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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
2.5
It seems a little unfair to give this such a low rating when the only problem is that I'm obviously not the desired audience. But, because goodreads' rating system only allows for how much I personally enjoyed the book, I'm not prepared to go so far as to say "I liked it" and give it 3 stars, as that would be untrue.
In the end, I just don't care that much about gadgets and battles. This is one of those particular wish fulfillment books about that special day when a member of the government walks into a kid's home and announces that they've qualified to become a member of the Intrasolar Forces (or a spy, or a secret agent, or a superhero). But better than that, they'll be part of a virtual reality military - total heaven for video game lovers! They'll have a specialised processor embedded in their brain so they absorb information at an unbelievable pace and rapidly become one of the smartest human beings on the planet.
Plus there's some pretty girls and silly childish humour, too. So nothing wrong if the right reader picks up this book, nothing wrong at all. If your ultimate fantasy is being a kind of virtual James Bond with a whole bunch of cool tricks up your sleeves, then [b:Insignia|11115434|Insignia (Insignia, #1)|S.J. Kincaid|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1317833510s/11115434.jpg|16037981] will be the perfect book for you. Kincaid has obviously done her research here and written a story with just the right amount of sci-fi complexity combined with a light-hearted writing style that makes it very easy to digest. For me, this strikes me as the kind of young adult book that really should stay in the teen section. I know a lot of adults love to read within the YA genre and I wouldn't quite call this "middle grade" but it reads a bit younger than the novels I tend to prefer.
This is a good debut with a convincingly male narrator, but sadly it just wasn't for me.
It seems a little unfair to give this such a low rating when the only problem is that I'm obviously not the desired audience. But, because goodreads' rating system only allows for how much I personally enjoyed the book, I'm not prepared to go so far as to say "I liked it" and give it 3 stars, as that would be untrue.
In the end, I just don't care that much about gadgets and battles. This is one of those particular wish fulfillment books about that special day when a member of the government walks into a kid's home and announces that they've qualified to become a member of the Intrasolar Forces (or a spy, or a secret agent, or a superhero). But better than that, they'll be part of a virtual reality military - total heaven for video game lovers! They'll have a specialised processor embedded in their brain so they absorb information at an unbelievable pace and rapidly become one of the smartest human beings on the planet.
Plus there's some pretty girls and silly childish humour, too. So nothing wrong if the right reader picks up this book, nothing wrong at all. If your ultimate fantasy is being a kind of virtual James Bond with a whole bunch of cool tricks up your sleeves, then [b:Insignia|11115434|Insignia (Insignia, #1)|S.J. Kincaid|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1317833510s/11115434.jpg|16037981] will be the perfect book for you. Kincaid has obviously done her research here and written a story with just the right amount of sci-fi complexity combined with a light-hearted writing style that makes it very easy to digest. For me, this strikes me as the kind of young adult book that really should stay in the teen section. I know a lot of adults love to read within the YA genre and I wouldn't quite call this "middle grade" but it reads a bit younger than the novels I tend to prefer.
This is a good debut with a convincingly male narrator, but sadly it just wasn't for me.
Never knew I was so into this type of genre, 2nd book of Kincaid's I have read.. definitely will be reading more! I was so into the video game aspect of this, this whole thing needs to happen now, I feel like the world would be a much nicer place
The world building in this book was really awful. I don't feel like I really understood the world at all by the time I was done with the book. But, surprisingly, I didn't really mind it. I still liked this book a lot.
The reason why?
1) The characters were great. Tom was funny and the perfect amount of snarky, his friends were interesting and fun to read about, and the romance was unique.
2) The technology was really cool and I understood what they were. I feel like a lot of science-fiction, futuristic stories go into way too much detail about the tech, but Kincaid did a great job introducing interesting gadgets and simply explaining how they are used. The teach added to the plot rather than taking away from it.
3) The book was well paced. There was never a dull period where I wanted to skip forward. I was intrigued to the end, even though Tom's antics got a little predictable after a while.
Insignia is a good book. Not amazing or life-changing, but good. Definitely worth reading if you are looking for a YA sci-fi.
The reason why?
1) The characters were great. Tom was funny and the perfect amount of snarky, his friends were interesting and fun to read about, and the romance was unique.
2) The technology was really cool and I understood what they were. I feel like a lot of science-fiction, futuristic stories go into way too much detail about the tech, but Kincaid did a great job introducing interesting gadgets and simply explaining how they are used. The teach added to the plot rather than taking away from it.
3) The book was well paced. There was never a dull period where I wanted to skip forward. I was intrigued to the end, even though Tom's antics got a little predictable after a while.
Insignia is a good book. Not amazing or life-changing, but good. Definitely worth reading if you are looking for a YA sci-fi.
Watch my full review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yGNxujEzAo
Absolutely loved this book! The world, plot and characters were all amazing!
Absolutely loved this book! The world, plot and characters were all amazing!
adventurous
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really wanted to like this book. I really did. Truth is, I wasn’t that into it. The reason why I gave it 4 stars is because I didn’t want my personal taste of the book to negatively affect people who might actually enjoy reading it (if that makes sense).The book itself, is actually pretty good, and logically, I have no complaints. It just wasn’t for me~ There are parts that made me laugh which I do appreciate :)
As one of my most anticipated titles of 2012, Insignia had a lot of expectations to meet. But with a great male lead, a well developed world and an intriguing plot, it did just that, and I was unable to put it down.
Where do I even start? Let me just say that I *really* enjoyed reading this book. I liked the world building, the characters, the plot, the way everything developed.. At some moments it didn't draw me in as much as at other times, but that is really my only complaint. Tom is a character who is easy to relate to and I liked following him around.
What really made the story for me was the whole world and the setup of this book. We're at a military academy where the students are quite literally war machines and I *loved* how everything was worked out, with the initiation and then the classes after that. I'm really tempted to point out specific points that I loved and enjoyed, but since it would spoil part of the plot.. I'm not going to. I do want to say that I loved the 'climax' and I can't wait to read more!
It was nice to follow a male lead around instead of the typical female main character. Tom wasn't overly confident, though he did get a little cocky at times, but I really liked following his thoughts and found myself chuckling with a certain scene (you'll know it when you read it).
Anyhoo, I'll round this review up before I keep going on and on about the same couple of things. If you like sci-fi, male leads and/or fast paced stories, you'll want to put this one on your wishlist. I'd definitely recommend it!
Find this review and others on Loving Books.
Where do I even start? Let me just say that I *really* enjoyed reading this book. I liked the world building, the characters, the plot, the way everything developed.. At some moments it didn't draw me in as much as at other times, but that is really my only complaint. Tom is a character who is easy to relate to and I liked following him around.
What really made the story for me was the whole world and the setup of this book. We're at a military academy where the students are quite literally war machines and I *loved* how everything was worked out, with the initiation and then the classes after that. I'm really tempted to point out specific points that I loved and enjoyed, but since it would spoil part of the plot.. I'm not going to. I do want to say that I loved the 'climax' and I can't wait to read more!
It was nice to follow a male lead around instead of the typical female main character. Tom wasn't overly confident, though he did get a little cocky at times, but I really liked following his thoughts and found myself chuckling with a certain scene (you'll know it when you read it).
Anyhoo, I'll round this review up before I keep going on and on about the same couple of things. If you like sci-fi, male leads and/or fast paced stories, you'll want to put this one on your wishlist. I'd definitely recommend it!
Find this review and others on Loving Books.
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
"Insignia" starts slowly, and it took me awhile to get into it. I also had trouble following some of the ideas behind the technology. By the end, though, I couldn't put the thing down. What's more fun than remote-controlled warships battling it out in outer space? I think the story would be better if the first half was shorter, but it's definitely a solid pick for fans of action with a bit of humor thrown in, too.
I am in love with this book!
At first, the premise reminded me a lot of Ender's Game (another lurve of mine) and it kinda stayed that way during the story, but it's a the-same-but-different-story if that makes any sense.
I love what the author did with the neuroprocessors and the fact that they can be exploited (which was the first thing that popped into my head when they said 'computer in your brain').
My favorite characters are Blackburn (more than slightly crazy, traumatized veteran) and Wyatt Enslow (love the fact that the author included a non-neurotypical person in the story and made her believable instead of disabled).
Elliot Ramirez came close to being third at first, but because he was actually as wholesome as everyone thought, my interest faded a bit (I have a huge weak spot for broken characters, and I'm still holding out hope that he's not as perfect in the next books, but we'll see...)
The plot kicked off very early in the book and kept going strong with just enough breathers in between to make for a fantastically enjoyable read.
There were times I cringed for the characters, got angry on their behalf, times I laughed out loud (garnering more than a few weird looks from fellow train passengers) and times where I was simply drifting on the plot, trying to guess where it would take me next and just taking it all in.
All in all, I can't wait to start Vortex :D
At first, the premise reminded me a lot of Ender's Game (another lurve of mine) and it kinda stayed that way during the story, but it's a the-same-but-different-story if that makes any sense.
I love what the author did with the neuroprocessors and the fact that they can be exploited (which was the first thing that popped into my head when they said 'computer in your brain').
My favorite characters are Blackburn (more than slightly crazy, traumatized veteran) and Wyatt Enslow (love the fact that the author included a non-neurotypical person in the story and made her believable instead of disabled).
Elliot Ramirez came close to being third at first, but because he was actually as wholesome as everyone thought, my interest faded a bit (I have a huge weak spot for broken characters, and I'm still holding out hope that he's not as perfect in the next books, but we'll see...)
The plot kicked off very early in the book and kept going strong with just enough breathers in between to make for a fantastically enjoyable read.
There were times I cringed for the characters, got angry on their behalf, times I laughed out loud (garnering more than a few weird looks from fellow train passengers) and times where I was simply drifting on the plot, trying to guess where it would take me next and just taking it all in.
All in all, I can't wait to start Vortex :D