon, please.
James Stevens, author of Listening to Van Gogh and Coal Cracker Blue
***
By snohound on July 1, 2011
Format: Paperback
OK… I’m a meteorologist but you don’t have to be one to enjoy this novel. Three very different genres of people are sucked into the ride of their lives (directly and indirectly) by a monstrous force of nature. Character development is excellent to the point that you really seem know them personally. With skilled storytelling (twists and trysts) this wild adventure joins together as one and revs up like a jet engine. Fallible characters are stretched to their human limits. No cookie cutter finish to this one. A great summer read!!
***
By FletcherBooks on July 16, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition
EYEWALL clearly defines Buzz Bernard as a master story teller. Not only does he combine genuine characters with authentic dialogue, and beautiful description with hard hitting action, but he does this in a complex plot that takes you from one tense contrasting scene to another.
I’ve never read anything by Bernard before and was impressed by the way the author has carefully structured the story to give an excellent balance of information, action and suspense. He obviously trusts his readers to be intelligent enough to piece together information and not bog them down in unnecessary detail. This allows you to become absorbed in the book, as you should be, and Bernard’s fluid and pacey writing style makes this a joy to read.
A definite must for those of you who love intense thrillers with great characters, multiple plot lines and, in Bernard’s case, more than one unexpected twist. A huge thumbs up!
***
By John House on July 1, 2011
Format: Paperback
The age old battle of plot and character is cleverly solved by Buzz Bernard. The perfect blend of the two elements in EYEWALL is mixed with breathtaking scenes from heaven and hell.
The appropriate sprinkling of technical details educates the reader without becoming overwhelming. The characters become alive in our hearts and minds and we struggle with them in their internal and external conflict.
We need to see more from this master storyteller.
***
By Noblenorm on October 16, 2011
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
While not liking his perchance at crudeness, I was enthralled with his story. He is creative and effective in drawing in the reader. Very good story; one which I recommend to others.
***
By M. Lawrence on October 14, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I purchased this book when it was a Kindle special of the day. Not being a huge fan of fiction, I decided to give it a shot. I can’t say it’s one of the best fiction books I’ve ever read but it definitely held my attention. You won’t want to put it down because the story just doesn’t let up. Overall, worth reading. I don’t think I would spend $8 for it but if you can get for under $5, go for it.
***
By Harriet Klausner#1 HALL OF FAME on June 23, 2011
Format: Paperback
Hurricane Janet is predicted to be a category one when it hits the Georgia coast and barrier islands like St. Simons Island over the Labor Day weekend. Still though St. Simons has not felt the fury of a major hurricane in ages, officials suggest people leave for the mainland though many remain on the island.
Trish and Alan Grant decide to leave when the weather begins to turn ugly. However, one of their two children fifteen years old Sandy is missing; apparently meeting a boy she met on the internet. With their eight years old son Lee they search for their daughter. At the same time Air Force Hurricane Hunters Major Arlen Walker and Captain Karlyn Hill send back data from the eyewall of the storm while they and the rest of the crew feel like The Charge of the Light Brigade; the Hurricane Center believes Janet is a category one. However, the new information may be too late to prevent a Katrina like disaster.
With a nod to Karen Harper’s Hurricane and 1992’s Andrew, retired Weather Channel meteorologist H.W. “Buzz” Bernard provides a tense thriller as a Catastrophic storm assaults the Georgia coast. Hurricane Janet is seen through the eyes of the Grant family battered and trapped on a resort island though the daughter angle is a bit overly melodramatic and the air force crew caught inside the eyewall. Exciting from the moment the cast realizes this is not the predicted Minimal Category 1, readers will root for the heroic men and women (and hiss at Walker’s incredulous cartoonish spouse), but the story line is owned by Janet.
Harriet Klausner
***
By N. Wills on April 29, 2011
Format: Paperback
Having lived in South Florida through several hurricanes (including Andrew), I can rightfully say that this book was eerily accurate in the details of a hurricane. I know what it’s like to sit in a house with no electricity, everyone huddled around a radio listening to news reports, and hoping that we all make it out alive.
Eyewall shows us three separate perspectives of a category 5 hurricane and how the people dealt with it. Each one just as terrifying and gripping as the next. This is a masterpiece work of fiction that should not be missed by anyone!
In conjunction with the Wakela’s World Disclosure Statement, I received a product in order to enable my review. No other compensation has been received. My statements are an honest account of my experience with the brand. The opinions stated here are mine alone.
***
By John Scientist on May 2, 2011
Format: Paperback
The author very cleverly builds up the tension as what at first sight appears to be a mild hurricane turns into a monster. He dramatically interweaves the various elements of the plot: a weather experts who calculates what will happen; his overbearing boss at the Natural Environment Television Network who won’t listen to him; the private and professional lives of the personnel who brave flying into the hurricane’s eye and discover the truth; and the family vacationing on St. Simon’s island who become dramatically caught up in the approaching disaster.
Like Tom Clancy, Buzz Bernard manages to provide the technical background without slowing down his fast paced plot. I would recommend this as a great book to read on the beach, but if Jaws made you apprehensive about swimming in the ocean, this book might discourage you from going to the beach in the first place. Anyway, go ahead and read this exciting thriller.
***
A spell binding tale about brave men, women, and the hurricane that threatens them all
By Amazon Customer on December 24, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
A family imperiled by the storm, the crew of a hurricane Hunter trapped in the hurricane; and a weather team trying to warn the people in it’s path. A great read wonderfully done, H.W. Bernard weaves a compellingly good story.
***
By Amazon Customer on September 7, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Eyewall is a fantastic account of the Hurricane Hunter’s life in the eye of the storm as well as in the cockpit. My husband was a navigator on the C-130’s that flew out of Ramey AFB during the late 60’s and early 70’s. Some of the dialogue in this book is very similar to actual conversations I recall from the guys at the “O” Club following a chase! The descriptions of the storm in Eyewall remind me of the descriptions they gave of flying into the eye of Camille. After 22 penetrations into Camille on one mission, they chased it all the way to the Azores! I have given Spen and our son each a copy of this book. Ramey was his favorite assignment and I wanted our son to know what his father did while we were stationed at Ramey. Hat’s off to Buzz Bernard and to all the Hurricane Hunters!!
***
By Dragon Lady Ness-a on August 23, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I downloaded this book when it was free and just got around to reading it now. I wish I’d picked it up sooner. This tells the tale of a catastrophic hurricane that develops off the coast of the Southeastern US. Due to some unusual meteorology, it is behaving atypically and is on a collision course with Georgia, a region that rarely has experienced hurricane landfall due to its topography. And it’s happening at one of the worst possible times, on a holiday weekend when the beach resorts and vacation homes are in full use.
The story is told from the perspective of three groups of people. First is Major Arlen Walker and his crew. He’s a reservist who pilots a Hurricane Hunter aircraft, the people who fly into the storm to collect the data that can’t be measured remotely. He’s having trouble in his marriage and is making this his last flight to try and please his wife once again. Next is Alan Grant and his family. He’s here to have some quality time with his family, and nothing is going to interrupt his schedule. Besides, what are the chances that a hurricane will actually hit St. Simons Island? Last is Dr. Nicholas Obermeyer, a meteorologist with what used to be the Weather Channel. Now it’s called the Natural Environment Television Network, and actual forecasts have taken a backseat to infotainment. He’s an expert in hurricanes and is seeing signs that the storm named Janet has the potential to become very nasty very quickly. But he’s caught between a rock and a hard place – the National Weather Service hasn’t issued a warning yet because the last scheduled Hurricane Hunter aircraft was grounded, so they are behind on data. But any time delay could mean the difference between life and death for people on the coast and barrier islands. If he’s wrong it’s his career, and if he’s right and delays, people will die.
If you like movies like the original Airplane, The Towering Inferno, Poseidon Adventure, Dante’s Peak, etc., you will probably enjoy this book. It is well-written and the characters feel very true to life. The action builds slowly, but it just adds to the tension of the situation. Technical details are very well researched and, in my opinion, give you a good glimpse of behind-the-scenes action in hurricane monitoring without being so technical that you lose interest. But I’m a Science nerd, so others might not find it as fascinating as I did. Some other reviewers did complain about the language used. Some of the characters are a bit “salty” in their speech, but I didn’t find it gratuitously so. Mostly in character for the people as they were portrayed. A really good book.
***
By S. E. Westfall on October 12, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I enjoyed reading Eyewall. The troubles at the television station seem plausible to me as a long-time weather watcher. Sometimes it seems that the show is more important than the weather event. I’ve even emailed a certain station when they were airing a story about Dunkirk instead of covering a tornado outbreak in southeast Virginia. The response I received was that the decision whether or not to go live was made in the control room.
The characters seem familiar and sometimes stereotypical but that could be because the roles they play are familiar. Bumping up against authority figures becomes justified when the consequences are revealed. The flight crews who track the storms carry enormous responsibility for their own safety and the lives of thousands. Personal issues may be distracting and reduce focus. The same thing can be said for those whose main concern is a financial bottom line rather than the storm surge line.
***
A Must Read for Those Living in the Georgia Coast
By Joyce Dixon on July 30, 2011
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
For those living on the Georgia Coast, there is a false sense of safety from hurricanes created by a history of storms passing the concave of the Georgia Coast for the easier target of North Carolina. But there are exceptions. Hurricane David proved the Georgia Coast is not infallible, and Hugo proved a hurricane can change its path at the last moment. In many ways, EYEWALL is a guide of what would happen if a cat. 5 hurricane hit the Georgia barrier islands with a target of St. Simon’s Island.
As a retired meteorologist, author H.W. Bernard could have buried the reader in the science and technology of storm tracking and damage, but instead he has created an edge of your seat thriller that follows Hurricane Janet from three stories: a rogue meteorologist for a cable weather channel in Atlanta; a Hurricane Hunter aircraft trapped inside the eyewall; and a family of four vacationing on St. Simons Island. The reader bounces from story to story following the storm’s timeline as the tension builds in a superb reading experience.
***
By David W. Lott on July 21, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition
Having spent many years on St. Simons, I was intrigued when I first heard of this book. As a coastal resident, hurricanes always strike fear and the more intense the approaching storm, the greater the fear. With a few gaps, I thought that the book was extremely well written and moved at a fast pace that made it difficult to find a stopping point. The movement of the story from one group to the other added to the pace. My critical comments: the trapped family kind of disappeared at the end of the story until the epilogue; and, there were some inconsistencies in the physical struggles of one group versus the other at essentially the same point in the hurricane.
Highly recommended!
***
A Nightmare Scenario, but a dream to read
By Rain Levity on July 4, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition
It was sheer irony that the couple of evenings I was reading this book we had loud, violent storms. All the more intense and thrilling to read, my dear.
I found the story to be well-though-out and well-executed. He characters were complex and believable, not to mention likeable. The pace was very fast, with a lot of tense scenes and uncertain outcomes. I appreciated how the separate and seemingly unrelated groups of people came together and impacted each other’s lives before the end. The ending was fairly predictable, I’ll say, but the details were in the air enough to keep your interest through to the last word. I also appreciated that it was a good healthy length (I think I read it 3 evenings, including staying up to 2 AM one of those), and the editing was pretty good.
All in all an excellent read. I recommend it.
***
By Marinole on October 19, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I actually enjoyed this book and stayed up late reading it but there were a few problems that kept me from giving it five stars and almost got it three stars. First of all, I wish more time had been spent developing the characters, describing St. Simon’s (a beautiful place) and putting more meat on the bones of the story. Second, there are errors in grammar that, for me are tantamount to fingernails on a blackboard, i.e., “the pine tree was LAYING across the road” and, OMG, “snuck”!!! Usually, if authors use “snuck” that is it for me, I put their books down and don’t bother with them again. Editors should be ashamed to show their faces if those kinds of errors have “sneaked” by. Third, there were just too many tired old clichés.
That being said, I was fascinated with all the information on weather and the hurricane. Having been through several myself, including Hugo, (never knew about the hurricane hunters being trapped inside its eyewall)I learned a lot and enjoyed learning it. I love books that will give me new information and this book certainly did that. I think that Bernard can make a good novelist if he cleans up his act just a smidge and learns to develop things before thrusting his readers into the eye of the storm, pun intended.
***
By Mr. J. J. Hall on July 17, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition
I highly recommend EYEWALL for lovers of thrillers with a complicated plot, great characters, a few twists in the tale, and a delicious helping of action thrown in for good measure. The action is balanced by well-drawn, believable, characters that draw you in to Bernard’s world of suspense and intrigue. He also manages to paint a vivid picture without wasting time on superfluous detail, which, added to the author’s flowing writing, makes this a fast-paced read. I’ll definitely be looking out for more books from “Buzz”.
***
By Michael C. Bell on June 19, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Finished Eyewall last night. Like Crichton, it has clear scientific and media overtones, but I liked Bernard’s characters much better. They are more richly drawn and come from a nice variety of backgrounds. In Eyewall, the reader follows three distinct groups, hopping between reservist military, media science communications, and a family of four getting away for a long weekend. Like the tornado, the three groups converge with hurricane Janet and St. Simon’s Island.
Bernard’s foreshadowing was great, but he also managed to diverge from my expectations enough to keep it interesting. I loved it. Doesn’t read at all like a first novel. Gave a hard copy to my dad for Father’s Day.
Showing 21-30 of 268 reviews
Three stories all interrelated
By Heather E. Hejduk on September 6, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Everyone is expecting Janet to be a category 1 hurricane hitting South Carolina somewhere. One meteorologist at The Natural Environment Network, however, is sure it will be a category 5 coming ashore at St. Simons Island, Georgia. Eyewall by HW “Buzz” Bernard is three stories all interrelated. One of the meteorologist who loses his job for going against orders to warn people on air about the hurricane’s strength and danger. One of the crew on the Air Force hurricane hunter tasked with going through the eyewall of Janet to get readings on what they think is a mild hurricane. And one of a family vacationing on St. Simons Island with a runaway daughter somewhere on the island.
I enjoyed this book a lot. It was a bit confusing at first because so many important characters were introduced so fast due to the rotating parts about each of the three groups of people. The author way overused similes and did a lot telling rather than showing in his writing. He also could have used a better editor. There were quite a few spelling errors or incorrect words used scattered throughout the book. Even with these problems, Eyewall really sucked me in and, especially for the last third, I could barely put it down. I really wanted to know how it was going to end.
***
By ReKindled on October 18, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This is a page-turner and kept me up all night!! Hurricanes have fascinated me (fearfully) since I was stranded in New Orleans for a few days following Camille in 1969. The Eye of Camille actually hit my chosen destination but thankfully I was on the last commercial flight to land in New Orleans on that afternoon. This book is entertaining, educational and enlightening. It is well-written with just the right balance of nail-biting adventure, laughter and love.
***
By Paul Yates on October 17, 2011
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
I just finished this wonderfully exciting book. The story was so compelling, the characters so interesting and the story so exciting that I found myself reading it straight through with only a brief rest for some necessary sleep. This is the first book in a long time that demanded that I finish it quickly. This is one roller coaster ride of a read. Half way through I found myself saying: “Can this guy keep this up to the end?” The answer is YES!
***
By bookworm on October 16, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This novel included interesting information on the science of hurricanes and on the skill and courage of those who monitor them. The author’s characterizations of women were unconvincing to me. However, I found the story of the three groups of people who interacted with each other as a result of the hurricane to be convincing and suspenseful. I enjoyed the book and came away feeling I had learned something.
***
By A&D on July 7, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition
The author being a retired meteorologist. This story is believable because he knows what he writes about: the extreme weather conditions! It is really captivating to read how he describes the violent hurricane.
The story starts in Simons Island, Georgia. This place has never been hit by a Category 5 hurricane until now. It was unexpected to have such a strong storm in this area. There are several families, couples and even an Air Force plane trapped in the storm and facing this hurricane not knowing their destiny. They need to but back their personal troubles (like the couple with marriage on the rocks) and try to find a way to survive the storm.
***
A classic summertime beach read and thrill ride
By D. H. Smith on July 6, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition
Eyewall reminds me of the great disaster-thrillers like Arthur Hailey’s AIRPORT: those fast-paced action stories that put a great cast of characters in danger from a big event — in this case, a Cat Five hurricane. Anyone who’s ever been to St. Simons Island, Georgia (I’ve been there many times) will shiver at the thought of a massive storm hitting that lovely, low-lying barrier island. St. Simons is filled with beach houses, hotels, shops, etc. And during tourist season it’s packed with people. Buzz Bernard brings the island to life vividly, but he also does a great job portraying the crew of the Hurricane Hunter. I read in his bio that he’s an Air Force veteran as well as a retired meteorologist, so that explains his insider knowledge of both military aircraft and storms. BRAVO, Mr. Bernard! I can’t believe this is your first novel. More, more! I could not put it down!
***
Excellent Thriller! I’ve found Crichton’s replacement.
By Book CraZ on May 21, 2011
Format: Paperback
The following review is from my husband, who grabbed this book and read it first. My review follows.
“I read a lot of Vince Flynn, Lee Childs, etc. and Bernard holds his own in comparison. Eyewall was simply an excellent thriller. I couldn’t put it down. Not only was it interesting and suspenseful, but it had satire and humorous cynicism that had me chuckling aloud.
The idea of a Cat 5 hurricane developing and striking contrary to computer models is believable, but what makes this story work is the cast of characters. They are real, not stereotypes, and their reactions to the events make sense. The setting is one twenty-four hour period, which serves thrillers well.
I’ll be looking for more by this impressive author!
~the husband”
“I miss Michael Crichton so much. I read all his books and enjoyed his movie screenplay TWISTER. But I’ve found a new author who has taken his place in my reader’s heart: Buzz Bernard. He’s the king of meteorology thrillers, as Crichton, Robin Cook, and Tess Geritson were/are for medical thrillers. I hope to read more from this writer. The highest compliment I can pay Eyewall is to compare it to the tornado thriller, TWISTER, but it’s a better and stronger plot.
Rich in description, Bernard knows how to spin a story without letting the details bore the reader. I finished this book entertained; but I learned a lot, too (just as I did with Crichton’s novels) about hurricane hunters, storm patterns and development, and the politics involved in network television. Although I’ve experienced hurricanes, I have a much deeper appreciation for the powerful destructiveness now, having read Eyewall. I hope Hollywood offers Bernard a movie deal, because this would play well in film.
***
Eyewall
By Mark Shaughnessy on May 2, 2011
Format: Paperback
Eyewall is captivating and provided a realistic but scary portrayal of potential weather events. As a frequent beach person, I will be especially attentive to weather warnings in the future. Eyewall is a great summer beach read. The characters are captivating and the story is compelling. I wanted to skip ahead to see the end, but glad I waited. I highly recommend this book. Mark Shaughnessy, Author, Vietnam Remembered Today.
***
By Musicman on April 27, 2011
Format: Paperback
Be prepared to be swept up in the action. Eyewall takes you to the murderous eye of a Cat 5 hurricane. The action follows those caught in it, as well as the concurrent behind-the-scenes drama at a modern-day TV station. I certainly have a greater appreciation for Mother Nature and for those who go in ‘harm’s way’ to send a few minutes of news update to my TV set. If I were a coastal property owner, I would be checking my insurance policy about now.
***
By Momof2on July 11, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Good read. I enjoyed it. Perfect summer read.
***
By R Hughes on June 22, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
A great story for anyone that has live on the coast on pays attention to the world around them. You will not regret the time reading the book.
***
By JanieG on June 18, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
What a story! And what a storyteller! Never a dull moment and the characters are woven together to perfection. I recommend it highly.
***
A really good mystery wrapped in a wall of clouds!
By Dave Avis on June 15, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This is a very good book that surprised me. Who da thunk that I would enjoy a book about a weather event? But I really did! This is a fast moving book that has many plots and sub plots that the author weaves and crafts into a thrilling novel. The author has a remarkable grasp of the English language and is a superb word-craftsman. The characters are well developed and very early in the story. The plots become apparent very soon and sub-plots emerge at just the perfect times. And overall, there is this intense drive to get to the very edge of a supercell and see what kind of tornado it will drop.
This is a very well written story that I highly recommend to everyone who likes excitement.
***
By Jacquelyn Barker on June 12, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
My family visits St. Simons Island a few times each year, and I picked up this book in a little book shop on the island a few summers ago. I loved the story itself (as a Florida girl, I am intrigued by hurricanes and bad weather) and reading about the little details of the island I love so much, made it even better. I highly recommend this one.
***
By Sharon Nelson on June 10, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This one was difficult to put down, and a thrill to read. The relationships were closely woven, and the drama very intense. You’ll be glad you read it.
***
By Polly Bon June 10, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Lost some sleep with this one. Good build up to the end and then sleep just wasn’t an option until I finished it. I recommend this book to all who like movies and books about disasters and human ingenuity. Hope he writes a 4th soon. I will certainly get it.
***
By Diane Butler on May 26, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition
I live in an area where hurricanes hit so this was interesting to read about how they fly into the storm and collect the data.
***
By Twelfth Night Reviews on May 25, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
After reviewing Supercell, I had enjoyed the actual story, but hated the numerous mistakes and typo’s so, thought I’d give the author another go at it.
I ended up still liking the story in Supercell better, but Eyewall truly had its moments as well.
Being a weather fanatic, I love the study of severe weather and if it weren’t for the fact that tornado’s would mess up my hair, I’d probably chase one or two. Hurricanes are more predictable. Thank God.
Eyewall had good character development and like with Supercell, this was also a page turner for me. Read this in one evening. I admit to skipping several pages when Bernie and Arlen spotted a baby clinging to its mother on a fallen tree during Hurricane Janet.
When it got to the part where the two men get a hold of “Stormy” and try to get him back to the safety of the plane and even though I pretty much figured the kid would make it, I just couldn’t read those few pages. I fast-forwarded to the part where the baby was absolutely safe inside. My heart just couldn’t take it.
It certainly did the job of keeping the reader on the edge of their seats/beds/chairs and anywhere else one tends to read a book.
While it’s suspenseful for most, a true severe weather enthusiast will appreciate the amount of technical information given because you end up learning more about nature’s storm systems just by reading the story.
As for the editing, this book was a hell-of-a lot cleaner than Supercell was. There were only three instances where there were missing words out of sentences, but that was about it.
As far as suspense goes, both books did their job, but I actually thought this one had just a smidge more because of the wee little tot in peril. I HATE kids and animals suffering even for the sake of fiction (You just HAD to have a lab doggie paddling through the murky bacteria ridden surge water without any hope in sight, didn’t you?) Poor puppy…Sigh
Good book. Really enjoyed it.
This is a good writer. If Supercell is ever re-edited, I will go back in and edit my review for that book and raise it from two to five stars.
***
By Karen S. Logan on April 12, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I enjoyed this book. It kept me interested and I recommend it for anyone who enjoys being tense while reading! The characters are believable and there was plenty of action to keep you turning the pages.
***
Spellbinding. I couldn’t stop reading it.
By Marie W. on April 5, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I would recommend the book to anyone. The story was riveting. I would rate this boot a five star in my book any way.
***
By KATZMAM on March 30, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Great story based on some true facts. Living in a state where this could happen I really got into the story! Great detail about some of the characters and there undercurrents. Fast paced good dialog! Exciting read
***
By Amazon Customer on March 29, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Great writing…enjoyed story from start to finish. Definitely want to read more from this author. Im fact, I searched for more books immediately.
***
By Ronald Biel on March 28, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Informative and also stories of lives. Disappointed toward the end that there was not more explanation on how the heroes’ lives were spared while so many others died.
***
By Amazon Customer on March 23, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This story is different than anything else I have ever read. It kept my interest and I learned a lot about hurricanes.
***
By Sherrill Fachet on February 20, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I am addicted to The Weather Channel and live in Florida, so the subject matter of this book was of particular interest to me. From the beginning the story sucked me in and I was unable to put the book down. I can’t imagine flying into a hurricane and I hope to never experience a Category 5. This book really held my interest. I also particularly enjoyed the comeuppance of the world’s worst boss.
***
By Slickgramma on December 27, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Couldn’t put it down. I highly recommend. You won’t regret it as the characters come to life. Buy this book!
***
So easy to get hooked to the several ongoing dramas packed into this novel!
By Leila Baroody on December 26, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
A great book to get immersed in, especially if you are looking for fast paced adventure, romance, and the reality of Mother Nature’s unpredictability.
***
By susan lindsley on December 22, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition
I would suggest anyone who ever visited St. Simons read this book. It hasn’t happened yet, but a Cat 5 storm may be in the future for the island.
Nonstop action, nonstop storm. Nonstop read.
***
By Carole Gates on December 18, 2013
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in weather. I held my attention until the end. Very well written.
***
By Michelle Hawkins on December 16, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
At first this plot was a little hard for me to get sucked into but a few chapters in and I was hooked! It’s written well, explains many aspects of a hurricane and I learned some New things. The characters are easy to connect with and relate to. I’ll definitely be recommending this book.
***
By Karen Haver on December 12, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Loved this book – good action, several sub plots all going on at once – and just plausible enough to make you wonder “what if”
***
By Christina R. on December 7, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This is an amazing book. I love the different characters story lines and the way the author intertwined them. This book would be loved by men and women. Action and adventure with a tiny hint of romance.
***
A great history and personal challenges of war.
By Marti Hand on November 26, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
A page turner into the horror of war. The brutality was difficult to read. These men were very courageous in fighting for our country and their lives.
***
By Peter Beagan on November 22, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Quite a story. Amazing what these crews do and the risks they take in an effort to understand and predict the motions of these incredibly powerful weather systems.
***
By LovesToRead on November 17, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
In this book, one gets an insight into the hurricane. It is a book that holds you from beginning to end. I highly recommend it!
***
By M. L. Wyatt on November 12, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
When you begin this book, make sure you have time to finish it because you will not be able to put it down. A novel full of suspense almost from the first page somehow manages to go quite deeply into a satisfying description of several relationships of every kind — marital, parent/child, co-workers, military officers of varying rank, and friends. This book has it all. Thanks to the author on a job well done.
***
By SEP on October 27, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I really enjoyed reading this book. Since I lived in Florida most of my life and have been through many hurricanes it is very believable. It was well written and I could relate with the people involved. I got it as a freebie and is well worth getting and reading even at the current $1.99. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
***
Good Story, well developed & interesting
By N. Bowlin on October 21, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I do not usually bother reviewing a book but this one was well written and the Character Development was very thorough. Having lived at Carolina Beach in North Carolina, now live in South Carolina the Hurricane story is what we deal with on a regular basis. This is a very reasonable development of a storm pattern and the way the media handles it. Today is has gotten to the point that we feel that they are simply crying “wolf” most of the time and some people simply ignore them which in itself is a very scary scenario.
Enjoyed the book from the very beginning to the end!
***
By Dominoe on October 18, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Constant action, a few interesting characters, and a plausible plot combine to make this book well worth the investment of your time.
***
By SFwriter on October 12, 2013
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
An excellent read! Bernard’s first-hand experience as a meteorologist makes this story all too believable. For an emergent writer, Bernard already demonstrates best-seller skills. I can’t wait to read Supercell.
***
Good read for hurricane lovers.
By Kristal on October 10, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I enjoyed reading this book as I am fascinated by weather. I would recommend to anyone who loves hurricanes and hurricane hunters.
***
5 dyad rating for this book and author
By Karen Crease on September 22, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This book is very riveting, very detailed about the hurricane. I have suggested thus book to several friends already. I love how they author writes.
***
By darlene crider on September 19, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Face paced and fascinating. Could be that I am knowledgeable about aircraft. Couldn’t put it down! I will read more of his work.
***
By Bobbie Thompson on September 17, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I give this book five stars because after three months and several books later I can still remember the tension and excitement it generated.
***
What a great book! Especially for weather enthusiasts!
By Ryan Davidson on September 17, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Just reading into the first few pages it was a very engaging book and the meteorology is just perfect! Love it!
***
By Debbie on August 30, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I read this book in two days on the eighth anniversary of Katrina. The descriptions of the storm surge and debris was astoundingly accurate. I know -we rode out Katrina in our home in Waveland, MS. Thanks Buzz for an exciting adventure.
***
By Amazon Customer on August 25, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition
This is such a great book. I learned a lot about hurricanes, meteorologists and hurricane hunters that I knew nothing about. The book will definitely keep you on the edge of your seats and I cannot wait to read other books from this author. Perfect read for those who love storm books.
***
Think I’ll stay away from the coast
By Joan L Cashin on August 25, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Good story. I started it last night. Planned to read a couple chapters. I got into the eye of the hurricane and only put it down to sleep. I especially appreciate the well-integrated educational line on weather, hurricanes and the brave flyers and scientists that fly into the jaws of the dragon.
***
By BARBARA on August 19, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Absolutely recommend this book. As a disaster book/movie junkie, this was an entertaining and believable hurricane story, unlike some movies that are so out there they are comical rather than plausible. Written by a meteorologist who knows his stuff. Great characters and personal stories mixed in with the hurricane story. Don’t plan on going to bed on time when you start reading this, it’s a page turner for sure.
***
By Vetkellie on August 4, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This story brings incite to how the weather can cause problems as it hits the coast. While fictional, it brings to mind many of the events we heard about in the last ten years. The characters are people you want to learn more about and find out what happens to them as Janet builds into a cat 5
***
By msturtle06on July 15, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I had never heard about this book or this author but just took a chance on it. I really enjoyed the story. The writing was smooth and the story line very interesting. I would definitely recommend this one.
***
By Carolina Belle on July 11, 2013
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
One can tell this author has experience in meteorology! You really feel as if you’re in the airplane with the Hurricane Hunters; going through the storm with the characters. You’re also being taught, in a totally painless way, a lot about how hurricanes develop, are forecast, what a hurricane is capable of doing and term definition.
Only flaw? Somewhat-pat endings, but for a summer beach read, this is terrific.
***
By karin Szust on July 7, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition
Amazing book! Could not stop reading it
This is a book that everyone living in a Hurricane prone area should read.
This will make people listen to hurricane warnings and comply with evacuations.
Great job!
I want more like this book!
***
A hurricane and office politics create a whirlwind story
By Edisto Linda on June 28, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This was a fast, enjoyable read. The story moved at a brisk pace with several mini-stories being nicely blended around a single event.
***
Real Danger & A Fascinating Metaphor
By Mary Writes on June 24, 2013
Format: Paperback
Eyewall by Buzz Bernard
This is not your mother’s bedtime story. Get ready for life-risking adventure, danger and difficult choices in the face of terror and the uncontrollable demands of nature and people.
This is an interesting lesson in the nature of hurricanes and the tactics used to track and warn of their activity – but not to the extent of distracting from the story line.
The author knows how to interject humor in times of crisis and uses distinctive dialogue to “show” his characters.
“Engines don’t hiccup just because they swallowed too much foam off a Budweiser.”
Action filled chapters create angst into the next. Does a parent abandon hope of saving one child to save another? “The right choices aren’t always the ones our heart would make.” (Ch.22, p.131). Chapters are short – easy and fast read.
You will grip this book until finally you see, “the clouds part and the sun reflected in a kaleidoscope of glittering diamonds off the broad sweep of the Columbia River.”
***
By S. Cullen on June 5, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
It held my interest such that I had trouble putting it down to go to sleep. It is action packed. I love the way the author brought the characters to life and stayed focused on the hurricane stages. Very informative also. Buzz is a great author.
***
By Amazon Customer on April 16, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Wow! What a read! This one kept me up way past what should have been bedtime trying to find out what happened next. I really appreciated the knowledge of airplanes and hurricanes (felt like I actually learned something!) that were interspersed throughout the book. The other thing I liked was that the author used what my dad used to call $2 words, but it didn’t feel strained as it often does (sometimes it is VERY apparent that the author just sat down with their book and swapped some of their original words out with a thesaurus to make it sound more literary…this is not the case here. The author used them correctly…what a novelty!) I agree that the characters did not have a lot of depth to them, but in such an action-packed wild ride, who cares? I kept thinking that this book would make a great movie.
***
By js33on April 11, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition
Not my usual fare and I’m not even sure why I ordered it. BUT it was grrreeeaat! I couldn’t put it down.
I live on the east coast and am familiar with hurricanes, but familiar and this book are too different things. The character development of many interesting people was great. The storm was unbelievable!
Good job!
***
By C. Ouellette on April 6, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
You can’t believe everything you read. But in this case, you can. Bernard being a retired meteorologist for the Weather Channel, this book is chock full of information about weather patterns and hurricanes. Informational and entertaining! Who could ask more from a book?
The information is presented in laymen’s terms and actually easy to understand so don’t let that scare you. It’s not a technical book. It’s a fast paced, exciting story.
The story spans over a 15 hours period and follows three main characters through one of the worst hurricanes to hit the Eastern coast ever. I found that the author did a very good job with character development given the short time period we get to know them.
I even liked the “all’s well that ends well and everybody living happily ever after” ending, it fit the story.
***
By rolltide on April 1, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition
Great read—-several different plots going in what becomes a catastrophic storm on the GA coast! If you like weather and its extremes, you’ll love this book!
***
By pcayers on March 29, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition
I read this book while winding down a long vacation. Though I was tired, I found myself skipping much needed sleep in order to see what happened next. There is no great social message in this book (which is the only reason that it gets four vs. five stars), but anyone who reads it will be glad they did…great entertainment!
***
By Jamie R. Nelson on March 10, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition
The characters had very bumpy rides but this compelling weather drama was smoothly crafted and utterly believable. A very satisfying read!
***
A fascinating tale about real heroes!
By smittykatz on March 5, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This was a great book. I’ve always been interested in weather (love a great thunderstorm, not so much a tornado, can’t even imagine a hurricane). Mr. Bernard writes a fascinating story weaving together many people who weather a hurricane. I appreciated learning about the hurricane hunters that fly into hurricanes (such bravery, indeed). I also appreciated the different storylines weaved into the book. My one criticism is that it seemed that Mr. Bernard threw some pretty big words around that really were out of place and were frankly, kind of irritating. Little thing, though. Loved the book!
***
By barbara270 on March 2, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This is a good read in that it’s factual and realistic. I loved the story line of the approaching hurricane and the involvement of the family as well. I read this in 4 nights. I would have done it sooner, but I started each night around 11:00 and had to go to sleep.
***
By Wendy on March 2, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This was a very interesting book. The characters were not that engaging even though the story line kept me interested enough to read in a day.
***
By yasmin on February 28, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Good book, quick delivery, very impressed with the speed. Packaging was good product was in perfect shape. Good delivery thank you
***
By janetch on February 14, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This book far exceeded my expectations, and was truly hard to put down. I had been afraid that hurricanes might be a bit too scientific and boring, but this wasn’t the case at all! I learned a lot, but in an entertaining manner. I loved everything about this book except the almost-sex scenes. They seemed to be inserted just to have them there, and detracted from the story rather than adding to it. I was also left wondering what became of Pete, since he wasn’t mentioned at the end when everyone else was accounted for. Overall, an excellent read, and one that I would recommend!
***
By Amazon Customer on February 10, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I wasn’t sure about buying this book at first because I wasn’t convinced a book about a hurricane could be exciting. Well, I was wrong. This book was hard to set down. You get drawn unto the story and interested in the characters right from the start. I was in the Bahamas for hurricane Andrew so this story hit home for me.
***
By Mountain Girl on February 1, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
A page turner. Loved it! Very well written. I felt I was in the middle of the storm along with the characters. Highly recommend.
***
Eyewall – You can’t put it down
By Dion January 30, 2013
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
Action keeps coming page after page. The characters are so developed you really care what happens to them, and your fear and relief, sympathy and anxiety and love run with them as each new chapter, and situation, unfolds. I am sharing it with everyone!
***
By Jeni P on January 29, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition
I read this during a hurricane in Louisiana and even though I live in Vermont, we have had a couple of surprising storms in the past two years, one a hurricane. I love to see God’s power demonstrated in extreme weather and in people’s ability to know extraordinary information such as how storms are going to change. This was a well written example of both.
Very exciting, real, and thought-provoking. I liked this book a lot.
***
By k ton January 25, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Packed with action from beginning to the very last chapter. The three different situations going on at the same kept you reading onto the note.
***
By Victra on January 21, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Buzz Bernard has been added to my list of great writers. Eyewall made my top 50 books that everyone should read. I am a weather junkie, and as a result, my son is a meteorologist. He’s living my dream. As soon as I started reading this book, I called my son and told him that he would love it. Bernard painted a very realistic picture of what happens during a cat 5 hurricane, and he helped me appreciate the Hurricane Hunters and devoted weather people that strive to keep us safe when Mother Nature comes to call. I experienced the tremendous power of Hugo from 180 miles from the South Carolina coast, and got a firsthand description of the devastation it caused. You could smell Charleston from 50 miles away.
If you want to know, and I think you need to know, what it is like to experience a hurricane in all its monstrous glory, then Eyewall is a must. Hats off to you, Buzz!
***
By Diana Rye on January 20, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
You can tell the author has firsthand knowledge of hurricanes. Read it in one night and paid for it the next day.
***
By Jennifer Moreland on January 19, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Easy reading, interesting, and didn’t want to stop reading until I reached the end. Recommend this book for anyone. No obscene language.
***
By Bonnie on January 19, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Suspenseful from beginning to end. I’m not sure how scientifically accurate it is, but very realistic in human reactions and in terms of how such a catastrophe would be handled officially.
***
Kept me on the edge of my seat!
By Diane Fellows on January 15, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
After experiencing the 4 hurricanes that blew through Florida in 2004, this book brought back memories! I work for an electric utility, so it seemed as if we were working around the clock for months. This was such a well-written book and the facts regarding hurricanes and how people foolishly think they can “wait it out was right on! One of the BEST books I’ve read in a while! Fantastic is all I can say!
***
Suspenseful novel, excellent characterization, great description and action
By Kenneth E. Walker on January 12, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This is an exciting, outstanding novel. It kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. The way different groups were affected by the hurricane was impressive.
***
By Margaret Tressler on January 9, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I chose this book because I have always been interested in weather. I “looked inside” before purchasing and my interest was immediately peaked. I was not disappointed. It was suspenseful from beginning to end. I would recommend the book to anyone who is intrigued by storms.
***
By Kindle Customer on January 8, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
It was a fast paced book that incorporated personal and professional problems associated with events we are all familiar with. It gave an insight into the people that give us heads up in weather events, and depicts Mother Nature.
***
By christina golden on January 7, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I loved this story. Very believable. Characters were good. Took a little bit to get into but once I did I couldn’t put it down. I would definitely recommend this book.
***
By Nite Reader on January 3, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Really enjoyed reading this book. I’m from Florida and can tell you that the story rings true and is a situation that we all fear. I would have given the book five stars if he had just saved the dog. Bummer.
***
By Linda D. Waldron on January 3, 2013
Format: Paperback
Eyewall is so good, I had not read a book in many years and I could not put this book down until I finished it. Will the family find their daughter? Will they outrun the hurricane? Will the plane land safely? I recommend this to everyone!
***
Eyewall by H.W. “Buzz” Bernard
By Mallory on January 2, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
An exciting thriller. I learned so much about hurricane hunters and it was all wrapped up with an exciting story line. I could not put the book down. The energy of the writing draws you in and keeps you reading til the very end. A very satisfactory reading experience
***
By Ingrid E. Senter on January 2, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I am still reading this book. It is gripping. Last night I even dreamt about being in a hurricane. I can hardly wait to get back to my reading!
***
By Kat on January 1, 2013
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
Another day, another disaster novel? Well, yes and no.
The most fascinating and different thing about Eyewall is the perspective. Mainly told through the experiences of the crew of the Hurricane Hunter that discovers just how deadly Hurricane Janet will actually be, there are also some parts that focus on a family trapped on the island Janet is stalking towards, and the meteorologist who takes the biggest risk of his career in an attempt to save the unsuspecting residents.
Eyewall keeps the tension high, and the pace for the vast majority is spot on. The story of the family that finds themselves trapped is a necessary part of the story in setting the scene, but they were certainly not the characters that stood out – that honor goes to the crew.
Usually in such a book I like a wide range of perspectives, but I’m glad that Eyewall didn’t have that – I was completely focused on the group that found themselves thrown together by circumstance, fighting to survive in the face of nasty Janet.
The ending was the only part that let me down just a little – there is a epilogue of sorts, but unfortunately it didn’t really cover all the characters that I wanted closure on.
Overall, Eyewall is a good thriller – and one that I really enjoyed. Interestingly, the author is a retired meteorologist, and his way of explaining storm phenomena was incredibly well written and accessible, even to non-science type people like me!
***
By Tina on January 1, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This book was definitely not typical of my usual choice in reading material. I’m usually a romantic comedy or mystery/thriller kind of girl. So happy to have given this book a chance. The story draws you in and takes hold until the final page… and even threw me a bone with a touch of romance.
***
By atabarac on December 31, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I can’t say enough about this book. I certainly could relate to it, having lived on the Gulf Coast for many years. I actually was one of those who “fled” Rita. The author couldn’t have put it better that the evacuation was gridlock. Never been through something like that in my life. Have since moved off the coast. I loved the character development in this book and I could not put it down. Certainly did not want it to end. I look forward to more from this author.
***
By Brooklet 3 on December 28, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I enjoyed reading this book. I chose it because I live close to st Simons and was very familiar with the names and places. I’ve often wondered about hurricanes and the Georgia coast. This book helped to answer my curiosities. There is cussing, but not too much. It was appropriately placed. There were sexual innuendos without being pornographic. I would suggest the book.
***
By Max Hutton on December 27, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Growing up in Oklahoma in the 60’s & 70’s, I didn’t have much exposure to hurricanes, but being in the middle of Tornado Alley did engender a fascination with weather. I found Eyewall to be a great, hard to put down story. Looking forward to more from this author.
***
Whirlwind action and danger – exciting story
By VDF on December 26, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I really enjoyed this book. There is danger, action and a little romance, but this is not a romance novel in any way. This hurricane story revolves mostly around the crew of plane sent into hurricanes for weather data. There are a couple other side stories which are all equally good and detailed. You’ll get to know the characters without boring dribble.
All in all I really enjoyed the book and could hardly put it down.
NOTE: There are a few scenes that are very sad and to some disturbing so be prepared.
***
I had to put this on my Facebook page! AWESOME BOOK!
By Shawna Newton on December 26, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Gee, I have NEVER left a book recommendation on my Facebook page before but this book is SO good, I had to…and here it is:
“I haven’t been able to put this book down! I started it yesterday afternoon and it’s been one of those books you put everything else off for because you HAVE TO keep going.
EXCELLENT WRITING and incredible page-turner! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!”
You will NOT go wrong if you’re looking for a great story and pick this one!
***
By Anand Shankar Jha on December 26, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
If you like “disaster” kind of plots, you will love this. Great characterization with depth (contrary to what some other reviews complaint about!), pulsating and fast paced page turning thrills, and extremely vivid imagery that the author conjures, makes this a highly recommended read. The narrative is so real, it almost feels the reader is living it for real. I will recommend ‘Rogue Wave’ by Boyd Morrison as a similar genre novel, which readers might like.
Sub plots around human emotions, bonds, relationships are also contextual enough and do not feel misplaced. Overall, fast and easy read, and it accomplishes the basic aim- to provide entertainment and thrills, and is informative too about the science of hurricanes!
***
By Diana on December 24, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I enjoyed this book! The weather info is spot on! The characters well developed plot nicely finished. Page after page excitement. Get this book you won’t regret it!
***
By Susan Crawford on October 3, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This was a quick read for me because I could not put the book down! The writing drew me into the midst of the storm, with people that I cared about. It was interesting to learn what happens behind the scenes when a hurricane is being followed. I will read whatever this author releases in the future, he took me on a ride that I did not want to end.
***
By luv2read on September 22, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Once I got into this one (which didn’t take long) I just had to finish it. Even had a late night hailstorm while reading it! Thanks “Buzz” for a wild ride & a bit of back-grounding on hurricanes. Well done.
***
By maggiemayflower on September 21, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Very entertaining, but also learned a great deal about hurricanes. Even though I lived in Florida for many years, this book supplied information that I was not aware of.
***
By Pamela R Calhoun on September 21, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This book was hard to put down from start to finish with well developed characters and interesting insight into the back story on those responsible for tracking extreme weather.
***
By Yooper Jeep on September 21, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Nice easy quick read that was enjoyable. It was interesting and I learned some things about hurricanes and the process around monitoring them.
***
By M. Griffith on September 14, 2012
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
A great read, a real page turner. Not just about a hurricane, there is drama, romance, and suspense. This book has it all. Can’t wait for his next book. Only time I’ve ever experienced a cat 5 hurricane in the comfort of my own home. Kept me up nights reading it.
***
By Milly on September 9, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Eyewall was a surprise! The focus on natural forces by someone who really knew of them firsthand brought a high degree of relevance to the book. Eyewall was a page-turner; couldn’t put it down till I was finished.
***
By Mike11on September 6, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition
Book has a compelling story line and a very good set of characters. I think one of the best things about the book is the interesting mix of solid fiction writing with actual, technical information regarding hurricanes and the forces which drive them.
***
By Anne on September 4, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This book was very good, an excellent read. I live in Georgia, about 150 miles from St Simons, so it held a special interest to me. But it was believable and the characters were great. I liked everything about this book, could not put it down. I hope Mr. Bernard writes another book soon.
***
By kivinrn on September 1, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I got this book when it was listed as the top kindle free book and was very surprised. I live in Florida & have grown up with hurricanes but this book gave some great facts wrapped around a stirring story. There is a cliff hanger w/ the end of every chapter which helps the book breeze along to the finish. This is the real thing. Get it and read it for a great time. I wish I had it in paperback so that I could loan it to all my friends.
The only way someone could not like this book is if they do not like suspense & information w/ a dash of romance. This book is for everyone.
***
By Thonie Hevron on August 21, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Eyewall by H.W. Buzz Bernard is a “can’t put it down” suspense story. Using a category 5 hurricane as the villain and characters refreshingly drawn, I stayed up way too late to finish it last night. This is a well-crafted thrill ride written for the intelligent reader.
***
By Ben Anderson on August 20, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition
This book was great from beginning to end. I enjoyed every page and it kept my interest. The characters definitely keep you going. It’s a great read like Revenge and both that I will most certainly be recommending to people in the future.
***
By JenH on August 12, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I just finished reading Eyewall and it was well worth reading! This is a real page turner – it was hard for me to put down. I thought the story as well as the characters were very believable. I highly recommend this book if you live along the coast!
***
Very Exciting Hurricane Encounters But Ends A Little Slow. Worthwhile Reading!
By M. K. Witter on August 9, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
One of the few books I have actually paid for and it was worth it. It was very exciting all the way through except the ending was slow. All in all I was happy I bought it. One of the few I actually started and finished in several days.
***
By Amazon Fan on August 8, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition
I loved this book! It was suspenseful and enthralling without being over the top. It was almost impossible to put down and I was actually sorry when I finished it! The story itself was riveting and the vivid style made me feel like I was there. I have recommended this book to others and I hope they enjoy it as much.
***
By wildrover_99 on August 5, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This was a well written book because it was mufti-faceted and each story played a part in all the others. It was a relaxing and interesting book. I did enjoy it.
***
Roller coaster of emotions- never stops!
By Lisa Booth on July 23, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Wow! You cannot put this book down. So exciting that you cannot go to sleep at night. The descriptions used for the events unfolding are so powerful and creative that you feel like you are watching a show. Great to see someone who knows about meteorology write about the subject that he is so familiar with, so you can understand and get enthralled by it.
***
By Ben Ton July 4, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Thoroughly exciting – could not put it down – loved the way he sets up three separate events then brings them all together at the right time into a wild finish. Well researched and written – hurry up with the next one!
***
Do NOT start reading this book…
By Patty on June 7, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Unless you have plenty of time. What a story! I had a very hard time putting it down and stayed up too late a couple of nights.
A solid 5 stars!
***
By Damian P. GadalVINE VOICE on April 14, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This book moves at the relentless pace of an actual hurricane, with nonstop action and a tension that makes it hard to put down. Three interrelated stories take the reader through a wild ride, both with the forces of nature, and personal relationships. If you’re looking for a good read, Eyewall should do the trick.
***
By Kellie R. Rowe on March 14, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I picked this book up as a free Kindle “purchase,” and WOW!! Once I got started I couldn’t put the book down. The plot is fast paced, with several different story lines, all effected by the same event. The characters are realistic and enticing, easy to relate to. During various moments, I truly felt there in person. A must read!!!
***
I actually learned some things.
By letsrock21 on February 10, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This book was a fun read. If you are just looking for escapism, it’s ok, but be prepared to learn about hunting hurricanes, TV production, and weather-related terms. It’s not a textbook, but it does stimulate the part of the brain that makes learning fun. My reason for 4-stars? The ending. It’s as if “Buzz” got tired of typing or his editor needed to get copy to the printer before it was done. Another 10 pages of well-described happenings between the various characters in the aftermath of the storm would have been much better. It was like a TV show that has to tie up loose ends and there is only 30 sec. of air time left. Overall, it kept my attention throughout the book.
***
By Patricia the reader on July 26, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I really enjoyed this. Thought when started it was going to be too technical. Weather related, but found it very moving and suspenseful. I never like to read curse words, but they were only used when necessary to make a point.
***
By Stacie Gorkow on July 23, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I saw this book offer on a website I visit regularly…They offer a list books available for download on the Kindle that are free or at reduced prices. A few weeks ago, this book was listed as free. It immediately caught my attention because it is set in St. Simon’s Island, Georgia. Not many people have heard of this collection of islands off the coast of Georgia. Jekyll Island is probably the most well-known, then there is also Sea Island. You can only reach these islands by crossing the causeway from Brunswick, Georgia. I have family that has retired in St. Simon’s Island. When I was a senior in college, I went there for some R & R. I loved it so much, my husband and I went there for our honeymoon 12 years ago. Sadly, we haven’t been back, but I remember the island well. So, when I saw this book, and it was free, I had to get it.
This book is not my typical genre. It is what I would consider an action/thriller/suspense type of novel. The story was intense from the very first chapter. There were times when I had to stop reading and breathe because I hadn’t realized I was holding my breath while reading. If I could have, I would have read this book in one sitting. Unfortunately, my schedule doesn’t allow that. But, since I had downloaded this to the Kindle App on my iPod touch, I was able to read it often – while riding the car, waiting in the dr’s. office, in bed, and in restaurants. I really liked reading on the iPod and will likely download more books that way.
Since I live in Iowa and have never been exposed to hurricanes I was worried I wouldn’t understand what it was like. Bernard was able to give the reader enough technical information about hurricanes to help the reader understand them, but not overwhelm or bore them with facts. His descriptions of the rain and wind and their destruction allowed me to picture exactly what was happening on the island. I found it all very interesting and having had straight-line winds of 120 mph just go through our area, I got a much better understanding of the force and destruction of hurricanes.
There were several characters in the story, but each chapter was devoted to a setting in the story….the TV Network, The Hurricane Center, The Hurricane Hunter, and St. Simon’s Island. So, this helped keep track of everyone and who they were connected with. This story is told over the course of only 1 day in the lives of these characters, with some flashbacks, and what a day it was. I had no idea there was actually “hurricane hunters”, airplanes that flew into the hurricanes to measure them. That was fascinating to me! I really learned a lot about weather patterns and risks others take to bring us those reports.
As I said, the book was very intense and all of the obstacles along the way kept the reader wanting to turn the pages faster and faster. The story does not have a happy ending for everyone which I think made it more believable. I also appreciated that while there was a lot of action and suspense, there was also romance throughout the story.
I was impressed to find that this is Bernard’s debut novel. I hope in his retirement he continues to write. I see he has a new book set to come out in about a year. So, I will be watching for that. I will be telling my relatives in St. Simon’s Island about this book even though they have likely already heard about it and maybe even know the author. This is a great summer (or anytime) read for those who like the thrilling page-turners.
H.W. “Buzz” Bernard is a retired meteorologist who worked for thirteen years at the Atlanta-based Weather Channel. He considers St. Simons Island his second home. Visit him at […]
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By Avid Reader on July 22, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition
I usually don’t pay for authors unknown to me, but after reading this book I am so glad I did! Very suspenseful…couldn’t put it down. Worth the price!
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By L. Lalonde on July 18, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition
A fair page-turner and interesting concerning hurricane. But I would like to know which cell phone provider carries its service through a cat 5 megastorm.
Showing 141-150 of 268 reviews
By Juls on July 16, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition
I loved the 3 stories combined into one awesome story, I couldn’t put this book down. I may even read again, as I read it soooo fast, I probably missed some of the story. Awesome book.
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By Esquirette on July 15, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
The technical information about hurricanes was gripping. However, the characters pray for assistance, get it, and then there is no acknowledgement of that fact. And the cursing is annoying. I did find it suspenseful and informative. Grisham writes well without the sex and cursing, and so can you.
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By peachypitt2112on July 14, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I really enjoyed this book. Great character development. The story moved along at a nice quick pace that kept me turning pages late into the night.
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By K. Holmes on July 13, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I picked up this book as a Kindle “freebie”; really glad I did, because I wouldn’t get it at the current price of over $9. The story is about the inside workings of tracking hurricanes and predicting their strength and likelihood of becoming killer storms. As I was reading, I was thinking what a great movie this would make; it was one of those books I was always eager to get back to when I had to stop to do something else.
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By Keith H. on July 12, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This was a good story. It’s a quick read. Of course the story makes you want to keep turning the page to find out what happens.
Some parts border on being somewhat far-fetched and you wander if it really would happen. However you are quickly reminded by the reality of what could happen which far overshadows any parts that are somewhat unbelievable. Bernard certainly did enough research. Enjoyable to someone who really enjoys the weather.
Overall, good book and I highly recommend it.
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By C Taylor on July 9, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Easy to read. Great info on weather predictions in general. Good plot with interesting characters.
I recommend it for a good read.
C Taylor
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By Jackson I Newberry on August 18, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
My father was one of the original Navy pilots that flew into a hurricane for purposes of recording WX data soon after WW II out of Miami. It made national news at the time thus he heard from all over the country from old shipmates. I still have a copy of the news article. Anyway, it read like I remember some of his descriptions of that flight.
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By L. Case on September 6, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Very good read. The plot is realistic and the story well writing. Lots of suspense, comedy, and a little romance. The dynamics between characters is well done and believable. I usually read Vince Flynn or Daniel Silva type novels, but this was time well used.
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Senior Meteorologist from The Weather Channel knows his stuff!
By Janet Sheppard Kelleher on August 29, 2014
Format: Paperback
When you’ve lived it, you know it… when you know it, you can write it well. Such is the case with Buzz Bernard. Eyewall is a well-written book wrapped in a page-turning format, an unbeatable combination. Kudos to the author for his first book in this series!
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5 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Human Meets Hurricane Horror–Outstanding!
By Louis N. GruberVINE VOICE on June 27, 2011
Format: Paperback
An Air Force Hurricane Hunter is having trouble with his marriage. A self-important businessman has no idea what’s happening with his young daughter. A veteran meteorologist is suppressed and intimidated by his corporate bosses. A young air force officer is pregnant and facing personal disaster. All these and others are caught up in a drama not of their making, as a supposedly minor hurricane transforms itself into a killer storm, a category five, headed straight for the resort area of St. Simons Island, Georgia.
The results are catastrophic, but how do they impact the characters of the story? Will they survive? Adapt? Change? Will the tenuous marriage endure? Will the self-important businessman learn to pay attention to his family? Will the meteorologist stay true to himself during this crisis? Well, you’ll just have to read the book to find out. And you should.
Author “Buzz” Bernard writes a fast-paced, engaging and believable thriller, drawing you into the story and getting you to care about his characters. He knows a lot about weather and what it can do, but he also knows people. The result is an engrossing read that is hard to put down. The book has its minor flaws, of course–a couple of “bad” characters are just irredeemably bad. Some over-the-top soliloquies by people who barely have the strength to swim, let alone talk. Still, the book deserves five stars and I highly recommend it. Reviewed by Louis N. Gruber.
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3 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5 Stars for the Cat 5: Eyewall
By Skye Turner on July 7, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
As an avid reader from the Deep South, I appreciated this book on many levels.
Hurricanes both terrify and amaze me, and I’m always looking for books about them.
Eyewall was recommended to me, I read the synopsis, and immediately downloaded the book.
I became so ensnared with the plot, the characters, and the creative genius of the author, I couldn’t put it down.
The plot centers around one of my own fears, being in the path of a Cat. 5 hurricane. It’s filled with legitimate concerns and facts as well as filled with relatable characters and relationships.
This is a definite “Must Read” in my book!
Eyewall will “blow” you away!
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By Kathleen Kelly on June 19, 2011
Format: Paperback
I have always liked a good thriller type story and I was excited to read Eyewall for Pump Up Your Books. Not since the 70’s and Jaws have I read a book that I literally did not want to put down. It didn’t matter that I knew absolutely nothing about predicting weather, hurricanes and what goes on at a weather station. This book gets a great big WOW from me. The story of course is about a hurricane and about the people involved. It is obvious that the author knows what he is talking about when it comes to the weather and all that is involved, from forecasting, running a weather show, and hurricane hunters that go into the eye of the hurricane to get the information that goes into predicting the weather. Not only that, the characters were very intriguing and their storylines interesting. The book grabs the reader right at the beginning and does not stop until the end. I have to admit I was not prepared for the book to be as well written that it is, I assumed that it was going to be a very technical book. Well it was technical but not to the point of being bogged down and boring. A wonderfully suspenseful book from beginning to end, very reminiscent of Peter Benchley, except the monster is not a shark but a hurricane. I recommend it highly.
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By Patricia Kain on July 25, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Great story, exciting writer all the way to the end. I enjoyed the suspense very much
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This is the JAWS of St. Simons Island!
By Carla J. Pantelakis on January 30, 2012
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
I live on St. Simons Island and this made me do a lot of thinking about how soon to get out! I bought extra cat carriers and reviewed my evacuation list/route/escape place. Buzz knows his stuff being former Air Force and Weather Channel meteorologist. His accurate accounts of what might actually occur, combined with knowing my island, brought this novel to life. I cannot wait to read his next one. I will buy anything he writes!
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By BobJ on December 4, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
No cryptic runes, megalomaniacal villains, Mayan prophecies, assassins, Navy SEALS/superheroes to the rescue, just a bunch of flawed, deeply-conflicted, ordinary people, just like me.
This novel sucked me in and wouldn’t let go. Outstanding and highly recommended.
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By L. Lindell on November 27, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I got this when it was free. Was not disappointed at all. I thought I would be bored with the weathercaster & the girl but even they were interesting. I thought the hurricane stats were spot on & felt like I was in the plane with the hunters. Thoroughly enjoyed the book.
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Really good effort… Tense and exhilarating…
By P. D. Durie on November 2, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Good fun and a furiously paced page turner. Ending was a tad twee. But good stuff all the same. I kept in visioning the teleplay. Really good.
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By Amazon Customer on October 16, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This book is very exciting, hard to put down. I enjoyed it thoroughly. I have lived in Miami long enough to have experienced several hurricanes, including Andrew. This is very realistic. I should add that I don’t necessarily expect much for $.99, but this was a pleasant surprise.
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By Margaret Young on October 16, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Just finished Eyewall last night, and stayed up later than I should because I just couldn’t let it go. Technically convincing and dramatically fascinating — couldn’t put it down.
I sincerely hope this book is not a ‘one off’ by Buzz Bernard, because I would definitely purchase anything else he does just on the strength of Eyewall.
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By Bonnie on October 15, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I loved this book. I started reading and could not put it down. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to read. Please write another book, I can’t wait for something new from the author.
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By Nath Drouin on October 15, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Okay, I just finished this book and it is amazingly well written. The story starts with this family and you wonder where Buzz is going with it. It doesn’t take long before you know. What is really good about Eyewall is the editing. This story is tight and compact compare to others where there is to long a description for everything. The book is just long enough and the twist arrived just at the right moment where you want to know more. Short chapters make it top notch.
The facts about hurricane weather and hurricane hunters are right on the money. Crazy entertaining, intense, I found myself dreaming about that book one night.
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By Amazon Customer on October 14, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I’m an avid reader. Easily excitable by cheap books either good or bad. Great Job for a first book. I couldn’t put this one down!
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By Lynda L. Andress on October 14, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This has got to be the best book I have read in ages. Thoroughly captivated me from the beginning and the story line was just fantastic. Don’t know if this author has other books or not, but he should—-great writing. Hope to see more from this author
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By Mountain Mike on October 13, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
An marvelously composed book. Interesting plot, inimitable story and subject matter. This is book that will keep your interest from start to finish, you will not put it down.
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By Lake Lynn on October 13, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Eyewall was a gripping story that had me eagerly turning the page. An exciting story with technical weather jargon that added to the story. The characters were realistic and several plots joined to provide a few twists I didn’t expect. I’ll be looking for Buzz Bernard’s next book. Good read!
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By Georgia Caron on August 16, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I would have even spent money on this book-but lucky for me, it was a free download! As the old song goes, ‘it had me from hello’. In fact, I had a hard time putting my iPad down long enough to eat supper last night. Great story, well-drawn characters, and I learned some very interesting facts about hurricanes that might come in handy when playing ‘Trivial Pursuit’ with friends!
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By T. Heyer on August 15, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Eyewall is a fast-paced page-turner, which I found hard to put down. I live on the Florida Gulf Coast, so any books about hurricanes always catch my eye. Then when I found that St. Simons Island off the Georgia Coast is the setting for this book, I was hooked. I lived on St. Simons Island a few years back and I can well imagine the devastation a hurricane would bring to that beautiful area. However, I hope that never happens. Anyone with an interest in hurricanes should definitely read this book. I’d love to see it made into a movie. I’m anxious to read more by this author.
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Eyewall
By Isabelle JollyVINE VOICE on August 13, 2011
Format: Paperback
About all I can say is ‘Wow’. This is story about hurricanes, families, Army Hurricane Hunters caught in a big one.
The plot is intricate and has three subplots which merge. A family stays on a vacation island because the husband feels it’s safe. The TV meteorologists announce this is going to be a really big one with up to 20-25 feet surges and evacuation should start immediately although their boss had told them to wait until they hear from the Hurricane Hunter plane. The plane and crew get caught in a #5 hurricane expecting a #1!
I’m like other reviewers, and won’t go into details, but this is a very exciting story. It’s the kind you can’t put down. If you start it in the evening, you’re going to lose some sleep!
The author did a great deal of research before he wrote the book. He interviewed people who had experienced hurricanes and results. The book is realistic, and I became involved with the people in the story.
I highly recommend it.
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By Common Sense Colorado on August 9, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This was a great story that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I really liked the authentic military and scientific details throughout the book. The main characters were well-developed and the personal stories added interest.
I read most of the book on my trip to Florida where I stayed in a hotel on a barrier island. The book made me realize just how foolish that kind of development is and how low the land is in relation to the ocean. It wouldn’t take much for the causeways to be under water.
The book was well-edited and formatted.
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Storm chasers will love this 🙂
By T. Richards on August 5, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I loved this book! I found it difficult to put down and go to bed. Excellent story and great depth of characters! The author did a great job researching his facts prior to writing this book. I also liked that he worked for the weather channel for several years, which made the story more interesting because he wrote it based on his experience and point of view. 🙂
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By NanMag on July 27, 2011
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
I’m not sure what made me buy this e-book, but I’m certainly glad I did. It was almost impossible to put down and I was actually sorry when I finished it! The story itself was riveting and the storytelling made me feel like I was there.
I have recommended this book to several of my friends and I hope they enjoy it as much as I did.
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By TNKindle on July 26, 2011
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
I am not sure if it was the fact that I have vacationed in St. Simon’s (The Cloister, Sea Island), or if it was my interest in storms, but Eyewall is one of the best fiction books I have ever read. Really kept my interest up. I finished the book in a couple of days while sitting on a SC beach just hours from the books setting. Buzz Bernard is a very talented writer and I look forward to reading more from the author.
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Tight Read-Batton down the hatches for Janet
By Jackie Layton on July 25, 2011
Format: Paperback
Hurricane Janet is thought to be a Category 1 until a national meteorologist sounds the alarm. The author takes you through the hurricane wall to the eye and back out again. Janet is headed for St. Simons Island, and characters from the eye of the hurricane all the way to Texas are affected by her. Once you begin this journey, you won’t want to put the book down. Janet brings out the best and worst in people. Read how they all deal with the physical and emotional effects of this hurricane. You won’t be disappointed. I know I wasn’t.
Disclosure: An Advance Reading Copy of this book was provided to me by Bell Bridge Books. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.
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By S. Baker on July 24, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I enjoyed this, more than I expected (my standards for a free download are really low, since most of them are SO bad). Aside from being from Atlanta and being familiar with the geography of the book, I’ve also got a weather-obsessed son so felt like I knew all the terminology! Yeah, there are moments that made me roll my eyes a bit (especially between father and daughter), but overall it was compelling and enjoyable. Ending wasn’t very strong, but the action throughout made up for it.
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By B. Gill on July 23, 2011
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
If you watch the weather channel at all, you can see how the plot of this book could be real. Many storms don’t seem to be as bad as they are, and people don’t want to believe how bad they can get. This is a well written, fast-paced book. I’ve been to St. Simon Island so I knew the area that was in the story. That always makes the book more interesting. I like to think I’m not stupid, but the book contained some words that made me glad there was a dictionary on my Kindle. You can get the gist of the meaning from the sentence, but when you take the time to look up the word, it added so much more to the story. I thought the ending was a little weak, but most fast-paced books do have weak endings. Still, all in all, it was a very enjoyable read.
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By Joey Mon July 22, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition
I was lucky enough to catch this book when it was introduced and got it for free (now it goes for just under $10). To me at first it sounded like a manuscript for a hookie sci fi channel televion movie, you know one of those over the top disaster movies. I could not have been more wrong. I did find a little of the story of the buildup of the storm a little over the top (hence my 4 star review, other than 5 stars), but other than that it was a hang on to your hat pretty accurate description of a destructive storm with a good story of characters it centers around.
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Three interesting stories in one
By Mary B Sieczkowski on July 22, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I moved Eyewall up on my list to read after there were some postings on Facebook about how good it was…. and they were right. An eyewall is around the eye of a hurricane. The book has 3 story lines. The first is the flight crew of the Hurricane Hunters: Air Force reservists who fly through hurricanes to get data to help the Hurricane Center determine the strength and track of the storm. The author was an officer in the Air Force.
Second story line is about the meteorologists at a weather channel who are caught in a battle with their boss and have a romantic attraction between themselves. Thirdly, there is a family vacationing on one of the barrier islands. The daughter has snuck out of the rented condo and as the hurricane approaches and the island is being evacuated, her parents and brother are searching for her.The author does a good job of switching between stories and pulling them together in a logical scenario.
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By Amazon Customer on July 21, 2011
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
H.W. “Buzz” Bernard traces the evolution of a monster hurricane from three different perspectives, and very nicely weaves these perspectives into an exciting finale. Terrific first effort from this author…the only negative is the somewhat unbelievable portrayal of Arly Walker’s wife and Dr. Obermeyer’s boss. It seems unlikely that these two professionals would allow themselves to be bullied that badly…
The science was terrific (but perhaps a little overwhelming for some, as a physics teacher I know what ‘millibars’ are, but many won’t), the settings were good (I love barrier islands), the dialogue was a bit cheesy at times, but that will improve as the author matures… overall I’m giving 4 stars due to the page turning tension and excitement.
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By Marco Morissette on July 19, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
First time I read this author and find him with the freebies of Amazon Kindle and just loved it! When you start to think that there is man and woman who do this for leaving! Wow! I really appreciate the suspense and I was anxious to turn pages and finish it in a record time! Thanks to the author and please continue with this kind of writing and thanks again to Amazon for this freebie! But it worth the price request now since I know how great it is!
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Mother Nature is a Formidable Villain
By Bichon MomTOP 1000 REVIEWER on July 19, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I just finished reading Eyewall by Buzz Bernard and I have to join in the five star fan club. It’s a fairly short book at 235 pages but one that I will easily remember after putting down. In fact, I don’t think I will ever listen to hurricane forecasts in quite the same way again.
This is definitely a thriller and individuals tackling the elements and trying to survive make for very plausible but frightening scenarios. It is a joy to read a novel by an author who really knows his subject and can communicate it so well without getting the reader too bogged down in technical details. In this book, the information comes from characters who each have a different perspective on the situation. The characters are so well defined that it is easy for the reader to care about the outcome for each of them.
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By Guy Guarino on July 18, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This book was a real find for me. It was an exciting, seat of your pants thriller that never let up. Thank you to all the people who took the time to rate and review this book!
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One of the Best Books I’ve Ever Read!
By Amazon Customer on July 18, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
First positive review I’ve ever written, and for one of the best books I’ve ever read. I simply don’t have time, nor the writing skills, to do this book justice, so suffice it to say it’s one of the best books I’ve ever read.
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By stephen on July 17, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This book is what I call a “page turner”. Buzz Bernard does a great job of creating suspense from start to finish. Eyewall’s characters’ reactions to this devastating event brings out their flaws and fears as well as their courage and perseverance.
Being an Atlantan and having visited many barrier islands along the Carolina and Georgia coasts, I could relate to the places he described. I love his attention to detail.
I had never heard of Hurricane Hunters so that was an interesting topic. Reading about the birth and maturity of the hurricane in his book made me feel like I had a front row seat watching one of the greatest and most destructive forces of nature.
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By Big Joe on July 16, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I don’t know why this book was a freebee. There was tension and drama from beginning to end. Yes, the mini-stories were predictable, but they were still exciting and they were expertly woven together. Fortunately there were a lot of chapters. I say fortunately because it enabled me to take breaks before page omega.
I always appreciate accurate information in novels and this book provides a wealth of information about hurricanes, hurricane hunters and TV meteorologists – and its all free. Thank you Mr. Bernard.
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I purchased a hurricane kit the next day
By H. Weidle on July 15, 2011
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
I live in Jacksonville, Florida so perhaps it hits a little close to home but I simply devoured this book. Nothing overly deep or complex but a true page turner. If you are looking for a holding your breath, can’t turn out the light, late for work read, this is a great one. I just hope this is not some foreshadowing of the season to come!
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By J. Roman on July 14, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This was the first book that I could not put down…literally!!!! I stood up till 1am trying to finish it. The first few chapters were okay but the middle and end of the book was the reason why I just had to continue reading. The author gave me goose bumps while reading and I found myself actually thinking about the characters during the day. I’m bummed that I read the book in 2 days because it was such a great and easy read and I wish I could continue the suspense.
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Ooops…Oh well, might as well give it a shot.
By Ann Humphrey on July 14, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition
I just received my Kindle last week as a gift and accidently bought this book while I was browsing the store. A book about a hurricane just doesn’t normally peak my interest but seeing as it was a done deal I figured I might as well give it a shot. OH BOY was I pleasantly surprised at how great this book is. I loved it from the beginning and read it every chance I could get. This book was very well written and kept me on the edge of my seat. This book is definitely worth the purchase and the 5 star rating.
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By Leahtbug on July 11, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
What a wonderful book! I started this book Friday afternoon and finished it by Sunday afternoon. It was fast paced on the edge of your seat thriller. I have been in a tornado but never a hurricane but I sure feel like I was there. The characters were well written and I fell in love with the hero. Also the information given on hurricanes and the planes that go into them was very informative. Loved it all! A great read!
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By PoCoKat on July 10, 2011
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
Eyewall is a well written and very gripping thriller. This book is hard to put down. The book moves between three interconnecting stories of people who are all interacting with Hurricane Janet as it heads straight for St. Simon’s Island on the Georgia coast. The story follows the Hurricane Tracker crew who fly into the eye of the hurricane to test its intensity. It follows the Weather Channel staff who determine the hurricane is stronger and more dangerous than anyone else predicts. And it follows a family that was falling apart but now must work together to survive Hurricane Janet.
This book races along just like the hurricane that is bearing down on St. Simon’s Island. It is an excellent thriller and is just in time for hurricane season!
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By Hinshaw705 on July 9, 2011
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
I loved this book pretty much from beginning to end. I will eagerly await a second book from this author. Highly recommended.
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By Lyn on July 9, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Excellent book! Fast paced story that had me engaged right from the beginning. Amazing details. I have a great deal of appreciation and respect for those who work and deal with hurricanes. Looking forward to the author’s next book.
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By Anita on July 9, 2011
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
This book pulled me in and captivated me. I got it on a whim, and what a great purchase. I couldn’t put it down. I read it in two settings, just devouring the story. This book is realistic, has extreme suspense, passion, danger, and teaches some great lessons about what is really valuable in life. I recommend it as a must read for everyone over 18. I would rate it “R” because of some adult content. Get it! You won’t be sorry!
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By Diana Lynn on July 7, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I do not usually take the time to write a review, but this book is worthy of 5 stars. The author keeps 3 story lines going and connected, and knows about flying and weather—lots of “factual” fiction, and edited well, too. I appreciate a writer who uses knowledge, grammar, spelling, and has an imagination.
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Makes you feel a part of the story
By bree on July 7, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This story is so well told. It makes you feel as though you were in the hurricane with the hurricane hunter team. At the same time you are the family stranded on the island. And yet at the same time you are the meteorologists. This is a very well written book I would really like to see made into a movie!
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By D. Lockwood on July 6, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I made the mistake of starting this just before bedtime and couldn’t stop until I had finished it. Not only was the story fast paced and exciting, but I enjoyed learning more about hurricanes. I’m recommending it to all my reading friends.
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By Linda on July 6, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This was a wonderful book. I could not put it down. I got this when it was a free download and I have to tell you I will be looking for more by Bernard. A real page turner, wonderful characters and a real awakening about the devastation of a hurricane and what is involved in understanding where they are going and how bad they will be.
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By Amazon Customer on July 5, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I couldn’t seem to put this book down-lost some sleep over the past couple of nights because I couldn’t wait to find out what happened to everyone. I loved all the detail and development of the characters. Definitely worth reading.
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Eyewall
By Gabrielle C Adams on July 4, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I didn’t expect much from a free download, but let me tell you…this book was fantastic! It had it all…excitement, joy, and sadness. I highly recommend it to anyone!
***
By Tina Church on July 3, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This book captured my attention through each page. Buzz Bernard did a fabulous job establishing the characters and plot. The scientific terminology, coupled with the details regarding the Hurricane Hunters mission into the eye, made for a outstanding story!
***
By Aussie Golden Lover on July 2, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Some of the free Kindle books I’ve read have been ho hum, but this one had me reading till 2am this morning because I simply could not put it down. It drew me in right from the start, the skillfully woven storylines all combining to culminate in a great ending. At times I was literally gasping with anticipation or horror as I almost felt myself involved in the story and being caught in the middle of a Category 5 cyclone/hurricane.
I highly recommend this book.
***
By A. K. Bryant on July 1, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
One of the best books I’ve read recently. I downloaded this for free and read it in one sitting. It has all the makings of a great story: well defined characters, fast paced action, tense plot. Very impressed with a new author and will look forward to buying his next book: )
***
Great storytelling, not contrived
By ATL weatherman on May 30, 2011
Format: Paperback
A great read! Buzz develops characters you really care about and weaves three separate plot lines together seamlessly.
As a fellow meteorologist, it was refreshing to read a book where the author didn’t sacrifice scientific integrity for the sake of the story. Everything here is factual and plausible; the reality of the predicament these people are thrust into only adds to the drama.
Typically I like short chapters because they give me a natural breaking point to end my reading. But with Eyewall, the short chapters kept the suspense heightened and I found it quite hard to put the book down.
***
By California Gal on May 26, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition
This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. I think the author is absolutely amazing!!! I have read many books this year that approach writing a book with several co-plots, however, they have, often, left me confused. There have been so many characters I have been forced to write them down in order to keep them straight and not lose the continuity the author is trying to present.
Not so with, Mr. Bernard. He presents a thrilling, exciting, book with four co-plots. The co-plot’s characters are easy to follow and I couldn’t wait until the next chapter. I stayed up half the night reading and finished the book the next day. I couldn’t put it down.
Not only was the story line fabulous, and, frankly, I think this is movie material with Stephen Spielberg directing, but the accuracy of the scientific knowledge about hurricanes was riddling. If I had heard the same material in a scientific setting, I would have been bored to death. However, I found myself fascinated and going to my brother, who is a meteorologist, asking numerous questions. Mr. Bernard, with his expertise, gave us an extra bonus, and caused us to learn as well as be entertained.
I have recommended this book to two book clubs and many personal friends. I do hope we will hear more from this author. Thank you, Amazon, for putting it on site so quickly.
Folks, this is a must read!!!!
Judy Rand
Santa Ana, California
***
By Dave Spiegler on May 18, 2011
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
Eyewall by Buzz Bernard is a terrific read. Once I started it, I found it very difficult to put down – a real page turner. It is an exciting story of what happens when a minor hurricane rapidly becomes a major historical hurricane and heads towards St. Simons Island off the Georgia coast. It is extremely well told in a very entertaining, yet educational manner, from 3 perspectives – the hurricane hunters who fly into the eye; the Natural Environmental Network (formerly The Weather Channel); and a family trapped on St. Simons Island. Bernard clearly knows his stuff. The characters in each instance are well developed and important background information is weaved in to give the reader insights on how they became the people they are – making their actions and opinions when they interact with one another realistic and believable. There is great dialog between the characters throughout the novel making it an easy, enjoyable, as well as an exciting read. The physical descriptions of the rapidly changing conditions experienced by the people located within each of the 3 environments (perspectives) outlined, are vivid, colorful and frightening. Bernard has written a very impressive first novel that is compelling to read. I highly recommend it.
***
By John C on May 14, 2011
Format: Paperback
Eyewall is the story of air currents in the Atlantic doldrums stirred into unimaginable fury and steered toward a mainland distracted by a long weekend. Ashore, the lives of very different people swirl and eddy against the counter currents of duty and love. As forces converge, they test the limits of their courage, physical and moral. The drama grows as the barometer falls. The stakes are high. The tension enormous.
Come Monday, nothing is the same. Certainly not the reader.
I’ve watched countless weather reporters clinging to a street sign, trees thrashing in the background. I’ve watched survivors interviewed in front of rubble, but until Eyewall, I never felt I could understood what a hurricane felt like.
***
By freespirit on July 22, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Very good fiction. I am from Saint Simons, bro. It held my interest
***
By N. S. Stratton on September 15, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
A lot like a made for TV movie. But exciting.
***
By cab4328 on August 7, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
an easy read, but entertaining
***
By Kathy on August 12, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Good hurricane story!
***
By Dana Snowden on November 8, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
When I purchased the Kindle edition of “Buzz” Bernard’s Eyewall, little did I know that I had procured a page-turner that was VERY hard to put down. The characters jump out at you with ease, and it’s almost as if you, the reader, were in their shoes. The plot/storyline: AWESOME! While there have been a few TV movies that involves extreme weather where the expert gets shown the door, this novel ranks up there as one that NEEDS to be produced. The storyline flows so smoothly, even while the chapters jump between 3 different scenes, and I had NO difficulty following along as all three scenarios tie into each other. Now, the ending is a very pleasing twist to the story, but I expected it to come about from the earlier conflict. I’m not going to give away the story here, but you have GOT to check this novel out! You will not regret it!
***
Well crafted, compelling read!
By Bluebird on October 11, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I happened to catch a deal on this one and even if I hadn’t, it would have been well worth the price! It is a well-crafted story that picks you up and sweeps you along. The author’s expertise is well dispensed… enough for you to understand the impending storm, but not so much as to be overwhelming or too dense to be anything other than boring to those of us not in the field. It is an impressive feat to deliver the details that you need to appreciate the story without “dumbing it down” too much in such a technical field.
Overall, I found it to be a page turner and am looking forward to Mr. Bernard’s next offering.
***
A real page turner, although with some minor flaws.
By JP on July 14, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Overall Buzz does an excellent job of weaving three story lines together to keep you flipping the pages of this action-packed thriller. There were only a few things that bugged me: (1)the bizarre, on-again, off-again sexual behavior of the two principle female characters; (2) several places where better editing was needing; and (3)a less than completely satisfying wrap-up at the end. But what bothered me the most, after all the intricate details about flying a plane into the eye of a hurricane, was the complete lack of information about the inner workings of a TV weather channel. Buzz would have us believe that a TV weather person simply walks into the studio, turns to the camera and starts talking, and all the maps and graphics that he needs for his weather report will somehow magically appear on the screen. Nothing is said about who selects the maps and graphics or who writes the script. Come on, Buzz… tell us how it’s done!
***
ANOTHER PERFECT STORM – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
By AggieProf on July 11, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition
I read EYEWALL, Buzz Bernard’s thrilling account of a category 5 hurricane hitting St. Simon’s Island in Georgia, on an airplane from Houston to Tokyo.
I was totally absorbed by the story. Having been caught in a small hurricane in mid-September on Sanibel Island some years ago, there was a real sense of déjà vu for me in reading EYEWALL – the belief that “it can’t be happening to me”, whether to stay or get off the island (in fact, we stayed through the hurricane), the closure of airports, and the damage afterwards.
The book also reminded me of THE PERFECT STORM by Sebastian Junger, since the ferocity of the hurricane in EYEWALL and the way people responded to it, is similar to the hurricane and people in THE PERFECT STORM. Like THE PERFECT STORM, I expect EYEWALL to be made into an exciting, blockbuster of a movie. Reading many of the scenes in the book, I could visualize them already as movie scenes.
I particularly liked the information about hurricanes, hurricane hunter planes and trackers, which I thought was very well done. There were a lot of characters to follow in the story, but the author wove them together well. Super book from a new author and I’ll look forward to reading more from him.
As we move into the 111th anniversary of the Galveston hurricane of September 8, 1900, EYEWALL is particularly well timed. My book club, Loose Leaves, is reading ISAAC’S STORM by Erik Larsen to celebrate the 111th anniversary. I’m going to suggest they all read EYEWALL too. Highly recommended for book clubs everywhere.
***
Captivating thriller based on entirely plausible meteorological science
By KMC on July 8, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I’m a first rate skeptic. Whenever I see 5-star reviews, I always say, “Yeah, RIGHT!” and assume that it’s the author’s friends and family spamming up the system. Believe me, I know one of America’s top fitness authors did this for a TERRIBLE fitness book he wrote recently so I was assuming this was more crap written by someone with a really supportive circle of family and friends. However, at the time, Amazon was running a free promotion for this book and it was #1…and most importantly, it wasn’t one of those awful romance novels or wannabe chick lit that overtake the top tiers of Amazon’s free downloads. Hey, it was about a hurricane and it was free. Enter the “What the hell” factor…I like meteorology and I love ‘free’…But would I have paid for this novel? Absolutely.
I don’t know if you, those reading this review, have ever been in a hurricane/typhoon/tropic cyclone but if you have or if you have appreciation for meteorology, you’re in for a real treat. I lived in the inland U.S. most of my life, then California, and now in the Ryukyu Islands of Japan in essentially what is typhoon alley. Just a month ago, I was in a pretty rough category 3 storm and it both fascinated and terrified me. In the past several years, I’ve become something of an amateur storm tracker so the subject already captured my attention, but there is so much more here. However, let me get to the obvious criticisms first.
This is not perfect, but name a book that is. Some of the author’s brilliant, brilliant meteorological descriptions kind of occluded some of the character’s personalities. I did wish for more fleshing out of the characters. The nuances were there and there were scattered hints about what the characters looked like, but for me, being a visual person, I just didn’t get an immediate image in my head. I want to be able to visualize and feel as if I know them personally. Some traits of the characters were dead on such as the personality of a tough luck military female. I’ve known women just like her. One character was just over-the-top evil and she felt like a cardboard cutout of a villain in the middle of a room full of real people. Possibly because the author did not give her as much as one good trait and we all know even bad people are not bad 24/7. The other thing I wanted more of was more description of what normal people do when a storm is impending – watching the sky, descriptions of the impending doom of a monster coming their way. I wanted to feel it in the pit of my stomach…but the buildup fell through in places. Okay, now that I’ve got the few weak points and I feel I have to because giving it five stars without explaining my eyes are open to the faults would be disingenuous. When you rate something 5 stars, people tend to get their hopes up SKY HIGH and it makes for over-criticism so I fully admit…This isn’t Gone With the Wind.
Where this novel makes up for its flaws is the brilliance in taking meteorological concepts often difficult for novices to grasp and explaining them in layman’s terms and in such a spellbinding way. You’re not only reading, you’re learning completely seamlessly. This isn’t a self-aggrandizing testament of “Hey! Look at what I know!” by the author. It is all completely relevant and necessary to the story. I had heard about recon flying into these storms, but actually reading about planes flying into hurricanes? This is fascinating stuff! Afterwards, I sat and watched quite a few videos on YouTube of hurricane hunters flying into hurricanes – even Hurricane Katrina! My jaw was on the keyboard. Why didn’t I know about this stuff before? The writing here was so fluid that sometimes I forgot that I was reading and I was there, in the scene, with the characters. That’s a tough thing to create for many writers – the sense of continuity and direction that makes a reader completely lose themselves in a novel. Here, you get taken through a Category 5 hurricane…and it’s scary stuff. There is a blog out there called ‘A Place With No Name’ where a guy writes about his experiences with Hurricane Katrina and the lessons he learned. The destruction and chaos that happens in this novel – the prevalent death – all this stuff would sound so fake if you were reading it without knowing that none of this is actually far-fetched. Natural disasters on this scale are truly stranger than fiction and the death and destruction explained here can and HAVE occurred. Many also don’t realize how truly unpredictable these storms are. I’ve seen some crazy things in just 3 years of storm tracking. Something like this happening is closer to reality than you may want to believe.
The book moves at a heart-stopping pace and you will want to shoo everyone out of the house and read into the wee hours of the night. About 50% of the way through, I couldn’t put it down and read straight through the day. This book is not presumptuous. This is not the Great American Epic novel. Oprah won’t feature this on her book club. This is 5 stars for what it is: A really, really captivating thriller told by an author with talent, fantastic vocabulary, and a down-to-earth style. Kind of a breath of fresh air in the writing world if you’re sick of reading overblown novels drenched in politics, emotion, smut, and pretentiousness. Bernard makes the meteorological thriller a very relevant and plausible genre far removed from the big disaster flicks based on faulty, if not downright FALSE science. The science here is real and the thing that makes all this so frightening is that THIS could really happen. I really look forward to reading more by this author that I never would have stumbled upon if the book wasn’t free. He is definitely very talented and he knows his stuff.
***
Nature’s Nightmare comes to life on paper!
By Pirate2240 on June 15, 2011
Format: Paperback
An eyewall, better known as nature’s nightmare, is the engine room of a hurricane – a circular wall of massive clouds and brutal squalls. – Captain Karlyn Hill, aboard the Air Force Hurricane Hunter
What people expect of their weather forecasters is a simple yes or no to the type of weather that they call for. They want to know if it’s going to rain or isn’t it? Are we going to get a foot of snow or not? Is the hurricane going to hit here or there? No one is infallible. Nobody in the weather business is. The fact is, their never certain, which is why they think in terms of probabilities. That’s the only honest way to forecast. But the public won’t stand for it. They think of it as a cop out. – Dr. Nicholas Obermeyer, meteorologist at the Natural Environment Center, formerly the Weather Channel.
Danger looms in the dark clouds over the small island community of St. Simons Island, just off the southern coast of Georgia. It’s been more than a hundred years since a hurricane has impacted this area, so when Hurricane Janet is predicted as a category one hurricane, some of the residents are less than excited at the prospect of leaving over the Labor Day weekend. So when Trish and Alan Grant, hear the winds pick up and the rain begin to fall, she questions whether they should leave the island. Upon waking their children Lee and Sandy up for breakfast, they learn that Sandy has left with a boy she met on the internet. Not knowing anything about him, the family leaves in search of her while the hurricane grows near.
Until the Air Force Hurricane Hunter, can report back the precise readings from Hurricane Janet, the weather centers will only report what they can learn from Doppler radar and ground tracking systems. It isn’t until they begin to reach the outer bands of Janet, that they will learn the ugly dark secrets she is keeping behind her black and cloudy storms clouds. What they will learn will put all of their lives in danger and in for the ride of their lives.
In the suspense thriller, Eyewall by H.W. “Buzz” Bernard, the reader will be left hanging on every word as they turn the pages faster and faster. You will NOT be able to put this one down until the very end. Taking The Perfect Storm and The Day After Tomorrow, you will be left with the biggest hurricane to ever hit the eastern coast, reviling Katrina and Andrew as younger siblings. This is an edge of your seat, thrill ride that will keep you up long past your need for sleep just to see it through the end.
I received this book compliments of Pump Up Your Book Tours and Bell Bridge Books for my honest review and would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves great disaster stories with a twist. The characters are believable and true-to-life and you won’t be disappointed. This one rates a 5 out of 5 stars and would LOVE to see this one come to life on the big screen.
***
Don’t go near the water–a new generation’s Jaws?
By Frank on June 6, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Wow! Where did this author come from? Mr. Bernard spins a face-paced tale that encompasses natural, mechanical and human disasters in what turned out to be about the shortest 250 pages I think I’ve read in recent memory! A hurricane with a mind of its own, flooding waters, disintegrating aircraft, howling winds, and stormy relationships all come together to paint the tapestry that is Eyewall.
Could this be a new generation’s Jaws? I for one will now be paying extra attention to the weather forecast before venturing to the coastline during hurricane season. Mr. Bernard’s knowledge of tropical weather along with his heart stopping imagery paint a picture that will remain fresh in your mind every trip to the beach.
In a nutshell, the raw energy and empathetic characters (even the heroes are flawed) make this a book that should not just be read but devoured as part of everyone’s summer reading list.
One final point…in a time where we are becoming more and more fascinated (and seemingly affected) by natural disasters, I believe this story would eventually play wonderfully on the big screen. If you liked Perfect Storm this could be the perfect book for you!
***
By wondermommy on May 26, 2011
Format: Paperback
A Category Five hurricane was headed for the Georgia coast; Like a lion hunting for its prey. Will people be warned in time in order to get away from the deadly force? One man stood alone and even took a chance on being fired to try and let the people know through the media just how dangerous the hurricane was. Will no one stand with him? Will his message be heard, or will he be struck down in his struggle to save hundreds, or even thousands of lives?
The title says everything. Eyewall was interesting, especially the way the story was constructed. Like a killer storm or hurricane building up gradually; the eye, or the calm before the main event that brings everything up to the climax, which, to me was the best and most thrilling part of the story. I love Walker’s character. The way he had to prove himself not only to the people around him, but to himself. This made his character stand out even more. He could be my hero any time, through a storm or the calm.
H.W. “Buzz” Bernard showed what a true hero can do in time of need when he weived together a wonderful selection of colorful words that gave this reader a taste of a few things I didn’t know about hurricanes and what they can do. This twisted thrilling mystery of a tale was very unique. A must read!
***
By gypsyfeet on May 19, 2011
Format: Paperback
What an incredible read. Once I started it, the rest of the day just had to wait until I could finish the adventure. Amazing visuals ranging right through the characters, through the storm, through the aftermath of a Cat 5 hurricane. If you’ve ever lived in hurricane country, you don’t want to miss this book. So well defined that I felt like I had just watched a movie.
***
By Catherine S. Whittemore on January 24, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Eyeball: A very good read. Lots of believable action and a it has a real good ending. Give it a try.
***
By Jane Myers Perrine on January 21, 2012
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
I had no idea what to expect with this book about a hurricane but picked it up because I lived in Savannah and have stayed on St. Simons Island. What I found was an incredibly exciting story that swept me up in it–like, well, a plane trapped in the eye of a cat 5 hurricane. Non-stop adventure, action, excitement and suspense. I give it a SIX for being a great read. HOWEVER, there were problems. The heroes are very much alike and interchangeable. There was some purple prose: “The hourglass of your life had been tipped for a final time” and “They’d been able to spit in the eye of the Grim Reaper, pull down his pants, and walk away” And the beginning, instead of moving forward the way the last 95% of the book did, went backwards. It started at 0800 hours, went back 3 1/2 hours before settling in at 0500 hours. My guess is in an effort to have an exciting beginning but this book didn’t need that kind of artificial pacing and was a false start that nearly made me stop reading. Glad I didn’t. SO, for writing I give this four stars. But it would be churlish of me NOT to give this mostly well written and amazingly exciting and riveting novel less than FIVE STARS because it is that good a book. So I average the 4 and the 6 = FIVE STARS.
Showing 221-230 of 268 reviews
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By BarbZTOP 500 REVIEWER on January 11, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
And get ready for a ride through a cat 5 hurricane!
This book is well written, educational, and tense. It’s difficult to put down. It’s written in very short chapters, each titled with a time, ticking away the hours from the birth (and forecast) of an embryonic hurricane to the realization (and politics surrounding) a storm which may be developing into more than they originally bargained for.
Interesting insight into the goings on at weather stations, the National Weather Service, and Hurricane Hunter planes and personnel.
Great read!
Enjoy!
***
By Randomly Awesome Guy on December 28, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Okay, so usually I don’t pick up books dealing with hurricanes and storms and the like, as it’s just not my cup of tea. However, it was recommended by Amazon and at the time they were running a sale on it, so I figured, what the heck, I’ll take a risk.
I’m sure glad I did!
This book had me GLUED from the first pages! It was tense, believable, and had realistic characters, flaws and all. With the author’s (obvious) knowledge of the source material, he did a great job in translating that to a fast paced and tense story line, and you just find yourself wondering what else is going to happen next.
A GREAT book and a GREAT read! Highly recommended!
***
By Minta on December 24, 2011
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
I just finished reading my Kindle download of Eyewall for the second time. I recommended it to my sister who recommended it to her friends, and then I told my book club about it. I was in such a hurry to read what was coming next the first time that I read it that I needed to go back and read it again so I could talk about it with my book club members. It is so well written and filled with so many interconnected story lines that I found myself hyperventilating sometimes and with teary eyes at other times. This first effort at writing a novel is so good that I can hardly wait to read his next one!
***
By patrich on November 21, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
The writing was precise and the action fast-paced. It didn’t get slowed down when descibing the science behind a hurricane – only providing the information necessary to move the plot forward. Overall, a great read.
***
By Joy on November 6, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This is a must to read book if you like the drama of hurricanes or live near the water as I do.
***
Swept Up in the Eyewall
By Beda Kantarjian on October 31, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I haven’t read a book that tugged me back to it so persistently in a long time. The three stories intertwined until they intersected, as you knew they would.
The characters were real and interesting with a lot of depth and the story very believable. If the writer piled one more crisis on the three separate sets of characters I couldn’t take it, especially the poor family stranded on St. Simons with a Cat. 5 heading for them and the hurricane hunters in the eye. There were no slow passages in this book.
I hope we will see more from this author.
***
You’ll just have to ride out this storm
By Roger D. Thome on October 28, 2011
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
What a great combination of weather, science, and drama. I don’t know how Buzz Bernard did it, but he did. Good writing. Great sentence structure. Keeps you on the edge of your seat. I just loved the way Buzz intermingled the science of the storm, the events of the storm, and the ongoing events of the personal lives involved. Thanks, Buzz, for a couple days of great reading.
***
helpful
By Kimberly Lauterbach on October 28, 2011
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
Picked up this book at random and ended up riveted and even a bit misty eyed at points. It was definitely a good read.
***
Aye Aye for Eyewall
By Steve Lee on October 27, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Enjoyed this read, it is an informative and uplifting techno-thriller. The author knows the territory and that makes up for any lapses in English usage and romance construction. That the story is concerned about a character who has lived life in the abstract only to have it smack him in the face or in this case the back so that he has to come to terms with it, makes for a compelling protagonist. More about this character and the meteorologist in a future work would be welcome. I recommend this page turner for anyone who enjoys a good yarn.
***
By M. Oros on October 26, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I really enjoyed the book. It kept me captivated and on the edge. I really was enthralled with it until nearing the end. Then it just kind of fell apart. The author seemed to have just started grasping for words to fill the spaces and wound up with a typical hokey ending. I purchased it on the Kindle Daily Deal, for the price it wasn’t bad.
***
By Kindle Customer on October 23, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition
This book was courtesy of Bell Bridge Books and NetGalley.
St. Simons Island, Georgia, has never been hit by a Category 5 hurricane. Until now. No one predicted the storm’s sudden force. A crippled Air Force recon plane, trapped in the eye of a violent hurricane. An outspoken tropical weather forecaster, fired from his network TV job before he can issue a warning: the storm is changing course and intensifying. A desperate family searching for a runaway daughter on Georgia’s posh St. Simons Island, cut off from escape as the hurricane roars toward them. A marriage on the rocks; an unrequited sexual attraction; a May-December romance. All will be swept up by the monster storm. Get ready for a white-knuckle adventure.
This is a must read book! I got started and could not put it down until I was done! Having lived in the south all my life and having been thru several hurricanes and losing two homes to hurricanes in my life this book was a very interesting and emotional read for me.
The book is very well written with very good character development. I was especially intrigued by how the author brought all of the characters together who otherwise would have never known each other. By the time I finished reading the book I kept having to remind myself that it really was fiction, the author did such a wonderful job of making the story believable and realistic. As a side note the author’s bio is a very interesting read too!!
***
By Cheryl E. Swoverland on October 12, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I got this book as either a free or reduced item a few months back. I was completely absorbed by the story. Before I got my Kindle, I read mostly mysteries and historical novels. Since getting the Kindle, I have discovered many genres. This book, Eyewall, has all the elements of a good movie. In today’s environment of political upheaval, I found myself relating to those characters fighting to bring truth to the situation. Really good read. I would recommend it to anyone who likes action.
***
By Pancho on August 7, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
A missed hurricane measuring flight, a fast-growing storm, and just the right mix of personal situations set up this thrilling read. Loved it.
***
Really enjoyed this interesting story that I couldn’t put down
By Hannah Hunter on August 5, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Weather can remind us of how powerful Mother Nature is. Based on the science of hurricanes and weather, the author builds the stories around three different characters who all come together to survive the big one. This was an enjoyable entertaining and educational story. Worth the kindle price.
***
By Jason Ward on August 4, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition
This book was truly amazing. It was fast paced. Kept a great suspense and most of all. It ended well. I love Eyewall and it is deserving of five stars. Four and a half is putting it down.it was amazing
***
By Tracy on July 31, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Couldn’t put this one down! Read it in a day while sitting on the beach. Excellent book. Full of Suspense.
***
I was sad when I found out this was his only book!
By St. Bernard Mom on July 26, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I loved this book! It was suspenseful and enthralling without being too much. I found it very easy to dive into, and difficult to put down. I am hoping that this Author comes out with another book soon!
***
By Ma on July 14, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Great read. Couldn’t put it down until the final chapters when the author finished a great story off with a little too much unbelievable fantasy for my liking. Would definitely recommend it.
***
By Ecuachik on July 14, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition
If you like a great thriller novel with a can’t-put-it-down feel, then this book is for you!
Absolutely loved the whole ride of this book and happy to have stumbled upon it on my kindle.
Very easy read and great story lines!
***
By kindlegal on July 12, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I snagged this gem as a free selection and boy did I get my money’s worth! (Yeah, I know, it was free!) Great read that keeps your interest until the very end. Living on the east coast and being familiar with the area that is hit with the hurricane made it even more exciting. And I learned a bit about what is done to determine the strength of a hurricane. I can see this as a movie.
***
Exciting, terrific reading. Will likely be a movie soon.
By DennisNHCT on July 11, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
My new Kindle’s ‘next page’ buttons certainly got a workout with this excellent story. The pacing and the plot were right on! It was definitely a book that I could not put down. Bravo!
I especially enjoyed the deft handling of the multiple points of view: from the Hurricane Hunters, the quirky meteorologist expert, the desperate family. If not for the sex scenes, I would recommend this for my school’s meteorology/environmental science class. The descriptions from ‘the ground’, from ‘the air’, and from ‘the radar’ created an easy-to-visualize narrative that would be great as a fiction work reading for a science class. Alas, it will not get past review at the high school.
The intimate scenes were necessary though, and made this reader get a better feel for the characters. The lives of the stranded, desperate family could have been explored more, but the treatment that the author presented kept the pace moving. The most exciting ‘scenes’ were very clearly described, from all ‘viewpoints’: sky, ground, and in the TV studio.
I was fortunate to have picked up this Kindle edition when the book was offered for free. I will predict that this will be a hit reading for the summer. If you’re thinking about getting it, I hope this helps to persuade you to do that.
***
By C. A. Riley on July 9, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
After living on the east coast and been through some of the hurricanes mentioned in the book, it was real interesting to read about the Hurricane Hunter planes and how they actually work in checking the status of the hurricanes. Awesome story as well as very interesting read!
***
By Mariann on July 6, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This would make a fantastic movie. Non-stop action packed with great characters. Could not stop reading once I began. Great stuff.
***
By DIANE J on July 5, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I usually read romances, but I purchased this one on Kindle because it was free. It would have been worth the full price. It was a terrific book. Suspenseful. Interesting characters. Excellent plot. It had some technical terms but not too many. Very easy to read. I am hopeful that Buzz writes another one soon.
***
By S. Ryser on July 5, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Enthralling story; I couldn’t put it down! I don’t know what the author’s next book might be, but I will be waiting to read it!
***
BELIEVE THE 5 STARS THEY R TRUE!
By Lila on July 5, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
OMG! This is one hellova white knuckler BRILLIANTLY WRITTEN THRILLER. One of the BEST books I have read in a long time. I wish there were more than 5 stars, this book deserves it. A truly captivating, exciting, mind blowing ride with The Hurricane Hunters and the cast of characters on the ground.
Eyewall is written with a clear eye for detail with tension building excitement, with a tad bit of romance and sarcasm thrown in, making this the PERFECT READ for me. Highly recommended.
Hollywood needs to make this into a movie!
OUTSTANDING WORK BUZZ BERNARD………….BRAVO~
***
By Rie on December 22, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Got this not expecting much from it since it was free. I must say, one of the best reads in a month or so. Excellent imagery with everything in this story. The descriptions of the storm itself, what happened on the plane, and the impacts on everyone were superb. This was a story that had me seeing a really good movie of it in my head as I read which does not happen often.
Being somewhat a weather junkie (I am one of those out there with the camera taking pictures of the odd forming clouds, watching the lightning show in the Florida room, etc) I really appreciated the way this was written. Enough `technical’ stuff combined with general (or laymen) terms to ensure everyone, regardless of knowledge, would understand the stakes and impact of the storm.
Highly recommend this to anyone enjoying suspense/thrill stories. The little bit of romance is just enough to make this seem like it really did happen. With the ability of computers, I think this could make a wonderful movie (even if it was only on TV somewhere).
***
By book’s mom on October 13, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
The adage “write what you know” certainly proves itself within the pages of this excellent book. The story is well written and the facts concerning hurricanes and the people who track them are accurate.
Character development is superb.
I admit that storms have always drawn me out of shelter. Growing up on Cape Cod in Massachusetts I would be the kid who lashed herself to a pier to experience the hurricane’s force and to watch the houses, debris, flotsam and jetsam floating down the canal. Personally I enjoyed the meteorological reality presented within the story, finding these bits of information intriguing and educational, adding to the story rather than detracting, fascinating rather than distracting. The facts about storms is woven into the plot seamlessly.
A terrific book! I would give it more than 5 stars if the scale allowed.
***
By ladykatz on October 11, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I didn’t expect too much for 99 cents, but once I started this I couldn’t put it down – VERY realistic about the storms (living in Florida…) and great characters.
***
By 2LV4HIMon August 3, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I just finished this book, and all I can say is, “Wow!!!” This book will have you on the edge of your seat! It will make you laugh! It will make you mad! It will make you cry! This book truly has it all; from great characters, to a great plot, to a sensational ending, and a page turner from the beginning! I must say if it is not the best book I ever read, it is a close second! I read it from start to finish in 2 days! If you are reading this review and haven’t read this book please do, you will not regret it!
***
By Airgar on July 30, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition
The best thing about the book is the nonstop excitement. I also thought story was unique and not the run of the mill legal thriller or murder mystery but an exceptional story.
***
By Susanwords on July 22, 2011
Format: Paperback
If you’ve ever been in or near a hurricane, read this book. If you’ve never been in or near a hurricane, read this book. Buzz Bernard takes you there and makes you live it. His story begins as a cat one storm and builds to a dynamic cat five, just as though Buzz were a hurricane himself. Of course, it helps that he’s a retired meteorologist. But that’s a good thing as his knowledge of extreme weather and its effect on human lives lends credibility and excitement to the story. Though some of his cultural references, Ozzie and Harriet, Popeye and Bluto, are a little dated, older readers will relate and younger ones won’t mind. The characters and bureaucracy involved in handling a national weather crisis are believable. Good guys, bad girls, disobedient teens and a rescued baby (born and unborn) all combine to make this a good summer read even though you’ll be glad you weren’t there! Recommended.
***
Wow! Batten down the hatches…here comes Janet!
By barbiedee on July 19, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Neither wind nor rain could stop me from finishing this one! A great read that had me flipping pages (metaphorically….I bought the Kindle version) as fast as I could! From a television studio’s weather center, to a crippled hurricane hunter airplane, from a 15 year old who is going to be ‘so grounded’, to a crass, foul-mouthed harpy, the settings, situations and characters will keep you wanting more. H.W. Buzz Bernard has written a great action/suspense novel that centers on Janet, a hurricane about to change the life of every character in this book.
I won’t be long winded (!), I’ll just say I really enjoyed this one, it kept my interest, and was a page turner til the end.
A definite five stars!
***
By Homeschool Mom on July 7, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Eyewall is a good read from beginning to end. One drawback is that it has some strong language in just a few places that kept me from passing it on to my teenagers. Thanks Amazon for offering it for free!
***
Gripped Me By the Throat and Didn’t Let Go
By TracyVINE VOICE on July 23, 2011
Format: Paperback
~* 4.5 Stars *~
It’s Labor Day weekend and St. Simons Island, Georgia, is flooded with holiday tourists, even though a category one hurricane is churning in the Atlantic just east of the Florida peninsula. It’s a minimal hurricane, after all, and not expected to show any real attitude before it makes landfall in South Carolina. Plus, everyone knows that hurricanes don’t hit the coast of Georgia. The concave shape protects it from the vagaries of the world’s most devastating storm.
‘Everyone’ forgot one very tiny but important detail: Mother Nature tends to scoff at absolutes…and she’ll makes us pay dearly for the hubris of them.
Janet is intensifying fast, a unique sequence of weather conditions falling into place and turning a relatively weak hurricane into the single most devastating and powerful force on the planet, a Cat 5 monster that will scour the earth of everything in its path.
As it turns its voracious eye towards the Georgia coastline, Janet badly damages then catches a Hurricane Hunter plane, capturing it and its crew within her calm center after some bad intel had them flying in at far too low an altitude for their plane to survive intact. On the island in her path is a family vacationing from Atlanta, a family with a daughter who skipped out and a father who is belligerent in his ignorance of Hurricane Janet’s deadly plans. As the first bands of Janet start to slam into the island, concern for his daughter’s safety mounts until he and his wife are beside themselves. By the time they realize that the original forecasts on Janet had been terribly, horribly wrong it’s too late to evacuate and their fifteen-year-old daughter is trapped behind the walls of a gated and closed house on the next island.
Winds too strong for breath, a storm surge that will eclipse the island’s highest point, and no escape from either. Hurricane Janet is coming. And Death is riding her coattails.
My hat is off to H.W. “Buzz” Bernard, who crafted an intelligent and informative, gripping and emotional thriller that kept me on the absolute edge of my seat. I couldn’t put Eyewall down. I couldn’t look away. I was captivated within the first few pages and had to ride it out to see how it all ended up. That, to me, is what a thriller is supposed to do, and this one did it.
I suppose I could be a little critical of the formulaic plot, and anyone who’s ever seen a natural disaster movie or read a natural disaster book has met the stock characters that it contains. There’s the guy who knows better than his own family that there’s no danger, disregards the warnings, and through his arrogance and ignorance, puts them all in danger. There’s the willful teen who rebels against her family at the worst possible time and makes it all infinitely worse. There’s the dogged hero, worn out by life for whatever reason but who steps up to the plate when needed. There’s the experienced professional, the one voice of knowledge against a cacophony, who is invariably punished for knowing more and speaking up but is lauded alongside the hero in the end. And there are usually women who love them both because of it.
You’ve seen all or most of these characters many times before, and the formula won’t surprise you if you’re as much a fan of this sort of thriller as I am. In that regard, I suppose it’s not all that different from any of them. But I AM a fan of natural disaster stories for the very reason that I LIKE that formula and ENJOY those characters, and this one had my heart racing as the tension mounted throughout. And for several personal reasons I’ll mention in a moment, this particular story really worked for me.
Bernard took a bad situation to its extremes, kept the tension high with a taut, driven narrative that shifted focus seamlessly, and while moving around his character archetypes, managed to make them relatable, believable, and likable (except, of course, for those you’re not supposed to like). I rooted for them, hoped for them, yearned for their safety. I wanted to shake them when they were foolish, kick them when they were stupid. I was totally into the intensity, caught up in the risk and the looming threat, dry-mouthed at the realized danger. I was affected throughout the whole book. It was plausible (more than some may believe), it was gut-clenching, and it was written with intelligence and obvious knowledge.
For all that and more, the book just flat-out thrilled me on just about every level.
It also reminded me.
The date was August 13th, 2004. It was a Friday, which, really…so very apropos. I was sitting at my computer, happy to have the day off from work, as officials had closed my place of employment when the area fell within the cone of uncertainty for the track of Hurricane Charley, a small category two hurricane coming up into the Gulf of Mexico from Cuba. We were really a statistical outlier as far as the expected track was concerned, it was slated to make landfall in Tampa, about two hours north of my home in Fort Myers, later that afternoon.
I wasn’t concerned. I did, though, have the TV on, tuned to the local weather because Charley was getting closer and, honestly, hurricanes fascinate me. We’d been warned to expect some wind, some rain. We’d been told it wouldn’t be significantly worse than a summer squall as far as intensity goes, and it’s Florida in the summer…we’re sort of used to that. No. Big. Deal.
I was playing a card game online, sipping a soda, and chatting via instant messenger with friends who were more concerned than I was about what was slated to brush by us. I had no shutters or boards on my windows or doors, hadn’t bothered taking in my porch furniture, had no cooler, no ice, no food stocked, no batteries handy, no portable radio set up, nothing.
Hey, Charley was heading for Tampa, and it was too small to cause us any real strife, and it was just a category two.
I’ll never forget the moment I realized how incredibly stupid, how horrifyingly ignorant I, despite my fascination with hurricanes, had been. I heard it in the voices of the meteorologists during the joint broadcast I had playing on TV…what had been little more than background noise as I played and chatted. It was something I’d never heard before, so it caught my attention. It made me turn my head towards the picture on the screen, and what I’d heard became what I could also see, and neither the game nor the chatting seemed as important after that.
By the way, if you’ve never heard fear in the voices of trained and experienced meteorologists, be glad. I don’t recommend the experience.
It didn’t start with fear, though. It started with an odd and tight caution – that’s what caught my attention. The National Hurricane Center had Charley steady on his forecasted path, but our radar, the same local radar I watched daily, was suggesting something else. The meteorologists were obviously hesitant to argue with the NHC but motivated to warn their viewers. A slight jog to the east…closer towards the coast…seemed to be more of a steady turn, and it could be clearly seen that Charley had tightened up, intensified.
A category two hurricane headed for Tampa was now a category four hurricane headed for… Well…
It was starting to bear down on the southern tip of Sanibel Island as if it intended to jaunt along Summerlin Road on its way to the heart of Fort Myers. My home abuts Summerlin Road.
I spent hours wedged into my microscopic laundry room, couch pillows piled up under and around me, my two dogs stuffed into the adjoining downstairs bathroom. Bathroom door closed tight. I’d unearthed my portable radio – though the reception was horrible – and huddled in the dark, alone but for the dogs, listening to the weather reports over the wail of wind.
I was so damned afraid.
Fortunately (for me, anyway – a lot of others weren’t so lucky and my sympathies were with them), Charley seemed to change his mind again before he hit Sanibel, jogging a bit further north to devastate Captiva and Port Charlotte. Fortunately Charley was small, with the most intense winds less than twenty miles out from the eye. Fortunately, the sustained winds where I live were not totally devastating and though damage was wide-spread, the gusts didn’t topple anything over onto my condo or my car. Fortunately, fortunately, fortunately.
Maybe that’s why Eyewall hit me so hard, worked so well as a tightly woven thriller. I’m not a meteorologist, so I have no idea if the events of this book could happen to the coast of Georgia. I know beyond a doubt, though, that it could happen. That to a lesser degree it has happened. I was there.
Oh, and one more thing… When Hurricane Wilma made landfall several miles south of us in October 2005, my windows were boarded, radio and candles handy, batteries ready, and both my hurricane kit and my cooler were stocked.
Disclosure: An Advance Reading Copy of this book was provided to me by Bell Bridge Books via NetGalley. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
***
By wildpogo on July 8, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Wow! I live in Kansas so weather is very important to us but nothing prepared me for the ride of my life in a hurricane hunter. I swear I could feel the plane shaking, the rain pelting the windshield and the drama of the characters in the weather TV studio, on the island and in the plane. The action scenes were written so well I could almost see the red-faced TV exec blowing up at the meteorologist who defied him, the eyewall building in a violent swirl of clouds and colors and feel the desperation of the island people trying to find their missing daughter. I was super happy when a snake in the water turns out to be a garden hose to freedom and the baby in the cradle of the tree who symbolizes both the life and death features of a hurricane. The reporter who rides along in the plane and could not be helped with Dramamine paralleled my own fear while reading. I strongly recommend this book and have already looked up info on the author to read another of his books.
***
By Mel on July 7, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I downloaded this for free and it’s been my favorite so far. Nice writing and interesting characters. I stayed up late two nights in a row because I really was hooked by the suspense/drama. I’d recommend a .99 download in a heartbeat. 3.99 if you love storm stories.
***
By theresa m henderson on July 6, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This was a great read. I love reading about hurricanes. This kept me riveted throughout the book. I was also pleased when they talked about The Buccaneer Hotel in St Croix USVI. I live here and i have been to eat there. It is always fun when you read a book and know about the area they are writing about. i would recommend this book to all.
***
By Mrs Mommy Booknerd on October 4, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition
A thriller at it’s best…suspense, quick and intense. Characters you care for and are rooting for…always wondering what is next to come…
***
One of the best books I’ve read in a long time!
By Charles on September 19, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition
I loved this book. The characters are complex and conflicted but who most of the were people I would like to know. Janet is a demon that can’t be tamed. I found I couldn’t put this book down. My heart rate and anxiety increased with the escalating danger. Than you Mr. Bernard for a very enjoyable read.
***
Hang up the Do Not Disturb sign
By G. Francis on September 15, 2011
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
Short chapters that bounce around between story lines could have been chaotic but to me added to the urgency. I felt my heart pound through most of the book although it did start a little slow. This was a two day book….started then put down while working on something else then when I picked it up again. I could hardly put it down to pick kids up at school!
The main story takes place in less than a day….hours really, and you should devote the afternoon to it so you don’t have to put it down.
Really. I mean it. Disconnect the phone and hang up the Do Not Disturb sign then hang on for a great read.
I received a copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.
***
By Chris P. Germe on September 15, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition
The book is rich in events and suspense. There is no boring part to it. They should make a movie out of it…
***
Fantastic, Fast-paced Adventure!!!!
By S. McQuitty on September 2, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
LOVED this book. Read it last week during all the Irene coverage. I live in Michigan and I guess I was feeling left out. The Kindle edition is well formatted and easy to read. I could NOT put this book down until it was over. I won’t spoil it, except to say that the way all of the stories merged at the end was very well done.
On a personal note, Buzz seems to be a really nice guy. I’ve exchanged a few messages with him on Facebook and got answers to the questions I had about the end.
***
By Kathy Terrell on August 30, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Loved it! Amazing! I was glued to it for two days. We folks who have lived on the coast all our lives have gone thru some of this and hope not to go thru the rest. Thanks for the book! Awaiting the next one!
***
Fabulous book and a great wake up call for complacent coastal Georgians!
By Jenny E. Jensen on August 26, 2011
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
I read this book in about a day and a half, as it was a page turner! Buzz hits the right balance between a wakeup call to those who live in close proximity to the Coast, especially Coastal Georgians, and a fast paced action novel with characters that pull you in fast and let you go only after the book is done. Buzz lays out every parents’ nightmare vacation scenario and manages, against all odds to resolve it favorably. I particularly enjoyed this novel –Eyewall– because of my ties to the area in which it is set. Many times while reading I had chills picturing the places he described as they were dramatically torn apart or inundated by “Janet.” As Irene prepares to make landfall, I am mindful that we assume that we will always have plenty of time to escape a hurricane’s path, or that it is safe to try and ride a storm out because it has been done safely before; Eyewall makes it clear that this is not the case as each storm is different and nature’s awesome force must be respected! Hopefully the horrific tragedies of Katrina and the destruction left by Andrew are enough to provide the warning and encouragement people need to leave the coast, but if not Eyewall surely will. I love the breadth of knowledge that the writer’s background give the novel and the way it was woven in seamlessly but not obviously. A great fast read and I anxiously await the author’s next novel.
***
By Book Crazy on August 10, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I highly recommend Eyewall. Hurricanes are fascinating and Buzz Bernard makes all the characters in this novel as interesting as Hurricane Janet. He writes about what he knows about. Looking forward to more from Mr. Bernard.
***
By S. L. Parker on August 7, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I purchased this by mistake and decided to read it on my Kindle anyway. The story of a hurricane and how lives intersect in the rush to survive a storm that was predicted to be anything but horrific. Great characters, well researched, fast paced and funny to boot.
My only complaint was at the end when the author gives us a recap on the characters’ lives after the storm, but either he forget to mention “Steve”, or I missed it. Can anyone help me out here?
Also recommended..
Isaac’s Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History by Erik Larson.
***
Eyewall
By Hotcha on August 5, 2011
Format: Kindle Edition
Eyewall Is A Fast Paced With Three Different Stories Switching Back And Forward About The Lives Of People As They Prepare For The Mother Of All Hurricanes That Was Only Supposed To Be A Cat One But Janet Had Other Ideas! Arly Walker And His Crew Knew There Was No Chance For Them To Get Out Of Janet With Two Engines Down And A Busted Wing, But With The Data From Obie One, They Had A Fighting Chance…………
Doctor Nicholas Obermeyer Had Seen Many Storms And Hurricanes Throughout His Years Of Experience, But Nothing He Had Ever Seen If Thought Would Replace Rita And Camille And If He Was Right Then Janet Would Turn Into A Cat Five And His Boss Wanted Him To Wait For Data From The Hurricane Hunter When The People Needed To Be Warned And Give Them Time To Get Off The Island! What Didn’t Robbie Understand That Thousands Would Die?
Alan Grant And His Family Were On St. Simons Island Off The Georgia Coastline Celebrating The Labor Day Holiday, He Headed A Major Company, Took Risks Everyday, And Delegated To His Underlings Yet When The Order Was Issued To Leave The Island He Told His Family They Were Perfectly Safe As Janet Would Head East To Florida Not Knowing His Teenage Daughter Had Slipped Out To Meet A Boy She Met On The Internet And He Had Left Her Stranded And Locked In The Estates Gated Mansion And Sandy Did Not Know Where She Was! With Everyone Trying To Leave The Island, Alan Wished He Had Taken Trish’s Advice And Let Her And Lee Come Along, Now He Had To Waste Precious Time To Go Back To Get His Family Before He Rescued His Daughter………..