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xoxolibro's review against another edition
I enjoyed Blackout and will definitely be listing to the sequel. I think the power-bestowing virus idea plays out a little differently here, making it feel like a new-ish idea. Each power is accompanied by negative side-effects, and the pairing and severity of each varies from person to person. The disappearing girl has bad eyesight. The guy who controls minds gets splitting headaches.
I'm interested to see who the 'terrorits' and/or 'rebels' are. Who is the mastermind behind it all? Who is really the bad guy? I was a little disappointed that more clues weren't given on this in the 1st book. Seemed like a slightly cheap play to get me to come back for the 2nd....but I didn't hate it too much.
I'm interested to see who the 'terrorits' and/or 'rebels' are. Who is the mastermind behind it all? Who is really the bad guy? I was a little disappointed that more clues weren't given on this in the 1st book. Seemed like a slightly cheap play to get me to come back for the 2nd....but I didn't hate it too much.
trisha_thomas's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting idea that got bogged down in the details.
I really did enjoy the first half of this book. I might even say almost 3/4 of the book was interesting and held my attention. But once it got too far into the military part of it - it just got...boring. And that is a really tough part to get boring at.
I didn't mind the lack of world building or even a real explanation as to why this all happened because we were never really with an official who knew anything. And the teens were just experiencing it and didn't know why. I found the ways their powers manifested to be an interesting slant on this idea (since we've seen this genre a lot lately) and I thought the broken out idea of their tactical usefulness and their different powers all well done.
I also really like Jack, Aubrey, Laura - even the addition of Alec and Nicole brought a different slant to the story and reminded us that there are two sides to every coin.
But they spent too long getting off course and giving me details about things I just wasn't interested in. The chapters on the testing and walking and gathering and having all of this told two different times from two different people just made my eyes glaze over.
I might still continue the series, just to see where it goes.
I really did enjoy the first half of this book. I might even say almost 3/4 of the book was interesting and held my attention. But once it got too far into the military part of it - it just got...boring. And that is a really tough part to get boring at.
I didn't mind the lack of world building or even a real explanation as to why this all happened because we were never really with an official who knew anything. And the teens were just experiencing it and didn't know why. I found the ways their powers manifested to be an interesting slant on this idea (since we've seen this genre a lot lately) and I thought the broken out idea of their tactical usefulness and their different powers all well done.
I also really like Jack, Aubrey, Laura - even the addition of Alec and Nicole brought a different slant to the story and reminded us that there are two sides to every coin.
But they spent too long getting off course and giving me details about things I just wasn't interested in. The chapters on the testing and walking and gathering and having all of this told two different times from two different people just made my eyes glaze over.
I might still continue the series, just to see where it goes.
sarahonthecoast's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't love it but this book gets an extra star for being at least a little bit original.
In a seemingly never ending stream of young adult dystopian novels, Blackout has managed to be just unique enough to set itself apart. Although it’s predictable, this new twist on the future of our country is fast-paced, action packed, and will please dystopian fans. The major cliffhanger will leave them scrambling to get their hands on the next installment.
In a seemingly never ending stream of young adult dystopian novels, Blackout has managed to be just unique enough to set itself apart. Although it’s predictable, this new twist on the future of our country is fast-paced, action packed, and will please dystopian fans. The major cliffhanger will leave them scrambling to get their hands on the next installment.
elbowglitter's review against another edition
3.0
I loved the first two thirds of this book. Then it went totally off the rails.
leila_reads_too_much's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
tomwright's review against another edition
5.0
I think it was the Wells brothers' podcast the quoted: Just because a story is about something doesn't make it good.
For instance, just because it's about vampires, doesn't make it good.
And yet, if you give me something with superpowers, I'm going to like it.
Fun read.
For instance, just because it's about vampires, doesn't make it good.
And yet, if you give me something with superpowers, I'm going to like it.
Fun read.
applesodaperson's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
booksabrewin's review against another edition
3.0
I had never read any books by Robison Wells but I had heard about her Variant series and was anxious to try out her writing for the first time. A dystopian book about X-Men-esk teens was the perfect place to start in my opinion.
Aubrey and Jack were friends in elementary school, but once they entered high school they drifted apart. Aubrey became one of the popular girl with the help of the queen bee of the school, Nicole. Aubrey was happy for the most part, but she also felt like a freak. Aubrey could disappear. Not metaphorically, physically. Once the queen bee of her school found this out, she used Aubrey to spy for her. One such mission ended up causing Aubrey to witness the military breaking into their school dance and shooting one of their students dead. The student wasn't a regular student though. He was like Aubrey. He had powers. He was a freak.
Aubrey stumbles across Jack as she flees the military and they start on the run together. Eventually they are caught anyway and that is where they learn the truth about their crumbling world. There are terrorists bent on destroying America. The terrorists are teenagers with abilities just like Aubrey's. The military now needs Aubrey and even Jack's help shutting down the terrorists, but what they don't know is some of the teenagers who are meant to fight the terrorists may be terrorists themselves. Aubrey and Jack must find a way to survive while also dealing with a blossoming romance. Can they save their country or are they better off running as far and as fast as they can?
I was not too fond of Aubrey's character. She was just all over the place. She was wimpy in the beginning and then she was the ideal soldier and then she got wimpy again. I got pretty sick of her rollercoaster of personality shifts. The saving grace for the book was Jack. I loved Jack. He was determined, level-headed, and even romantic at times. I think if he would have had a better leading lady, the book would have been a smashing success.
Now, let me not dwell on Aubrey's shortcomings. The story line was unusual and unique. I loved the variance of powers the teenagers could present with. I would have liked a bit more background on the terrorists and why they were doing what they were doing, but I am hoping that will be covered in later books. It was unnerving how likely this sort of situation could possibly happen. Teenagers are loose cannons, give them powers to destroy and see if they don't find a reason to do just that.
Blackout is a paranormal spin on a plausible apocalyptic occurrence. It's a glowing example of what science fiction truly is.
Review Posted on: http://www.ladybugliterature.blogspot.com