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A review by thebookishelf
Knowing Who I AM by A.G. Allen
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Have you ever looked in the mirror and felt like the person staring back at you was a total stranger? Like there's this indescribable otherness about yourself that you can't quite put your finger on? That's the eerie, captivating premise at the core of A.G. Allen's genre-blending novel "Knowing Who I Am."
Right from the gripping opening chapters, we're introduced to Faith "Rosie" Miller - a troubled teen still reeling from an unimaginable tragedy years prior. After losing her mother and brother in a fatal car accident, Rosie's life has been a waking nightmare. With her emotionally distant father blaming her for their deaths, she's been neglected and left to fend for herself through petty crimes just to survive. Talk about a tough starting point for our hero!
But Rosie's dreary existence takes an exhilarating detour when she's unexpectedly recruited by the mysterious Frank into Shallow River Academy - a secret training facility for elite spies and operatives. I know what you're thinking—a teen spy academy sounds like such a YA cliche, right? But stick with me, because Allen makes this premise feel utterly fresh and unpredictable.
As Rosie begins her intense operative training, she starts manifesting wildly extraordinary abilities - superhuman strength, blinding speed, accelerated healing, genius-level cognitive powers. It turns out her late mother was part of a controversial, top-secret program to <a href="https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Genetic-Engineering">genetically engineer</a> an advanced new breed of human weapon, and Rosie may be the ultimate product of these experiments, codenamed "Trinity 5000."
I loved watching Rosie's <a href="https://www.bookishelf.com/benefits-of-journaling-for-mental-health/">journey of self-discovery</a> unfurl as she comes to grips with these mind-blowing powers. In gripping, pulse-pounding action scenes, she takes down multiple opponents with ruthless precision, yet is constantly wondering - what the hell am I? The tantalizing mystery surrounding her origins and her mother's shadowy work with genetic engineering at the Academy is endlessly compelling.
But "Knowing Who I Am" is more than just a showcase for flashy superhuman feats. At its emotional core, it's a rich, wonderfully nuanced character study of a traumatized girl still grappling with grief, neglect, and abandonment after her family tragedy. Rosie's existential struggle over whether she's actually human or just a science experiment crafted in a lab cuts deep. We've all felt that gnawing self-doubt over our identities at some point, and Allen taps into that with striking poignancy.
The author doesn't shy away from exploring darker themes, like Rosie's fraught relationship with her distant, emotionally unavailable father. There's a real gut-punch midway through when a shattering revelation puts years of rejection into a whole new context. I was genuinely moved by Rosie's heartrending desperation to simply feel loved and wanted by her only surviving parent after so much loss.
Amidst the high-octane action set pieces, Allen also skillfully interweaves Rosie's compelling coming-of-age arc as she learns to navigate first love, forge new friendships, and find her place at the Academy. Her crackling romantic chemistry with the swoon-worthy Mason had me utterly shipping their relationship from the jump. I was heavily invested in seeing these two troubled souls, brought together by circumstance, have a chance at happiness.
The supporting cast around Rosie is richly drawn as well, from her frenemy Sarah - an alpha operative-in-training whose intense rivalry pushes Rosie's skills - to more ambiguous adult figures working behind the scenes with murky motivations. Some shocking character losses hit like a playoff boxer's haymaker too.
Where the novel really shines, though, is in constantly subverting expectations and zapping you with ingenious twists and turns. Just when you think you have a handle on things, Allen deftly pulls the rug out in thrilling ways. There was more than one jaw-dropping revelation that had me gasping aloud in surprise. I love when a book can still catch me off guard like that as a jaded reader.
The escalating conspiracy grows more tangled and complex as the mysterious forces hunting Rosie are revealed, all building towards a wildly propulsive, explosive third act that had me tearing through pages. Allen doesn't hold anything back in the bonkers finale that loyal readers deserve.
I'd be remiss if I didn't praise the author's clean, cinematic prose too. It makes this sci-fi tinged tale so vividly immersive and accessible, striking the perfect balance of breathless action balanced with deep characterization. The descriptions of Rosie's superhuman abilities truly pop off the page with visceral intensity.
Simply put, "Knowing Who I Am" takes a conventional YA premise - a teenager recruited into a covert organization - and elevates it into a densely-layered, emotionally resonant supernatural thrill ride that mashes up multiple genres. With her stellar character work, high-concept <a href="https://www.bookishelf.com/unconventional-science-fiction-books/">sci-fi blend of ideas</a>, and ability to keep ratcheting up the suspense, A.G. Allen establishes herself as a new voice to watch in YA fiction with crossover appeal to adult readers too.
It's an adrenaline-charged page-turner, no doubt. But it's also a thoughtful, nuanced exploration of identity, trauma, family bonds and what it fundamentally means to be human in an increasingly artificial world. For a summer reading experience that deftly juggles both pulpy genre thrills and rich interpersonal drama, you can't go wrong with this imaginative knockout from A.G. Allen. Highly recommended for readers of all ages and interests.
Right from the gripping opening chapters, we're introduced to Faith "Rosie" Miller - a troubled teen still reeling from an unimaginable tragedy years prior. After losing her mother and brother in a fatal car accident, Rosie's life has been a waking nightmare. With her emotionally distant father blaming her for their deaths, she's been neglected and left to fend for herself through petty crimes just to survive. Talk about a tough starting point for our hero!
But Rosie's dreary existence takes an exhilarating detour when she's unexpectedly recruited by the mysterious Frank into Shallow River Academy - a secret training facility for elite spies and operatives. I know what you're thinking—a teen spy academy sounds like such a YA cliche, right? But stick with me, because Allen makes this premise feel utterly fresh and unpredictable.
As Rosie begins her intense operative training, she starts manifesting wildly extraordinary abilities - superhuman strength, blinding speed, accelerated healing, genius-level cognitive powers. It turns out her late mother was part of a controversial, top-secret program to <a href="https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Genetic-Engineering">genetically engineer</a> an advanced new breed of human weapon, and Rosie may be the ultimate product of these experiments, codenamed "Trinity 5000."
I loved watching Rosie's <a href="https://www.bookishelf.com/benefits-of-journaling-for-mental-health/">journey of self-discovery</a> unfurl as she comes to grips with these mind-blowing powers. In gripping, pulse-pounding action scenes, she takes down multiple opponents with ruthless precision, yet is constantly wondering - what the hell am I? The tantalizing mystery surrounding her origins and her mother's shadowy work with genetic engineering at the Academy is endlessly compelling.
But "Knowing Who I Am" is more than just a showcase for flashy superhuman feats. At its emotional core, it's a rich, wonderfully nuanced character study of a traumatized girl still grappling with grief, neglect, and abandonment after her family tragedy. Rosie's existential struggle over whether she's actually human or just a science experiment crafted in a lab cuts deep. We've all felt that gnawing self-doubt over our identities at some point, and Allen taps into that with striking poignancy.
The author doesn't shy away from exploring darker themes, like Rosie's fraught relationship with her distant, emotionally unavailable father. There's a real gut-punch midway through when a shattering revelation puts years of rejection into a whole new context. I was genuinely moved by Rosie's heartrending desperation to simply feel loved and wanted by her only surviving parent after so much loss.
Amidst the high-octane action set pieces, Allen also skillfully interweaves Rosie's compelling coming-of-age arc as she learns to navigate first love, forge new friendships, and find her place at the Academy. Her crackling romantic chemistry with the swoon-worthy Mason had me utterly shipping their relationship from the jump. I was heavily invested in seeing these two troubled souls, brought together by circumstance, have a chance at happiness.
The supporting cast around Rosie is richly drawn as well, from her frenemy Sarah - an alpha operative-in-training whose intense rivalry pushes Rosie's skills - to more ambiguous adult figures working behind the scenes with murky motivations. Some shocking character losses hit like a playoff boxer's haymaker too.
Where the novel really shines, though, is in constantly subverting expectations and zapping you with ingenious twists and turns. Just when you think you have a handle on things, Allen deftly pulls the rug out in thrilling ways. There was more than one jaw-dropping revelation that had me gasping aloud in surprise. I love when a book can still catch me off guard like that as a jaded reader.
The escalating conspiracy grows more tangled and complex as the mysterious forces hunting Rosie are revealed, all building towards a wildly propulsive, explosive third act that had me tearing through pages. Allen doesn't hold anything back in the bonkers finale that loyal readers deserve.
I'd be remiss if I didn't praise the author's clean, cinematic prose too. It makes this sci-fi tinged tale so vividly immersive and accessible, striking the perfect balance of breathless action balanced with deep characterization. The descriptions of Rosie's superhuman abilities truly pop off the page with visceral intensity.
Simply put, "Knowing Who I Am" takes a conventional YA premise - a teenager recruited into a covert organization - and elevates it into a densely-layered, emotionally resonant supernatural thrill ride that mashes up multiple genres. With her stellar character work, high-concept <a href="https://www.bookishelf.com/unconventional-science-fiction-books/">sci-fi blend of ideas</a>, and ability to keep ratcheting up the suspense, A.G. Allen establishes herself as a new voice to watch in YA fiction with crossover appeal to adult readers too.
It's an adrenaline-charged page-turner, no doubt. But it's also a thoughtful, nuanced exploration of identity, trauma, family bonds and what it fundamentally means to be human in an increasingly artificial world. For a summer reading experience that deftly juggles both pulpy genre thrills and rich interpersonal drama, you can't go wrong with this imaginative knockout from A.G. Allen. Highly recommended for readers of all ages and interests.