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iyaa's review
3.0
This was a quick and exciting sci-fi read. It was well also written and the characters were all very likable and unique in their own ways. Don't get me wrong, I liked this book but for some reason can't place where some aspects went wrong. It took me a day to write this review after finishing the book yet I still can't place my finger on it.
ambeesbookishpages's review
4.0
The full review + more can be found at The Book Bratz
*Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Teen for the advanced copy for review!!*
Quite honestly, Valiant is one of the most intriguing and fast paced science fiction books I have read in a long time. Don't get me wrong I have read books that have had me feeling like I was a part of that world but Valiant had a different feel. From page one Valiant takes off and doesn't slow down for a moment. Valiant was a page turner that had me flying through the pages with my heart pounding to find out what was going to happen next.
I liked Sara's character a lot she was smart and insightful. Sara is an average teenage girl that is just trying to survive in the near future and keep her friends and family safe. Valiant was suppose to save the earth but instead it opened the door to the Xua invasion. But out of the millions of people in the world Sara's younger brother Gabe is the key to saving the world. In the first invasion Sara watches as all her friends die and Gabe is killed, but an Xua rebel rescues Sara and shows her the secret of time travel and soon Sara has relived the same horrible invasion over 14 times. This time this is the last time to save the world though and Sara will do everything in how power to keep Gabe and her friends alive. Even the boy she is finding herself falling in love with.
As much as I liked Valiant I do wish there was more world building. There are still a lot of questions about the world currently, where the Valiant was traveling too, where the Xua are exactly from. I also wish the genetic manipulation program that Justin was a part of before his birth was expanded upon, it peaked my interest. The whole book revolves around Sara and Gabe and keeping Gabe safe from the Xua who are hunting him. But you never actually learn why Gabe and Sara are so important to the Xua.
Besides the world building I really enjoyed Valiant. I found Sara to be a relatable character and I was easily able to put myself into her shoes. As I said from the first page to the last Valiant doesn't stop. Each page is action packed and full of twists and turns that will leave you entranced until the very last page. Considering the ending I am really eager to have my questions to answered in the next book. Book 2, where you at?
*Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Teen for the advanced copy for review!!*
Quite honestly, Valiant is one of the most intriguing and fast paced science fiction books I have read in a long time. Don't get me wrong I have read books that have had me feeling like I was a part of that world but Valiant had a different feel. From page one Valiant takes off and doesn't slow down for a moment. Valiant was a page turner that had me flying through the pages with my heart pounding to find out what was going to happen next.
I liked Sara's character a lot she was smart and insightful. Sara is an average teenage girl that is just trying to survive in the near future and keep her friends and family safe. Valiant was suppose to save the earth but instead it opened the door to the Xua invasion. But out of the millions of people in the world Sara's younger brother Gabe is the key to saving the world. In the first invasion Sara watches as all her friends die and Gabe is killed, but an Xua rebel rescues Sara and shows her the secret of time travel and soon Sara has relived the same horrible invasion over 14 times. This time this is the last time to save the world though and Sara will do everything in how power to keep Gabe and her friends alive. Even the boy she is finding herself falling in love with.
As much as I liked Valiant I do wish there was more world building. There are still a lot of questions about the world currently, where the Valiant was traveling too, where the Xua are exactly from. I also wish the genetic manipulation program that Justin was a part of before his birth was expanded upon, it peaked my interest. The whole book revolves around Sara and Gabe and keeping Gabe safe from the Xua who are hunting him. But you never actually learn why Gabe and Sara are so important to the Xua.
Besides the world building I really enjoyed Valiant. I found Sara to be a relatable character and I was easily able to put myself into her shoes. As I said from the first page to the last Valiant doesn't stop. Each page is action packed and full of twists and turns that will leave you entranced until the very last page. Considering the ending I am really eager to have my questions to answered in the next book. Book 2, where you at?
ameserole's review
4.0
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Valiant was a pretty interesting book to dive into. It could've had more world building but since it gave me so much action and it was pretty fast paced - I overlooked it. In this book, you will see aliens (Xua) invading earth countless times. Now if this sort of sounds like something you've read or watched before.. it probably does. For example, Heroes or The Host. However, it also adds some time travel into it.
Besides all of that, you meet Sara and Gabe. They are brother and sister and of course this whole alien invasion happens because of them. Mostly Gabe.. but after 16-ish times of trying to save the world, her friends, and Gabe.. he finally gets away. Alive, but taken away. Shit basically hits the fans because the aliens are attacking the parents and not the kids. They are also trying to catch Gabe and it was one thing that I still don't understand why. Once they realize they can't get him, they go after Sara - which again, very puzzling.
The entire time I wanted to know what was so god damn important about Gabe or Sarah. I also wanted to know why these aliens were invading these people anyways. What's so special about earth? These things can time travel.. they can go anywhere - like to visit the dinosaurs or something.
Overall, the Xua were pretty interesting. I really want to know more about them so I hope there's going to be another book. Then there's the whole backstabbing shit from Billy and Justin (who I know I didn't acknowledge earlier in this review because if I did - I would rant!). I still want to know why the heck Gabe is so important to everything and I hope to get my answers sooner rather than later.
Valiant was a pretty interesting book to dive into. It could've had more world building but since it gave me so much action and it was pretty fast paced - I overlooked it. In this book, you will see aliens (Xua) invading earth countless times. Now if this sort of sounds like something you've read or watched before.. it probably does. For example, Heroes or The Host. However, it also adds some time travel into it.
Besides all of that, you meet Sara and Gabe. They are brother and sister and of course this whole alien invasion happens because of them. Mostly Gabe.. but after 16-ish times of trying to save the world, her friends, and Gabe.. he finally gets away. Alive, but taken away. Shit basically hits the fans because the aliens are attacking the parents and not the kids. They are also trying to catch Gabe and it was one thing that I still don't understand why. Once they realize they can't get him, they go after Sara - which again, very puzzling.
The entire time I wanted to know what was so god damn important about Gabe or Sarah. I also wanted to know why these aliens were invading these people anyways. What's so special about earth? These things can time travel.. they can go anywhere - like to visit the dinosaurs or something.
Overall, the Xua were pretty interesting. I really want to know more about them so I hope there's going to be another book. Then there's the whole backstabbing shit from Billy and Justin (who I know I didn't acknowledge earlier in this review because if I did - I would rant!). I still want to know why the heck Gabe is so important to everything and I hope to get my answers sooner rather than later.
merlin_reads's review
3.0
Alien invasion + time travel = something I would definitely read.
Valiant tells the story of 17-year old Sara who is given the task of pretty much saving the world. When her world is invaded by killer aliens, someone from the future whisks her through time and gives her one task - save her little brother. It was very Heroesesque, "Save the cheerleader, save the world". Anyway, Sara soon finds that it's not as easy as she thinks and this time jump may be her last.
I really enjoyed this cast of characters. Sara, for the most part, was level-headed and smart. She loved her brother and would do anything to save him and I really got that from her. There were just a few times where she was too busy mooning over swoonworthy Justin that I tended to stray from her. She was surrounded by her friends: Justin, Natalie and Billy. All three of them added a different element to the story that just rounded out the characters well. Although I will say, I don't think this book needed the romance aspect as heavily mentioned as it was. The action spoke loudly on it's own.
What I did find lacking was world building and answers. Obviously, since there's more books in the series, I'm not getting answers until those come out. But I felt the world could have been used better. It takes place in our future so it's obviously different, but things are never really explained why they are. We are just to accept this is how it is and understand the "lingo" of this world. Then there were the aliens themselves. So much mystery surrounding them all with zero payoff. So hopefully the sequel goes a little more in depth.
Overall, I enjoyed it. The ending was sort of a cliffy so I'm obviously reading the sequel. Hopefully it comes out soon!
Valiant tells the story of 17-year old Sara who is given the task of pretty much saving the world. When her world is invaded by killer aliens, someone from the future whisks her through time and gives her one task - save her little brother. It was very Heroesesque, "Save the cheerleader, save the world". Anyway, Sara soon finds that it's not as easy as she thinks and this time jump may be her last.
I really enjoyed this cast of characters. Sara, for the most part, was level-headed and smart. She loved her brother and would do anything to save him and I really got that from her. There were just a few times where she was too busy mooning over swoonworthy Justin that I tended to stray from her. She was surrounded by her friends: Justin, Natalie and Billy. All three of them added a different element to the story that just rounded out the characters well. Although I will say, I don't think this book needed the romance aspect as heavily mentioned as it was. The action spoke loudly on it's own.
What I did find lacking was world building and answers. Obviously, since there's more books in the series, I'm not getting answers until those come out. But I felt the world could have been used better. It takes place in our future so it's obviously different, but things are never really explained why they are. We are just to accept this is how it is and understand the "lingo" of this world. Then there were the aliens themselves. So much mystery surrounding them all with zero payoff. So hopefully the sequel goes a little more in depth.
Overall, I enjoyed it. The ending was sort of a cliffy so I'm obviously reading the sequel. Hopefully it comes out soon!
anacarter's review
4.0
Full Review on my blog!
3.5 - 4 Stars
*a copy was provided by NetGalley*
Sci-fi, aliens, time travel, and futuristic things. Yes, YES, and YEsss. All things I love. But this, I liked it just enough, that it fell short of great.
Valiant is different and unique in its own way. A very quick, action packed, fast paced read. It definitely will grip you from the start. I'm excited for when it actually does come out.
Although the beginning of this book felt VERY rushed. A LOT happens in the first few pages that as a result, there is very little context given for the characters and the state of the world. But as the story progresses we do get a bit more of this.
Some times it was difficult to keep up with, there's just so much going on. I love the story, just wish it was told a little differently, I don't know why but it feels like the story is being told in such a way that everything is scattered, and you have to pick up the pieces and just make sense of it on your own terms. I mean between the alien invasion, time travel, portals, military conspiracies, romance, etc. I feel like the story could have been richer if there had been fewer of these elements.
Honestly, I just wish there was more explanations, descriptions, development, and maybe a bit more world building. But it's literally, Action, Action, Action. Hardly any character development.
Also, in a way, it reminded me of Venom , with the whole 'aliens on earth' or 'aliens trying to invade earth' thing, and this quote from the beginning of the book is a pretty good description of what I mean.
Mhmm, similar in ways but, different.
The bit of 'romance', I wouldn't even call it that, it was literally Justin & Sara having known each other in school for however long. There was no real build up, just Sara saying 'I love you' to him, when she thought he was dead/dying or whatever.
AND THEN THE NEXT DAY.
Their relationship did develop a bit but, in an unnaturally fast way, imo.
Also, the 'skin site' thing was a bit confusing. It seems like it's some kind of identification thing/something phone-like where you can call people? listen to music? listen/watch the news? -some kind of 'new' fascinating technology that everyone is crazy about; like when a new version of the IPhone comes out. Or something like that, not 100% sure, unless I'm missing something? - so I went back to my kindle and literally searched 'Skin Site' and it's mentioned A LOT, I'm realizing now, it was described a bit, but still really 'confusingly interesting'. I'm not going to give too much more away, though.
I feel like I'm just rambling on now....
I'm really hoping there will be a sequel, because I like where this story is going. I feel like if the story and universe was expanded on, it could be the next big sc-fi series/book. BUT only if universe was expanded on, like back story on the aliens, Justin, or any the other characters.
If you enjoy action-packed YA science fiction, then I highly recommend it!
NOTE: All quotes taken from this uncorrected copy are subjected to change in the final edition.
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3.5 - 4 Stars
*a copy was provided by NetGalley*
Sci-fi, aliens, time travel, and futuristic things. Yes, YES, and YEsss. All things I love. But this, I liked it just enough, that it fell short of great.
Valiant is different and unique in its own way. A very quick, action packed, fast paced read. It definitely will grip you from the start. I'm excited for when it actually does come out.
Although the beginning of this book felt VERY rushed. A LOT happens in the first few pages that as a result, there is very little context given for the characters and the state of the world. But as the story progresses we do get a bit more of this.
Some times it was difficult to keep up with, there's just so much going on. I love the story, just wish it was told a little differently, I don't know why but it feels like the story is being told in such a way that everything is scattered, and you have to pick up the pieces and just make sense of it on your own terms. I mean between the alien invasion, time travel, portals, military conspiracies, romance, etc. I feel like the story could have been richer if there had been fewer of these elements.
Honestly, I just wish there was more explanations, descriptions, development, and maybe a bit more world building. But it's literally, Action, Action, Action. Hardly any character development.
Also, in a way, it reminded me of Venom , with the whole 'aliens on earth' or 'aliens trying to invade earth' thing, and this quote from the beginning of the book is a pretty good description of what I mean.
"A Xua can leave a host’s body and possess another person if it wants, but humans weren't built to withstand it. Our insides get ripped to shreds. Sometimes you can even see the claw marks on the body, torn apart from the inside out. Sometimes it’s a full-body explosion."
Mhmm, similar in ways but, different.
The bit of 'romance', I wouldn't even call it that, it was literally Justin & Sara having known each other in school for however long. There was no real build up, just Sara saying 'I love you' to him, when she thought he was dead/dying or whatever.
“You have to stay alive, Justin,” I whisper. “No matter what. I love you.”
AND THEN THE NEXT DAY.
He cups my face in his huge hands. “I heard what you said last night,” he whispers, so softly no one else can hear him. “I love you, too.”
Their relationship did develop a bit but, in an unnaturally fast way, imo.
“I was worried I would lose you, too,” he confesses as he lifts his head. He cups my face in his right hand. “The Xua took your brother, but he might not be dead, Sara. You said those doorways go to different timelines, right? Maybe he’s with Aerithin. Or maybe Aerithin will still come back—”
Also, the 'skin site' thing was a bit confusing. It seems like it's some kind of identification thing/something phone-like where you can call people? listen to music? listen/watch the news? -some kind of 'new' fascinating technology that everyone is crazy about; like when a new version of the IPhone comes out. Or something like that, not 100% sure, unless I'm missing something? - so I went back to my kindle and literally searched 'Skin Site' and it's mentioned A LOT, I'm realizing now, it was described a bit, but still really 'confusingly interesting'. I'm not going to give too much more away, though.
I feel like I'm just rambling on now....
I'm really hoping there will be a sequel, because I like where this story is going. I feel like if the story and universe was expanded on, it could be the next big sc-fi series/book. BUT only if universe was expanded on, like back story on the aliens, Justin, or any the other characters.
If you enjoy action-packed YA science fiction, then I highly recommend it!
NOTE: All quotes taken from this uncorrected copy are subjected to change in the final edition.
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sherywerbelo's review
4.0
Who doesn't love a good scifi? Especially one that involves aliens and time travel....in the same story! This was a fun read, I enjoyed watching the character development and was intrigued by the choices that had to be made. I loved that it was a fast paced story and had a lot action. I recommend this to my fellow sci-fi fans. I also hope that there is another story in the works...
kba76's review
3.0
A sci-fi romance that’s full of pace from start to finish.
Watching those you love die, over and over again, has to be tough. On the day a spaceship is launched that a drought-ridden America hopes will save them, it marks the onset of an attack by an alien race. The Xua want to wipe out humankind, but Sara - a rather ordinary teenager - has been tasked with helping to save the world. She is tasked with trying to train others, and to protect her younger brother.
The actual story gave plenty of rather graphic attacks, and the character of Sara was one you find easy to empathise with.
This was the kind of story that left me with lots of questions, and I’d have liked a little more background, but it was certainly a pacy read.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for my review.
Watching those you love die, over and over again, has to be tough. On the day a spaceship is launched that a drought-ridden America hopes will save them, it marks the onset of an attack by an alien race. The Xua want to wipe out humankind, but Sara - a rather ordinary teenager - has been tasked with helping to save the world. She is tasked with trying to train others, and to protect her younger brother.
The actual story gave plenty of rather graphic attacks, and the character of Sara was one you find easy to empathise with.
This was the kind of story that left me with lots of questions, and I’d have liked a little more background, but it was certainly a pacy read.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for my review.
luciameetsbooks's review
3.0
3.5 stars
Agh I'm so not sure about my rating for this book!
Because on the one hand, the sci-fi aspect, the writing and the overall atmosphere were magnificent. I loved how we got to experience time travel, aliens and new technology in a distopian sociaty. It truly was incredible, I felt like I was watching a movie in my head. And moreover, it had so many little details that made the story seem a lot more real and deep. For instance, how people would react to the end of the world, what would happen to the kids and how hard it would be to trust someone.
Also, the characters and their friendship were so endearing to read about. I adored them and how much they cared about one another, that was a group that would have gone to the moon and back to make sure everyone was safe. I do have to say that my favorite character was our main character's best friend, Natalie. She was the definition of loyalty and intelligence.
If it had been for all these reasons, this book would have been a 5 stars for me but the downside is that it's heavily romantic. The romance was okay for me, it's not like I hated it but compared to the other things going on it seemed uninteresting.
So I would be hooked in everything that was happening and then a romantic scene would pop up and I lost interest, therefore it lower my enjoyment of this book overall. In my opinion, everything would have been so much better without the romance or if the romance would have been more developed because I didn't fully understand their chemestry.
Then another detail that bother me a tiny bit but that wasn't as important as the romance aspect was that this is one of those books where adults are useless. Since the first chapter they are the first ones to disappear, every single adult which was super weird when I was reading about it. However, luckily the teenagers did feel like they were able to protect themselves, it's not like they were just lucky to survive, which was a nice addition.
All in all, this book has a great atmosphere, so unique and that will get you hooked as soon as you start reading. However, there is also a romance that took too much space in the book for me and it ended up affecting my enjoyment of it.
Agh I'm so not sure about my rating for this book!
Because on the one hand, the sci-fi aspect, the writing and the overall atmosphere were magnificent. I loved how we got to experience time travel, aliens and new technology in a distopian sociaty. It truly was incredible, I felt like I was watching a movie in my head. And moreover, it had so many little details that made the story seem a lot more real and deep. For instance, how people would react to the end of the world, what would happen to the kids and how hard it would be to trust someone.
Also, the characters and their friendship were so endearing to read about. I adored them and how much they cared about one another, that was a group that would have gone to the moon and back to make sure everyone was safe. I do have to say that my favorite character was our main character's best friend, Natalie. She was the definition of loyalty and intelligence.
If it had been for all these reasons, this book would have been a 5 stars for me but the downside is that it's heavily romantic. The romance was okay for me, it's not like I hated it but compared to the other things going on it seemed uninteresting.
So I would be hooked in everything that was happening and then a romantic scene would pop up and I lost interest, therefore it lower my enjoyment of this book overall. In my opinion, everything would have been so much better without the romance or if the romance would have been more developed because I didn't fully understand their chemestry.
Then another detail that bother me a tiny bit but that wasn't as important as the romance aspect was that this is one of those books where adults are useless. Since the first chapter they are the first ones to disappear, every single adult which was super weird when I was reading about it. However, luckily the teenagers did feel like they were able to protect themselves, it's not like they were just lucky to survive, which was a nice addition.
All in all, this book has a great atmosphere, so unique and that will get you hooked as soon as you start reading. However, there is also a romance that took too much space in the book for me and it ended up affecting my enjoyment of it.
saschadarlington's review
5.0
4 1/2 stars
For the briefest of moments at the beginning of Valiant by Merrie Destefano, I was confused, but it didn’t matter because I was thrown on a roller coaster and clinging for dear life.
For most of the novel’s 304 pages, the action and tension do not let up. The reader is literally swishing through pages to find out what happens next.
The descriptions place the reader in the scene without huge amounts of exposition, which would have diluted the action.
At the beginning we meet Sara, her brother Gabe, and their friends, Justin, Natalie and Billy. All of them except for Sara die on the first day of the alien invasion. Sara, however, becomes a time traveler and has fifteen chances to make it right via the help of the Xua resistance (Xua is the name of the alien race). For Sara, that’s like groundhog day over and over, but more gruesome. On the second to last try, Sara’s Xua mentor is hurt, and she presumes he is dead so she has to try to get by on her own. This time she determines that she will do everything differently.
While I really enjoyed most of the novel, I was not a fan of the ending, which seemed a set up for a sequel and left strings untied, especially the introduction of a character whose name popped up a few times throughout the book. However, the ending was not enough to change my attitude.
If you’re a fan of YA dystopian novels, you might want to give this one a try. It’s fast paced and exciting.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
For the briefest of moments at the beginning of Valiant by Merrie Destefano, I was confused, but it didn’t matter because I was thrown on a roller coaster and clinging for dear life.
For most of the novel’s 304 pages, the action and tension do not let up. The reader is literally swishing through pages to find out what happens next.
The descriptions place the reader in the scene without huge amounts of exposition, which would have diluted the action.
At the beginning we meet Sara, her brother Gabe, and their friends, Justin, Natalie and Billy. All of them except for Sara die on the first day of the alien invasion. Sara, however, becomes a time traveler and has fifteen chances to make it right via the help of the Xua resistance (Xua is the name of the alien race). For Sara, that’s like groundhog day over and over, but more gruesome. On the second to last try, Sara’s Xua mentor is hurt, and she presumes he is dead so she has to try to get by on her own. This time she determines that she will do everything differently.
While I really enjoyed most of the novel, I was not a fan of the ending, which seemed a set up for a sequel and left strings untied, especially the introduction of a character whose name popped up a few times throughout the book. However, the ending was not enough to change my attitude.
If you’re a fan of YA dystopian novels, you might want to give this one a try. It’s fast paced and exciting.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
lacyduckie's review
3.0
Do you know what Valiant would be great as? A DCOM. But not the current ones. I mean like back when they made movies such as Zenon, Stepsister From Planet Weird, and Jett Jackson.
Valiant was an okay read. I felt it lacked in world building. While the story felt futuristic, I didn't really get a read on the era. And I think it tried to do too much. Was it about aliens (who reminded me of The Host)? Was it about time travel? Heroes (as in the tv show)? Or was it a romance? Also why was the Valiant so important besides being the thing?
I hope this is the start of a series because I would love to have the story and universe expanded on. Give me some Xua alien backstory. Give me some Justin backstory. Show me, don't tell me.
*I received a review copy from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.*
Valiant was an okay read. I felt it lacked in world building. While the story felt futuristic, I didn't really get a read on the era. And I think it tried to do too much. Was it about aliens (who reminded me of The Host)? Was it about time travel? Heroes (as in the tv show)? Or was it a romance? Also why was the Valiant so important besides being the thing?
I hope this is the start of a series because I would love to have the story and universe expanded on. Give me some Xua alien backstory. Give me some Justin backstory. Show me, don't tell me.
*I received a review copy from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.*