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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
2.75. Not what I expected. I bought this thinking it was a standalone and although it's only a duology I'm probably not going to continue. It wrapped up well enough that I'm not too fussed to find out what else happens. If I see the second book around I'll grab it, or perhaps borrow from my library, but I'm not going out of my way for it
A copy of Ultraviolet was provided to me by Orchard/Netgalley for review purposes.
'I realized then that even though I was a tiny speck in an infinite cosmos, a blip on the timeline of eternity, I was not without purpose. And as long as I had a part in the music of the spheres, even if it was only a single grace note, I was not worthless. Nor was I alone.'
Right off the bat this reminded me of ‘My Soul to Lose’ – girl wakes up in mental institution with no idea how she got there. Luckily that’s where the resemblance stopped. Ultraviolet is about 16 year old Alison Jeffries who is placed in Pine Hills, a psychiatric treatment center, with no idea at first of why she’s there. Slowly the memories start coming back to her of an altercation she had with popular girl Tori Beaugrand the same day the police are now claiming she disappeared and hasn’t been seen since.
Alison’s been placed in a mental institution because its believed that something is mentally wrong with her. When just the opposite is true. She has an extremely rare and special ability. Her ability reminded me of the girl off of the TV show Heroes who could see the colors that sounds created, Emma? Anyways, the story was good and and despite the fact that I'm not that big of a sci-fi fan this was hugely enjoyable.
The story builds off of Alison's gift and you slowly learn more and more about it. She has synesthesia and is such an interesting and eye-opening neurological condition, I highly recommend googling it and reading more about it. Yep, it's a real thing. By the time the end rolls around the story explodes and becomes something so much more than you could have even begun to anticipate. You finally realize what's been going on all this time and what actually happened to Tori. Huge shockers... it was fantastic and nothing like what I was expecting.
I ended up editing this review after finding out that this is in fact a part of a series and that more information/answers can be expected. The one thing that I discovered upon editing this review (over a year after reading) was that this was still extremely clear in my head. I read so many books that I find most of them just get lost in the 'shuffle' and similar story lines and they all just inevitably blend together. Ultraviolet is still completely clear in my hand and stands in a category on its own in my opinion. This was fantastic and I'm so glad that we have more story to look forward. Highly recommended.
'I realized then that even though I was a tiny speck in an infinite cosmos, a blip on the timeline of eternity, I was not without purpose. And as long as I had a part in the music of the spheres, even if it was only a single grace note, I was not worthless. Nor was I alone.'
Right off the bat this reminded me of ‘My Soul to Lose’ – girl wakes up in mental institution with no idea how she got there. Luckily that’s where the resemblance stopped. Ultraviolet is about 16 year old Alison Jeffries who is placed in Pine Hills, a psychiatric treatment center, with no idea at first of why she’s there. Slowly the memories start coming back to her of an altercation she had with popular girl Tori Beaugrand the same day the police are now claiming she disappeared and hasn’t been seen since.
Alison’s been placed in a mental institution because its believed that something is mentally wrong with her. When just the opposite is true. She has an extremely rare and special ability. Her ability reminded me of the girl off of the TV show Heroes who could see the colors that sounds created, Emma? Anyways, the story was good and and despite the fact that I'm not that big of a sci-fi fan this was hugely enjoyable.
The story builds off of Alison's gift and you slowly learn more and more about it. She has synesthesia and is such an interesting and eye-opening neurological condition, I highly recommend googling it and reading more about it. Yep, it's a real thing. By the time the end rolls around the story explodes and becomes something so much more than you could have even begun to anticipate. You finally realize what's been going on all this time and what actually happened to Tori. Huge shockers... it was fantastic and nothing like what I was expecting.
I ended up editing this review after finding out that this is in fact a part of a series and that more information/answers can be expected. The one thing that I discovered upon editing this review (over a year after reading) was that this was still extremely clear in my head. I read so many books that I find most of them just get lost in the 'shuffle' and similar story lines and they all just inevitably blend together. Ultraviolet is still completely clear in my hand and stands in a category on its own in my opinion. This was fantastic and I'm so glad that we have more story to look forward. Highly recommended.
Originally posted here.
Alison is in trouble. After years of trying to suppress and hide the strange way she perceives the world through colors and sound she finds herself in a psychiatric hospital suspected of killing one of her classmates. The problem is there is no body and little evidence. Alison was the last person to see Tory. They fought and then Alison came home upset, with blood on her hands, out of control, and claiming she saw Tory disintegrate. When Dr. Sebastian Faraday turns up at the hospital and not only discovers the reason for Alison's strange perceptions, but also completely believes her story about Tory she has new hope. And it doesn't hurt that Faraday is good looking with an entrancing accent either. Just when Alison thinks things might improve they go from strange to stranger and she discovers a whole new world of knowledge.
This story has a lot going for it: mystery, suspense, psychological oddities, a little romance, and then the other stuff that you have to read the book to discover. There are several elements of it that could have gone horribly wrong or been terribly awkward if Anderson were not so good at what she does. She took some real risks with this concept and they were definitely worth it.
Alison is the one telling us her story and it is told in first person. If you don't like unreliable narrators this book will drive you crazy. Alison, as a patient in a mental hospital on anti-psychotic drugs, is the very definition of unreliable. I like unreliable narrators and Alison is one whose voice will capture you even if you don't completely trust her. She is extremely sympathetic and you can't help but want her to be telling the truth.
The relationship between Alison and Faraday is quite possibly the best executed part of this story. It could have been super creepy (and not just because of the age difference and the whole doctor/patient thing), but Anderson managed to avoid the disturbing relationship issue while also turning out a stomach fluttering romance.
I was also impressed with the portrayal of Alison's hospital and experiences in it. The hospital workers and doctors are portrayed as real people, some of whom are dedicated to their jobs and some of whom are simply earning paychecks. None of them are evil or abusive. Some of them are kind of clueless but you find those people anywhere. Overall they are portrayed as helpful professionals. The other patients are portrayed sympathetically, even the ones that hurt Alison and make her miserable. The books referenes to psychiatry and psychiatric drugs are delivered in ways that allows readers to draw their own conclusions (and in my case do some internet research).
The only small complaint I had was that the last couple of pages were a little less subtle than I would have liked. According to R.J. Anderson's website there will be a sequel coming out in 2013, which seems an awful long time from now. Though in the meantime her fourth Faerie book Swift will be released in the UK so we have that to look forward to.
Alison is in trouble. After years of trying to suppress and hide the strange way she perceives the world through colors and sound she finds herself in a psychiatric hospital suspected of killing one of her classmates. The problem is there is no body and little evidence. Alison was the last person to see Tory. They fought and then Alison came home upset, with blood on her hands, out of control, and claiming she saw Tory disintegrate. When Dr. Sebastian Faraday turns up at the hospital and not only discovers the reason for Alison's strange perceptions, but also completely believes her story about Tory she has new hope. And it doesn't hurt that Faraday is good looking with an entrancing accent either. Just when Alison thinks things might improve they go from strange to stranger and she discovers a whole new world of knowledge.
This story has a lot going for it: mystery, suspense, psychological oddities, a little romance, and then the other stuff that you have to read the book to discover. There are several elements of it that could have gone horribly wrong or been terribly awkward if Anderson were not so good at what she does. She took some real risks with this concept and they were definitely worth it.
Alison is the one telling us her story and it is told in first person. If you don't like unreliable narrators this book will drive you crazy. Alison, as a patient in a mental hospital on anti-psychotic drugs, is the very definition of unreliable. I like unreliable narrators and Alison is one whose voice will capture you even if you don't completely trust her. She is extremely sympathetic and you can't help but want her to be telling the truth.
The relationship between Alison and Faraday is quite possibly the best executed part of this story. It could have been super creepy (and not just because of the age difference and the whole doctor/patient thing), but Anderson managed to avoid the disturbing relationship issue while also turning out a stomach fluttering romance.
I was also impressed with the portrayal of Alison's hospital and experiences in it. The hospital workers and doctors are portrayed as real people, some of whom are dedicated to their jobs and some of whom are simply earning paychecks. None of them are evil or abusive. Some of them are kind of clueless but you find those people anywhere. Overall they are portrayed as helpful professionals. The other patients are portrayed sympathetically, even the ones that hurt Alison and make her miserable. The books referenes to psychiatry and psychiatric drugs are delivered in ways that allows readers to draw their own conclusions (and in my case do some internet research).
The only small complaint I had was that the last couple of pages were a little less subtle than I would have liked. According to R.J. Anderson's website there will be a sequel coming out in 2013, which seems an awful long time from now. Though in the meantime her fourth Faerie book Swift will be released in the UK so we have that to look forward to.
Immersive & entertaining with some great twists. Enjoyable!
Unexpected and refreshing for a YA novel. Looking forward to the next installment to see where the story goes.
I can't write too much of a review about this book without spoiling it. I will tell you however to read it.
The book is well written and quite a page turner.
The book is well written and quite a page turner.
Even though Alison is not like other sixteen-year-olds, she has learned to hide her differences in order to appear normal. This means keeping hidden the fact that she can taste words and see numbers as colors. But then an event occurs with a strong and immediate impact on Alison's life and world. She's not sure if she killed her classmate Tori, and the aftermath from that incident has landed her in a mental institution called Pine Hills. The other residents there are truly crazy, and her psychiatrist is untrustworthy. But how do you prove to others that you aren't crazy, when you aren't entirely sure you believe it yourself?
I was completely under Alison's spell from the very first chapter. Ultraviolet has one of the best looks into mental wards that I have seen in fiction in a long time. Alison had some fun superpowers- the colors were totally cool, but the other talents that manifested throughout the story were pretty impressive. I was nervous about getting to the end, having heard that the big reveal is a bit of a let down. But I honestly did not see that twist coming and enjoyed it all the more for the surprise. I found myself tearing through this book, not being able to turn away and needing to know what would become of Alison's fate. Anderson teases that she may write a companion novel to this story, and I sure hope she does!
I was completely under Alison's spell from the very first chapter. Ultraviolet has one of the best looks into mental wards that I have seen in fiction in a long time. Alison had some fun superpowers- the colors were totally cool, but the other talents that manifested throughout the story were pretty impressive. I was nervous about getting to the end, having heard that the big reveal is a bit of a let down. But I honestly did not see that twist coming and enjoyed it all the more for the surprise. I found myself tearing through this book, not being able to turn away and needing to know what would become of Alison's fate. Anderson teases that she may write a companion novel to this story, and I sure hope she does!
A moreish mystery that takes Synesthesia to a whole new level.
Originally posted on my blog Ashleigh Online
I am completely fascinated by the idea of Synesthesia. I have a very mild form of it, including numbers, days and times. It’s essentially a colour-coded calendar in my head and I find it incredibly useful! I had no idea that this book was even about Synesthesia when I picked it up, so that was a pleasant surprise.
The Synesthesia Alison has is far more extreme. Everything she sees and hears has a colour, including names and numbers and letters. It’s delightfully poetic to read, and for for Alison cool but confusing: Alison’s mum has always told her not to talk about it to anyone else. That’s why Alison finds it even more difficult to face what’s happened – Tori vanished in front of her very eyes and she can’t honestly say that it wasn’t her fault. She is full to the brim of self doubt and it makes incredibly intriguing reading.
In addition to being an addictive psychological thriller, Ultraviolet also has a sci-fi element to it that makes up some of the twists and turns in this novel so I can’t delve into those here. But they surprised me, pleasantly so although I fear that some readers who aren’t huge fans of sci-fi might have needed some prior warning (so here it is!)
The downfall of Ultraviolet is its ending. It’s rushed and there are some characters I’d have liked to have learned more about. That said, it was certainly unlike anything I’ve read before, and was far from predictable. There’s a second book, too, so hopefully that will answer some of the questions I still have about Ultraviolet and its characters.
Originally posted on my blog Ashleigh Online
I am completely fascinated by the idea of Synesthesia. I have a very mild form of it, including numbers, days and times. It’s essentially a colour-coded calendar in my head and I find it incredibly useful! I had no idea that this book was even about Synesthesia when I picked it up, so that was a pleasant surprise.
The Synesthesia Alison has is far more extreme. Everything she sees and hears has a colour, including names and numbers and letters. It’s delightfully poetic to read, and for for Alison cool but confusing: Alison’s mum has always told her not to talk about it to anyone else. That’s why Alison finds it even more difficult to face what’s happened – Tori vanished in front of her very eyes and she can’t honestly say that it wasn’t her fault. She is full to the brim of self doubt and it makes incredibly intriguing reading.
In addition to being an addictive psychological thriller, Ultraviolet also has a sci-fi element to it that makes up some of the twists and turns in this novel so I can’t delve into those here. But they surprised me, pleasantly so although I fear that some readers who aren’t huge fans of sci-fi might have needed some prior warning (so here it is!)
The downfall of Ultraviolet is its ending. It’s rushed and there are some characters I’d have liked to have learned more about. That said, it was certainly unlike anything I’ve read before, and was far from predictable. There’s a second book, too, so hopefully that will answer some of the questions I still have about Ultraviolet and its characters.