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sc104906's review
3.0
I received an eARC of this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
In this dystopian future, your rating means everything. Grades, behavior scores, detentions, performance at work, interactions with friends, all comprise a person’s rating, which then determines what hospitals, homes and jobs a person can hold. While most do not question this state of the world, a jarring act of vandalism pushes several students from various ratings to begin to question the system itself. They are required to work together to take on the unjust rating system.
I enjoyed this novel. The setting and world building were not complete and it was difficult to understand the entire context of the rating system. I did respond to several of the characters and their romantic entanglements. It was a fluffy dystopian novel and I would continue to read in this world.
In this dystopian future, your rating means everything. Grades, behavior scores, detentions, performance at work, interactions with friends, all comprise a person’s rating, which then determines what hospitals, homes and jobs a person can hold. While most do not question this state of the world, a jarring act of vandalism pushes several students from various ratings to begin to question the system itself. They are required to work together to take on the unjust rating system.
I enjoyed this novel. The setting and world building were not complete and it was difficult to understand the entire context of the rating system. I did respond to several of the characters and their romantic entanglements. It was a fluffy dystopian novel and I would continue to read in this world.
lestaslettering's review
5.0
The ending was a Death Card. And by that, anyone who practices tarot would know that I mean, it's the beginning. Is there a second book? I need it right NOW!
sillysheep's review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book makes you think, not just about the society that exists inside of it, but also the society that we live in today.
sam_i_am012's review
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
1.0
Very bad. Too many characters (6 of them to be exact) that made it really hard to build on them. Many loopholes. One character says she doesn’t know someone’s name and then about 100 pages later it says she has always known her name because people always confuse the two of them since they are both Asian. Spent more time on the character’s relationship than the actual mystery.
andersonh92's review
3.0
I liked the concept of this book, but for it being a series, it didn't really hook me. I'm intrigued by the idea behind it!
rj_novotny's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
ayvarhs's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
nora_mcgowan's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
liralen's review
3.0
Imagine a sort of dystopia where everything you do adds to or detracts from your worth: you have a specific numerical score, one that can slide up and down at the drop of a hat (or the drop of a grade, or the whim of someone with a bit of power).
I was intrigued by the concept, but the execution of this rating system lacked finesse. It's so unsophisticated: anyone with an opinion can affect anyone else's rating.
From the corner of her eye, Bex noticed her father's hand flying to his own wrist. He tapped his screen a few times, and Bex's watch buzzed. He'd docked her. Her own dad had sent her a negative. (119)
Javi tapped on his smartwatch, pulling up Noah's rating page. He tapped the little plus sign next to Noah's name.
Almost immediately, Noah's own watch vibrated. He smiled when he looked down at the notification of a positive peer-to-peer rating. (135)
Her rating, docked to reflect her poor performance. The official judges were not the only souls sitting in judgment of Hana and every other skater who took the ice. Anyone in the crowd could weigh in. They could cast pity votes for skaters who fell and tried to rally. They could condemn the ones who failed to live up to whatever overused, bombastic music their coaches had saddled them with. Performing to Carmen or The Phantom of the Opera or Swan Lake was practically begging for a bad rating. (163)
So what we see here is that there might be a difference between peer ratings and (for example) teacher ratings, but...can you imagine? A big part of the plot hinges on people (gasp!) abusing the system, but the part that's actually surprising is that abusing the system isn't done more often. It ends up being a giant popularity contest, and a fickle one at that: in theory being at the top of your sport should be a good thing, right? But if an imperfect performance can send you plummeting, not because of your score but because the audience is in a shit mood...it's just a little confusing. In the real world, it would be sort of like having Taylor Swift lose not only public favour but also all her money and record deals every time the public didn't like the state of her dating life.
I still like the idea, but I'd have preferred to see a more complex system at play, where measurable action matters more than bitchy opinions and rating shifts mattered over time more than in the immediate.
I was intrigued by the concept, but the execution of this rating system lacked finesse. It's so unsophisticated: anyone with an opinion can affect anyone else's rating.
From the corner of her eye, Bex noticed her father's hand flying to his own wrist. He tapped his screen a few times, and Bex's watch buzzed. He'd docked her. Her own dad had sent her a negative. (119)
Javi tapped on his smartwatch, pulling up Noah's rating page. He tapped the little plus sign next to Noah's name.
Almost immediately, Noah's own watch vibrated. He smiled when he looked down at the notification of a positive peer-to-peer rating. (135)
Her rating, docked to reflect her poor performance. The official judges were not the only souls sitting in judgment of Hana and every other skater who took the ice. Anyone in the crowd could weigh in. They could cast pity votes for skaters who fell and tried to rally. They could condemn the ones who failed to live up to whatever overused, bombastic music their coaches had saddled them with. Performing to Carmen or The Phantom of the Opera or Swan Lake was practically begging for a bad rating. (163)
So what we see here is that there might be a difference between peer ratings and (for example) teacher ratings, but...can you imagine? A big part of the plot hinges on people (gasp!) abusing the system, but the part that's actually surprising is that abusing the system isn't done more often. It ends up being a giant popularity contest, and a fickle one at that: in theory being at the top of your sport should be a good thing, right? But if an imperfect performance can send you plummeting, not because of your score but because the audience is in a shit mood...it's just a little confusing. In the real world, it would be sort of like having Taylor Swift lose not only public favour but also all her money and record deals every time the public didn't like the state of her dating life.
I still like the idea, but I'd have preferred to see a more complex system at play, where measurable action matters more than bitchy opinions and rating shifts mattered over time more than in the immediate.
jenbsbooks's review
4.0
I liked this. 3.5 stars. It was a quick and easy read. It takes a little bit to get into, because with six characters, the first six chapters have very little to do with each other, as they set up each storyline. Then, the six kids connect in twos ... Tamsen and Honna ( I had the audiobook, so forgive my spelling if incorrect), Chase and Becs, Noah and Javi ... and then ultimately all come together. While the names (and their ratings) were announced at the start of each chapter, I wished they had been written in the Table of Contents, as I had a little trouble remembering at the start and would have liked it for reference.
Funny - looking over the other reviews, so many people are saying that this reminded them of this or that (other books or TV shows/movies). For me, it was reminiscent of [b:The Thousandth Floor|24921954|The Thousandth Floor (The Thousandth Floor, #1)|Katharine McGee|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1464892870l/24921954._SY75_.jpg|44574911]. It had the same feel to me, several different students in high school, switching off chapters, and their stories would ultimately intertwine as they attempt to solve situations they find themselves in. There are some of the same stereotypes, the jock, the brain, the computer programmer, the girl with an eating disorder. The Thousandth Floor is also set in a futuristic setting, but it is SO much more fun and futuristic! This was just barely ... smart watches and ratings were about the only things that made that world any different.
I didn't quite understand how the ratings really worked. Peer to peer ratings? Wouldn't teenagers be constantly just giving points to people they like, deducting from people they didn't? Even adults aren't really beyond being petty. How does the program keep the points from being a popularity contest? Chase is popular, but struggling in school, so his points are lower ... but couldn't friends just bump it up for him, the way one of the girls is targeted near the end of this book?
I really didn't get the ending. I suppose it's a setup for a sequel, but I'm not really sure where the story is supposed to go. I enjoyed the book more while reading it, than now when I'm reflecting upon it.
Borrowed the audiobook from my local library.
Funny - looking over the other reviews, so many people are saying that this reminded them of this or that (other books or TV shows/movies). For me, it was reminiscent of [b:The Thousandth Floor|24921954|The Thousandth Floor (The Thousandth Floor, #1)|Katharine McGee|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1464892870l/24921954._SY75_.jpg|44574911]. It had the same feel to me, several different students in high school, switching off chapters, and their stories would ultimately intertwine as they attempt to solve situations they find themselves in. There are some of the same stereotypes, the jock, the brain, the computer programmer, the girl with an eating disorder. The Thousandth Floor is also set in a futuristic setting, but it is SO much more fun and futuristic! This was just barely ... smart watches and ratings were about the only things that made that world any different.
I didn't quite understand how the ratings really worked. Peer to peer ratings? Wouldn't teenagers be constantly just giving points to people they like, deducting from people they didn't? Even adults aren't really beyond being petty. How does the program keep the points from being a popularity contest? Chase is popular, but struggling in school, so his points are lower ... but couldn't friends just bump it up for him, the way one of the girls is targeted near the end of this book?
I really didn't get the ending. I suppose it's a setup for a sequel, but I'm not really sure where the story is supposed to go. I enjoyed the book more while reading it, than now when I'm reflecting upon it.
Borrowed the audiobook from my local library.