This book is an outline for a better book in which the characters are interesting, the gags well-written, and the narrative voice more skillfully wrought.

I enjoyed several of the story elements, and the amusing way that the characters are put through the wringer, but there's an amateurish feel to the whole thing.

I could almost give it three stars just for the cartoonish, over the top violence and willful messiness of events, but ... nah. ( )

Brutal. Violent. Relentless. Fun. This could be easily be a four-word review, as these particular words go a long way in preparing you for Bill Swierczynski third novel, out on the heels of The Blonde. Severance Package does a wonderful job of combining corporate office politics and the deadly world of nothing-is-as-it-seems espionage, raising the question of exactly which profession is more ruthless, cut throat, and soullessly ambitious. One would be tempting to describe it as a cross between The Office and Three Days of the Condor, but that would barely be doing it justice.

Bill Swierczynskis writing style has one major asset that many authors tend to overlook these days: brevity. His descriptions are colorful and informative, yet they arent weighed down by their own poetic license. Characters and locations are set up and knocked down as quickly and efficiently as dominoes, without ever leaving the reader confused or unsatisfied.

Even the story itself, which takes place in the time frame of a few hours, is tight and compact, with all of the action and suspense layered delicately from beginning to end. Swierczynskis storytelling style is as quick and hard hitting as a lead sap to the temple.

The comic book reminiscent illustrations scattered throughout the book are interesting and fun, even though some might find them a little distracting. Of course, considering that Swierczynski authored the Cable series for Marvel Comics, and is currently helming a six issue run of The Punisher in Garth Ennis absence, the presence of the silhouette artwork is understandable.

If you like your novels short, sweet, and chock full of balls-to-the-wall action, you should definitely not pass this one up. Just dont forget to punch in.

Wow. My first book by this author and I wasn't sure what to expect. I don't think I've read anything quite like this before. Death, gore, blood, completely out of whack characters with plenty of action and nastiness from start to finish. As I was reading I kept wondering why Tarantino hasn't made this into a movie. It's a wild and graphic ride not for the faint of heart. ( )

Severance Package - Duane Swierczynski

Duane Swierczynski… people in the book world will remember him for books like “The Blond”. Comic book readers will remember him as the new force behind the Marvel series Cable and Iron fist.. he also has a couple one offs i have never heard of.

Severance Package was published last year. I had seen it on a number of bookstore shelves but never bothered to pick it up. It looked like manga and i just dont dig on the manga. US comics yes, Japanese comics, rarely. Yes, I remember. no judging of books based on how they look… bad jason BAAAD jason..

So I am at work one day and a friend of mine, Shannon, caught me downstairs at work one day and pressed its glorious rough paperyness into my hands. Its rough cut pages and soft wafflely cover immediately caugth my attention.

The front cover carried some cheesy text, “ever want to kill your boss? well guess what, the feeling is mutual”.. i could have done with out that blurb..

So, enough.. the book, as stated on the back of the cover. The main character gets called into work on a Saturday. There is a big meeting, and he has to drop what he is doing to head in early on a day off. On his arrival, he enters a room with a few people, some Pepperidge farms cookies, and all the makings for a bunch of mimosas.

The boss man tells people that they are a front for a blag bag spy operation and that their funding has been pulled. everyone in the room will die today. The only choice they have is to drink a mimosa and die peacefully by fast acting poison, or get a bullet in the brain.

Sarin gas, explosives, acrobatics, torture, mutilation, humor, firefights… this book has it all. Everything takes place in about a 1 hour period of time from what I can tell.

There really isn’t much to talk about with this book. it gets your heart racing a little, and you are wide eyed through out the book. it is very enjoyable. This is a fast read, you pick it up and you do not put it down until you are done. you get sucked into the plot and are not given much of an opportunity to get to know any individual. It is the story that matters, less about the individuals and more about the situation they are all in. Who is a “bad guy/good guy” is less important than their interactions.

Severance Package is not by any means a classic. Regardless of the intentions of most authors, I doubt it will have a huge impact on the written world. What it does have an impact on is your cerebellum and stomach. It hits you where your bruises will not show, and you smile when the aching settles in. Then you tell others to read it :)
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A quick, entertaining read that leaps headlong into unbelievability several chapters in. It's compulsively readable anyway. ( )