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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
Was offered a book in exchange for an honest review.
4.5/5 stars
This story is told from so many different perspectives but the main couple characters being Nate and Reggie. Reggie is a human, well mostly? Her origins are unknown to everyone, even her. Nate is just a man trying to survive. This is a dystopian that happens after a third World War. The human race has been nearly wiped out with the exception of a few government facilities that are striving to create a pure and perfect world. And as we all know, perfection comes at a high price. You see the characters in this book pay that price. It is action packed and very emotional. I am dying to see what happens in the next installment.
4.5/5 stars
This story is told from so many different perspectives but the main couple characters being Nate and Reggie. Reggie is a human, well mostly? Her origins are unknown to everyone, even her. Nate is just a man trying to survive. This is a dystopian that happens after a third World War. The human race has been nearly wiped out with the exception of a few government facilities that are striving to create a pure and perfect world. And as we all know, perfection comes at a high price. You see the characters in this book pay that price. It is action packed and very emotional. I am dying to see what happens in the next installment.
*digital copy provided by the author in exchange for an HONEST review*
This book is really high up there when it comes to novels with a dystopian setting. I REALLY wished more people read this. I almost felt bad for the characters because their plans never turn out well..
What I absolutely love about this book is the fact that the author gives importance to side characters. You become emotionally attached to all of them. My favourite character so far is Nate and Liam.
You know the author is good at her job when she describes gory details in such a way that you have to put the book down and that is exactly what happened to me while reading this book. It's been a long time since I felt the things I did while reading this. I felt giddy at romantic scenes, anxious when characters were being chased and nauseous during gory scenes.
The only drawback was probably my reading experience. It was one of those times when life prevents you from reading and absorbing a story in all its true glory. I bet I will probably bump up the rating after a reread!
In conclusion this book is fast paced, action packed and heart breaking.
This book is really high up there when it comes to novels with a dystopian setting. I REALLY wished more people read this. I almost felt bad for the characters because their plans never turn out well..
What I absolutely love about this book is the fact that the author gives importance to side characters. You become emotionally attached to all of them. My favourite character so far is Nate and Liam.
You know the author is good at her job when she describes gory details in such a way that you have to put the book down and that is exactly what happened to me while reading this book. It's been a long time since I felt the things I did while reading this. I felt giddy at romantic scenes, anxious when characters were being chased and nauseous during gory scenes.
The only drawback was probably my reading experience. It was one of those times when life prevents you from reading and absorbing a story in all its true glory. I bet I will probably bump up the rating after a reread!
In conclusion this book is fast paced, action packed and heart breaking.
4.5 out of 5stars!
Wow! Afterimage was a top notch dystopian novel! It has everything you could possibly want, a hostile war ravaged Earth check, a tyrannical pop up government that rules with an iron fist check, groups of survivors hell bent on resisting the government’s shackles check, compelling and engaging multidimensional characters on both sides of the fence check, and freaking super abilities check, check! I was quite honestly blown away with this story!
The Plot. It was original, imaginative, and smart. Just an all around well thought out plot line that isn’t all that far fetched. In a time of need, after another World War has taken it’s toll on the world, with no real leaders left, The Public was born. The Public wishes to create the perfect society. Think of it as Pleasantville meets The Community (The Giver) but way more cunningly destructive and damaging. The lengths The Public goes to for this idea of a perfect society are horrifying. Perfection comes at a cost and the innocent are paying the price, most without even truly knowing what is really happening. Things start getting even more intense once The Public’s biggest asset is ripped away from their clutches by a group of rebels. Little did these rebels know they would be starting a war. It was non-stop, pulse-pounding goodness! It was not your typical YA dystopian, the characters were older and this tale was much grittier. And that made me love it even more!
The Characters. Imperfect perfection. Each one was well written, with many layers that I believe we have only just scratched the surface of. There were many point of views in this story and I can’t say that there was even one that I did not enjoy. A big tip of the hat to J. Kowallis for absolutely nailing the POV changes. It was done beautifully, and what’s better is that none of them felt unnecessary. Each one gave you better insight to the character, their role, and motivations. I’m also impressed with the writing of the “villains”. While I loathed Dr. Dryer and Lobb they were still quite fascinating! The way they took this idea of pureness and harmony and manipulated it until it was this hulking beast of hurt, damage, and insidiousness had me enthralled. I was horrified but I couldn’t look away. I was wondering where this all started? Was it one defining moment, one tough call where they decided “the end justified the means” that started them on this slippery slope and ultimately turned them into the monsters they are today? So basically, the good, the bad, and the truly ugly, it was all present here in these various characters and I admired each one of them in different ways.
I could go on and on, but I don’t want to give anything away. This was a real page turner from start to finish and I can’t wait to continue on with Encender next! I highly recommend this to Dystopian fans, because in my opinion, this is that at it’s very best!
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Wow! Afterimage was a top notch dystopian novel! It has everything you could possibly want, a hostile war ravaged Earth check, a tyrannical pop up government that rules with an iron fist check, groups of survivors hell bent on resisting the government’s shackles check, compelling and engaging multidimensional characters on both sides of the fence check, and freaking super abilities check, check! I was quite honestly blown away with this story!
The Plot. It was original, imaginative, and smart. Just an all around well thought out plot line that isn’t all that far fetched. In a time of need, after another World War has taken it’s toll on the world, with no real leaders left, The Public was born. The Public wishes to create the perfect society. Think of it as Pleasantville meets The Community (The Giver) but way more cunningly destructive and damaging. The lengths The Public goes to for this idea of a perfect society are horrifying. Perfection comes at a cost and the innocent are paying the price, most without even truly knowing what is really happening. Things start getting even more intense once The Public’s biggest asset is ripped away from their clutches by a group of rebels. Little did these rebels know they would be starting a war. It was non-stop, pulse-pounding goodness! It was not your typical YA dystopian, the characters were older and this tale was much grittier. And that made me love it even more!
The Characters. Imperfect perfection. Each one was well written, with many layers that I believe we have only just scratched the surface of. There were many point of views in this story and I can’t say that there was even one that I did not enjoy. A big tip of the hat to J. Kowallis for absolutely nailing the POV changes. It was done beautifully, and what’s better is that none of them felt unnecessary. Each one gave you better insight to the character, their role, and motivations. I’m also impressed with the writing of the “villains”. While I loathed Dr. Dryer and Lobb they were still quite fascinating! The way they took this idea of pureness and harmony and manipulated it until it was this hulking beast of hurt, damage, and insidiousness had me enthralled. I was horrified but I couldn’t look away. I was wondering where this all started? Was it one defining moment, one tough call where they decided “the end justified the means” that started them on this slippery slope and ultimately turned them into the monsters they are today? So basically, the good, the bad, and the truly ugly, it was all present here in these various characters and I admired each one of them in different ways.
I could go on and on, but I don’t want to give anything away. This was a real page turner from start to finish and I can’t wait to continue on with Encender next! I highly recommend this to Dystopian fans, because in my opinion, this is that at it’s very best!
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This review is going to be hard to write, because I'm still trying to process all my thoughts. Overall, the premise is terrific! It's inventive and exciting, the characters are all very well formed. And this is why I will most definitely be continuing with the series.
The point of view and verb tense was a little hard to get used to. For Reggie's chapters, it's 1st person present tense. But just as I got settled in, it switched to 3rd person past for the other chapters. And there were a lot of different perspectives, bouncing back and forth between numerous characters. It was a little overwhelming at first, before I had the chance to get to know them all. I did finally catch my stride though, and it all fell into place.
I'm having a hard time trying to decide on intended audience. I think that anyone from YA to adult would enjoy the story, but the main characters are adult, with very mature situations coming into play. Sex is only implied and there isn't any bad language to speak of, but take into account that this is a post-war era, and the new society has made a new set of rules. Things may get a little... bloody...
Also, editing. It's an issue. Be prepared for it, and don't read the book if it's going to be a deal breaker for you. I'm certainly going to be pushing past to find out what happens next!
I know it may sound like my list of complaints is longer than my list of praise. But you really underestimate the fact that I'm willing to look past anything to get more of the story. I really do love a good dystopian tale, and I need to know more! It's compelling! I highly recommend you give it a try.
A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review.
The point of view and verb tense was a little hard to get used to. For Reggie's chapters, it's 1st person present tense. But just as I got settled in, it switched to 3rd person past for the other chapters. And there were a lot of different perspectives, bouncing back and forth between numerous characters. It was a little overwhelming at first, before I had the chance to get to know them all. I did finally catch my stride though, and it all fell into place.
I'm having a hard time trying to decide on intended audience. I think that anyone from YA to adult would enjoy the story, but the main characters are adult, with very mature situations coming into play. Sex is only implied and there isn't any bad language to speak of, but take into account that this is a post-war era, and the new society has made a new set of rules. Things may get a little... bloody...
Also, editing. It's an issue. Be prepared for it, and don't read the book if it's going to be a deal breaker for you. I'm certainly going to be pushing past to find out what happens next!
I know it may sound like my list of complaints is longer than my list of praise. But you really underestimate the fact that I'm willing to look past anything to get more of the story. I really do love a good dystopian tale, and I need to know more! It's compelling! I highly recommend you give it a try.
A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review.
Ugh. Rating books is hard. This one was a toughie. In general, I liked it. It was engrossing, fast-paced, intense. It was an interesting post-apocalyptic world, and I liked the two main characters. So that's quite a lot of positives. BUT . . . Well, there are problems. One is the occasionally awkward writing, full of errors that should have been caught and edited. Come on, people, sight/site is not that hard to use properly. There were lots of little things like that. And at times the author seemed almost not quite ready to give us what we need--the current world situation is going to be explained! Wait, not really, we're going to stop just shy of that. You are finally going to understand Reggie and what she has seen! Well, OK, not really, we're just going to get a teaser and move on. Then a tossed-in comment after the action. Lots of little problems in plot. At one time, there's not enough gasoline to go anywhere. Some time later, they go somewhere anyway. Where'd the gas come from? We are brought to a very intense scene with lots of problems---- and then somehow "offscreen" several days pass and everyone is OK. How???? The Public has complete biometric data and biographies of every person. But Nate could use his service number to break into a number of cases in a magically-appearing survival bunker and no one finds out??? No one comes from the Public to see what is going on and why the extremely powerful weapons are being broken into by renegades? There is potential here. I'm hoping the next in the apparent series will correct some of the problems.
Afterimage is the first book in the Enertia Trials series. When I first read the synopsis for it, I was quite intrigued and curious to see what it was all about. It sort of reminded me a little of Minority Report in a way, but not quite the same. I did, however, avoid the synopsis for Encender, only because I did not want to spoil anything. I did agree to review it based on nothing more than the synopsis of the first book and the hope that I would enjoy it. And, boy, did I do just that!
Afterimage is set in the future, when the world as we know it has been ravaged and changed. Now, a place known only as Public One exists, and everyone who lives there is happy and content...or so they seem. One person, however, isn't quite like the rest.
Enter Reggie, our main character. Reggie is different. She can see the future when she dreams, and the Public utilizes this to help keep their citizens safe. At least that's what they'd like to have Reggie believe. Intrusive and painful, she submits to Public One's whims against her will on a daily basis to deliver these visions straight to the higher-ups. Until one fateful day...
Enter Nate, the apparent leader of the band of Nomads who live outside Public One, moving from place to place so as not to get caught and taken to live inside those walls. When an escapee from the Public meets up with his group and begs the Nomads to help him save his family, Nate makes a decision that will set everything in motion. But will it be the right choice? You'll have to read it and find out!
Afterimage is a fantastic thrill ride through a dystopian world hellbent on forcing people to become perfect in the eyes of the government, if you will. It sucks in you from the moment you lay eyes on that first page, and it doesn't let up until the very end. You'll be left on the edge of your seat, breathless and eager for more.
The plot is unique and fast-paced, the world building is amazing, and the characters are ones who bring out all sorts of emotions. Reggie is frustrating at times, but also sort of pitiful in a way, as well as benevolent. She's the type of character you want to root for in a story like this. Nate is very similar. He's very distrusting, understandably, but you can't help but like him and want him to be a good person. And, of course, you have your bad guys. Those characters you think you love to hate are nothing compared to one certain character who makes an appearance closer to the end of Afterimage. This character deserves nothing but pure hatred and loathing. Perhaps even a desire for him to die a slow, painful death. He's that awful.
Overall, Afterimage is a magnificent, mind-blowing story that I consider a must-read for any fan of dystopian fiction. I rate it 5 very well-deserved stars.
Afterimage is set in the future, when the world as we know it has been ravaged and changed. Now, a place known only as Public One exists, and everyone who lives there is happy and content...or so they seem. One person, however, isn't quite like the rest.
Enter Reggie, our main character. Reggie is different. She can see the future when she dreams, and the Public utilizes this to help keep their citizens safe. At least that's what they'd like to have Reggie believe. Intrusive and painful, she submits to Public One's whims against her will on a daily basis to deliver these visions straight to the higher-ups. Until one fateful day...
Enter Nate, the apparent leader of the band of Nomads who live outside Public One, moving from place to place so as not to get caught and taken to live inside those walls. When an escapee from the Public meets up with his group and begs the Nomads to help him save his family, Nate makes a decision that will set everything in motion. But will it be the right choice? You'll have to read it and find out!
Afterimage is a fantastic thrill ride through a dystopian world hellbent on forcing people to become perfect in the eyes of the government, if you will. It sucks in you from the moment you lay eyes on that first page, and it doesn't let up until the very end. You'll be left on the edge of your seat, breathless and eager for more.
The plot is unique and fast-paced, the world building is amazing, and the characters are ones who bring out all sorts of emotions. Reggie is frustrating at times, but also sort of pitiful in a way, as well as benevolent. She's the type of character you want to root for in a story like this. Nate is very similar. He's very distrusting, understandably, but you can't help but like him and want him to be a good person. And, of course, you have your bad guys. Those characters you think you love to hate are nothing compared to one certain character who makes an appearance closer to the end of Afterimage. This character deserves nothing but pure hatred and loathing. Perhaps even a desire for him to die a slow, painful death. He's that awful.
Overall, Afterimage is a magnificent, mind-blowing story that I consider a must-read for any fan of dystopian fiction. I rate it 5 very well-deserved stars.
Great story, very dark, with great characters and an intense plot that keeps you hanging all the while you're reading. I enjoyed the twists and turns and the beautiful style of Ms. Kowallis.