nfletchwilliams's review
5.0
*Spoiler-free*
Failsafe is so much fun to read. Our FMC, Sol establishes herself strong right from the start of the book. She's charming, funny and is proactive throughout the story. Her budding friendship with the male lead, Echo also offers tons of laughs and warms your heart. Their relationship is my favorite part of Failsafe and kept me engaged throughout. I felt connected to both of them at the end.
The plot is also very enjoyable. It's fast paced and the pages turn very easily from the very beginning, but it's not too fast paced so the stakes and conflicts can be savored and enjoyed. Sol and Echo are very good drivers of the plot and are satisfying to read.
The setting is placed in a computer-based world, it's fleshed out and nuanced, creating a fascinating portrayal of what it'd be like to live here.
Overall, I think Failsafe has a great range for target audience and honestly anyone can enjoy it. Adults and YA will both find something for them.
Failsafe is so much fun to read. Our FMC, Sol establishes herself strong right from the start of the book. She's charming, funny and is proactive throughout the story. Her budding friendship with the male lead, Echo also offers tons of laughs and warms your heart. Their relationship is my favorite part of Failsafe and kept me engaged throughout. I felt connected to both of them at the end.
The plot is also very enjoyable. It's fast paced and the pages turn very easily from the very beginning, but it's not too fast paced so the stakes and conflicts can be savored and enjoyed. Sol and Echo are very good drivers of the plot and are satisfying to read.
The setting is placed in a computer-based world, it's fleshed out and nuanced, creating a fascinating portrayal of what it'd be like to live here.
Overall, I think Failsafe has a great range for target audience and honestly anyone can enjoy it. Adults and YA will both find something for them.
augustreadsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lydiahephzibah's review
4.0
I enjoyed this! I really liked Soleil as a narrator and her chemistry with Echo. I would have liked a bit more world building as I sometimes felt a bit lost, and I would have liked more resolution with the settlements at the end. I read this as an ARC so perhaps the finished copy has such changes! Thanks to Netgalley for providing the ARC
faithtrustpixiedust's review
3.0
Actual rating: 3.5
I received this eARC on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of this book in any way.
#RollCredits
The Writing and Worldbuilding
The writing style was really hard to get used to at first, I gotta admit. It is first person and very much stream of consciousness, which was difficult to adjust to. For instance, the word "craptastic" is used. And besides that, the first chapter was extremely rushed. I thought there'd be an introduction to Sol's life and family, but no, that was all done in exposition, with the first chapter consisting of things I thought would happen in the third or fourth chapter. Besides that, there were so many typos. It was really hard to ignore them, being a grammar nazi and all. Also, sometimes, scenes were just completely skipped, like Deen wanted them in the plot but didn't want to bother writing them. It was very jarring sometimes. Also, it was never explained how Sol got into the other settlements when she did supply runs; like, wouldn't they have thought she was just a Wraith and never let her in?
Once I got used to it all and the story really picked up, I found myself totally loving it!!! Echo was so wonderful and his and Sol's banter was just so cute! I loved the themes as well, and I thought they were well executed for the most part. Choice and humanity were two of the biggest themes. I loved the world too. The atmosphere was great and very tangible. And despite the rushed plot at the beginning, the love story was thankfully slow-burn, and I really loved it. It warmed my cold dead heart I'd thought incapable of love.
I'd rate the writing 2 stars, but the plot and characters 4 stars.
Also, the heck is a "heat cylinder"??
The Characters
First, I gotta say, what the heck is the deal with these "unique" YA names?? They're driving me crazy! Centhea, Margrit, Devid, and don't get me started on Mykel. It's just Michael! Spell it like a normal person, for goodness sake! The world ended, but they still had language and knew how to spell! *reins in frustration* Okay, let's begin.
Soleil: She was pretty annoying at first but once I got used to her, I really liked her. She is pretty introspective (being mostly alone in a dark, grey cyberscape definitely encourages that) but sometimes wasn't asking questions I thought obvious to ask (like where her schematic dreams come from, for instance). Also, her painting was thrust upon my suddenly as if I already knew, which with the rushed first chapter, really made me feel like I'd missed some vital prologue chapters. I liked how she had epilepsy.
Echo: MY HEART! I'm dead. I love this adorable android man so much, you don't understand. He really saved this book and made me even keep reading past chapter 2, because he had so much potential and really delivered on it. I loved his caring personality and found his dialogue so adorably stilted and awkward.
The Override: He was pretty creepy.
Conclusion
I really liked this book. I've already gushed about to my family and now I'm gushing about it to you. It's great. Go read it.
I received this eARC on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of this book in any way.
"I am the Failsafe."
#RollCredits
The Writing and Worldbuilding
The writing style was really hard to get used to at first, I gotta admit. It is first person and very much stream of consciousness, which was difficult to adjust to. For instance, the word "craptastic" is used. And besides that, the first chapter was extremely rushed. I thought there'd be an introduction to Sol's life and family, but no, that was all done in exposition, with the first chapter consisting of things I thought would happen in the third or fourth chapter. Besides that, there were so many typos. It was really hard to ignore them, being a grammar nazi and all. Also, sometimes, scenes were just completely skipped, like Deen wanted them in the plot but didn't want to bother writing them. It was very jarring sometimes. Also, it was never explained how Sol got into the other settlements when she did supply runs; like, wouldn't they have thought she was just a Wraith and never let her in?
He was different in ways I didn't fully understand, but different didn't mean less. It was just another way to be. You'd think after all I'd been through in the last year I'd have the concept down.
Once I got used to it all and the story really picked up, I found myself totally loving it!!! Echo was so wonderful and his and Sol's banter was just so cute! I loved the themes as well, and I thought they were well executed for the most part. Choice and humanity were two of the biggest themes. I loved the world too. The atmosphere was great and very tangible. And despite the rushed plot at the beginning, the love story was thankfully slow-burn, and I really loved it. It warmed my cold dead heart I'd thought incapable of love.
I'd rate the writing 2 stars, but the plot and characters 4 stars.
Inaction was as much a choice as one made by conviction.
Also, the heck is a "heat cylinder"??
The Characters
First, I gotta say, what the heck is the deal with these "unique" YA names?? They're driving me crazy! Centhea, Margrit, Devid, and don't get me started on Mykel. It's just Michael! Spell it like a normal person, for goodness sake! The world ended, but they still had language and knew how to spell! *reins in frustration* Okay, let's begin.
"I have no need of constellations with you as my guiding star."
Soleil: She was pretty annoying at first but once I got used to her, I really liked her. She is pretty introspective (being mostly alone in a dark, grey cyberscape definitely encourages that) but sometimes wasn't asking questions I thought obvious to ask (like where her schematic dreams come from, for instance). Also, her painting was thrust upon my suddenly as if I already knew, which with the rushed first chapter, really made me feel like I'd missed some vital prologue chapters. I liked how she had epilepsy.
"You are my guiding star...I go who where you lead."
Echo: MY HEART! I'm dead. I love this adorable android man so much, you don't understand. He really saved this book and made me even keep reading past chapter 2, because he had so much potential and really delivered on it. I loved his caring personality and found his dialogue so adorably stilted and awkward.
"You are a separate entity," he said softly, "independent of me in every respect, yet I have come to see you as an integral part of myself. Vital to my core functions. I will not leave you. I cannot."
The Override: He was pretty creepy.
Conclusion
Survival was indeed a human being's primary directive but we had our own overrides. The heart was one of them.
I really liked this book. I've already gushed about to my family and now I'm gushing about it to you. It's great. Go read it.
ashleybashley's review
3.0
I’d forgotten how much I love a good adventure novel until I started reading Failsafe. The book follows a 17-year-old epileptic girl living in a dystopian future, Soleil, on her journey to save the world. Or at least try. She has some help in the form of a boy/robot named Echo. They set off on a journey to take down the big bad, an AI who goes by “The Interface.”
Just based on the premise I’m sure you can help how much fun this book was to read. I’m a sucker for dystopian YA with a little bit of romance thrown in, so this was basically my kryptonite. There were a few bumps in the story along the way, but for the most part, I’m happy with how everything played out. Some of the world building was a bit vague/confusing in the beginning to middle of the book, but I’m going to go ahead and say that was deliberate. For a long while, I had no idea what was going on and who exactly the enemy was. They kept talking about “The Interface” but literally not until the end of the book did I figure out what that was referring to. I’m not sure whether it was not explicitly explained or if I just wasn’t paying close enough attention.
I think my favorite part was probably the dialogue. I think? I just loved how formal Sol and Echo spoke to each other. Sol because she’s playing along and slightly making fun of him. And Echo because he doesn’t know anything different. Sometimes, the writing ended up sound slightly convoluted, but rather than being annoyed I found it kind of charming. (But maybe that’s just me?) His character development in this book was not something I anticipated to be so believable, but somehow I ended up falling for it. The story didn’t draw me into the characters enough to fully immerse myself in their situation, but it was close.
Overall, this book was a fun read. Not perfect, but definitely not the worst dystopian I’ve read. By far. If you’re into futuristic books with AI overlords, give this one a look.
Just based on the premise I’m sure you can help how much fun this book was to read. I’m a sucker for dystopian YA with a little bit of romance thrown in, so this was basically my kryptonite. There were a few bumps in the story along the way, but for the most part, I’m happy with how everything played out. Some of the world building was a bit vague/confusing in the beginning to middle of the book, but I’m going to go ahead and say that was deliberate. For a long while, I had no idea what was going on and who exactly the enemy was. They kept talking about “The Interface” but literally not until the end of the book did I figure out what that was referring to. I’m not sure whether it was not explicitly explained or if I just wasn’t paying close enough attention.
I think my favorite part was probably the dialogue. I think? I just loved how formal Sol and Echo spoke to each other. Sol because she’s playing along and slightly making fun of him. And Echo because he doesn’t know anything different. Sometimes, the writing ended up sound slightly convoluted, but rather than being annoyed I found it kind of charming. (But maybe that’s just me?) His character development in this book was not something I anticipated to be so believable, but somehow I ended up falling for it. The story didn’t draw me into the characters enough to fully immerse myself in their situation, but it was close.
Overall, this book was a fun read. Not perfect, but definitely not the worst dystopian I’ve read. By far. If you’re into futuristic books with AI overlords, give this one a look.
jesnevertheless's review
5.0
I have been blessed! Recently I've been lucky enough to read some pretty incredible books and I'm so happy to say that Failsafe by Anela Dean was another one of those books!
Firstly I loved the plot of this book. It follows our main character Soleil who's struggling to find her place in the world while simultaneously trying to adapt to having Epilepsy. Which would be a lot easier if she didn't live in a world completely controlled by computers following the attempted extinction of the entire human race. You can see why I was intrigued.
I have to say that the plot is what really kept me going in this book, although nothing about this book let me down. Firstly Anela's writing style is easy to read and enjoyable. It keeps you interested without being an info-dump. I loved how she wrote the dynamic between Echo and Soleil. They're very different characters and both were written in such an interesting way.
I will say that another one of my most favorite parts of this book was the villain- a super computer created to make sure that Echo never successfully completes his mission. It blended both human and computer characteristics in such a terrifying way. It's been a long way since I've been seriously impressed by the villain in a story.
Overall I gave Failsafe a 5/5 star rating because it was enjoyable to read, flowed very well, Anela's writing style was simple but eloquent, and I adored both of the main characters. If you like post apocalyptic, future, and sci-fi I think you'll enjoy this book. Bonus points if you like a cute love story!
Thank you to Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in return for my honest review. I am excited to see what else we get from Dean and if you'd like to pre-order the book the kindle version is currently on pre-sale for .99 cents! You can find it on Amazon!
Firstly I loved the plot of this book. It follows our main character Soleil who's struggling to find her place in the world while simultaneously trying to adapt to having Epilepsy. Which would be a lot easier if she didn't live in a world completely controlled by computers following the attempted extinction of the entire human race. You can see why I was intrigued.
I have to say that the plot is what really kept me going in this book, although nothing about this book let me down. Firstly Anela's writing style is easy to read and enjoyable. It keeps you interested without being an info-dump. I loved how she wrote the dynamic between Echo and Soleil. They're very different characters and both were written in such an interesting way.
I will say that another one of my most favorite parts of this book was the villain- a super computer created to make sure that Echo never successfully completes his mission. It blended both human and computer characteristics in such a terrifying way. It's been a long way since I've been seriously impressed by the villain in a story.
Overall I gave Failsafe a 5/5 star rating because it was enjoyable to read, flowed very well, Anela's writing style was simple but eloquent, and I adored both of the main characters. If you like post apocalyptic, future, and sci-fi I think you'll enjoy this book. Bonus points if you like a cute love story!
Thank you to Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in return for my honest review. I am excited to see what else we get from Dean and if you'd like to pre-order the book the kindle version is currently on pre-sale for .99 cents! You can find it on Amazon!
llamareads's review
4.0
After a war between the Interspace AI and humans, the Armistice allowed human settlements inside the Interspace, but they’re forbidden from leaving their small part of the network. When the food deliveries abruptly stop, however, Sol (short for Soleil) feels she has no choice but to go searching for the missing shipments. She has an eidetic memory and has been having strange dreams where she can see the network’s schematics, so she’s able to anticipate where the Interspace’s enforces, the drones, will be. When a run goes bad, she’s saved by a strange man with technology she’s never seen before who immediately asks her for directions to the Interspace’s control center. He’s suspicious that Sol seemed to have knowledge of the drones’ routes, and, well, Echo – as the stranger calls himself – is just plain suspicious in general. Sol, caged by her parents’ worries about her epilepsy and what they see as her needless risktaking, makes a bargain with Echo to get him closer to the control center. But as she finds out more about the Interspace and Echo, will her choices lead her back to the world she’s always known or forward to an uncertain future?
I haven’t read a YA dystopian book in a while, so this was a delightful treat. I especially liked that the human settlements are actually inside the Interspace – a giant computer – so the areas they have to traverse are filled with circuit towers and other computer innards. I loved how character-focused it was, as well. The majority of it is a road trip sort of story with Sol and Echo trying to find the Interspace’s control center, so they both have a lot of time to get to know each other and bond. Since Echo isn’t initially very talkative, it also gives Sol a lot of time to ruminate over her epilepsy and how it’s changed how she’s viewed in the settlement, especially by her parents, and how she’s changed in reaction. One of my favorite parts about YA is watching characters struggle to figure out who they are, and while I think Echo has the most obvious growth, Sol grows a lot as well. There’s also a slow burn romance between the two, which was adorably sweet.
As for cons, the pacing was a bit uneven, and there’s a plot element towards the end (involving the source of Sol’s dreams) that was ridiculously deus ex machina.Basically, there’s a lab full of clones of the original scientists who created the Interspace who save them from the big bad guy after they’re pretty much all the way dead. The scientists also have a magical teleportation thingamajig that can send Echo and Sol directly to the Interspace’s control center. It just seemed to be a way to wrap up some unanswered questions quickly before the end of the book.
Overall, though, I very much enjoyed this book, and I’ve already found something else in Ms. Deen’s backlist to read!
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
“The truth was they had trouble accepting my condition. It wasn’t about my safety, it was about their fear. Fear took away the Custodian position I’d been training years for. I wouldn’t let it ruin our chances at survival. I was more than my illness. Why didn’t they see that? Why weren’t they…proud of me for what I’ve accomplished?
Why don’t you see me? I wanted to ask, but I never did.”
I haven’t read a YA dystopian book in a while, so this was a delightful treat. I especially liked that the human settlements are actually inside the Interspace – a giant computer – so the areas they have to traverse are filled with circuit towers and other computer innards. I loved how character-focused it was, as well. The majority of it is a road trip sort of story with Sol and Echo trying to find the Interspace’s control center, so they both have a lot of time to get to know each other and bond. Since Echo isn’t initially very talkative, it also gives Sol a lot of time to ruminate over her epilepsy and how it’s changed how she’s viewed in the settlement, especially by her parents, and how she’s changed in reaction. One of my favorite parts about YA is watching characters struggle to figure out who they are, and while I think Echo has the most obvious growth, Sol grows a lot as well. There’s also a slow burn romance between the two, which was adorably sweet.
“Not a machine. He’d said that a few times. I hadn’t known him long but he didn’t seem the type to repeat himself. The differentiation mattered deeply to him then. With regret, I thought of how many times I’d called him a robot. His impassive manner made it seem like nothing bothered him, but maybe that was wrong. He was different in ways I didn’t fully understand, but different didn’t mean less. It was just another way to be. You’d think after all I’d been through in the last year I’d have the concept down.”
As for cons, the pacing was a bit uneven, and there’s a plot element towards the end (involving the source of Sol’s dreams) that was ridiculously deus ex machina.
Overall, though, I very much enjoyed this book, and I’ve already found something else in Ms. Deen’s backlist to read!
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
toggle_fow's review
4.0
This story summary sounds dangerously derivative: a rebellious teenage girl sets out to topple the monstrous Skynet overlord her society has lived under for generations, and finds love along the way.
Happily, the reading experience doesn't feel like that at all. This book was good!
Sol has a voice that feels real: just the right amount of sarcasm to be interesting and distinct and seem like an actual person, without crossing over into being annoying and off-putting. Echo is a fairly standard Castiel-type good-hearted guy with powers who acts like a robot and has no idea how to be human. But like... am I a sucker for this? Maybe so.
The plot, to be fair, is a little quick and wobbly. It's never truly explained why Sol is able to dream the network, and receive the messages transmitted by the creepy scientists. It never really makes sense why, after wiping out nearly all of humanity, the Interspace chose to cover the entire world in what is essentially an Earth-sized computer chassis. Why does the Interspace need to trap humanity inside a giant computer box, so they're essentially living like little tiny cockroaches crawling over the enormous wires and computer chips? Wouldn't that be useless and counterproductive for everyone involved? The final confrontation with the Interspace herself is also just kind of: what?
Do I care about these things, though? Not really. I mean it would be nice to have all this make a little more sense, but the main thrust of the story is carried by Sol and Echo's relationship. I don't even like romance, and would vote to cut it out from nine out of ten books -- especially YA dystopias, which are constantly shoving needlessly melodramatic, bloated, emotionally vacant attempts at romance subplots down readers' throats.
Sol and Echo, though, I can get behind. There is no love triangle, there is no cheap miscommunication gag; they just genuinely come to understand and like each other. They talk about things. And yes, okay, I find the *cocks head* I do not understand your human ways, please clarify thing very endearing. I was engrossed the whole time reading about their journey through the Network, and the creepy scientists were so viscerally repulsive and terrifying that it pretty much makes up for the somewhat less-than-climactic confrontation with the Interspace.
Happily, the reading experience doesn't feel like that at all. This book was good!
Sol has a voice that feels real: just the right amount of sarcasm to be interesting and distinct and seem like an actual person, without crossing over into being annoying and off-putting. Echo is a fairly standard Castiel-type good-hearted guy with powers who acts like a robot and has no idea how to be human. But like... am I a sucker for this? Maybe so.
The plot, to be fair, is a little quick and wobbly. It's never truly explained why Sol is able to dream the network, and receive the messages transmitted by the creepy scientists. It never really makes sense why, after wiping out nearly all of humanity, the Interspace chose to cover the entire world in what is essentially an Earth-sized computer chassis. Why does the Interspace need to trap humanity inside a giant computer box, so they're essentially living like little tiny cockroaches crawling over the enormous wires and computer chips? Wouldn't that be useless and counterproductive for everyone involved? The final confrontation with the Interspace herself is also just kind of: what?
Do I care about these things, though? Not really. I mean it would be nice to have all this make a little more sense, but the main thrust of the story is carried by Sol and Echo's relationship. I don't even like romance, and would vote to cut it out from nine out of ten books -- especially YA dystopias, which are constantly shoving needlessly melodramatic, bloated, emotionally vacant attempts at romance subplots down readers' throats.
Sol and Echo, though, I can get behind. There is no love triangle, there is no cheap miscommunication gag; they just genuinely come to understand and like each other. They talk about things. And yes, okay, I find the *cocks head* I do not understand your human ways, please clarify thing very endearing. I was engrossed the whole time reading about their journey through the Network, and the creepy scientists were so viscerally repulsive and terrifying that it pretty much makes up for the somewhat less-than-climactic confrontation with the Interspace.
marziesreads's review
3.0
2.75ish
I am bumping this rating up to 3 because of the protagonist with a disability and the unusual relationship.
Failsafe is a book with an interesting premise. Set in a post-apocalyptic world in which an artificial intelligence named the Interspace, along with her minion in terror, The Override, have become sentient and seized control by overthrowing the government. The resulting chaos has wiped out large segments of the world's population. Food shortages abound and in her small community, Soleil (Sol) has dreams in which she sees sector maps that allow her to gauge where she can find food and supplies for her community. It is on just such a run that she is saved, while being attacked by drones, by a mysterious man/augmented humanoid/android who calls himself Echo. The dynamic between Sol and Echo, who eventually depart her community together on a mission to shut down the Interspace server, is one of the best aspects of this book. Though portrayed as a dystopian sci-fi novel in its blurb, the thing that works best here is the quirky romantic angle between an unconventional pair.
One positive thing that I want to mention is that I loved the fact that Soleil is a character with a disability. She has epilepsy but is still portrayed as a character who is brave, has adventures and is successful in her goals. She's a positive example of a character with a disability and for that, Deen deserves praise.
Mildly spoilerish content below.
That said, the worldbuilding in this book is disappointing, and the writing lacks sophistication. Her descriptive/narrative writing flags significantly in comparison to her writing of dialogue and her dialogue is not always great. (Romantic resolution banter: "If you think I do not love you in return, then you're a dummy." Really?) As I worked my way through the early portions of this book, due to the lack of information, I imagined that these characters trapped in a game and that they were seeking to shut down the server and escape the boundaries. But that's my imagining. Where was Deen's? Some aspects roughly sketched out in the world Deen gives us are seriously creepy, like forced pairings (for lack of a better word) between genetically appropriate individuals in order to procreate. (How this genetic testing is accomplished in this crumbling world is undiscussed.) You can only have children with a pre-identified partner who is far enough removed from you genetically. It doesn't matter if that person is aggressive, violent or totally unsuitable. That's it. That's who you get. Sol's identified partner Mykel makes Echo look like Prince Charming. Her mother blithely informs her that after she kicks out a few offspring she can try to apply for separate housing from her prospective abuser. (Dys-Tō-Pia! Shout it with me!)
A further issue is the novel's plot, which is rather poorly defined. Sol and Echo have a goal. They go from point A to point B. There were few significant challenges and there is little character evolution other than the revelation/understanding of who Echo really is. At 200 dialogue-heavy pages, I think this novel would have been improved with better narrative writing and worldbuilding, broadening it out to a longer book. Deen has some interesting ideas for a story here but a better editor would have pushed her to develop this story more fully. Deen is not a novice author and anyone who has written more than one book obviously really wants to write. She has good ideas here that needed to be built with better craft.
I received an ARC edition of this book from a friend of the author in exchange for an honest review.
I am bumping this rating up to 3 because of the protagonist with a disability and the unusual relationship.
Failsafe is a book with an interesting premise. Set in a post-apocalyptic world in which an artificial intelligence named the Interspace, along with her minion in terror, The Override, have become sentient and seized control by overthrowing the government. The resulting chaos has wiped out large segments of the world's population. Food shortages abound and in her small community, Soleil (Sol) has dreams in which she sees sector maps that allow her to gauge where she can find food and supplies for her community. It is on just such a run that she is saved, while being attacked by drones, by a mysterious man/augmented humanoid/android who calls himself Echo. The dynamic between Sol and Echo, who eventually depart her community together on a mission to shut down the Interspace server, is one of the best aspects of this book. Though portrayed as a dystopian sci-fi novel in its blurb, the thing that works best here is the quirky romantic angle between an unconventional pair.
One positive thing that I want to mention is that I loved the fact that Soleil is a character with a disability. She has epilepsy but is still portrayed as a character who is brave, has adventures and is successful in her goals. She's a positive example of a character with a disability and for that, Deen deserves praise.
Mildly spoilerish content below.
That said, the worldbuilding in this book is disappointing, and the writing lacks sophistication. Her descriptive/narrative writing flags significantly in comparison to her writing of dialogue and her dialogue is not always great. (Romantic resolution banter: "If you think I do not love you in return, then you're a dummy." Really?) As I worked my way through the early portions of this book, due to the lack of information, I imagined that these characters trapped in a game and that they were seeking to shut down the server and escape the boundaries. But that's my imagining. Where was Deen's? Some aspects roughly sketched out in the world Deen gives us are seriously creepy, like forced pairings (for lack of a better word) between genetically appropriate individuals in order to procreate. (How this genetic testing is accomplished in this crumbling world is undiscussed.) You can only have children with a pre-identified partner who is far enough removed from you genetically. It doesn't matter if that person is aggressive, violent or totally unsuitable. That's it. That's who you get. Sol's identified partner Mykel makes Echo look like Prince Charming. Her mother blithely informs her that after she kicks out a few offspring she can try to apply for separate housing from her prospective abuser. (Dys-Tō-Pia! Shout it with me!)
A further issue is the novel's plot, which is rather poorly defined. Sol and Echo have a goal. They go from point A to point B. There were few significant challenges and there is little character evolution other than the revelation/understanding of who Echo really is. At 200 dialogue-heavy pages, I think this novel would have been improved with better narrative writing and worldbuilding, broadening it out to a longer book. Deen has some interesting ideas for a story here but a better editor would have pushed her to develop this story more fully. Deen is not a novice author and anyone who has written more than one book obviously really wants to write. She has good ideas here that needed to be built with better craft.
I received an ARC edition of this book from a friend of the author in exchange for an honest review.
entanglednovels's review
4.0
A fantastic book to start the year off with. I thoroughly enjoyed Deen's new sci-fi take on a supercomputer. The relationships felt real, and it tackles important issues regarding society's perception of disabled folks, by addressing rampant ableism among Sol's community. I'd recommend this for anyone looking for an enjoyable, fast-paced sci-fi YA book. It didn't disappoint. Full RTC.
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