sorman0110's review against another edition
1.0
Poor writing, and very slow start, which made this difficult to read. Abandoned, but will try another time.
eliana12's review against another edition
3.0
The quick pace made flying through this book a breeze. I was actively interested in finding out what was going to happen next. However, some of the reveals were a bit too disturbing for my taste, and the whole book had a harrowing, creepy vibe that I didn’t particularly enjoy. I will not be continuing the series. Maybe I just found the book too dark, and other people who can handle that will enjoy it- so I’d recommend it if you can handle a lot of disturbing elements!
starrymaze's review against another edition
4.0
This was a quick read and it had a fun story line too. There probably could have been a little more depth to it, but that's easy to say as the reader, not the writer. :) Good story and recommend it to any young teenager or anyone interested in a light read.
cassie914's review against another edition
5.0
This book definitely kept me interested the whole time I was reading it. I think this is one of the books that I have read the fastest, and I just could not put it down. I've read it twice overall, and it was just as good the second time. The book is set up in such a way that you never know exactly what is going on or who is in their right mind. So many crazy things happen in this book that you will never see coming. This book is so unique, and I have never seen any other books even remotely similar to this one. I don't want to give any spoilers in this review, but just know that this book will definitely keep you hooked. There were so many twists, and I absolutely loved it! I never knew what was coming next, and I was always intrigued.
lorathelibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. So much so that I read it in one day.
It was intriguing, entertaining, terrifying, unthinkable, and incredibly gripping. I can definitely see why the library had it as a teen book club choice.
The only reason I didn't give it a complete 5 stars was because I thought the ending tied itself up a little too quickly and a little too nicely. But still an excellent read that I would recommend to anyone, teen or not. There is something for everyone in this book.
It was intriguing, entertaining, terrifying, unthinkable, and incredibly gripping. I can definitely see why the library had it as a teen book club choice.
The only reason I didn't give it a complete 5 stars was because I thought the ending tied itself up a little too quickly and a little too nicely. But still an excellent read that I would recommend to anyone, teen or not. There is something for everyone in this book.
jcobb's review against another edition
3.0
Beginning sucked. Got good once the actually story started, which was like more than half way through the book
mransford's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
vidalovesspice's review against another edition
3.0
3 1/2 stars, actually. Not quite 3, but not too high for a 4.
A good read if you're looking for something quick to pass the time. It wasn't a terribly bad concept either, but there were just a number of issues that I just couldn't get past.
My main issue was really the lack of urgency throughout the book. I had picked this up with the initial thought that it was about some poor farm kid or something who gets thrown into a compound with his dad and they can't go out because of a nuclear fallout that occurred. What I did not know until I actually began to read the book was that the main character is the son of a billionaire, who does, in fact get thrown into a compound. My issue with this is that Eli, the main character, and his family pretty much live a life of luxury in their nuclear bomb shelter. From flat screen tvs, private gyms, spas, salons, to their own customized rooms tailored perfectly to their tastes, I really saw no reason for the main character to complain and be as miserable as he was for most of the book.
I mean, I see where the author is going with this, showing how the rich have souls as well, how they can be miserable, how having everything you can materialistically possess really isn't enough. But we're talking about them being in a pimped out bomb shelter with pretty much everything they could possibly want to survive for the next 15 years...minus perhaps the lack of new company and dwindling food supplies.
But aside from that, I felt that the main character really had no right to whine so much about his current predicament. I felt absolutely no sympathy for him and his family whatsoever, given the fact that, yes there may have been a nuclear fallout, but they're pretty much comfortable for the most part.
I also felt it was a bit much to believe that these children were geniuses in their own way, yet for X amount of years they stayed stuck in a compound blind to what their father was doing in secrecy. I also found their excuse of "Oh, what dad says is law" a bit too unrealistic, especially for spoiled teenagers who pretty much always got what they wanted. Why couldn't they have questioned earlier? Not that there was really anything to cause them to question anything to begin with, since there really was no sense of urgency. They really never go beyond their life of comfort and security, and Bodeen fails to show just how far someone is willing to go to survive. We may see glimpses and hypothetical situations of what could happen to Eli and his family, but they never get there. Yes, they begin to run out of food, but do they ever actually run out? None of the family members suffers what it's like to truly starve or to truly undergo what 'normal people' (if you will) would undergo in a survivor situation. So in the end, I really didn't feel bad for any of these characters, and I failed to connect with any of them including the main character.
What I did like about the book was the pacing and the story in general. Yes, I wasn't too big a fan of the main character, but I liked how he was flawed in his own way, unlike many main characters who just can do no wrong. Eli also grows by the end of the book, and we see character development mostly on his part. I also did like the basic concept of the book, but as I previously mentioned, it stays on a rather shallow plane as opposed to delving in completely. I also pretty much predicted how it would end by the start of Ch. 5, so readers looking for some kind of really unexpected twist may be a little disappointed.
Overall, not a bad read. It's quick and gets to the point.
A good read if you're looking for something quick to pass the time. It wasn't a terribly bad concept either, but there were just a number of issues that I just couldn't get past.
My main issue was really the lack of urgency throughout the book. I had picked this up with the initial thought that it was about some poor farm kid or something who gets thrown into a compound with his dad and they can't go out because of a nuclear fallout that occurred. What I did not know until I actually began to read the book was that the main character is the son of a billionaire, who does, in fact get thrown into a compound. My issue with this is that Eli, the main character, and his family pretty much live a life of luxury in their nuclear bomb shelter. From flat screen tvs, private gyms, spas, salons, to their own customized rooms tailored perfectly to their tastes, I really saw no reason for the main character to complain and be as miserable as he was for most of the book.
I mean, I see where the author is going with this, showing how the rich have souls as well, how they can be miserable, how having everything you can materialistically possess really isn't enough. But we're talking about them being in a pimped out bomb shelter with pretty much everything they could possibly want to survive for the next 15 years...minus perhaps the lack of new company and dwindling food supplies.
But aside from that, I felt that the main character really had no right to whine so much about his current predicament. I felt absolutely no sympathy for him and his family whatsoever, given the fact that, yes there may have been a nuclear fallout, but they're pretty much comfortable for the most part.
I also felt it was a bit much to believe that these children were geniuses in their own way, yet for X amount of years they stayed stuck in a compound blind to what their father was doing in secrecy. I also found their excuse of "Oh, what dad says is law" a bit too unrealistic, especially for spoiled teenagers who pretty much always got what they wanted. Why couldn't they have questioned earlier? Not that there was really anything to cause them to question anything to begin with, since there really was no sense of urgency. They really never go beyond their life of comfort and security, and Bodeen fails to show just how far someone is willing to go to survive. We may see glimpses and hypothetical situations of what could happen to Eli and his family, but they never get there. Yes, they begin to run out of food, but do they ever actually run out? None of the family members suffers what it's like to truly starve or to truly undergo what 'normal people' (if you will) would undergo in a survivor situation. So in the end, I really didn't feel bad for any of these characters, and I failed to connect with any of them including the main character.
What I did like about the book was the pacing and the story in general. Yes, I wasn't too big a fan of the main character, but I liked how he was flawed in his own way, unlike many main characters who just can do no wrong. Eli also grows by the end of the book, and we see character development mostly on his part. I also did like the basic concept of the book, but as I previously mentioned, it stays on a rather shallow plane as opposed to delving in completely. I also pretty much predicted how it would end by the start of Ch. 5, so readers looking for some kind of really unexpected twist may be a little disappointed.
Overall, not a bad read. It's quick and gets to the point.
kmoneytothemax's review against another edition
3.0
What a rollarcoaster! This book was crazy from start to finish. I am a huge sucker for conspiricies and lies. However I don't feel like it was very well-written, but if you're looking for sn easy read filled with suspense this is for you.