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stephxsu's review against another edition
3.0
POD is a skillfully executed book, full of tense moments, but lacks explanation for its premise, making it feel a bit like reading a confusing draft of a writing prompt assignment.
Good things first: Wallenfels writes in a sparse prose that successfully builds suspense. He avoids the melodrama that often plagues YA books and instead lets the horror of the situation unfold on its own, leaving us to imagine and experience our own emotional reactions.
Unfortunately, so little explanation is offered for the presence and purpose of the aliens that it seems like a poor setup for a study into human resourcefulness under scary conditions. For example, what have the aliens to do with Megs’ parking garage scavenging and encounters with power-obsessed men? (And for that matter, the men act like cartoonish villains rather than seriously twisted and psychologically scary people.) The aliens’ presence makes for an interesting way to keep Josh and his dad stuck in the house together, but Megs’ parking garage adventure don’t require a sci-fi element to occur.
There are also times when characterization doesn’t seem to ring true, or when it feels like the story is trying too hard to make these characters seem real. The one-dimensionally villainous men that Megs is up against are one example; Josh’s painfully heavily abbreviated text communication with the girl across the street is another. No, actually, real teenagers do not feel the need to make an acronym out of every single sentence they speak.
Worst of all, however, may be the ending. POD gives us all these questions about the aliens and their purpose on Earth, but resolves nothing by the end. Readers are left feeling disappointed that the most interesting part of the story—the aliens—became nothing more than the setup for storylines that have, to be honest, been done before, and done better. POD had the technical skill to be an absorbing book, but, much like the aliens, lacked a discernible purpose for its existence.
Good things first: Wallenfels writes in a sparse prose that successfully builds suspense. He avoids the melodrama that often plagues YA books and instead lets the horror of the situation unfold on its own, leaving us to imagine and experience our own emotional reactions.
Unfortunately, so little explanation is offered for the presence and purpose of the aliens that it seems like a poor setup for a study into human resourcefulness under scary conditions. For example, what have the aliens to do with Megs’ parking garage scavenging and encounters with power-obsessed men? (And for that matter, the men act like cartoonish villains rather than seriously twisted and psychologically scary people.) The aliens’ presence makes for an interesting way to keep Josh and his dad stuck in the house together, but Megs’ parking garage adventure don’t require a sci-fi element to occur.
There are also times when characterization doesn’t seem to ring true, or when it feels like the story is trying too hard to make these characters seem real. The one-dimensionally villainous men that Megs is up against are one example; Josh’s painfully heavily abbreviated text communication with the girl across the street is another. No, actually, real teenagers do not feel the need to make an acronym out of every single sentence they speak.
Worst of all, however, may be the ending. POD gives us all these questions about the aliens and their purpose on Earth, but resolves nothing by the end. Readers are left feeling disappointed that the most interesting part of the story—the aliens—became nothing more than the setup for storylines that have, to be honest, been done before, and done better. POD had the technical skill to be an absorbing book, but, much like the aliens, lacked a discernible purpose for its existence.
idkwhattonamemyself's review against another edition
2.25
I love how we get to see the situation from two different people but i really wanted a big twist moment and stuff the ending disappointed me
lisaspon's review against another edition
3.0
This book was exciting at some points and had an interesting concept, so that's why I liked it. The author is also really good at writing action packed scenes. But, I felt like nothing really happened. I knew as much at the beginning as I knew at the end. I spent the book reading and waiting to find out...nothing.
bernee's review against another edition
3.0
Easy read...wish we would have found out the real deal with the PODS. Felt like I was left hanging.
libertyskies's review against another edition
4.0
This brought me to tears at one point. It had a similar feel to 'life as We Know it' by Susan Beth Pfeffer.
idkwhattonamemyself's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
felixmpichardo's review against another edition
3.0
It was an enjoyable, quick read. Though it left lots of questions, it's clearly part of a series, so that may not be a flaw. I read this as part of a book group, so I didn't know enough about it before starting.
criticalreader's review against another edition
3.0
3.5
The ending felt anti-climatic and I didn't enjoy the dual point of views a lot. However found it an interesting tale of survival and was entertaining, fast read for me.
The ending felt anti-climatic and I didn't enjoy the dual point of views a lot. However found it an interesting tale of survival and was entertaining, fast read for me.