Awakened

Aliens meets The Taking of Pelham 123 in this fast-moving science fiction thriller that mostly keeps the reader’s disbelief suspended. In the near future, N.Y.C. Mayor Tom Cafferty is about to inaugurate the Z line, a new subway route linking New Jersey and Manhattan. He hopes this multi-year effort will serve as his legacy. The luminaries on hand in the elaborate Visitors’ Pavilion, 300 feet under the Hudson River, include President Reynolds. But Cafferty’s big moment turns into a disaster when the first train scheduled to enter the pavilion—whose passengers include his wife, Ellen—pulls in empty. The shattered glass and abundant bloodstains lead the Secret Service to believe that terrorists have attacked, prompting them to take extreme measures to protect Reynolds. Before long, it becomes clear that something nonhuman is responsible for the carnage, and Cafferty must scramble to take care of the people in the pavilion while also doing whatever he can to rescue Ellen. Fans of horror that’s stronger on action than on character will find this an entertaining, if unmemorable, ride. Agent: Marc Gerald, United Talent Agency. (June)