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3.14 AVERAGE
3.14 AVERAGE
so good :) such cool characters. i loved the ending and want more in so ways but happy it got a actual ending
It is good to give every book a chance. You can never predict the life altering adventure to which you will journey. It is for this reason that I review, and whenever possible I give high priority to diverse novels. Given this pretense, it took me an extremely long time to get around to reviewing this and I am not entirely apologetic. This book was all over the place. I was confused a great part of this and not in a good way. It left me guessing in a manner that borderline on making me extremely upset. I am disturbed that it took so long to clarify the plot. The characters were not interesting enough to hold my full attention as the plot unraveled. I felt my eyes glassing over even as it had my full attention. I will admit that on the climax the concept was extremely fascinating. I only wish that the buildup was more dynamic and the characters were more interesting. I have so much compounded frustration that I can throw my e-reader. While I appreciated the diversity of the characters, their development was wasted here. The ending was a balm to my devastating experience but unfortunately it could not transform my review rating.
This book was good. I wish the romance was a bit different and that Nico and Anat got somewhat a happy ending. Sophie and Declan were annoying characters and I hate that they ended up being the happiest of them all. The plot twist was good, I didn’t expect it but I would’ve expected it if I thought about this book. The concept is good, a bit confusing with the monsters and different worlds. This book kinda reminds me of the prison world plot line in the Vampire Diaries, one of my favorite plots in that show.
OK, here's the deal. I loved the premise of this book: 3 teens, from very different walks of life, appear in an abandoned hospital shortly after they seem to die in their real lives. Sophie, from California, is dying of terminal cancer. Declan, from Ireland, is about to get shot in the head. Anat, from Israel, is in the process of navigating a booby-trapped tunnel between Israel and Egypt. All three of them, plus a few more from other points around the globe, wake up with no clue as to how or why they got to the abandoned hospital. Eventually, they collectively realize that they need to get out, since, apart from their small group, there are no signs of life anywhere. When one of the kids disappears, everyone begins to suspect the worst and the story takes a turn from creepy mystery to horror/thriller.
The premise is intriguing, but the execution isn't really all that satisfying. The first half of the book is certainly enough to get readers hooked and the twists will keep them going. The ending however, is unmemorable and has the potential to disappoint. The three main characters are relatively well-developed, although the rest of the characters are a bit flat and come across as potentially expendable. It becomes readily apparent that one of the other kids knows more than the main characters do, but it takes the main characters a frustratingly long time to figure it all out. Still, even with its flaws, this is a fun and eerie read.
The premise is intriguing, but the execution isn't really all that satisfying. The first half of the book is certainly enough to get readers hooked and the twists will keep them going. The ending however, is unmemorable and has the potential to disappoint. The three main characters are relatively well-developed, although the rest of the characters are a bit flat and come across as potentially expendable. It becomes readily apparent that one of the other kids knows more than the main characters do, but it takes the main characters a frustratingly long time to figure it all out. Still, even with its flaws, this is a fun and eerie read.
I feel like Strangelets by Michelle Gagnon is going to be a hard book for me to review, and that’s just me being straight up with you, my reader- friends. While the book was certainly action packed and rarely boring with an actual legitimate ending, I came away without a huge feeling of investment or caring. Actually, I think my feelings were akin to the way I feel about thriller movies. The time spent watching them does not feel like a waste, but I also don’t feel the pressing need to re-watch the film, ya know. Same with Strangelets, no pressing need to re-read it or pick it up again — but if another book comes out in the Strangelets universe, I will read it.
Read the rest of my review here
Read the rest of my review here
2.5 Stars
I usually really like these kind of sci-fi books because I can actually see it happening and I'm a geek at heart so reading about all the theories and what not is always fun for me xD
However I'm big on characters and this is where this book failed to deliver for me. The only character I liked was Zain and Declan. Sophie becomes a bit more likable towards the end but not a whole lot. She went from annoying to 'nod of respect' at least. I couldn't stand Anat, for all her military background she was still slow and always thinking about relaying on other adults, not to mention she was a bitch, selfish and prejudiced. Actually my main problem was that ALL the kids were slow and didn't think past the whole, once we find the adults....blah blah blah. They were also all in hardcore denial. Seeing the state of the buildings, roads, and food and yet they were all still dead set on let's just find the adults. Not once did they ever think that there might not be any. There was a HUGE bear in the middle of a research facility and they still thought that was somehow explainable?!
Sophie, as I mentioned before, did start to get a little more likable towards the end mostly cause she finally started using her brain a bit and I admired her inner strength and courage. She was weak because of her illness but she went with them and sucked it up. Anat would have been bitching the whole time. Actuallyh she was bitching anyway and she wasn't in a worse state than the rest of them. The one bright light in this, character-wise, were Declan and Yosh, but Yosh only when her true colors came out. I loved Declan. He took charge when everyone else was floundering. He kept the mood light when they were all internally freaking out (not that I blame them for that, who wouldn't be freaking out?). He had car-jacking and pick-locking skills and he had an accent, need I say more? xD
The science fiction part and therefore the whole plot pretty much was actually intriguing at least the explanations of how it happened and why, but it wasn't exactly mind blowing nor hard to figure out. Actually, as soon as they figured out where they were I could already piece together most of the plot. It was, however, interesting enough to keep me reading the whole way through.
If you like these kind of science fiction books then you should give a try anyway. You might end up liking it much more than me :)
I usually really like these kind of sci-fi books because I can actually see it happening and I'm a geek at heart so reading about all the theories and what not is always fun for me xD
However I'm big on characters and this is where this book failed to deliver for me. The only character I liked was Zain and Declan. Sophie becomes a bit more likable towards the end but not a whole lot. She went from annoying to 'nod of respect' at least. I couldn't stand Anat, for all her military background she was still slow and always thinking about relaying on other adults, not to mention she was a bitch, selfish and prejudiced. Actually my main problem was that ALL the kids were slow and didn't think past the whole, once we find the adults....blah blah blah. They were also all in hardcore denial. Seeing the state of the buildings, roads, and food and yet they were all still dead set on let's just find the adults. Not once did they ever think that there might not be any. There was a HUGE bear in the middle of a research facility and they still thought that was somehow explainable?!
Sophie, as I mentioned before, did start to get a little more likable towards the end mostly cause she finally started using her brain a bit and I admired her inner strength and courage. She was weak because of her illness but she went with them and sucked it up. Anat would have been bitching the whole time. Actuallyh she was bitching anyway and she wasn't in a worse state than the rest of them. The one bright light in this, character-wise, were Declan and Yosh, but Yosh only when her true colors came out. I loved Declan. He took charge when everyone else was floundering. He kept the mood light when they were all internally freaking out (not that I blame them for that, who wouldn't be freaking out?). He had car-jacking and pick-locking skills and he had an accent, need I say more? xD
The science fiction part and therefore the whole plot pretty much was actually intriguing at least the explanations of how it happened and why, but it wasn't exactly mind blowing nor hard to figure out. Actually, as soon as they figured out where they were I could already piece together most of the plot. It was, however, interesting enough to keep me reading the whole way through.
If you like these kind of science fiction books then you should give a try anyway. You might end up liking it much more than me :)
Speedread this one on a plane ride. The mystery and horror kept up well, and for once the explanation didn't disappoint. The ending was good but not amazing, and that was mostly how I felt about the whole thing. It was good, but not amazing. I couldn't place what felt wrong about the whole thing, but I simply wasn't as hooked as I could have been.
Devoured this book in a five hour session but can't quite give it five stars. It's a fast, easy read with a highly interesting and engaging first half and a disappointing ending. Point of view skips around three different characters but despite that they still seemed sort of underdeveloped. The plot moves along at a steady clip but nothing revealed is "shocking" - you constantly as though you are feel several revelations ahead of the characters.
For me, everything sort of unraveled interest-wise around the big reveal. Before that the tension and action and fear was really working for me and afterward it just seemed like a run-of-the-mill survival novel.
For me, everything sort of unraveled interest-wise around the big reveal. Before that the tension and action and fear was really working for me and afterward it just seemed like a run-of-the-mill survival novel.
I'm not really a big fan of this. It was a little slow for me and the characters were irritating. Anat was self-centered, Declan's an asshole, and Sophie was just a whiny bitch. But even if Anat was a total bitch, I really don't think she deserved the ending that she got. It's just unfair, if you want a happy ending, let everyone have a happy ending.Don't leave anyone out, that's just sad.
But I really liked the explanation to why they are in an alternate universe. It's mindblowing and it really made me wonder if it's true.
But I really liked the explanation to why they are in an alternate universe. It's mindblowing and it really made me wonder if it's true.
This book was just... insane and improbable.
Review to come.
Review to come.