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thebrainlair's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 really. For much of the book, we really didn't make any progress. We learned about the world but not so much how it works. We learned bits and pieces about Felicia's past and why she loved/hated Julian but not enough to bring us along for the ride.
The build up was slower than many recent dystopias, since the author attempts to bring in more thought provoking questions instead of relentless action. Unfortunately, the the resolution was fast and left many questions unanswered due to it's easy solution.
Recommended for people who liked: [b:Insignia|11115434|Insignia (Insignia, #1)|S.J. Kincaid|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1317833510s/11115434.jpg|16037981], though Level 2 is better written, or [b:Elsewhere|359410|Elsewhere|Gabrielle Zevin|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1316738245s/359410.jpg|349532]. If you like (slight) religious overtones, I would also recommend this to those who liked [b:Everything You Need to Survive the Apocalypse|10798397|Everything You Need to Survive the Apocalypse|Lucas Klauss|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1336820606s/10798397.jpg|15711100] by [a:Lucas Klauss|4719763|Lucas Klauss|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1304966588p2/4719763.jpg]
The build up was slower than many recent dystopias, since the author attempts to bring in more thought provoking questions instead of relentless action. Unfortunately, the the resolution was fast and left many questions unanswered due to it's easy solution.
Recommended for people who liked: [b:Insignia|11115434|Insignia (Insignia, #1)|S.J. Kincaid|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1317833510s/11115434.jpg|16037981], though Level 2 is better written, or [b:Elsewhere|359410|Elsewhere|Gabrielle Zevin|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1316738245s/359410.jpg|349532]. If you like (slight) religious overtones, I would also recommend this to those who liked [b:Everything You Need to Survive the Apocalypse|10798397|Everything You Need to Survive the Apocalypse|Lucas Klauss|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1336820606s/10798397.jpg|15711100] by [a:Lucas Klauss|4719763|Lucas Klauss|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1304966588p2/4719763.jpg]
bookishmadness's review against another edition
4.0
What it's about: Level 2 is the place that exists after we die. A level where memories can be continually accessed, scored and even rented out to others. But Level 2 isn't all that is seems, and when a boy from Felicia's past arrives, it shakes up everything she thought she knew.
What I thought: Level 2 is a wonderful paranormal dystopian novel, with a wonderful twist into what life after death is like. Not only does everyone have their own white pod to access their memories, they are also used as a currency, which isn't overly looked at, but gave this world a new and exciting feel. I love reading dystopians (which this kind of is and kind of isn't) and discovering the new and different worlds the author has created. Lenore Appelhans has created a wonderful novel in Level 2, giving up action, intrigue and best of all romance. Topped with mystery and surprises, it's like a birthday cake that can't really disappoint.
Level 2 is a great debut for Lenore Appelhans and I am super interested to see where Level 3 is going to go.
The Good: Such a wonderful fresh premise gave all the expectations and more.
The Bad: While some might love Felicia and her obsession with Neil, I however did not. His goodness was way too over the top for me and made me want to gag most of the time. Julian was also disregarded as bad bad bad the entire book and I felt like we didn't get a proper look at him. I also felt she didn't really choose between 'two loves' - it was always Neil.
Rating: 4 Bookstacks
What I thought: Level 2 is a wonderful paranormal dystopian novel, with a wonderful twist into what life after death is like. Not only does everyone have their own white pod to access their memories, they are also used as a currency, which isn't overly looked at, but gave this world a new and exciting feel. I love reading dystopians (which this kind of is and kind of isn't) and discovering the new and different worlds the author has created. Lenore Appelhans has created a wonderful novel in Level 2, giving up action, intrigue and best of all romance. Topped with mystery and surprises, it's like a birthday cake that can't really disappoint.
Level 2 is a great debut for Lenore Appelhans and I am super interested to see where Level 3 is going to go.
The Good: Such a wonderful fresh premise gave all the expectations and more.
The Bad: While some might love Felicia and her obsession with Neil, I however did not. His goodness was way too over the top for me and made me want to gag most of the time. Julian was also disregarded as bad bad bad the entire book and I felt like we didn't get a proper look at him. I also felt she didn't really choose between 'two loves' - it was always Neil.
Rating: 4 Bookstacks
halcyone's review against another edition
4.0
Originally posted at The Cozy Armchair.
When I received an ARC of Level 2 that I’d won in the mail, I was ecstatic! I’d followed Lenore Appelhans’ blog since before her book being picked up for publication, so I’d been hearing buzz about Level 2 from the very start and I was excited to get a chance to read it early. I still somehow managed to keep myself fairly in the dark about what to expect from Level 2, which made reading it more fun. It is a combination of several genres: contemporary and dystopian with a hint of the paranormal/angelic in there, too.
I thought the concept of the afterlife being this dystopian realm run by the Morati (who are bitter about being left out of heaven) was really clever. The Morati are the villains of the novel, but they’re fairly absent up until the very end, so it’s more the suggestion of their presence that drives the characters’ fear of them. Their motives are fairly simplistic, but I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of them in the sequel.
The descriptions of an all-white, sterile environment; the drones stuck in these hives; individuality absolutely limited in appearance and personality - it all came together to create this very vivid image in my mind of the worst kind of afterlife. The characters’ abilities with magically handwaving things into existence were a bit too convenient for my tastes, but it does serve as a way to even the playing field between the rebels and the Morati.
The memory portions rounded out this story, giving the story a contemporary twist that I didn’t expect. A good portion of Level 2 is spent in Felicia’s memories, which was definitely a pleasant surprise because it emphasized just how sad this afterlife is, where you just mindlessly rewatch your memories and others’, and also gave us a lot of insight into Felicia’s character. It was an interesting vehicle for character development, and I really liked how we got to see her meet Neil and fall in love and make some bad decisions.
When I say bad decisions, I mean TERRIBLE. Felicia is a girl haunted by these bad decisions and Neil is the good guy that came alone to help her heal. All of Level 2 is about Felicia reviewing her relationship with Neil and being all, “Neil was so great, everyone loved him,” etc. Kinda bland, I know, so I’m hoping we get to learn more about Neil in future books to make him seem a bit more three-dimensional. However, I didn’t warm up to Felicia as much as I wanted to. Even though we get a lot of insight into her life, a lot of questions remain, especially regarding Autumn and Felicia’s life before Neil.
Julian, on the other hand, was a great ambiguous character. Despite his outwardly charming persona, I was never quite convinced because of Felicia’s incredibly strong negative reaction to him and his role in her falling out with Autumn. In short, he was a total douche and the source of several plot twists throughout the novel, some of which weren’t all that surprising. But I’m still really intrigued by him, and I know he’ll be making another appearance.
One of my major issues has to be with the ending. The pacing meandered between Felicia's memories and the resistance telling her what to do until everything suddenly peaked and then, bam, that was it?? It was just really a really abrupt escalation of events that was resolved in a way I know I didn’t understand. Then all the tension suddenly fizzled out and everything was wrapped up really easily. I’m not sure where the overarching story is going and I don't see what is propelling the story forward to a sequel besides the unanswered questions, but I know I'll want to read Level 3 anyway.
Overall, I think this was a pretty strong debut despite its issues. Level 2 had unique elements that capitalized on the popularity of certain YA tropes (dystopian, angels, etc.) to create a very interesting story.
When I received an ARC of Level 2 that I’d won in the mail, I was ecstatic! I’d followed Lenore Appelhans’ blog since before her book being picked up for publication, so I’d been hearing buzz about Level 2 from the very start and I was excited to get a chance to read it early. I still somehow managed to keep myself fairly in the dark about what to expect from Level 2, which made reading it more fun. It is a combination of several genres: contemporary and dystopian with a hint of the paranormal/angelic in there, too.
I thought the concept of the afterlife being this dystopian realm run by the Morati (who are bitter about being left out of heaven) was really clever. The Morati are the villains of the novel, but they’re fairly absent up until the very end, so it’s more the suggestion of their presence that drives the characters’ fear of them. Their motives are fairly simplistic, but I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of them in the sequel.
The descriptions of an all-white, sterile environment; the drones stuck in these hives; individuality absolutely limited in appearance and personality - it all came together to create this very vivid image in my mind of the worst kind of afterlife. The characters’ abilities with magically handwaving things into existence were a bit too convenient for my tastes, but it does serve as a way to even the playing field between the rebels and the Morati.
The memory portions rounded out this story, giving the story a contemporary twist that I didn’t expect. A good portion of Level 2 is spent in Felicia’s memories, which was definitely a pleasant surprise because it emphasized just how sad this afterlife is, where you just mindlessly rewatch your memories and others’, and also gave us a lot of insight into Felicia’s character. It was an interesting vehicle for character development, and I really liked how we got to see her meet Neil and fall in love and make some bad decisions.
When I say bad decisions, I mean TERRIBLE. Felicia is a girl haunted by these bad decisions and Neil is the good guy that came alone to help her heal. All of Level 2 is about Felicia reviewing her relationship with Neil and being all, “Neil was so great, everyone loved him,” etc. Kinda bland, I know, so I’m hoping we get to learn more about Neil in future books to make him seem a bit more three-dimensional. However, I didn’t warm up to Felicia as much as I wanted to. Even though we get a lot of insight into her life, a lot of questions remain, especially regarding Autumn and Felicia’s life before Neil.
Julian, on the other hand, was a great ambiguous character. Despite his outwardly charming persona, I was never quite convinced because of Felicia’s incredibly strong negative reaction to him and his role in her falling out with Autumn. In short, he was a total douche and the source of several plot twists throughout the novel, some of which weren’t all that surprising. But I’m still really intrigued by him, and I know he’ll be making another appearance.
One of my major issues has to be with the ending. The pacing meandered between Felicia's memories and the resistance telling her what to do until everything suddenly peaked and then, bam, that was it?? It was just really a really abrupt escalation of events that was resolved in a way I know I didn’t understand. Then all the tension suddenly fizzled out and everything was wrapped up really easily. I’m not sure where the overarching story is going and I don't see what is propelling the story forward to a sequel besides the unanswered questions, but I know I'll want to read Level 3 anyway.
Overall, I think this was a pretty strong debut despite its issues. Level 2 had unique elements that capitalized on the popularity of certain YA tropes (dystopian, angels, etc.) to create a very interesting story.
crayondall's review against another edition
5.0
So, I got an advanced reader copy of this book and when I first picked it up, I was a little iffy about it. That changed pretty much as soon as I began reading. It was fantastic.
I read a lot of young adult fiction and it tends to be fairly predictable, but this wasn't and it was pretty much impossible to put down.
Felicia Ward was a compelling main character and while I didn't always agree with her and her choices, watching her life unfold was incredible. Everything was timed so well, information wasn't pushed on you before you were ready, but it didn't feel like anything was being withheld purely for the sake of plot. While everything revolved around Felicia, the other characters were solid as well and learning about them through interactions in Level 2 and during her life was a neat balance.
The other thing I really enjoyed was the mix of Greek mythology and Christianity at various points. Also, the fact that there was sort of a love triangle, but not really, because it was all about different points in her life. And I'll just put down one final thing, because I have been raving about this book to my friends pretty much from the second I started it, but I liked that it had a solid ending, because it might be part of a series, but it can definitely stand on it's own.
Basically, it was just fantastic and I'm really glad I read it and everyone else should too!
I read a lot of young adult fiction and it tends to be fairly predictable, but this wasn't and it was pretty much impossible to put down.
Felicia Ward was a compelling main character and while I didn't always agree with her and her choices, watching her life unfold was incredible. Everything was timed so well, information wasn't pushed on you before you were ready, but it didn't feel like anything was being withheld purely for the sake of plot. While everything revolved around Felicia, the other characters were solid as well and learning about them through interactions in Level 2 and during her life was a neat balance.
The other thing I really enjoyed was the mix of Greek mythology and Christianity at various points. Also, the fact that there was sort of a love triangle, but not really, because it was all about different points in her life. And I'll just put down one final thing, because I have been raving about this book to my friends pretty much from the second I started it, but I liked that it had a solid ending, because it might be part of a series, but it can definitely stand on it's own.
Basically, it was just fantastic and I'm really glad I read it and everyone else should too!
jaywhistler's review against another edition
4.0
I have to say I was a bit skeptical of the premise for Level 2. I kept thinking, "Oh no, not another dead-girl-in-the-afterlife book." But Lenore does a good job of relating the afterlife to real life in terms of friendships, self-esteem, self-reflection, and love. Things aren't magically perfect in the afterlife. You don't suddenly have everything you want or need by your side. And you still have to learn from your past. I think these are great lessons for teens--no one gets to skip the hard stuff, whether on this side or the next. Add in a great twist ending, and you have a dead-girl-in-the-afterlife book that isn't formulaic. Looking forward to the release of the next Memory Chronicles book later this year!
postitsandpens's review against another edition
3.0
Level 2 is a book that left me with mixed feelings. On the one hand, I appreciated that it was written by a blogger - I always love when people I'm familiar with make it in the publishing industry - and I was also intrigued by her idea of the afterlife and found the premise of this book to be very different. But at the same time, I found myself strangely disconnected from the characters and even the plot; while the book was compelling enough in that it kept me coming back and turning pages, I was oddly uncaring about how things would end up. I haven't ever really had that very shrug-like response to a book before, which makes this a review that's a little difficult to write.
First off, let me say that, even though the synopsis promises "two loves," there really is no such thing. That's right: There IS no love triangle. While Felicia has a history with the two boys, and Julian is with her in the afterlife, she is very much in love with Neil. In fact, she finds herself disgusted and annoyed with Julian due to some circumstances that happened in the past, and would never actually get back together with him. So no cookies for the summary writer, because it's very misleading and might put off some people who are thoroughly fed up with love triangles.
What I enjoyed the most from this book wasn't the promised rebellion (which earned a very blah response from me, particularly the fact that Felicia plays such an important role) or even Felicia's moments in the actual afterlife. Instead, I found her journeys into her memories when she would relive her life to be the most compelling. You'd think that a book essentially filled with flashbacks would be clunky, but it really wasn't; everything seamlessly flowed together and you finally saw how Felicia's life was lived. I have to say that Felicia isn't the best character - she did some things in her life that were downright terrible - and I actually didn't find her to be very likable in the slightest. My feelings for her definitely didn't help me connect with her and her plight, and were probably a major contributor to my mixed feelings about the book.
You also have her constant memories of Neil, the too-perfect, church-singing, guitar-playing boy who captures Felicia's heart. While I appreciate that their love wasn't confused with lust, I found Neil to be too unrealistic, because no one is that perfect (and the whole purity pledge conversation and Neil's concern over the town's feelings about Felicia not wanting to sign it also set my teeth on edge, as it felt very judgmental and definitely rubbed me the wrong way). That being said, I did enjoy some of the church-y memories, and couldn't help but enjoy the Underground Church game; I kind of wish our youth group had done something like that when I was growing up!
All in all, Level 2 is a mostly-compelling read. While I personally wasn't really invested in the story, there were aspects that I enjoyed, and I've seen plenty of other starred ratings that place it firmly in the "good" category. If you're looking for a different sort of spin on the afterlife, then check this one out. It's not perfect, but it's still a decent way to spend a few hours. I do wonder about this being the first in a series, though, because things are decidedly wrapped up in this book; I'll be curious to see what the author has planned for the other two installments.
An ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
***
To see more of my reviews, please visit me @ Read and Reviewed!
First off, let me say that, even though the synopsis promises "two loves," there really is no such thing. That's right: There IS no love triangle. While Felicia has a history with the two boys, and Julian is with her in the afterlife, she is very much in love with Neil. In fact, she finds herself disgusted and annoyed with Julian due to some circumstances that happened in the past, and would never actually get back together with him. So no cookies for the summary writer, because it's very misleading and might put off some people who are thoroughly fed up with love triangles.
What I enjoyed the most from this book wasn't the promised rebellion (which earned a very blah response from me, particularly the fact that Felicia plays such an important role) or even Felicia's moments in the actual afterlife. Instead, I found her journeys into her memories when she would relive her life to be the most compelling. You'd think that a book essentially filled with flashbacks would be clunky, but it really wasn't; everything seamlessly flowed together and you finally saw how Felicia's life was lived. I have to say that Felicia isn't the best character - she did some things in her life that were downright terrible - and I actually didn't find her to be very likable in the slightest. My feelings for her definitely didn't help me connect with her and her plight, and were probably a major contributor to my mixed feelings about the book.
You also have her constant memories of Neil, the too-perfect, church-singing, guitar-playing boy who captures Felicia's heart. While I appreciate that their love wasn't confused with lust, I found Neil to be too unrealistic, because no one is that perfect (and the whole purity pledge conversation and Neil's concern over the town's feelings about Felicia not wanting to sign it also set my teeth on edge, as it felt very judgmental and definitely rubbed me the wrong way). That being said, I did enjoy some of the church-y memories, and couldn't help but enjoy the Underground Church game; I kind of wish our youth group had done something like that when I was growing up!
All in all, Level 2 is a mostly-compelling read. While I personally wasn't really invested in the story, there were aspects that I enjoyed, and I've seen plenty of other starred ratings that place it firmly in the "good" category. If you're looking for a different sort of spin on the afterlife, then check this one out. It's not perfect, but it's still a decent way to spend a few hours. I do wonder about this being the first in a series, though, because things are decidedly wrapped up in this book; I'll be curious to see what the author has planned for the other two installments.
An ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
***
To see more of my reviews, please visit me @ Read and Reviewed!
isobelleogden's review against another edition
3.0
This book was very slow paced and didn't get to the better part until the very end, but the ending seemed to be written quickly and without much thought as to how it could be made better. It was very rushed.
It makes you think about your life and the memories you'd be watching if you were in Level 2. I mean, it was an okay book but not my favourite.
It makes you think about your life and the memories you'd be watching if you were in Level 2. I mean, it was an okay book but not my favourite.
sk24's review against another edition
3.0
This book was just okay for me. It was unable to fully captivate me for the majority of the book and there was nothing overly special about it in my opinion.
While it is a unique concept, I don’t feel it was delivered as well as it could have been. The story was just okay. It didn’t have me on the edge of my seat and I didn’t really have an urge to pick it up after setting it down. There was nothing pulling me back to it. For these reasons, I don’t think it is likely I will read the sequel.
The writing was pretty good, but everything else was just meh. The characters were just okay, the romance didn’t do much for me, and the world-building gave a basic understanding but nothing more.
I won this book from http://imaginaryreads.blogspot.ca/
While it is a unique concept, I don’t feel it was delivered as well as it could have been. The story was just okay. It didn’t have me on the edge of my seat and I didn’t really have an urge to pick it up after setting it down. There was nothing pulling me back to it. For these reasons, I don’t think it is likely I will read the sequel.
The writing was pretty good, but everything else was just meh. The characters were just okay, the romance didn’t do much for me, and the world-building gave a basic understanding but nothing more.
I won this book from http://imaginaryreads.blogspot.ca/
literaryanna's review against another edition
3.0
More of my reviews can be found on my blog: Literary Exploration
I don't really know where to begin with my thoughts on Level 2. This is definitely a case in which the more time that goes by, the more my feelings change. At first glance, I liked the book alright. It's a cool concept, dealing with the afterlife in such a manner. I've never read a book that focuses on the idea of purgatory (other than Purgatorio), so it was definitely a catchy topic. However, the execution fell far too short, causing me to almost put the book down for good on more than one occasion. As much as I wanted to love this book, I just couldn't. In fact, I probably won't even pick up the next one. The concept is fantastic and original, but that's about it, sad to say.
Out of all of the characters, I honestly didn't really love any of them. Julian was by far my favorite, but that was only because he's the biggest trouble-maker. He instigates everything and always does his best to mess everything up. Felicia is just boring and annoying as a protagonist, living her afterlife for a boy who's still alive and consuming her days with her video-like memories of him. I mean, I get that she's dead, and she misses her still-alive boyfriend, but get a life. [pun intended] Even in life she seemed pretty lame, and at no point in the story could I connect with her. All of the other characters are pretty one dimensional, sadly, and I kept praying for more scenes with sexy Julian.
Like I said, the concept is fresh and original. The execution is where everything falls apart. I mean for one, the layout of this limbo-like place is filled with technology. Sure, everything is possible in the afterlife or whatever, but these girls are hooked up to big memory playback machines every day so they can relive their lives and then they get points when other people watch their memories and then they can use those points to watch more memories from other people. Confused? Me too. Also, I know this book is all about what happens after you die, but it became way too preachy for me. I mean, the number of times that mention how angelically chaste Neil is is ridiculous. they meet at church, they sing at church, they take an abstinence pledge at church, they make out at church camp, REALLY?! I'm all for spirituality and understanding religions of all kinds, but when they blatantly get pushed in my face I get really turned off.
Enough of the ranting. The concept is good and the writing is well-done, so I will definitely pick up another of Lenore's books, just not one in this series. I wish more of the world that Felicia is now living in had been focused on rather than her past and what lead up to her death. the story is definitely short and if you don't mind the religious undertones than you might really like this one. I definitely would've if the religion had been toned down a few notches and if there was more Julian.
I don't really know where to begin with my thoughts on Level 2. This is definitely a case in which the more time that goes by, the more my feelings change. At first glance, I liked the book alright. It's a cool concept, dealing with the afterlife in such a manner. I've never read a book that focuses on the idea of purgatory (other than Purgatorio), so it was definitely a catchy topic. However, the execution fell far too short, causing me to almost put the book down for good on more than one occasion. As much as I wanted to love this book, I just couldn't. In fact, I probably won't even pick up the next one. The concept is fantastic and original, but that's about it, sad to say.
Out of all of the characters, I honestly didn't really love any of them. Julian was by far my favorite, but that was only because he's the biggest trouble-maker. He instigates everything and always does his best to mess everything up. Felicia is just boring and annoying as a protagonist, living her afterlife for a boy who's still alive and consuming her days with her video-like memories of him. I mean, I get that she's dead, and she misses her still-alive boyfriend, but get a life. [pun intended] Even in life she seemed pretty lame, and at no point in the story could I connect with her. All of the other characters are pretty one dimensional, sadly, and I kept praying for more scenes with sexy Julian.
Like I said, the concept is fresh and original. The execution is where everything falls apart. I mean for one, the layout of this limbo-like place is filled with technology. Sure, everything is possible in the afterlife or whatever, but these girls are hooked up to big memory playback machines every day so they can relive their lives and then they get points when other people watch their memories and then they can use those points to watch more memories from other people. Confused? Me too. Also, I know this book is all about what happens after you die, but it became way too preachy for me. I mean, the number of times that mention how angelically chaste Neil is is ridiculous. they meet at church, they sing at church, they take an abstinence pledge at church, they make out at church camp, REALLY?! I'm all for spirituality and understanding religions of all kinds, but when they blatantly get pushed in my face I get really turned off.
Enough of the ranting. The concept is good and the writing is well-done, so I will definitely pick up another of Lenore's books, just not one in this series. I wish more of the world that Felicia is now living in had been focused on rather than her past and what lead up to her death. the story is definitely short and if you don't mind the religious undertones than you might really like this one. I definitely would've if the religion had been toned down a few notches and if there was more Julian.