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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
3.5
The plot and world were unique, but I've seen all the characters before in other books, though I do think that the author handled the main character better than others. Though one small detail that I really liked is that the author mentioned two times that Del's sister, Addie, is a lesbian. I loved how nobody made it a big deal and how since it was only mentioned twice Addie still has a character apart from being a lesbian.
The plot and world were unique, but I've seen all the characters before in other books, though I do think that the author handled the main character better than others. Though one small detail that I really liked is that the author mentioned two times that Del's sister, Addie, is a lesbian. I loved how nobody made it a big deal and how since it was only mentioned twice Addie still has a character apart from being a lesbian.
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I absolutely love this book, I find myself going back to read it again and again. It's written so well and I'm always finding something new when I read it.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
*This copy was provided through Goodreads First Reads*
I've probably put this review off for about a month(and this may be a bit inaccurate I am sorry) but let's give this a go.
1. Plot
I found the premise for this story rather intriguing. You have a group of people, Walkers, who can travel between parallel dimensions called Echoes that technically don't exist and the key world, which is the world where everything is 'real.'These Echoes are created every time someone is presented a decision, and they make a different one than they had in the Key World.
You have a Council that oversees the Walkers and makes sure that no one ends up messing up the Key World, and you have a school that the Walker kids go to learn how to walk through the echoes.
You could tell that the author did her research for this part of the story, however, the real plot ends up getting heavily bogged down near the end by the excessive amount of 'romance.' Romance that didn't feel completely believable to me. But we'll get to that a bit later.
2. Characters
To be honest, for every character in the book, there was a point where I wanted to smack them over the head with the very book that I was reading (except for Simon's mom, pretty much)
The main girl Del felt as if everyone was going against her, which, sometimes it really did feel like that, which was also another point that bugged me.
The best friend Eliot, which of course has an obvious crush on her that she doesn't even notice. Who also gets quite jealous over Simon, and ends up getting really mad over it.
The crush, Simon, who is literally everywhere in the book, and you run into a variety of versions of him through the parallel world, mainly because Del up there decided to get together with one of them when she thought she couldn't date the 'real.' He himself felt a bit stereotypical, but I didn't mind him too much.
And then you have the older sister, Addy who is considered by everyone as better than Del in every way, and is the parents favorite. She also tends to boss Del around a lot.
And last but not least, the grandfather; Monty. He was once really important guy, but now his mind is broken, and he tends to wander through the different worlds looking for his missing wife. He was a pre cool character, though, until the end.
3. Romance
Simply put, it felt a bit unbelievable. Whether it was because it felt as if it happened too fast, or because Del was running off with other Simons, I don't know, it just didn't feel as real as it could have.
4. Writing
Since it's been awhile, I don't have much to say here, although I do remember it being decently average.
Verdict
Despite that I had issues with some things in the book, I did enjoy it. I really liked the idea of parallel worlds, I just wished the characters had been more enjoyable.
2.5 stars
I've probably put this review off for about a month
1. Plot
I found the premise for this story rather intriguing. You have a group of people, Walkers, who can travel between parallel dimensions called Echoes that technically don't exist and the key world, which is the world where everything is 'real.'These Echoes are created every time someone is presented a decision, and they make a different one than they had in the Key World.
You have a Council that oversees the Walkers and makes sure that no one ends up messing up the Key World, and you have a school that the Walker kids go to learn how to walk through the echoes.
You could tell that the author did her research for this part of the story, however, the real plot ends up getting heavily bogged down near the end by the excessive amount of 'romance.' Romance that didn't feel completely believable to me. But we'll get to that a bit later.
2. Characters
To be honest, for every character in the book, there was a point where I wanted to smack them over the head with the very book that I was reading (except for Simon's mom, pretty much)
The main girl Del felt as if everyone was going against her, which, sometimes it really did feel like that, which was also another point that bugged me.
The best friend Eliot, which of course has an obvious crush on her that she doesn't even notice. Who also gets quite jealous over Simon, and ends up getting really mad over it.
The crush, Simon, who is literally everywhere in the book, and you run into a variety of versions of him through the parallel world, mainly because Del up there decided to get together with one of them when she thought she couldn't date the 'real.' He himself felt a bit stereotypical, but I didn't mind him too much.
And then you have the older sister, Addy who is considered by everyone as better than Del in every way, and is the parents favorite. She also tends to boss Del around a lot.
And last but not least, the grandfather; Monty. He was once really important guy, but now his mind is broken, and he tends to wander through the different worlds looking for his missing wife. He was a pre cool character, though, until the end.
3. Romance
Simply put, it felt a bit unbelievable. Whether it was because it felt as if it happened too fast, or because Del was running off with other Simons, I don't know, it just didn't feel as real as it could have.
4. Writing
Since it's been awhile, I don't have much to say here, although I do remember it being decently average.
Verdict
Despite that I had issues with some things in the book, I did enjoy it. I really liked the idea of parallel worlds, I just wished the characters had been more enjoyable.
2.5 stars
Dissonance is a top-notch YA science fiction novel - hands down, one of the best ones in the genre. Its complexity can be overwhelming, and it's a bit confusing at the beginning, but O'Rourke's accessible and captivating writing style and her unmatched plotting skills make this book a fabulously addictive page turner. I absolutely loved every second of it.
Delancey Sullivan is a Walker. Not the zombie kind from The Walking Dead, though, no worries. She is genetically predisposed to travel between the many universes created by all the decisions made by people all around the world. Being a Walker is magnificent and empowering, but it's also a lot of work. Walkers are responsible for cleavings (unraveling worlds going bad), tuning (fixing worlds and/or echoes) and keeping everything in order. So that, you know, the one real world doesn't fall apart. There are tons of rules Walkers need to live by, including but not limited to, not engaging with the Echoes while Walking and absolutely no relationships with non-Walkers. Unfortunately, following rules is not Delancey's strongest point. And the fact that the Council is obviously keeping secrets only makes her dislike of the authorities stronger.
O'Rourke has written a book in which there isn't a dull moment. Seriously. The beginning, as I already mentioned, might be a bit heavy on world building and, therefore, confusing, but once you get past the first 40-or-so pages, you're strapped tight on a roller-coaster ride of visually appealing, brain-tickling fun. Mystery and danger plays a big part in this story, there are some unexpected developments and heartbreaking moments woven into the plot, and if you like your books ambitious and with substance, you will definitely appreciate Dissonance.
Let's talk a little bit about our MC, Delancey. Here's what Eliot says about her (and to her): "You don't listen to anyone else. You don't think about anyone else. You don't think about the consequences. You care about yourself, and that's it." And that pretty much sums up her character. Del really is reckless, self-centered and unable to think her actions through, which proves to be a dangerous combination of qualities. On top of that, she's also very cocky. She's a great Walker, a natural - very talented and capable - but she doesn't follow any rules (in fact, breaking rules seems to be her favorite daily activity). As much as I wanted to slap her straight, though, I also kind of liked that about her. If I have to chose between goody-goody, whiny and defiant, I'll take defiant any day, and Del was just that. Ridiculously defiant, but also really fun to follow as a lead character.
"My family...," I began. "They're big into making choices. Big decisions, small ones... They believe life is made up of every decision you've ever made, one leading into the next, like the notes in a song."
Simon nodded, his pencil flying over the page, and the misery inside me ebbed.
"But that's crap. You can lead a perfectly good life. You can make great choices, and in the end, completely random events will undo everything." I pointed to the tiny headstone. "That's a baby's grave. No one chooses that. No one wants that. People die not because of they did or didn't do. It's not their choice. It just... happens. Why bother choosing if the world is going to do what it wants regardless? What's the point in trying to make a difference?"
And to be perfectly honest, I grew to appreciate her inquisitive mind always questioning everything and her courage to stand up for what she believed in - even if she was the only one believing in it. Unlike her overachiever sister, she did not care about praise and recognition, and she did not follow orders blindly, she made her own decisions, even if sometimes they were based on her poor judgement. In my book, that made her a great, multi-layered character.
Dissonance is a gripping, gorgeously rendered and intelligent tale that could easily be turned into an awesome blockbuster science fiction thriller. A deftly written, intellectually stimulating sci fi spectacle. O'Rourke did a very impressive job fleshing out the universe, weaving in all the complex scientific details and making it all very believable and authentic. This book has both the breathtaking, non-stop action and mind-bending science fiction concepts, but it's also pretty emotionally engaging in some aspects. It's entertaining and fun to read, but it's also very thought-provoking, inviting the reader to ponder themes of fate, duty, responsibility, love and power. And, most importantly, the choices we make. And the consequences that follow.
Delancey Sullivan is a Walker. Not the zombie kind from The Walking Dead, though, no worries. She is genetically predisposed to travel between the many universes created by all the decisions made by people all around the world. Being a Walker is magnificent and empowering, but it's also a lot of work. Walkers are responsible for cleavings (unraveling worlds going bad), tuning (fixing worlds and/or echoes) and keeping everything in order. So that, you know, the one real world doesn't fall apart. There are tons of rules Walkers need to live by, including but not limited to, not engaging with the Echoes while Walking and absolutely no relationships with non-Walkers. Unfortunately, following rules is not Delancey's strongest point. And the fact that the Council is obviously keeping secrets only makes her dislike of the authorities stronger.
O'Rourke has written a book in which there isn't a dull moment. Seriously. The beginning, as I already mentioned, might be a bit heavy on world building and, therefore, confusing, but once you get past the first 40-or-so pages, you're strapped tight on a roller-coaster ride of visually appealing, brain-tickling fun. Mystery and danger plays a big part in this story, there are some unexpected developments and heartbreaking moments woven into the plot, and if you like your books ambitious and with substance, you will definitely appreciate Dissonance.
Let's talk a little bit about our MC, Delancey. Here's what Eliot says about her (and to her): "You don't listen to anyone else. You don't think about anyone else. You don't think about the consequences. You care about yourself, and that's it." And that pretty much sums up her character. Del really is reckless, self-centered and unable to think her actions through, which proves to be a dangerous combination of qualities. On top of that, she's also very cocky. She's a great Walker, a natural - very talented and capable - but she doesn't follow any rules (in fact, breaking rules seems to be her favorite daily activity). As much as I wanted to slap her straight, though, I also kind of liked that about her. If I have to chose between goody-goody, whiny and defiant, I'll take defiant any day, and Del was just that. Ridiculously defiant, but also really fun to follow as a lead character.
"My family...," I began. "They're big into making choices. Big decisions, small ones... They believe life is made up of every decision you've ever made, one leading into the next, like the notes in a song."
Simon nodded, his pencil flying over the page, and the misery inside me ebbed.
"But that's crap. You can lead a perfectly good life. You can make great choices, and in the end, completely random events will undo everything." I pointed to the tiny headstone. "That's a baby's grave. No one chooses that. No one wants that. People die not because of they did or didn't do. It's not their choice. It just... happens. Why bother choosing if the world is going to do what it wants regardless? What's the point in trying to make a difference?"
And to be perfectly honest, I grew to appreciate her inquisitive mind always questioning everything and her courage to stand up for what she believed in - even if she was the only one believing in it. Unlike her overachiever sister, she did not care about praise and recognition, and she did not follow orders blindly, she made her own decisions, even if sometimes they were based on her poor judgement. In my book, that made her a great, multi-layered character.
Dissonance is a gripping, gorgeously rendered and intelligent tale that could easily be turned into an awesome blockbuster science fiction thriller. A deftly written, intellectually stimulating sci fi spectacle. O'Rourke did a very impressive job fleshing out the universe, weaving in all the complex scientific details and making it all very believable and authentic. This book has both the breathtaking, non-stop action and mind-bending science fiction concepts, but it's also pretty emotionally engaging in some aspects. It's entertaining and fun to read, but it's also very thought-provoking, inviting the reader to ponder themes of fate, duty, responsibility, love and power. And, most importantly, the choices we make. And the consequences that follow.
I really didn't except to like this book as much as I did. And it was hard to get into the beginning, mostly because I didn't quite grasp the concept at first, but man. Once it got going, it was amazing!
So excited for the sequel.
So excited for the sequel.
Overall I enjoyed the book, however it started off very confusing and convoluted with the different worlds and the cleaving, etc.
Ended on a cliffhanger though and I want to know what happens!
Ended on a cliffhanger though and I want to know what happens!
Very interesting take on multiple universes/alternate realities.
3.5-4 Stars?
Need some time to let everything sink in. I'm still a bit lost about the whole frequency stuff o.o
Need some time to let everything sink in. I'm still a bit lost about the whole frequency stuff o.o