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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
hybridplethora30's review against another edition
3.0
Read this review and more on my blog.
I received a free copy of Link for my honest opinion
It is not very often that I want books to be longer than they are, but with Link, I felt that important information and character development was left out due to its short length.
Link started out very intriguingly, and it only got better from there. There were a few great plot twists that I did not see coming! These unexpected plot twists, and my curiosity of what the ball of light was kept the pages turning.
I found the concept of black holes very interesting, as I have a set way of thinking about them (like they appear in the movie Interstellar). Wier managed to create multiple worlds that has their own personality. I would love to read more about the other worlds, and how they are connected via the black hole in the next instalment.
I was not able to get too emotionally attached to the characters due to the short length of Link, but I still did love them. I cannot wait to rea the rest of this trilogy!
I would recommend Link to science fiction and YA fans.
I received a free copy of Link for my honest opinion
It is not very often that I want books to be longer than they are, but with Link, I felt that important information and character development was left out due to its short length.
Link started out very intriguingly, and it only got better from there. There were a few great plot twists that I did not see coming! These unexpected plot twists, and my curiosity of what the ball of light was kept the pages turning.
I found the concept of black holes very interesting, as I have a set way of thinking about them (like they appear in the movie Interstellar). Wier managed to create multiple worlds that has their own personality. I would love to read more about the other worlds, and how they are connected via the black hole in the next instalment.
I was not able to get too emotionally attached to the characters due to the short length of Link, but I still did love them. I cannot wait to rea the rest of this trilogy!
I would recommend Link to science fiction and YA fans.
alexandra_92's review against another edition
4.0
Kira and her friends enjoy the night by the lake. The stars are bright and there is slight romance in the air. Until the star falls.
And Kira is hit by it.
From the beginning of the book, we have already the mystery set. Where did Kira go? What is this mysterious fair? And why a boy showed her a bright star?
These are the questions Kira must answer in a race against time in order to find a way to save herself and in the proccess to find more about her father.
The best part of the book I believe it was the many dimensions which are introduced in the book. Kira lives in an alternative Earth which is similar to our own, even if some parts are different. Although I was worried about the development of a love triangle, that didn't happen and I am grateful.
LINK left many parts unsaid, which is good for the mystery of the story! I can't wait for the next books of the series!
And Kira is hit by it.
From the beginning of the book, we have already the mystery set. Where did Kira go? What is this mysterious fair? And why a boy showed her a bright star?
These are the questions Kira must answer in a race against time in order to find a way to save herself and in the proccess to find more about her father.
The best part of the book I believe it was the many dimensions which are introduced in the book. Kira lives in an alternative Earth which is similar to our own, even if some parts are different. Although I was worried about the development of a love triangle, that didn't happen and I am grateful.
LINK left many parts unsaid, which is good for the mystery of the story! I can't wait for the next books of the series!
the_leaving_moon's review against another edition
2.0
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
This one was not for me.
Basically, Kira is a "Chosen One" and some astronomical sciencey-boogety throws her world into disarray. Now, she's the only one who can solve the mystery! But wait! TWO cute guys will help her, so it'll be okay.
While I loved the descriptions of the setting in this book (Creepy carnival? Beautiful lake? The awesome cave-i-ness? Love it all!), I couldn't really buy in to the premise or plot. Also, all of the characters seemed extremely contrived, particularly.
So why two stars? Well, I'm a 9th grade teacher, after all, and I could definitely imagine some of my kids enjoying this book. And that's great.
This one was not for me.
Basically, Kira is a "Chosen One" and some astronomical sciencey-boogety throws her world into disarray. Now, she's the only one who can solve the mystery! But wait! TWO cute guys will help her, so it'll be okay.
While I loved the descriptions of the setting in this book (Creepy carnival? Beautiful lake? The awesome cave-i-ness? Love it all!), I couldn't really buy in to the premise or plot. Also, all of the characters seemed extremely contrived, particularly
Spoiler
MagsSo why two stars? Well, I'm a 9th grade teacher, after all, and I could definitely imagine some of my kids enjoying this book. And that's great.
thespacejamber's review against another edition
4.0
**I received a copy of this book from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.**
Since the dawn of space exploration, humanity has been continually asking many questions: is there life out there? What lies in wait for us beyond the edges of our planet? We've been making significant strides in recent years with the myriad space probes and satellites soaring through the cosmos, but it still takes nine years for something travelling from Earth to make it to Pluto -- the furthest planet in our solar system. Despite all of the advances being made in the past half-century, it's hard to tell when we're going to be able to tell if our planet is the only hospitable one in the known universe. Well, unless, that is, we learn how to harness teleportation through black holes using the "shadow of light." Since we can't even convince politicians that climate change is real, I doubt we'll get to that point any time soon.
But it's that exact "impossible" scenario in which seventeen-year-old Kira finds herself after a star crash lands in her local lake as she's taking a dip. After the impact, she wakes up in a world similar to her own, but instead of being surrounded by her friends at her birthday party, she ends up in the care of a mysterious -- yet oddly beautiful -- stranger. It doesn't take Kira long to figure out that she's able to shift between this world and her regular life on her home planet, Thaer. However, she learns that the only reason why she's able to transport between the two is because of the rapidly-fading link created as a bridge once the star literally crashed her birthday party. Once the link is gone for good, she's stuck in whichever dimension she's in for the rest of her life. However, the mystery of her father's disappearance many years ago still hangs in the back of her head; could it have something to do with the Shadow of Light she's hearing about? What if the Shadow could be harnessed for evil?
One of the things that impressed me most about Link is its refreshingly unique plot. I've mentioned in the past my thoughts on the complete saturation of dystopian futures within the young adult genre; while some can argue that Link has its roots in the aforementioned genre, the ultimate journey through which the plot travels is far, far detached from what one would expect. It's nice to see things take place outside of Post-Destruction Middle America -- or on Earth in general, really. It's interesting to see topics like clone planets and interdimensional travel covered outside the realm of a space opera. Furthermore, I love the descriptions Wier used to paint the scenes throughout the novel: "Beams of muted light floated in on rays of dust through windows," "glowing spheres pouring intimate light over a quiet landscape." Lyrical phrases such as these elegantly floated in the prose that made imagining Thaer and Asulon a breeze. The author really makes no secret of her ability to bend language to her will to create wonderful passages through the book. Although there is the old YA standby of a love triangle in this book, I didn't find myself ultimately irritated by it like I do with most romantic subplots. The attraction between Kira and Zane is genuine and it doesn't feel like a tired trope when they do declare their feelings for each other, since it was pretty much laid bare that it was going to happen within the first few pages. I also just really, really love Kira's mom; she's been through a lot in her life and Wier does an excellent job with her backstory to make her a sympathetic character. I hope we get to see more of her in the coming books.
There are a few bits that irked me from time to time while going through the book. One of the larger things -- and I don't know if this is intentional or not because the story never takes us to Earth -- is that Wier kept swapping "astronomical" with "astrological" when talking about things happening in space. This was a common occurrence through the text. For those not in the know, "astronomical" pertains to things relating to astronomy -- the study of the cosmos. "Astrological" refers to things related to the psudoscience of the connection of astronomical phenomena and human life. What further irritated me about this was that an entire scene played out between Kira's friends Faye and Fischer where they explained the difference between the two. Playing into that, things started to get muddy every time Wier started to explain the physics behind some things like links between planets and the Black Hole dimension. While I appreciate her taking the time to try to explain these more complicated concepts to people who may not have a background in these particular sciences, I feel like a bit more revision would have cleared up the spottier areas. Like I have a vague idea of how the links are supposed to work, but it still doesn't explain how each planet is chosen to set up a link, why only individual people are targeted to use links, and so forth. Maybe the next book will explain these concepts more, but here's hoping.
To be completely honest, I had no idea what to expect from this book just judging by the beautiful cover and synopsis, but I certainly was pleased with the end result. Wier truly has a great talent for storytelling that's present in the way she writes her characters and scenes that make it an utter joy to get lost in the pages. However, there are a few snags when it comes to the physics of the story that might make liberal arts majors -- such as myself -- scratch their heads a bit to figure out the mechanics of the Shadow of Light. Overall, the book was a nice, refreshing young adult read that leaves me wanting more.
Since the dawn of space exploration, humanity has been continually asking many questions: is there life out there? What lies in wait for us beyond the edges of our planet? We've been making significant strides in recent years with the myriad space probes and satellites soaring through the cosmos, but it still takes nine years for something travelling from Earth to make it to Pluto -- the furthest planet in our solar system. Despite all of the advances being made in the past half-century, it's hard to tell when we're going to be able to tell if our planet is the only hospitable one in the known universe. Well, unless, that is, we learn how to harness teleportation through black holes using the "shadow of light." Since we can't even convince politicians that climate change is real, I doubt we'll get to that point any time soon.
But it's that exact "impossible" scenario in which seventeen-year-old Kira finds herself after a star crash lands in her local lake as she's taking a dip. After the impact, she wakes up in a world similar to her own, but instead of being surrounded by her friends at her birthday party, she ends up in the care of a mysterious -- yet oddly beautiful -- stranger. It doesn't take Kira long to figure out that she's able to shift between this world and her regular life on her home planet, Thaer. However, she learns that the only reason why she's able to transport between the two is because of the rapidly-fading link created as a bridge once the star literally crashed her birthday party. Once the link is gone for good, she's stuck in whichever dimension she's in for the rest of her life. However, the mystery of her father's disappearance many years ago still hangs in the back of her head; could it have something to do with the Shadow of Light she's hearing about? What if the Shadow could be harnessed for evil?
One of the things that impressed me most about Link is its refreshingly unique plot. I've mentioned in the past my thoughts on the complete saturation of dystopian futures within the young adult genre; while some can argue that Link has its roots in the aforementioned genre, the ultimate journey through which the plot travels is far, far detached from what one would expect. It's nice to see things take place outside of Post-Destruction Middle America -- or on Earth in general, really. It's interesting to see topics like clone planets and interdimensional travel covered outside the realm of a space opera. Furthermore, I love the descriptions Wier used to paint the scenes throughout the novel: "Beams of muted light floated in on rays of dust through windows," "glowing spheres pouring intimate light over a quiet landscape." Lyrical phrases such as these elegantly floated in the prose that made imagining Thaer and Asulon a breeze. The author really makes no secret of her ability to bend language to her will to create wonderful passages through the book. Although there is the old YA standby of a love triangle in this book, I didn't find myself ultimately irritated by it like I do with most romantic subplots. The attraction between Kira and Zane is genuine and it doesn't feel like a tired trope when they do declare their feelings for each other, since it was pretty much laid bare that it was going to happen within the first few pages. I also just really, really love Kira's mom; she's been through a lot in her life and Wier does an excellent job with her backstory to make her a sympathetic character. I hope we get to see more of her in the coming books.
There are a few bits that irked me from time to time while going through the book. One of the larger things -- and I don't know if this is intentional or not because the story never takes us to Earth -- is that Wier kept swapping "astronomical" with "astrological" when talking about things happening in space. This was a common occurrence through the text. For those not in the know, "astronomical" pertains to things relating to astronomy -- the study of the cosmos. "Astrological" refers to things related to the psudoscience of the connection of astronomical phenomena and human life. What further irritated me about this was that an entire scene played out between Kira's friends Faye and Fischer where they explained the difference between the two. Playing into that, things started to get muddy every time Wier started to explain the physics behind some things like links between planets and the Black Hole dimension. While I appreciate her taking the time to try to explain these more complicated concepts to people who may not have a background in these particular sciences, I feel like a bit more revision would have cleared up the spottier areas. Like I have a vague idea of how the links are supposed to work, but it still doesn't explain how each planet is chosen to set up a link, why only individual people are targeted to use links, and so forth. Maybe the next book will explain these concepts more, but here's hoping.
To be completely honest, I had no idea what to expect from this book just judging by the beautiful cover and synopsis, but I certainly was pleased with the end result. Wier truly has a great talent for storytelling that's present in the way she writes her characters and scenes that make it an utter joy to get lost in the pages. However, there are a few snags when it comes to the physics of the story that might make liberal arts majors -- such as myself -- scratch their heads a bit to figure out the mechanics of the Shadow of Light. Overall, the book was a nice, refreshing young adult read that leaves me wanting more.
borrowers_bookshelf's review against another edition
4.0
I was pleasantly surprised by this by this book. It's not that I thought I wouldn't enjoy it, I just wasn't too sure what to expect. It turned out to be a really entertaining and thought-provoking story with exciting worlds and people.
I loved the world that was created in this book - everything was so delightfully sci-fi, but still very human and relatable. I thought the existence of a world inside a black hole (AKA the shadow of light) was really unique, and all the sciencey talk about it was very convincing. I also liked the way the mirror worlds tied into this. I did think the ending was a little confusing - all the light/dark stuff was just kind of dumped on us at the end. However, it did fit into the story by having the information revealed there, so I shouldn't complain too much. I just would have liked it to be a little more spread out so I had more time to get my head around all of it.
For the most part, all the characters were really good. While the supporting characters could have had a bit more depth, and Kira could have had a bit more development throughout the story, I thought all the characters fit into the story really well. The only character I didn't like very much was Zane. I found him to be quite annoying - he was kinda possessive of Kira, and acted pretty entitled. Like, because of the fact that he had always been friends with Kira and had been there for her, he felt that he deserved to be her boyfriend. I think the problem I had with this was that it was clearly supposed to be romantic, but it just felt a little off to me. To be honest, Evan (a boy in the black hole world) was quite similar. He tried to emotionally manipulate Kira into staying with him, instead of going back to her own world. Thankfully, both of these guys had other redeeming traits/actions, so they weren't all bad - they were actually fairly likeable in the end.
I found this to be a really refreshing and interesting book, and it is a very solid debut from Wier. I really look forward to reading the other two books in the trilogy!
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
I loved the world that was created in this book - everything was so delightfully sci-fi, but still very human and relatable. I thought the existence of a world inside a black hole (AKA the shadow of light) was really unique, and all the sciencey talk about it was very convincing. I also liked the way the mirror worlds tied into this. I did think the ending was a little confusing - all the light/dark stuff was just kind of dumped on us at the end. However, it did fit into the story by having the information revealed there, so I shouldn't complain too much. I just would have liked it to be a little more spread out so I had more time to get my head around all of it.
For the most part, all the characters were really good. While the supporting characters could have had a bit more depth, and Kira could have had a bit more development throughout the story, I thought all the characters fit into the story really well. The only character I didn't like very much was Zane. I found him to be quite annoying - he was kinda possessive of Kira, and acted pretty entitled. Like, because of the fact that he had always been friends with Kira and had been there for her, he felt that he deserved to be her boyfriend. I think the problem I had with this was that it was clearly supposed to be romantic, but it just felt a little off to me. To be honest, Evan (a boy in the black hole world) was quite similar. He tried to emotionally manipulate Kira into staying with him, instead of going back to her own world. Thankfully, both of these guys had other redeeming traits/actions, so they weren't all bad - they were actually fairly likeable in the end.
I found this to be a really refreshing and interesting book, and it is a very solid debut from Wier. I really look forward to reading the other two books in the trilogy!
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
alexperc_92's review against another edition
4.0
Kira and her friends enjoy the night by the lake. The stars are bright and there is slight romance in the air. Until the star falls.
And Kira is hit by it.
From the beginning of the book, we have already the mystery set. Where did Kira go? What is this mysterious fair? And why a boy showed her a bright star?
These are the questions Kira must answer in a race against time in order to find a way to save herself and in the proccess to find more about her father.
The best part of the book I believe it was the many dimensions which are introduced in the book. Kira lives in an alternative Earth which is similar to our own, even if some parts are different. Although I was worried about the development of a love triangle, that didn't happen and I am grateful.
LINK left many parts unsaid, which is good for the mystery of the story! I can't wait for the next books of the series!
And Kira is hit by it.
From the beginning of the book, we have already the mystery set. Where did Kira go? What is this mysterious fair? And why a boy showed her a bright star?
These are the questions Kira must answer in a race against time in order to find a way to save herself and in the proccess to find more about her father.
The best part of the book I believe it was the many dimensions which are introduced in the book. Kira lives in an alternative Earth which is similar to our own, even if some parts are different. Although I was worried about the development of a love triangle, that didn't happen and I am grateful.
LINK left many parts unsaid, which is good for the mystery of the story! I can't wait for the next books of the series!
kbooknook's review against another edition
2.0
2 stars. LINK has an unique, if confusing, premise, but unfortunately the lack of well developed characters and sub par writing just killed it.
The poorly developed characters filled every cliche in the book and made the whole thing unbearable to read. We had:
• Faye = the girly, passionate BFF.
• Fischer = BFF's brother, the nerd who knows everything related to the story's conflict. How convenient.
• Zane = the shy, childhood friend who's slowly becoming something... more.
• Evan = a mysterious bad boy, because this list needed a second love interest.
• Kira = our main character, who's name reminded me of Death Note the entire time, and that is pretty much the most interesting thing about her.
The writing in general was just as cringe-worthy and full of cheese. The characters were either winking to each other the entire time, or they had "a twinkle" in their eye. "Then everything went to black" was also used before the end of the first chapter. *winces*
The story in general was unique, I'll it that. But it was also really confusing. I didn't understand how anything was possible, and with the addition of boring characters, simple writing, and surprise, a love triangle - this was sadly a let-down.
I received an arc of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The poorly developed characters filled every cliche in the book and made the whole thing unbearable to read. We had:
• Faye = the girly, passionate BFF.
• Fischer = BFF's brother, the nerd who knows everything related to the story's conflict. How convenient.
• Zane = the shy, childhood friend who's slowly becoming something... more.
• Evan = a mysterious bad boy, because this list needed a second love interest.
• Kira = our main character, who's name reminded me of Death Note the entire time, and that is pretty much the most interesting thing about her.
The writing in general was just as cringe-worthy and full of cheese. The characters were either winking to each other the entire time, or they had "a twinkle" in their eye. "Then everything went to black" was also used before the end of the first chapter. *winces*
The story in general was unique, I'll it that. But it was also really confusing. I didn't understand how anything was possible, and with the addition of boring characters, simple writing, and surprise, a love triangle - this was sadly a let-down.
I received an arc of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
emarleene's review against another edition
4.0
When I got a copy of Link through NetGalley I didn’t know much about this novel at all. I liked the cover and had seen a few people promote the novel on Twitter, but I had not read what it was about. When I started out I didn’t have much expectation and it was a long time since I read a book that I felt like I didn’t want to put away, so when this book hooked me from the start I have to say I was happily surprised.
The novel is basically about a girl who has an accident and then finds herself in another world while she’s sleeping. The first few chapters were a bit confusing, but still intriguing, and it was a bit hard to understand this whole dream thing. But after a while it all became clear and interesting and I just had to know what was going on.
The characters in the book are well developed and I instantly connected with the main character. I also like a lot of the worldbuilding, it is OK, but I do think that it should be made more clear throughout the novel that the main characters does not live on Earth. There was a hint in the beginning about this, but then it sort of felt like it wasn’t a different planet. The planet they live on is very similar to Earth, but I still find that it would have made the story more interesting if we could see some more differences between the worlds. It would have made the relationship and the conversations with the boy from Earth much more interesting and understandable at times.
The plot feels unique and I can really see the potential in this series. I am intrigued with what is going on and I want to know how it all ends. It’s a great sci-fi novel with what I feel is a unique take on this space travel and alien thing. So kudos to the author there.
My biggest disappointment about this book though is the ending. I do realize this is the first in a series of novels, but I still feel like there are so many questions that were left unanswered at the end. There was never any resolution to any of the things that began in this book and I feel that’s a shame. Obviously there has to be some sort of cliffhanger at the end to make the second book interesting too, but the “main problem” should be resolved at the end I feel.
But overall this is a great novel that really hooks you in and it’s both interesting and different, so if you like YA Sci-Fi, this is a book you cannot miss. I give it 4/5 stars.
The novel is basically about a girl who has an accident and then finds herself in another world while she’s sleeping. The first few chapters were a bit confusing, but still intriguing, and it was a bit hard to understand this whole dream thing. But after a while it all became clear and interesting and I just had to know what was going on.
The characters in the book are well developed and I instantly connected with the main character. I also like a lot of the worldbuilding, it is OK, but I do think that it should be made more clear throughout the novel that the main characters does not live on Earth. There was a hint in the beginning about this, but then it sort of felt like it wasn’t a different planet. The planet they live on is very similar to Earth, but I still find that it would have made the story more interesting if we could see some more differences between the worlds. It would have made the relationship and the conversations with the boy from Earth much more interesting and understandable at times.
The plot feels unique and I can really see the potential in this series. I am intrigued with what is going on and I want to know how it all ends. It’s a great sci-fi novel with what I feel is a unique take on this space travel and alien thing. So kudos to the author there.
My biggest disappointment about this book though is the ending. I do realize this is the first in a series of novels, but I still feel like there are so many questions that were left unanswered at the end. There was never any resolution to any of the things that began in this book and I feel that’s a shame. Obviously there has to be some sort of cliffhanger at the end to make the second book interesting too, but the “main problem” should be resolved at the end I feel.
But overall this is a great novel that really hooks you in and it’s both interesting and different, so if you like YA Sci-Fi, this is a book you cannot miss. I give it 4/5 stars.
kyouen's review against another edition
3.0
You’d never expect to be thrust into another world on your seventeenth birthday. For Kira, the protagonist in Link, that is exactly what happens when what seems to be a comet falls into the lake she is swimming in. After a few days in the hospital and a few intense dreams, Kira returns home, looking forward to celebrating her birthday minus the comet. Unfortunately for Kira, the incident on her birthday isn’t going to be the last. She is now connected to another world by the light of a dying star. While it’s still living, she’ll be able to travel back and forth between her world and this other one. Kira has to make a decision before it dies: stay in the world where everyone she loves is, or stay in the world where she may be able to solve the mystery of the connection to starlight.
I really enjoyed what this novel tried to do. The idea of being linked to another world through starlight was fascinating and I liked seeing how similar and how different the worlds were. I didn’t even realize at first that the novel was even set on another world, it was so similar to Earth. The slight differences made it interesting, but unfortunately were not delved into other than the few odd sentences here and there. The bulk of the story was in the traveling between these two worlds–Kira’s, and the one put together from pieces of other worlds like a patchwork quilt. There was more world building in the world she was connected to by starlight, but it still didn’t go as deep as I would have liked it to, especially when a lot of the responsibility of world building falls on the first book of the series. Perhaps there will be more in the second book.
Although the idea is what made me pick up Link, I felt that the execution of the story overall was a little lacking. It was a little broken up, where things like relationships progressed too quickly but the plot and the secrets to be revealed were drawn out too slowly. I realized halfway through the book and a check on goodreads that this was because it was the first book in a series. At the risk of sounding like a repetitive record because this is quickly becoming something I frequently lament, I wish that the author had decided to write one book instead of a series. There just wasn’t enough of a propelling drive in Link to be the beginning of a series. Had the author written one book instead, I suspect that it would have been heavier and more interesting, because it would have been the author’s “all in” with the story.
I do like the story Summer Wier is presenting in Link, but it wasn’t a strong enough start to a series. I’m not invested enough in the heroine who does the stereotypical young adult novel thing where she falls in love with her best friend as well as the stranger that she met a scant few days ago. It’s frustrating that there can’t be a portrayal of a male and female relationship that isn’t sexual in nature, especially when you just met him. I would have received it better if the first book had set up the possibility of a relationship and ran with it in the second. Instead of focusing on the romance aspect, I wish that the focus had been on the world building and the problems of being connected to another world through the light of a dying star. Romance can come later; story building should come first. Overall, a light, quick read with small measures of science fiction and fantasy thrown in, but I would not read it again and I am not continuing the series.
3 stars.
I received a copy of Link from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Link was published on September 29th, 2015.
I really enjoyed what this novel tried to do. The idea of being linked to another world through starlight was fascinating and I liked seeing how similar and how different the worlds were. I didn’t even realize at first that the novel was even set on another world, it was so similar to Earth. The slight differences made it interesting, but unfortunately were not delved into other than the few odd sentences here and there. The bulk of the story was in the traveling between these two worlds–Kira’s, and the one put together from pieces of other worlds like a patchwork quilt. There was more world building in the world she was connected to by starlight, but it still didn’t go as deep as I would have liked it to, especially when a lot of the responsibility of world building falls on the first book of the series. Perhaps there will be more in the second book.
Although the idea is what made me pick up Link, I felt that the execution of the story overall was a little lacking. It was a little broken up, where things like relationships progressed too quickly but the plot and the secrets to be revealed were drawn out too slowly. I realized halfway through the book and a check on goodreads that this was because it was the first book in a series. At the risk of sounding like a repetitive record because this is quickly becoming something I frequently lament, I wish that the author had decided to write one book instead of a series. There just wasn’t enough of a propelling drive in Link to be the beginning of a series. Had the author written one book instead, I suspect that it would have been heavier and more interesting, because it would have been the author’s “all in” with the story.
I do like the story Summer Wier is presenting in Link, but it wasn’t a strong enough start to a series. I’m not invested enough in the heroine who does the stereotypical young adult novel thing where she falls in love with her best friend as well as the stranger that she met a scant few days ago. It’s frustrating that there can’t be a portrayal of a male and female relationship that isn’t sexual in nature, especially when you just met him. I would have received it better if the first book had set up the possibility of a relationship and ran with it in the second. Instead of focusing on the romance aspect, I wish that the focus had been on the world building and the problems of being connected to another world through the light of a dying star. Romance can come later; story building should come first. Overall, a light, quick read with small measures of science fiction and fantasy thrown in, but I would not read it again and I am not continuing the series.
3 stars.
I received a copy of Link from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Link was published on September 29th, 2015.
thespacejamber's review
4.0
**I received a copy of this book from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.**
Since the dawn of space exploration, humanity has been continually asking many questions: is there life out there? What lies in wait for us beyond the edges of our planet? We've been making significant strides in recent years with the myriad space probes and satellites soaring through the cosmos, but it still takes nine years for something travelling from Earth to make it to Pluto -- the furthest planet in our solar system. Despite all of the advances being made in the past half-century, it's hard to tell when we're going to be able to tell if our planet is the only hospitable one in the known universe. Well, unless, that is, we learn how to harness teleportation through black holes using the "shadow of light." Since we can't even convince politicians that climate change is real, I doubt we'll get to that point any time soon.
But it's that exact "impossible" scenario in which seventeen-year-old Kira finds herself after a star crash lands in her local lake as she's taking a dip. After the impact, she wakes up in a world similar to her own, but instead of being surrounded by her friends at her birthday party, she ends up in the care of a mysterious -- yet oddly beautiful -- stranger. It doesn't take Kira long to figure out that she's able to shift between this world and her regular life on her home planet, Thaer. However, she learns that the only reason why she's able to transport between the two is because of the rapidly-fading link created as a bridge once the star literally crashed her birthday party. Once the link is gone for good, she's stuck in whichever dimension she's in for the rest of her life. However, the mystery of her father's disappearance many years ago still hangs in the back of her head; could it have something to do with the Shadow of Light she's hearing about? What if the Shadow could be harnessed for evil?
One of the things that impressed me most about Link is its refreshingly unique plot. I've mentioned in the past my thoughts on the complete saturation of dystopian futures within the young adult genre; while some can argue that Link has its roots in the aforementioned genre, the ultimate journey through which the plot travels is far, far detached from what one would expect. It's nice to see things take place outside of Post-Destruction Middle America -- or on Earth in general, really. It's interesting to see topics like clone planets and interdimensional travel covered outside the realm of a space opera. Furthermore, I love the descriptions Wier used to paint the scenes throughout the novel: "Beams of muted light floated in on rays of dust through windows," "glowing spheres pouring intimate light over a quiet landscape." Lyrical phrases such as these elegantly floated in the prose that made imagining Thaer and Asulon a breeze. The author really makes no secret of her ability to bend language to her will to create wonderful passages through the book. Although there is the old YA standby of a love triangle in this book, I didn't find myself ultimately irritated by it like I do with most romantic subplots. The attraction between Kira and Zane is genuine and it doesn't feel like a tired trope when they do declare their feelings for each other, since it was pretty much laid bare that it was going to happen within the first few pages. I also just really, really love Kira's mom; she's been through a lot in her life and Wier does an excellent job with her backstory to make her a sympathetic character. I hope we get to see more of her in the coming books.
There are a few bits that irked me from time to time while going through the book. One of the larger things -- and I don't know if this is intentional or not because the story never takes us to Earth -- is that Wier kept swapping "astronomical" with "astrological" when talking about things happening in space. This was a common occurrence through the text. For those not in the know, "astronomical" pertains to things relating to astronomy -- the study of the cosmos. "Astrological" refers to things related to the psudoscience of the connection of astronomical phenomena and human life. What further irritated me about this was that an entire scene played out between Kira's friends Faye and Fischer where they explained the difference between the two. Playing into that, things started to get muddy every time Wier started to explain the physics behind some things like links between planets and the Black Hole dimension. While I appreciate her taking the time to try to explain these more complicated concepts to people who may not have a background in these particular sciences, I feel like a bit more revision would have cleared up the spottier areas. Like I have a vague idea of how the links are supposed to work, but it still doesn't explain how each planet is chosen to set up a link, why only individual people are targeted to use links, and so forth. Maybe the next book will explain these concepts more, but here's hoping.
To be completely honest, I had no idea what to expect from this book just judging by the beautiful cover and synopsis, but I certainly was pleased with the end result. Wier truly has a great talent for storytelling that's present in the way she writes her characters and scenes that make it an utter joy to get lost in the pages. However, there are a few snags when it comes to the physics of the story that might make liberal arts majors -- such as myself -- scratch their heads a bit to figure out the mechanics of the Shadow of Light. Overall, the book was a nice, refreshing young adult read that leaves me wanting more.
Since the dawn of space exploration, humanity has been continually asking many questions: is there life out there? What lies in wait for us beyond the edges of our planet? We've been making significant strides in recent years with the myriad space probes and satellites soaring through the cosmos, but it still takes nine years for something travelling from Earth to make it to Pluto -- the furthest planet in our solar system. Despite all of the advances being made in the past half-century, it's hard to tell when we're going to be able to tell if our planet is the only hospitable one in the known universe. Well, unless, that is, we learn how to harness teleportation through black holes using the "shadow of light." Since we can't even convince politicians that climate change is real, I doubt we'll get to that point any time soon.
But it's that exact "impossible" scenario in which seventeen-year-old Kira finds herself after a star crash lands in her local lake as she's taking a dip. After the impact, she wakes up in a world similar to her own, but instead of being surrounded by her friends at her birthday party, she ends up in the care of a mysterious -- yet oddly beautiful -- stranger. It doesn't take Kira long to figure out that she's able to shift between this world and her regular life on her home planet, Thaer. However, she learns that the only reason why she's able to transport between the two is because of the rapidly-fading link created as a bridge once the star literally crashed her birthday party. Once the link is gone for good, she's stuck in whichever dimension she's in for the rest of her life. However, the mystery of her father's disappearance many years ago still hangs in the back of her head; could it have something to do with the Shadow of Light she's hearing about? What if the Shadow could be harnessed for evil?
One of the things that impressed me most about Link is its refreshingly unique plot. I've mentioned in the past my thoughts on the complete saturation of dystopian futures within the young adult genre; while some can argue that Link has its roots in the aforementioned genre, the ultimate journey through which the plot travels is far, far detached from what one would expect. It's nice to see things take place outside of Post-Destruction Middle America -- or on Earth in general, really. It's interesting to see topics like clone planets and interdimensional travel covered outside the realm of a space opera. Furthermore, I love the descriptions Wier used to paint the scenes throughout the novel: "Beams of muted light floated in on rays of dust through windows," "glowing spheres pouring intimate light over a quiet landscape." Lyrical phrases such as these elegantly floated in the prose that made imagining Thaer and Asulon a breeze. The author really makes no secret of her ability to bend language to her will to create wonderful passages through the book. Although there is the old YA standby of a love triangle in this book, I didn't find myself ultimately irritated by it like I do with most romantic subplots. The attraction between Kira and Zane is genuine and it doesn't feel like a tired trope when they do declare their feelings for each other, since it was pretty much laid bare that it was going to happen within the first few pages. I also just really, really love Kira's mom; she's been through a lot in her life and Wier does an excellent job with her backstory to make her a sympathetic character. I hope we get to see more of her in the coming books.
There are a few bits that irked me from time to time while going through the book. One of the larger things -- and I don't know if this is intentional or not because the story never takes us to Earth -- is that Wier kept swapping "astronomical" with "astrological" when talking about things happening in space. This was a common occurrence through the text. For those not in the know, "astronomical" pertains to things relating to astronomy -- the study of the cosmos. "Astrological" refers to things related to the psudoscience of the connection of astronomical phenomena and human life. What further irritated me about this was that an entire scene played out between Kira's friends Faye and Fischer where they explained the difference between the two. Playing into that, things started to get muddy every time Wier started to explain the physics behind some things like links between planets and the Black Hole dimension. While I appreciate her taking the time to try to explain these more complicated concepts to people who may not have a background in these particular sciences, I feel like a bit more revision would have cleared up the spottier areas. Like I have a vague idea of how the links are supposed to work, but it still doesn't explain how each planet is chosen to set up a link, why only individual people are targeted to use links, and so forth. Maybe the next book will explain these concepts more, but here's hoping.
To be completely honest, I had no idea what to expect from this book just judging by the beautiful cover and synopsis, but I certainly was pleased with the end result. Wier truly has a great talent for storytelling that's present in the way she writes her characters and scenes that make it an utter joy to get lost in the pages. However, there are a few snags when it comes to the physics of the story that might make liberal arts majors -- such as myself -- scratch their heads a bit to figure out the mechanics of the Shadow of Light. Overall, the book was a nice, refreshing young adult read that leaves me wanting more.