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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
I like the premise of this book—passengers stuck on a cruise ship for decades because of a virus that hit the land while they were at sea. Recommend to fans of Marie Lu and Suzanne Collins.
World building made no sense. Plot didn’t progress in an interesting way and was very boring.
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5⭐️ I don’t read/ watch much dystopian so my comparisons are quite narrow, but this really did give me Hunger Games and Divergent vibes.
Synopsis: In 2051 luxury cruise ship known as The Arcadia was set to leave Liverpool when a deadly virus broke out. People took refugee on the ship but were never allowed to disembark for fear that the virus that has wiped out most of Europe and the world will resurface, despite not seeing cases aboard for a long time. It’s now 2094 and The Arcadia has been stranded for 15,934 days at sea. After years of meticulous planning, a rebellion group begins an uprising to finally get the people to land and what follows is an action-packed sequence of events that will have your heart racing.
Thoughts: I loved how from the very first page we were drawn into this dystopian society and how easy it was to be transported there. The futuristic technology set against an old, rotting ship made a nice contrast, and Daniel’s descriptions of the sights, smells, and people made it easy to vision the social and political divides. This story was told through three unique POVs, and I love how each character brought a new perspective on each event, even the horrific villain Hadley. There were times where I felt the action scenes could have been a bit shorter but besides that, I am very happy I took a chance on a book outside my comfort zone.
Thank you Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for the ARC! Pub date: 1/3/23
Synopsis: In 2051 luxury cruise ship known as The Arcadia was set to leave Liverpool when a deadly virus broke out. People took refugee on the ship but were never allowed to disembark for fear that the virus that has wiped out most of Europe and the world will resurface, despite not seeing cases aboard for a long time. It’s now 2094 and The Arcadia has been stranded for 15,934 days at sea. After years of meticulous planning, a rebellion group begins an uprising to finally get the people to land and what follows is an action-packed sequence of events that will have your heart racing.
Thoughts: I loved how from the very first page we were drawn into this dystopian society and how easy it was to be transported there. The futuristic technology set against an old, rotting ship made a nice contrast, and Daniel’s descriptions of the sights, smells, and people made it easy to vision the social and political divides. This story was told through three unique POVs, and I love how each character brought a new perspective on each event, even the horrific villain Hadley. There were times where I felt the action scenes could have been a bit shorter but besides that, I am very happy I took a chance on a book outside my comfort zone.
Thank you Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for the ARC! Pub date: 1/3/23
I bought this one after attending YALC last year in London where I got to see the author speak on a dystopian panel but I'd put off picking it up until now. I read this one coming off the back of another dystopian which I loved so maybe my expectations were too high but regardless this one fell short.
It's told from three different POV's. First there's Esther who has been training all her life to become a medic in order to leave the ship where she and thousands of others have been stranded ever since a virus in Europe forced them to leave. Next there's Nik, the rebel who wants to liberate those on the ship once and for all. And finally there's Hadley, whose sole purpose was to go around torturing people for fun and for some reason we need his pov?? A little background, two things that really turn me off of a book are torture and vomit. More so the torture but the author managed to fit BOTH of those things together into a single paragraph just seven chapters in! I wanted to put this book down right then and call it a day, but I didn't, which turned out to be a mistake.
You may already have gathered that I didn't like Hadley, but the other characters didn't have much going for them either. Nik at least knew what he wanted and so had drive but he started to become really unlikable towards the end when he repeatedly took out his anger and frustration on Esther for things she couldn't control without ever (in my memory at least) apologizing. Esther was the best out of the three of them but her character still felt very shallow. As for the plot, it started out slow and the torture scenes interspersed throughout didn't help at all, but I was able to enjoy it more when the action started to pick up and I thought the final battle scene was really well done. Sadly though, this just wasn't enough to save the rest of the book.
I don't plan on picking up the sequel but I think that there are definitely people out there who would still enjoy this book. The plot is solid and the action enjoyable, but I would just be wary of the unlikable characters. Happy Reading :)
It's told from three different POV's. First there's Esther who has been training all her life to become a medic in order to leave the ship where she and thousands of others have been stranded ever since a virus in Europe forced them to leave. Next there's Nik, the rebel who wants to liberate those on the ship once and for all. And finally there's Hadley, whose sole purpose was to go around torturing people for fun and for some reason we need his pov?? A little background, two things that really turn me off of a book are torture and vomit. More so the torture but the author managed to fit BOTH of those things together into a single paragraph just seven chapters in! I wanted to put this book down right then and call it a day, but I didn't, which turned out to be a mistake.
You may already have gathered that I didn't like Hadley, but the other characters didn't have much going for them either. Nik at least knew what he wanted and so had drive but he started to become really unlikable towards the end when he repeatedly took out his anger and frustration on Esther for things she couldn't control without ever (in my memory at least) apologizing. Esther was the best out of the three of them but her character still felt very shallow. As for the plot, it started out slow and the torture scenes interspersed throughout didn't help at all, but I was able to enjoy it more when the action started to pick up and I thought the final battle scene was really well done. Sadly though, this just wasn't enough to save the rest of the book.
I don't plan on picking up the sequel but I think that there are definitely people out there who would still enjoy this book. The plot is solid and the action enjoyable, but I would just be wary of the unlikable characters. Happy Reading :)
Could not connect to the characters. Loved the premise, but the plot and the characters just didn’t hook me.
I was shocked to find out that this is the debut book from this author! The description intrigued me from the start and I knew I just had to see what this book was all about. The dystopian world Sarah Daniels has built is so creative and so unlike anything else I have ever read. I loved the multiple POV's, I wish more books included more than 2 as I feel it gives the reader a better, more well-rounded view of the plot and all of the characters. This book brings to light topics of government, morality and social class issues all while still delivering an entertaining story with both action and plot twists to keep you on the edge of your seat.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
slow-paced
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Mini blurb: Welcome to the Arcadia. Once a luxurious cruise ship, it became a refugee camp after being driven from Europe by an apocalyptic war. Now it floats near the coastline of the Federated States - a leftover piece of a fractured USA.
My thoughts: The notion of being stuck at sea for centuries on a dilapidated mega cruise ship due to politics, biological warfare, country upheaval is chilling. Our author has created an entire dominated world, class system and pecking order under the rule of a dictatorship. Where you would expect to be dining on lobster, Creme Brûlée, and sipping on a Macallan Double Cask 18-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch, Daniels takes us on a trip that won’t be forgotten. Surprisingly, this is a debut novel and I’m sure I should not have read this story before going on a cruise in late November. *facepalm*
"On the Arcadia, we live under the constant threat of being arrested. Look at a Coli wrong,? Arrested. Break a rule in front of one of the many surveillance cameras? Arrested. Stand too close to someone doing something shady? Arrested. Wrong place wrong time is basically the ship's motto."