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christajls's review
3.0
This review originally posted at More Than Just Magic
Archetype starts out with Emma waking up. She doesn’t know who she is or where she is but it’s ok because her husband, Declan, is there to help her through it. But as she starts to recover something doesn’t seem quite right…Archetype is intense and suspenseful right from the get go and once I picked it up I couldn’t put it down.
I loved the world building, partially because it was reminiscent of The Handmaid’s Tale, which is one of my favourite books of all time. It will disturb you but unfortunately will not surprise you. In the future imagined by Waters fertility is way, way down. Which makes fertile women a rare commodity. And the world proceeds to treat them as such – property to be bought and sold. Girls are raised in what are essentially work camps and rich men can bid on them. It’s disgusting and disturbing but I have no doubt that if this fertility situation were to arise a similar set-up wouldn’t be far behind. Maybe not so extreme but enough for Emma’s society to give you the shivers.
The way Emma is set in this world was really interesting. We get two different versions of the same character at the same time. Who she is when the story starts – a confused, disoriented, shell who believes everything her husband tells her and who she was before her “accident.” Her previous self speaks to her both mentally and through dreams and helps her rebuild her memory bit by bit. In the beginning it is difficult to become attached to her because she is so one dimensional, but you got tiny glimpses of who she could be, which was awesome and made you want to learn more.
The only thing I couldn’t really get into was the love story element. I liked it and it did add an interesting dimension to the story but ultimately I thought both of her potential love interests were wrong for her. It’s hard not to be immediately suspicious of Declan and I’m not impressed with how Noah treated Emma for part of this novel. However, that being said I found both Declan and Noah to be very interesting characters overall. They both had some very complex motivations, which resulted in a number of surprising plot twists.
Overall Archetype is a very intense read that is a mixture of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and S J Watson’s Before I Go to Sleep. It’s an incredibly addictive read that will leave you begging for more – especially after that ending. And the best news? We don’t have to wait long for the sequel, Prototype, because it will be out this July!
Archetype starts out with Emma waking up. She doesn’t know who she is or where she is but it’s ok because her husband, Declan, is there to help her through it. But as she starts to recover something doesn’t seem quite right…Archetype is intense and suspenseful right from the get go and once I picked it up I couldn’t put it down.
I loved the world building, partially because it was reminiscent of The Handmaid’s Tale, which is one of my favourite books of all time. It will disturb you but unfortunately will not surprise you. In the future imagined by Waters fertility is way, way down. Which makes fertile women a rare commodity. And the world proceeds to treat them as such – property to be bought and sold. Girls are raised in what are essentially work camps and rich men can bid on them. It’s disgusting and disturbing but I have no doubt that if this fertility situation were to arise a similar set-up wouldn’t be far behind. Maybe not so extreme but enough for Emma’s society to give you the shivers.
The way Emma is set in this world was really interesting. We get two different versions of the same character at the same time. Who she is when the story starts – a confused, disoriented, shell who believes everything her husband tells her and who she was before her “accident.” Her previous self speaks to her both mentally and through dreams and helps her rebuild her memory bit by bit. In the beginning it is difficult to become attached to her because she is so one dimensional, but you got tiny glimpses of who she could be, which was awesome and made you want to learn more.
The only thing I couldn’t really get into was the love story element. I liked it and it did add an interesting dimension to the story but ultimately I thought both of her potential love interests were wrong for her. It’s hard not to be immediately suspicious of Declan and I’m not impressed with how Noah treated Emma for part of this novel. However, that being said I found both Declan and Noah to be very interesting characters overall. They both had some very complex motivations, which resulted in a number of surprising plot twists.
Overall Archetype is a very intense read that is a mixture of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and S J Watson’s Before I Go to Sleep. It’s an incredibly addictive read that will leave you begging for more – especially after that ending. And the best news? We don’t have to wait long for the sequel, Prototype, because it will be out this July!
lost_in_tome's review
2.0
So this one was weird. I liked what I was reading but I never go that urge to pick it up.
thepiqht's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not entirely sure what to think of this. I didn't hate it per say, but there's a strong amount of dislike riddled in there somewhere. Yet, I also kind of liked it. So sue me.
It was original, but it also messed itself about a lot; and in some parts I had no clue what was actually happening. It ever so gradually lowered itself into a mad house, the type you see in carnivals - with the main characters being the over the top clowns who do nothing but scream at every single person that walks by. That's what it felt like reading this, wandering through a madhouse (a new, freshly painted one) getting screeched at by well made up actors. Entertaining, but not something you would highlight as one of your best moments.
The dialogue . . . I was actually going to say it was alright because I had assumed it had been translated from another country. Maybe our grammar rules don't translate properly, or it's difficult to convert what the character was trying to say. Unfortunately, it wasn't translated. There was an influx of lines and phrases that just bugged the hell out of me like "She is" instead of "She's" or "I am" instead of "I'm". I realise this doesn't look that irritating, but it was EVERY SINGLE thing that she said. ARGHHHHHHHH.
Also, the characters. The main character, the one who's head we get to see in, she's alright. A bit naive, but willing to learn more. Her reluctance to listen to the voice in her head, the voice that we all know she should be listening to, doesn't make me hate her like it would do with other characters. It just makes her seem more human. However, the rest of the brilliant cast ensemble are absolutely shit. I literally hated everyone (except for forster). YES, I get that this is a dystopian world and blah blah blah; but seriously?? Not cool.
It was original, but it also messed itself about a lot; and in some parts I had no clue what was actually happening. It ever so gradually lowered itself into a mad house, the type you see in carnivals - with the main characters being the over the top clowns who do nothing but scream at every single person that walks by. That's what it felt like reading this, wandering through a madhouse (a new, freshly painted one) getting screeched at by well made up actors. Entertaining, but not something you would highlight as one of your best moments.
The dialogue . . . I was actually going to say it was alright because I had assumed it had been translated from another country. Maybe our grammar rules don't translate properly, or it's difficult to convert what the character was trying to say. Unfortunately, it wasn't translated. There was an influx of lines and phrases that just bugged the hell out of me like "She is" instead of "She's" or "I am" instead of "I'm". I realise this doesn't look that irritating, but it was EVERY SINGLE thing that she said. ARGHHHHHHHH.
Also, the characters. The main character, the one who's head we get to see in, she's alright. A bit naive, but willing to learn more. Her reluctance to listen to the voice in her head, the voice that we all know she should be listening to, doesn't make me hate her like it would do with other characters. It just makes her seem more human. However, the rest of the brilliant cast ensemble are absolutely shit. I literally hated everyone (except for forster). YES, I get that this is a dystopian world and blah blah blah; but seriously?? Not cool.
kuyemura's review
5.0
What really struck me about this story was how unique and original it was. I honestly did not know what would happen in the next chapter, much less the whole book, and the epilogue just sorta left me dazed in a "WHAAAA?????" mood.
The best thing is that M.D. Waters left me really conflicted about what I wanted. I still am actually. Normally I latch on to who the author wants you to like right away, and when the character vacillates about who they should end up with I just get upset because it's SO DANG OBVIOUS who they are meant to be with. But I understand Emma's confusion here, and I can't wait to find out what she thinks when she find out that that one guy who I won't name is still around!!! Ahh, so exciting.
Some readers might find the beginning slow, especially as you don't get the full story of Emma's past until you're more than 3/4 of the way through. Normally, I'm not a patient person, but the author teases you with bits and pieces of what really happened that are just tantalizing enough to keep you hooked. Looking forward to the next one, just a great book (minus a couple love scenes I could've done without).
The best thing is that M.D. Waters left me really conflicted about what I wanted. I still am actually. Normally I latch on to who the author wants you to like right away, and when the character vacillates about who they should end up with I just get upset because it's SO DANG OBVIOUS who they are meant to be with. But I understand Emma's confusion here, and I can't wait to find out what she thinks when she find out that that one guy who I won't name is still around!!! Ahh, so exciting.
Some readers might find the beginning slow, especially as you don't get the full story of Emma's past until you're more than 3/4 of the way through. Normally, I'm not a patient person, but the author teases you with bits and pieces of what really happened that are just tantalizing enough to keep you hooked. Looking forward to the next one, just a great book (minus a couple love scenes I could've done without).
joyousreads132's review
5.0
“Roughly a hundred years ago,
a civil war broke out and split the
United States right down the middle.
Women in the west live free, while the east
forces women at a young age into society as they see fit.
It's slavery masked as a training center.”
- Chapter 41, page 325
This version of reality is somewhat comparable to The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood; but while Atwood's world was clinical and sterile, Archetype relied heavily on computer technology. A lot of holograms and manipulation of the human biological structure; though, it virtually has the same concept: fertile women are scarce and portrayed as subservient species in the mercy of powerful, rich men. Young girls were raised in a training camp as good housewives if they were viable to give birth; or learn a trade if they were barren. Regardless, women were used, abused, and in most cases,. This book could've easily been a source of much indignation from readers who have had it with this portrayal of misogynistic arches. Luckily, I am not one of those readers.
Archetype utilizes varied virtual reality scenarios, which puts the readers' imagination into full calisthenics mode. And while the world described in a simulation was easy to conjure, it made for an interesting contrast to the present world the characters inhabit. As much as I'd love to say this didn't present any problem for me at all, I would be lying. The truth is, some of these simulations confused me. Suffice it to say, this is the only flaw I could fault this novel. Otherwise, it's by far, one of the best books I've read this year!
Emma Burke struggled to find purchase in the world where her memories dictated the pace of discovering her identity. It led to some disturbing nightmares - both in waking moments or asleep. She struggled to reconcile the reality that was being presented to her with the man who claimed to be her husband, and the man in her dreams. The beauty of this puzzling piece is that the readers would be wholly immersed in its mysteries; heck, the entire novel would take you on a fact-finding mission that was breathtaking as it was engrossing. As a reader who finds no love, rhyme, or reason for love triangles, this book features one that was unconventional. It worked; it wasn't maddening. It was reasonable due to the fact that Emma didn't purposely sought out to enter a relationship with such complications. Simply put, she was not aware that she was in one.
Readers would find the submissive Emma a little off-putting at first, but she becomes stronger as she learns more about herself.
To summarize, words cannot express how desperately I want you all to read this book. If there ever is a book that I have wanted to re-read soon after I was finished, Archetype, is it. The layers of mysteries would have you hooked, as would the revelation of the real romance towards the end. This is a well-crafted novel that successfully combined Science Fiction, Romance, Mystery and Suspense. If this is not a buffet, then it is a feast to the reader's imagination at the very least.
On a personal note, I broke down and re-activate an Edelweiss account that I haven't used since perhaps, two years ago. Rachel of Readers' Den told me the sequel is available for request. There is NOTHING. NOTHING that I wouldn't do to read that book right away.
a civil war broke out and split the
United States right down the middle.
Women in the west live free, while the east
forces women at a young age into society as they see fit.
It's slavery masked as a training center.”
- Chapter 41, page 325
This version of reality is somewhat comparable to The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood; but while Atwood's world was clinical and sterile, Archetype relied heavily on computer technology. A lot of holograms and manipulation of the human biological structure; though, it virtually has the same concept: fertile women are scarce and portrayed as subservient species in the mercy of powerful, rich men. Young girls were raised in a training camp as good housewives if they were viable to give birth; or learn a trade if they were barren. Regardless, women were used, abused, and in most cases,
Spoiler
clonedArchetype utilizes varied virtual reality scenarios, which puts the readers' imagination into full calisthenics mode. And while the world described in a simulation was easy to conjure, it made for an interesting contrast to the present world the characters inhabit. As much as I'd love to say this didn't present any problem for me at all, I would be lying. The truth is, some of these simulations confused me. Suffice it to say, this is the only flaw I could fault this novel. Otherwise, it's by far, one of the best books I've read this year!
Emma Burke struggled to find purchase in the world where her memories dictated the pace of discovering her identity. It led to some disturbing nightmares - both in waking moments or asleep. She struggled to reconcile the reality that was being presented to her with the man who claimed to be her husband, and the man in her dreams.
Spoiler
Many would take Declan Burke at face value and would instantly write off Noah Tucker as the evil one in the equation.Readers would find the submissive Emma a little off-putting at first, but she becomes stronger as she learns more about herself.
To summarize, words cannot express how desperately I want you all to read this book. If there ever is a book that I have wanted to re-read soon after I was finished, Archetype, is it. The layers of mysteries would have you hooked, as would the revelation of the real romance towards the end. This is a well-crafted novel that successfully combined Science Fiction, Romance, Mystery and Suspense. If this is not a buffet, then it is a feast to the reader's imagination at the very least.
On a personal note, I broke down and re-activate an Edelweiss account that I haven't used since perhaps, two years ago. Rachel of Readers' Den told me the sequel is available for request. There is NOTHING. NOTHING that I wouldn't do to read that book right away.
feliciaslibrary's review
4.0
3,75
That ending! I need to read the second book to find out the rest. #TeamNoah XD
That ending! I need to read the second book to find out the rest. #TeamNoah XD
perfectlybookish's review against another edition
4.0
I struggled through the first 20 chapters but pushed through and so glad I did.
megatsunami's review
2.0
Among the many things that annoyed me about the writing in this book was that the character (an amnesiac who gradually recovers her memories) spoke without contractions: "I do not think so." "I will go there." "I have not thought about it." I guess this was supposed to be because she lost all her memories? But she continued to talk this way even when she was using idiomatic language (like "You are working late" when she sees the doctor in the evening).
The plot was kind of interesting; I just couldn't really get beyond the writing.
The plot was kind of interesting; I just couldn't really get beyond the writing.
lark_spur's review
4.0
3.5/5
This was a fun audiobook. I liked the pacing - a bit slow at the beginning and then ramping up in the final third. Khristine Hvam was very enjoyable to listen to. I guessed the plot pretty early which is a bit of a negative. But really anyone who reads these types of books is probably going to be able to guess the plot a majority of the time and in this case I enjoyed the first person POV with Emma putting it all together.
Unfortunately I'm not sure if I would have liked it as well actually reading it. I wanted more world building and I wanted more nuance from the other characters.
This was a fun audiobook. I liked the pacing - a bit slow at the beginning and then ramping up in the final third. Khristine Hvam was very enjoyable to listen to. I guessed the plot pretty early which is a bit of a negative. But really anyone who reads these types of books is probably going to be able to guess the plot a majority of the time and in this case I enjoyed the first person POV with Emma putting it all together.
Unfortunately I'm not sure if I would have liked it as well actually reading it. I wanted more world building and I wanted more nuance from the other characters.