raven168's review against another edition
4.0
This book had quite a few things that were just inconsistent to me. A couple examples... Unless you were an elite, you had to use coupons to get food, and even then you didn't always get it. Sometimes you had to wait months to actually make it to front of the line. But alcohol was readily available at bars? And what of the other food they were eating, where did that come from? Then there was the fact that everybody was openly walking around armed, be it with some sort of blade or a gun. Yet they were all afraid of being tased by the police. Sure it was was strong enough to completely knock you out and then you were arrested, but really? And there's Diesel...How does someone locked up, who never leaves the building, get money to pay people off? There were more, but those were the ones that stuck with me the most. There were also words missing quite often. Not enough to impact the story, but enough to be annoying.
Despite those things that really bugged me, this was a great story and I really liked the world created here. There was a part or two that was a little boring because things had settled down for a bit, but for the most part there was always something happening. Even though Nadia was the main character, I liked Diesel the most. He is such a messed up and complicated guy, but I always wanted to keep reading just to see what he would do next. Also didn't help that Nadia was always making such stupid decisions. Parts of this world were horrible, but there were also pockets of peace to be found.
Way way way in the future, humanity has found a way to use reincarnation to live forever in a way. And with each rebirth, the memories from previous lives come back eventually and can be controlled with a certain drug. To be able to identify each person with their previous lives, there is an imprint in their eyes that are specific to one person. From that it's easy to tell if the person used to be someone rich, important, or a blacklisted killer. Unfortunately for Nadia, she has printless eyes. It makes her life so much harder than everybody else for multiple reasons, and snags the interest of the elite. Her life takes a drastic turn when her parents practically sell her off to them and she finds herself locked up in their worst prison, having to endure agonizing experiments. It's in this prison that she meets Diesel. A blacklisted convict that can come and go as he pleases without notice and even has his own lab for working in. Diesel stays because he knows there's a reason to be there. He thought it was because of the head doctor, but when Nadia shows up, he knows it was for her.
Together they escape and from there their relationship is so totally messed up but at the same time pretty solid. They fight all the time throughout the story, both verbally and physically. But Diesel refuses to lose Nadia and Nadia knows she needs him to survive. But as time goes on, their reasons for helping each other and staying together start to blur and change. Along the way to find Diesel's allies, they encounter other people and groups. The two of them are forced into dangerous situations only to be betrayed in the end. Barely escaping with their lives, they flee and find themselves still fighting to survive. And when help comes in an unexpected way, it almost seems like a brief time of peace could be theirs. But after a tragedy happens, Nadia is more alone than ever, willing Diesel to wake up for her. When he finally does, they must flee again. Finding a beautiful place for rest, Nadia questions Diesel about what he would do if there were a person who could be the key to reincarnation problems. A soulless person that may be humanities only hope. His answer is not what she wanted to hear. In the morning when they leave, Diesel is the nicest and most playful he has ever been with her making her want to force him to tell her how he feels about her. Which of course, he just gets angry about. Then when the truth of Nadia comes out, Diesel is forced to choose what he wants more. The end was kind of crazy and it left me really wanting to find out what happens next.
Copy provided by publisher via Netgalley.
Despite those things that really bugged me, this was a great story and I really liked the world created here. There was a part or two that was a little boring because things had settled down for a bit, but for the most part there was always something happening. Even though Nadia was the main character, I liked Diesel the most. He is such a messed up and complicated guy, but I always wanted to keep reading just to see what he would do next. Also didn't help that Nadia was always making such stupid decisions. Parts of this world were horrible, but there were also pockets of peace to be found.
Way way way in the future, humanity has found a way to use reincarnation to live forever in a way. And with each rebirth, the memories from previous lives come back eventually and can be controlled with a certain drug. To be able to identify each person with their previous lives, there is an imprint in their eyes that are specific to one person. From that it's easy to tell if the person used to be someone rich, important, or a blacklisted killer. Unfortunately for Nadia, she has printless eyes. It makes her life so much harder than everybody else for multiple reasons, and snags the interest of the elite. Her life takes a drastic turn when her parents practically sell her off to them and she finds herself locked up in their worst prison, having to endure agonizing experiments. It's in this prison that she meets Diesel. A blacklisted convict that can come and go as he pleases without notice and even has his own lab for working in. Diesel stays because he knows there's a reason to be there. He thought it was because of the head doctor, but when Nadia shows up, he knows it was for her.
Together they escape and from there their relationship is so totally messed up but at the same time pretty solid. They fight all the time throughout the story, both verbally and physically. But Diesel refuses to lose Nadia and Nadia knows she needs him to survive. But as time goes on, their reasons for helping each other and staying together start to blur and change. Along the way to find Diesel's allies, they encounter other people and groups. The two of them are forced into dangerous situations only to be betrayed in the end. Barely escaping with their lives, they flee and find themselves still fighting to survive. And when help comes in an unexpected way, it almost seems like a brief time of peace could be theirs. But after a tragedy happens, Nadia is more alone than ever, willing Diesel to wake up for her. When he finally does, they must flee again. Finding a beautiful place for rest, Nadia questions Diesel about what he would do if there were a person who could be the key to reincarnation problems. A soulless person that may be humanities only hope. His answer is not what she wanted to hear. In the morning when they leave, Diesel is the nicest and most playful he has ever been with her making her want to force him to tell her how he feels about her. Which of course, he just gets angry about. Then when the truth of Nadia comes out
Spoiler
Which, by they way, how it came out was a little silly to me. Her blood floats? Really? Aaaaand that was never noticed before during all the experiments done to her?Copy provided by publisher via Netgalley.
anabbesteves's review
4.0
*The publisher provided this book in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley.*
In the future death is no longer a problem, people reincarnate when they die, but wath was once considered a gift is now considered a curse, since it's madenning the world's population. Every soul leaces a trace on the pupils and the government has used that trace to track down the citizens so, when they're reborn, they are reincerted in the same place of society they were before.
Nadia is born whitin this society that ignores death. She seems to be the one exception to the reincarnation phenomenom and theonlu one without any soul trace. Being so unique, she quickly become the most hunted prize in the world.
This book, at the beginning, is very strange and awkward but, as you dive into this new world, your liking of it starts to grow and grow with every sentence.
The conception of a society where nothing changes and where the mistakes you made in previous lifetimes add up and might take you down is very interesting and the whole soul trace in the eyes is a very new concept and I really enjoyed it.
Nadia is so special and I think she is the only person on her world that doesn't need drugs in order to not be crazy! She has a very though time and sets a very good example for younger girls and every person that might be struggling in life.
The story approaches very disturbing sides of the aftermath of living many lives, without your memories being taken away and it certainly touches the "creepy zone" sometimes and that contributes to the overall beauty of this literary work.
If you like dystopians like the Hunger Games or Divergent I'm certain that you'll love this book, even if you don't it's worth giving it a good shot. Be warned that it contains some strong language and very strong scenes.
http://thebewitchedreader.blogspot.pt/2016/01/review-soulless-immortal-gene-1-by.html
In the future death is no longer a problem, people reincarnate when they die, but wath was once considered a gift is now considered a curse, since it's madenning the world's population. Every soul leaces a trace on the pupils and the government has used that trace to track down the citizens so, when they're reborn, they are reincerted in the same place of society they were before.
Nadia is born whitin this society that ignores death. She seems to be the one exception to the reincarnation phenomenom and theonlu one without any soul trace. Being so unique, she quickly become the most hunted prize in the world.
This book, at the beginning, is very strange and awkward but, as you dive into this new world, your liking of it starts to grow and grow with every sentence.
The conception of a society where nothing changes and where the mistakes you made in previous lifetimes add up and might take you down is very interesting and the whole soul trace in the eyes is a very new concept and I really enjoyed it.
Nadia is so special and I think she is the only person on her world that doesn't need drugs in order to not be crazy! She has a very though time and sets a very good example for younger girls and every person that might be struggling in life.
The story approaches very disturbing sides of the aftermath of living many lives, without your memories being taken away and it certainly touches the "creepy zone" sometimes and that contributes to the overall beauty of this literary work.
If you like dystopians like the Hunger Games or Divergent I'm certain that you'll love this book, even if you don't it's worth giving it a good shot. Be warned that it contains some strong language and very strong scenes.
http://thebewitchedreader.blogspot.pt/2016/01/review-soulless-immortal-gene-1-by.html
thestarman's review
2.0
[YA/New Adult Fiction, Adult reviewer]
YA VERDICT: 2+ stars (maybe 2.4-ish?) Mostly for some originality, and the cover art.
ADULT VERDICT: 1+ stars.
Story was so-so. But if you are into messed-up dystopias, you may love it. At times, I found myself speed-reading to stay awake. The heroine (Nadia) is injured, beat up, shot, or tortured numerous times, yet always bounces right back. Her "relationship" with the other main character (Diesel) is a departure from the normal YA stuff, which I suppose may be a good thing?
SOME DETAILS:
Needed more world-building and science, but has some merit as an original YA story. Ends on a cliffhanger involving I have no plans to read further in this series.
AWARDS: Some of the worst parents ever.
PRESENTATION:
++ Great cover art.
-- I stopped counting the grammar errors [eBook version] after about the 6th one, early on. Would have greatly benefited from another professional editing pass--but I've seen far worse that this, and the errors were not super-distracting.
PARENTS & PRUDES: More ficitional violence than expected (not the nightmare-inducing kind*), and one awkward sort-of sex scene.
* Unless you count a that happens off-page, though you briefy get to read about the result.
DEMERITS: Not supremely believable/logical (though it is surely an interesting premise). Some science fails. Ex: Antibiotics do not instantly or otherwise.
SIMILAR-ISH TO: [b:Firstlife|25785357|Firstlife (Everlife, #1)|Gena Showalter|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1456503579l/25785357._SY75_.jpg|45540518] by Gena Showalter
YA VERDICT: 2+ stars (maybe 2.4-ish?) Mostly for some originality, and the cover art.
ADULT VERDICT: 1+ stars.
Story was so-so. But if you are into messed-up dystopias, you may love it. At times, I found myself speed-reading to stay awake. The heroine (Nadia) is injured, beat up, shot, or tortured numerous times, yet always bounces right back. Her "relationship" with the other main character (Diesel) is a departure from the normal YA stuff, which I suppose may be a good thing?
SOME DETAILS:
Spoiler
Needed more world-building and science, but has some merit as an original YA story. Ends on a cliffhanger involving
Spoiler
an actual cliff.AWARDS: Some of the worst parents ever.
PRESENTATION:
++ Great cover art.
-- I stopped counting the grammar errors [eBook version] after about the 6th one, early on. Would have greatly benefited from another professional editing pass--but I've seen far worse that this, and the errors were not super-distracting.
PARENTS & PRUDES: More ficitional violence than expected (not the nightmare-inducing kind*), and one awkward sort-of sex scene.
* Unless you count a
Spoiler
decapitationDEMERITS: Not supremely believable/logical (though it is surely an interesting premise). Some science fails. Ex: Antibiotics do not
Spoiler
cure radiation poisoning,SIMILAR-ISH TO: [b:Firstlife|25785357|Firstlife (Everlife, #1)|Gena Showalter|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1456503579l/25785357._SY75_.jpg|45540518] by Gena Showalter
theestherhadassah's review against another edition
5.0
DISCLAIMER: I received a copy of this book in exchange for honest review. Was reading it to acquaint myself with the characters before reading the 2nd book for a blog tour.
Wow, wow, wow! I was not expecting to like that so much! Soulless is definitely not your typical dystopia. It intermingles with supernatural and steampunk. Once I began reading, (and I know I say this a lot, but) I COULD NOT STOP! This book is addictive. The story follows Nadia in a very futuristic society, where people are divided by rank and everyone has been reincarnated. That is, everyone except Nadia.
I will not spoil it for anyone who has not read it. But Nadia is definitely nearing total bad-ass, and there is a total bad-ass bad-boy, Diesel. Check it out, ASAP!
Think of . . . Minority Report with a mixture Divergent.
Wow, wow, wow! I was not expecting to like that so much! Soulless is definitely not your typical dystopia. It intermingles with supernatural and steampunk. Once I began reading, (and I know I say this a lot, but) I COULD NOT STOP! This book is addictive. The story follows Nadia in a very futuristic society, where people are divided by rank and everyone has been reincarnated. That is, everyone except Nadia.
I will not spoil it for anyone who has not read it. But Nadia is definitely nearing total bad-ass, and there is a total bad-ass bad-boy, Diesel. Check it out, ASAP!
Think of . . . Minority Report with a mixture Divergent.
norma_cenva's review against another edition
4.0
Very intense, am excited for the next one in the series!
thespacejamber's review
4.0
For some reason, as I sit here and reflect on reading Soulless, this line from the deceivingly upbeat "Come On! Feel the Illinoise!" by Sufjan Stevens occupies my mind: "I was hypnotized, I was asked to improvise on the attitude, the regret of a thousand centuries of death." This first installment in author Jacinta Maree's Immortal Gene series deals with all manner of heavy topics, not the least of which being immortality through reincarnation. Truly, Maree's characters have literally faced centuries of death, only to be reborn and maintain all of the memories of their previous lives. With a fascinating concept and fast-paced action, Soulless is definitely an exciting, not-to-be-missed addition to the dystopian genre.
Set in a very distant future, Soulless operates under the genetic rule that everyone is born with the memories of their previous lives lying dormant until they come to the forefront in early childhood. Originally born of a genetic defect, it gradually became more and more common until everyone was became a reincarnated soul -- until Nadia Richards. As the first person in over a thousand years to be born without a soul imprint, she's automatically an outcast in her violent, war-torn society. After being sold off to a prison for genetic testing, Nadia eventually escapes with the assistance of a potentially dangerous prisoner to find the purpose behind her deformity -- or if she can stop the cycle altogether.
Generally, I'm not generally a fan of stories with a ton of gratuitous violence, especially to the extent found in Soulless, but Maree's writing incorporates it in such a way that it almost makes sense within the context of the world she's created. These are people who know they're definitely coming back; death isn't really a threat anymore. The only person afraid of death -- and rightfully so -- is our heroine, Nadia; because she hasn't been reincarnated, she has no idea what will happen if she ever does meet her demise. I always love a good heroine that knows how to kick a fair amount of ass, and Nadia does so in a way that makes it clear that she's been doing nothing but self-preservation since day one. The world in which Soulless takes place is centuries after an all-out nuclear war has ravaged the earth, causing enough devastation that society has yet to fully recover. The gaps between the Elite, the common, and the Blacklisted classes are so wide, of course Nadia feels like she needs to do whatever she can to prevent becoming a target. I'm also particularly fond of the moral dilemmas presented through Nadia's experience: what defines "good?" Can we truly be motivated to help others without expecting some kind of reward? What defines a criminal?
Of course, that's not to say that Nadia isn't the only character who faces these sorts of crossroads. Along the way, she's partnered with Diesel, a Blacklisted convict who gradually becomes more and more overshadowed by his previous lives as his time with Nadia goes on. He knows Nadia could be the key to stopping the reincarnation process, but feels like there's something else he could feel about her lurking beneath the surface. Their relationship goes from one of reluctant partnership to almost dangerous co-dependence as they come to learn the only people they can trust is each other -- and they recognize that. It's definitely a great turn to see this type of relationship developing in the dystopian genre; while there's somewhat of an underlying hint of romance bubbling beneath the surface, ultimately Nadia and Diesel are a unit due to trying to stay alive and out of the way of the Elites who want to see them tortured behind bars. It becomes clear after a certain point that their relationship is symbiotic in nature; whatever romantic feelings that come about later are just an after-effect. In most dystopian stories, the romance comes first, survival later (what's good, Tris and Four).
What makes this book less than a five star rating are little annoyances that bugged me enough to make me feel like this story was less than perfect. First and foremost, the copy I had was littered with grammatical errors, often through the usage of incorrect homophones. While, technically, words would be spelled correctly, they wouldn't be used correctly. I feel like a thorough beta reading would have really helped to pick out these errors to avoid grating grammatical annoyances. Furthermore, there were some aspects of the story that left me scratching my head in confusion. Apparently this is a time in which people often use cars, tanks, and the like without the use of petrol/gasoline. While I would like to think that by the year 3000 or so, we've moved entirely off of fossil fuels, but I'd like to know exactly what people are using as fuel. It's a relatively minor detail that would actually help flesh out the world a little bit more if we were offered that information. Furthermore, we learn of a certain property of Nadia's blood later on in the book, yet she's shot, cut, pricked, and literally left to bleed out in certain instances. Does this mysterious property of her blood show up at all at these points? No. I was infinitely frustrated at the end of the book when we got this major revelation, because it ended up almost invalidating Nadia's struggle through the book.
However, Soulless is an inventive, action-packed story that makes readers start to think a little bit more critically about our own current state of mortality and morality. Through the heroine, readers are treated to a story that sets the typical dystopian tale almost on its head by its relative rejection of an overarching romantic story line and interesting views in life after death -- literally. I have high hopes for the rest of this series, so I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for the next installment.
Set in a very distant future, Soulless operates under the genetic rule that everyone is born with the memories of their previous lives lying dormant until they come to the forefront in early childhood. Originally born of a genetic defect, it gradually became more and more common until everyone was became a reincarnated soul -- until Nadia Richards. As the first person in over a thousand years to be born without a soul imprint, she's automatically an outcast in her violent, war-torn society. After being sold off to a prison for genetic testing, Nadia eventually escapes with the assistance of a potentially dangerous prisoner to find the purpose behind her deformity -- or if she can stop the cycle altogether.
Generally, I'm not generally a fan of stories with a ton of gratuitous violence, especially to the extent found in Soulless, but Maree's writing incorporates it in such a way that it almost makes sense within the context of the world she's created. These are people who know they're definitely coming back; death isn't really a threat anymore. The only person afraid of death -- and rightfully so -- is our heroine, Nadia; because she hasn't been reincarnated, she has no idea what will happen if she ever does meet her demise. I always love a good heroine that knows how to kick a fair amount of ass, and Nadia does so in a way that makes it clear that she's been doing nothing but self-preservation since day one. The world in which Soulless takes place is centuries after an all-out nuclear war has ravaged the earth, causing enough devastation that society has yet to fully recover. The gaps between the Elite, the common, and the Blacklisted classes are so wide, of course Nadia feels like she needs to do whatever she can to prevent becoming a target. I'm also particularly fond of the moral dilemmas presented through Nadia's experience: what defines "good?" Can we truly be motivated to help others without expecting some kind of reward? What defines a criminal?
Of course, that's not to say that Nadia isn't the only character who faces these sorts of crossroads. Along the way, she's partnered with Diesel, a Blacklisted convict who gradually becomes more and more overshadowed by his previous lives as his time with Nadia goes on. He knows Nadia could be the key to stopping the reincarnation process, but feels like there's something else he could feel about her lurking beneath the surface. Their relationship goes from one of reluctant partnership to almost dangerous co-dependence as they come to learn the only people they can trust is each other -- and they recognize that. It's definitely a great turn to see this type of relationship developing in the dystopian genre; while there's somewhat of an underlying hint of romance bubbling beneath the surface, ultimately Nadia and Diesel are a unit due to trying to stay alive and out of the way of the Elites who want to see them tortured behind bars. It becomes clear after a certain point that their relationship is symbiotic in nature; whatever romantic feelings that come about later are just an after-effect. In most dystopian stories, the romance comes first, survival later (what's good, Tris and Four).
What makes this book less than a five star rating are little annoyances that bugged me enough to make me feel like this story was less than perfect. First and foremost, the copy I had was littered with grammatical errors, often through the usage of incorrect homophones. While, technically, words would be spelled correctly, they wouldn't be used correctly. I feel like a thorough beta reading would have really helped to pick out these errors to avoid grating grammatical annoyances. Furthermore, there were some aspects of the story that left me scratching my head in confusion. Apparently this is a time in which people often use cars, tanks, and the like without the use of petrol/gasoline. While I would like to think that by the year 3000 or so, we've moved entirely off of fossil fuels, but I'd like to know exactly what people are using as fuel. It's a relatively minor detail that would actually help flesh out the world a little bit more if we were offered that information. Furthermore, we learn of a certain property of Nadia's blood later on in the book, yet she's shot, cut, pricked, and literally left to bleed out in certain instances. Does this mysterious property of her blood show up at all at these points? No. I was infinitely frustrated at the end of the book when we got this major revelation, because it ended up almost invalidating Nadia's struggle through the book.
However, Soulless is an inventive, action-packed story that makes readers start to think a little bit more critically about our own current state of mortality and morality. Through the heroine, readers are treated to a story that sets the typical dystopian tale almost on its head by its relative rejection of an overarching romantic story line and interesting views in life after death -- literally. I have high hopes for the rest of this series, so I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for the next installment.
ltg584's review
4.0
Yet another killer Aussie author! I love seeing such amazing talent coming from Down Under!
The premise of this book was by far what drew me in, not to mention the cover. GORGEOUS! At the beginning, though… it wasn’t at all what I was expecting. It was a little disorienting, at first, and it took me a while to get my bearings. It’s pretty obvious that Nadia isn’t like everyone else. Besides the fact that she doesn’t have the same reincarnated memories as everyone else, she also still contains a small amount of hope, no matter how awful her life seems to be. Her parents (though I use this term loosely) are cold and calculating. Plus, she’s a hot commodity in the research market because of her oddities. I really wish that I had a better look into what her daily life had been like before it started to fall apart. Like, while Nadia obviously loves her little sister, I didn’t really get a chance to bond with her, before her role in the story changed.
Throughout my life, I’ve often found myself considering Reincarnation. This book definitely rekindled my musings! I found that because the whole world has all their previous lives at their fingertips, suddenly life didn’t matter anymore. Reincarnation diminished the value of every year, month, day, minute. If you’re having a bad day, don’t sweat it! Just kill yourself, and you’ll reemerge into a new life! Piece of cake! Except for Nadia… the conflict and fear she has to face was a welcome dimension to the story line.
There are a handful of other characters who come and go throughout the story. I didn’t get overly attached to any of them, with the exception of Diesel. He is probably the most conflicted character I have ever met in my life. He runs hot or cold, with very little room in between. At times, I felt like he had an obvious connection with Nadia, while others, I halfway expected him to knock her over the head and drag her to the highest bidder! It isn’t until quite late in the book that we get a glimpse into who he is, and his potential for the rest of the series.
Speaking of the series… HOLY CLIFFHANGER! GAH! It may have taken a few chapters for me to really get into the book, but by the end, I was hooked. Just in time for the rug to be pulled right out from under me! Can’t wait to see what comes next!
A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of this book was by far what drew me in, not to mention the cover. GORGEOUS! At the beginning, though… it wasn’t at all what I was expecting. It was a little disorienting, at first, and it took me a while to get my bearings. It’s pretty obvious that Nadia isn’t like everyone else. Besides the fact that she doesn’t have the same reincarnated memories as everyone else, she also still contains a small amount of hope, no matter how awful her life seems to be. Her parents (though I use this term loosely) are cold and calculating. Plus, she’s a hot commodity in the research market because of her oddities. I really wish that I had a better look into what her daily life had been like before it started to fall apart. Like, while Nadia obviously loves her little sister, I didn’t really get a chance to bond with her, before her role in the story changed.
Throughout my life, I’ve often found myself considering Reincarnation. This book definitely rekindled my musings! I found that because the whole world has all their previous lives at their fingertips, suddenly life didn’t matter anymore. Reincarnation diminished the value of every year, month, day, minute. If you’re having a bad day, don’t sweat it! Just kill yourself, and you’ll reemerge into a new life! Piece of cake! Except for Nadia… the conflict and fear she has to face was a welcome dimension to the story line.
There are a handful of other characters who come and go throughout the story. I didn’t get overly attached to any of them, with the exception of Diesel. He is probably the most conflicted character I have ever met in my life. He runs hot or cold, with very little room in between. At times, I felt like he had an obvious connection with Nadia, while others, I halfway expected him to knock her over the head and drag her to the highest bidder! It isn’t until quite late in the book that we get a glimpse into who he is, and his potential for the rest of the series.
Speaking of the series… HOLY CLIFFHANGER! GAH! It may have taken a few chapters for me to really get into the book, but by the end, I was hooked. Just in time for the rug to be pulled right out from under me! Can’t wait to see what comes next!
A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
kurenai's review
2.0
I'm almost 80% through with this book and I just... don't care. I'm not invested in any of the characters and kind of find this book boring. The world building was solid but the wishy-washy sort-of love bit was ridiculous and Nadia's whole plight seemed really far-fetched. Sorry. Maybe too YA for me? Dropped.