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3.11 AVERAGE
3.11 AVERAGE
That was all over the place. I’m not sure what to make of it and it felt like the book wasn’t quite sure what it wanted to be.
Mystery? Maybe a dystopia? Time Travel thrown in for good measure.
Mystery? Maybe a dystopia? Time Travel thrown in for good measure.
Warnings: death in family
When I started this book, I thought I was about to read a psychological thriller, and for most of the first half, it does feel that way. Rett is trapped in a sealed building with Bryn, both of them with no memory how they got there, and their upbringing in a foster home has them paranoid and mistrustful of the other's actions. They both have to figure out a way out of there, but every time, we see them starting over in a Groundhog Day scenario. I entertained the possibilities of simulation and time travel, and I won't tell you what it really was because that would be spoilery and ruin most of the first half of the book.
The story, while repetitive in the first half, is captivating enough because of the details that emerge in each iteration, and while the characters forget, we can still piece together the mystery. The second half is them slowly learning what they were doing there, and how they got there, and where they go from there. The world-building is sparse, but post-apocalyptic scenarios are a common enough trope to fill in the blanks. Their very survival depends on the thin trust they have in each other, and the hostile elements on the outside make their decisions pretty much life and death, which is why the simple fact of Rett's bloodstained clothes has a different result in each iteration. Soon, their shared upbringing and commonality in instincts bring them together in a tentative friendship that develops subtly. The romance was superfluous, to be honest, but yeah okay, I will ignore it, because the rest of it drew me in so well with the writing nicely balancing that level of terror in Rett and the uncertainty of his whole situation, but not sacrificing the pace.
The ending of the book leaves us at a good resolution, so this may be a standalone. It is slightly open-ended as to only the state of the world. There were a couple of things that I felt unaddressed by the end - like who made that device (because it could be replicated, right?) and where did the bugs feature in all of this? (I figure these questions are vague enough without context to be spoiler-y) Ultimately, it was an enjoyable read.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Tor Teen, via Netgalley.
When I started this book, I thought I was about to read a psychological thriller, and for most of the first half, it does feel that way. Rett is trapped in a sealed building with Bryn, both of them with no memory how they got there, and their upbringing in a foster home has them paranoid and mistrustful of the other's actions. They both have to figure out a way out of there, but every time, we see them starting over in a Groundhog Day scenario. I entertained the possibilities of simulation and time travel, and I won't tell you what it really was because that would be spoilery and ruin most of the first half of the book.
The story, while repetitive in the first half, is captivating enough because of the details that emerge in each iteration, and while the characters forget, we can still piece together the mystery. The second half is them slowly learning what they were doing there, and how they got there, and where they go from there. The world-building is sparse, but post-apocalyptic scenarios are a common enough trope to fill in the blanks. Their very survival depends on the thin trust they have in each other, and the hostile elements on the outside make their decisions pretty much life and death, which is why the simple fact of Rett's bloodstained clothes has a different result in each iteration. Soon, their shared upbringing and commonality in instincts bring them together in a tentative friendship that develops subtly. The romance was superfluous, to be honest, but yeah okay, I will ignore it, because the rest of it drew me in so well with the writing nicely balancing that level of terror in Rett and the uncertainty of his whole situation, but not sacrificing the pace.
The ending of the book leaves us at a good resolution, so this may be a standalone. It is slightly open-ended as to only the state of the world. There were a couple of things that I felt unaddressed by the end - like who made that device (because it could be replicated, right?) and where did the bugs feature in all of this? (I figure these questions are vague enough without context to be spoiler-y) Ultimately, it was an enjoyable read.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Tor Teen, via Netgalley.
A better Groundhog Day story.
I’m not really one for dystopias / post apocalyptic novels so I enjoyed that this story had a smaller setting than usual. Both of the main characters also have more hope than their situation warrants. I don’t want to say much about the plot because I think it’s so much better if you know nothing going in. It’s so easy to fall into this story and get lost in it plus it’s a really quick read too. If you’re not sure, try the sample chapter! I think you’ll be hooked!
I’m not really one for dystopias / post apocalyptic novels so I enjoyed that this story had a smaller setting than usual. Both of the main characters also have more hope than their situation warrants. I don’t want to say much about the plot because I think it’s so much better if you know nothing going in. It’s so easy to fall into this story and get lost in it plus it’s a really quick read too. If you’re not sure, try the sample chapter! I think you’ll be hooked!