Scan barcode
alishredder's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
anniemariek's review against another edition
4.0
First Look: I wanted to read this because D.J. MacHale wrote it. He wrote the Pendragon series, which is one of my all-time favorites, and Morpheus Road, which I really enjoyed, so I'll read whatever he puts out, at this point. Because of that, I had high expectations--probably unreasonably high. If D.J. MacHale wasn't the author, I would have bypassed this one. The premise is all too familiar, and a dystopian/sci-fi novel like this has to have a very unique premise before I'll pick it up.
Setting: If Pemberwick, Maine was a real place (I checked, and it's not), I would be willing to move in. It's small, quaint, somewhat isolated, and by the ocean. What more could you want? MacHale does an excellent job of getting you to care about it through Tucker's love of the place. It maybe have been a bit heavy-handed, but it then leads you to care when the quaintness of it is threatened. This is one book where the setting truly shaped the story, and I appreciate that. It was more than just a backdrop.
Characters: For the most part, Tucker is a three-dimensional and dynamic character. At times, he could be a bit frustrating. For example, why did he keep going after Olivia when it was clear she only went for whatever guy happened to be the best at football at any particular moment? Yes, she's pretty, but she's obviously shallow, so why bother? Apart from that, I liked him. He's resourceful, determined, and genuine. I just wish his personality had been even more distinct, especially since I know MacHale is capable of incredibly real-seeming characters.
His best friend, Quinn, made little impression on me. His personality is much less defined, which makes him a mostly flat character. Tori, another side character, was far more interesting. She may have had even more personality than Tucker, and I'm eager to see how she develops in future books.
Plot: I have mixed feelings about the plot. It took a long time to get moving--before that, it was slow and filled with too much football. Here's the thing with extended descriptions of football games: as soon as you start talking about yard lines and fumbles and whatever else, you've lost me. You've lost me even faster than you would if you started talking about cars. To some extent, the games were important to the plot, but it didn't need to take up so much of the book. Less football, more sci-fi weirdness and actual action, please.
After things started happening, though, the plot got interesting. It moved along at a quick pace, and left me with so many questions that I didn't want to stop reading. It may lack some originality, but I was still interested and invested. And, of course, the ending leaves you with more questions that it answers.
Uniqueness: This area left the most to be desired. We have an "average" teenage guy who sees something suspicious, a quarantine, a secret government plot. It's not a dystopian novel, but it used many similar tropes. It does have some unique elements that reveal themselves towards the end, but I wish it stood out more from other books overall.
Writing: I forgot how much MacHale loves choppy sentences and awkward phrasing. Occasionally, I would stumble over an oddly worded passage, and sometimes it didn't flow like it should. Still, the narration does a decent job telling the story. For the most part, it stays out of the way, and gets you into Tucker's head. It allows the story to take center stage, rather than the writing itself. Tucker's voice could have been more prominent, but it didn't feel flat, either.
Likes: Nothing not already mentioned above.
Not-so-great: I kind of wanted a Pendragon reference like in Morpheus Road, but I didn't get one. Then again, Morpheus Road lends itself better to that sort of thing.
Overall: For the most part, I enjoyed this. It has its flaws, including a lack of originality, some awkward phrasing, and a slow beginning. Still, it has a setting that I want to live in. Tucker is an interesting and likable character, and I think we'll see him grow even more in the next book. As side characters go, Quinn is too flat for my liking, but Tori had a distinct personality. It moves along quickly, with plot twists that keep you guessing. It's a 3.5 star book, but I'll round it up, and I'll most likely check out the sequel to see where the story goes from here.
Similar Books: It's a science fiction novel with dystopian overtones like The Lost Code and Variant. It also reminds me of Virals.
Read more of my reviews at http://anniesepicblog.blogspot.com.
Pre-review: HOLD IT. HOLD IT RIGHT THERE.
There's a new D.J. MacHale book, and nobody told me until now?
Someone should really let me know when these things happen.
Anyway, I'm excited!
Do we get more Pendragon references this time around as well? I love D.J. MacHale's veiled and not-so-veiled Pendragon references. They simply reinforce the whole Pendragon concept of Halla.
Setting: If Pemberwick, Maine was a real place (I checked, and it's not), I would be willing to move in. It's small, quaint, somewhat isolated, and by the ocean. What more could you want? MacHale does an excellent job of getting you to care about it through Tucker's love of the place. It maybe have been a bit heavy-handed, but it then leads you to care when the quaintness of it is threatened. This is one book where the setting truly shaped the story, and I appreciate that. It was more than just a backdrop.
Characters: For the most part, Tucker is a three-dimensional and dynamic character. At times, he could be a bit frustrating. For example, why did he keep going after Olivia when it was clear she only went for whatever guy happened to be the best at football at any particular moment? Yes, she's pretty, but she's obviously shallow, so why bother? Apart from that, I liked him. He's resourceful, determined, and genuine. I just wish his personality had been even more distinct, especially since I know MacHale is capable of incredibly real-seeming characters.
His best friend, Quinn, made little impression on me. His personality is much less defined, which makes him a mostly flat character. Tori, another side character, was far more interesting. She may have had even more personality than Tucker, and I'm eager to see how she develops in future books.
Plot: I have mixed feelings about the plot. It took a long time to get moving--before that, it was slow and filled with too much football. Here's the thing with extended descriptions of football games: as soon as you start talking about yard lines and fumbles and whatever else, you've lost me. You've lost me even faster than you would if you started talking about cars. To some extent, the games were important to the plot, but it didn't need to take up so much of the book. Less football, more sci-fi weirdness and actual action, please.
After things started happening, though, the plot got interesting. It moved along at a quick pace, and left me with so many questions that I didn't want to stop reading. It may lack some originality, but I was still interested and invested. And, of course, the ending leaves you with more questions that it answers.
Uniqueness: This area left the most to be desired. We have an "average" teenage guy who sees something suspicious, a quarantine, a secret government plot. It's not a dystopian novel, but it used many similar tropes. It does have some unique elements that reveal themselves towards the end, but I wish it stood out more from other books overall.
Writing: I forgot how much MacHale loves choppy sentences and awkward phrasing. Occasionally, I would stumble over an oddly worded passage, and sometimes it didn't flow like it should. Still, the narration does a decent job telling the story. For the most part, it stays out of the way, and gets you into Tucker's head. It allows the story to take center stage, rather than the writing itself. Tucker's voice could have been more prominent, but it didn't feel flat, either.
Likes: Nothing not already mentioned above.
Not-so-great: I kind of wanted a Pendragon reference like in Morpheus Road, but I didn't get one. Then again, Morpheus Road lends itself better to that sort of thing.
Overall: For the most part, I enjoyed this. It has its flaws, including a lack of originality, some awkward phrasing, and a slow beginning. Still, it has a setting that I want to live in. Tucker is an interesting and likable character, and I think we'll see him grow even more in the next book. As side characters go, Quinn is too flat for my liking, but Tori had a distinct personality. It moves along quickly, with plot twists that keep you guessing. It's a 3.5 star book, but I'll round it up, and I'll most likely check out the sequel to see where the story goes from here.
Similar Books: It's a science fiction novel with dystopian overtones like The Lost Code and Variant. It also reminds me of Virals.
Read more of my reviews at http://anniesepicblog.blogspot.com.
Pre-review: HOLD IT. HOLD IT RIGHT THERE.
There's a new D.J. MacHale book, and nobody told me until now?
Someone should really let me know when these things happen.
Anyway, I'm excited!
Do we get more Pendragon references this time around as well? I love D.J. MacHale's veiled and not-so-veiled Pendragon references. They simply reinforce the whole Pendragon concept of Halla.
s_hay's review against another edition
4.0
Probably middle grade or above. Main characters are 14, but some parts are violent and several people shot with semi-graphic descriptions that might not be good for younger readers.
nerfherder86's review against another edition
4.0
Tucker's average life on the island of Pemberwick, Maine, takes a sudden turn for the adventurous and scary, right on the first page when a popular player on his high school football team dies during a game, with no warning. And other mysterious deaths in town follow. Are they caused by the strange red drug being offered by a stranger in town? And then the whole island is INVADED by an unknown branch of the military called SYLO--who quarantines the whole population of locals and tourists, prohibiting any communications off-island, and preventing anyone from leaving. Tucker and his best friend Quinn witness just how they're preventing those escapes: with lethal force! The two boys, with the help of Olivia and Tori, new friends, must try to uncover the truth about SYLO, and the Ruby drug, and the weird airship that they saw explode over town just before SYLO showed up. Then they've got to try to get off the island. But it's going to be harder than they think...
Great start to a new series, aimed particularly at boy readers and those who love action and suspense. As long as you don't mind not having all your questions answered--this is, after all, the first book in a new series, so there is a lot left unresolved--there's enough explosions, chases on land and sea, scary bad guys, and conspiracies in this book to entertain you. Tucker is an everyguy, and reacts to situations just like a regular average teen guy would. I liked Tori's character the best--she's got real spunk and some mad defensive skills. I'm very curious to see where this series goes next!
Great start to a new series, aimed particularly at boy readers and those who love action and suspense. As long as you don't mind not having all your questions answered--this is, after all, the first book in a new series, so there is a lot left unresolved--there's enough explosions, chases on land and sea, scary bad guys, and conspiracies in this book to entertain you. Tucker is an everyguy, and reacts to situations just like a regular average teen guy would. I liked Tori's character the best--she's got real spunk and some mad defensive skills. I'm very curious to see where this series goes next!
jawjuhh's review against another edition
3.0
Wow D.J. MacHale was not afraid to kill people off. Enjoyable read, didn't draw me in quite as much as his Pendragon series. Also, this is so similar to THe Waking Dark by Robin Wasserman, but I prefer Wasserman's because it's much darker.
onehtl1ama's review against another edition
4.0
The premise of Sylo is such: Tucker Pierce is an average high school kid who is floating along. He is on the football team but he hates playing. He gets average grades. He doesn't have any idea about what he wants to when he grows up. And as far as he's concerned - that's all fine with him. Unfortunately his peaceful uneventful island life is quickly changed. During the big game of the season the star player drops dead on the field. As the island mourns the player- the military arrives and quarantines the island because of a mysterious virus (the suspected reason of the player's death). Something doesn't sit well with Tucker and his friends and they are thrown into the middle of discovering what the virus is, what the SYLO unit of the military is, and what exactly is going on on Pemberwick Island...
Why I gave it 3.5/4-
The Pace: I know first books of series tend to be full of exposition... but the SYLO did get a bit slow at points. But even with that being said- I still finished it in three days. And also characteristic of a first book in a series- I did not feel as though there was any sort of resolution. The main question of the book (who is SYLO/Why was Pemberwick locked down) wasn't answered until the last few pages. And now I have to wait a whole year to know just why these things are important.
The Characters: I can tell that all of these characters have the potential to be really awesome. I am excited to see how the next two books have them grow. Also- without being a spoiler- Tucker was warned not to trust anyone. at all. So now I'm anxiously awaiting and guessing who might be a secret bad guy or girl. I think I have an idea... but again have to wait a whole year ahhh!
Overall it was a very entertaining book. I am excited for next year to get here and read on and find out what happens to Tucker and his friends. If you need a mystery/dystopian/new series to check out, I suggest you go track down a copy of SYLO when it is released.
Review also on: http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com
Why I gave it 3.5/4-
The Pace: I know first books of series tend to be full of exposition... but the SYLO did get a bit slow at points. But even with that being said- I still finished it in three days. And also characteristic of a first book in a series- I did not feel as though there was any sort of resolution. The main question of the book (who is SYLO/Why was Pemberwick locked down) wasn't answered until the last few pages. And now I have to wait a whole year to know just why these things are important.
The Characters: I can tell that all of these characters have the potential to be really awesome. I am excited to see how the next two books have them grow. Also- without being a spoiler- Tucker was warned not to trust anyone. at all. So now I'm anxiously awaiting and guessing who might be a secret bad guy or girl. I think I have an idea... but again have to wait a whole year ahhh!
Overall it was a very entertaining book. I am excited for next year to get here and read on and find out what happens to Tucker and his friends. If you need a mystery/dystopian/new series to check out, I suggest you go track down a copy of SYLO when it is released.
Review also on: http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com
jackslynn's review against another edition
3.0
I thought SYLO was pretty good and wished I could have given it three and half stars. A lot of people were unhappy because so many questions went unanswered. I can understand their feelings, but it didn't bother me because I felt that MacHale did answer a lot of questions and in the process posed more. This is something I have come to expect when I read a series. I enjoyed this more than a lot of the YA books I have been reading lately. It seems that MacHale put a lot of effort into his writing and wasn't grinding out another novel in an effort to make more money.
libscote's review against another edition
2.0
I couldn't get past my setting issues to really enjoy the story.