everthereader's review
3.0
In the beginning of the book, all Elissa wanted to be was normal, which I must admit found cliche. I really didn't like the story in the very beginning and didn't really understand what was wrong with Lissa. Then she met her twin and I began to like her character a whole lot better and she was shown as brave. I really like Lin's well because she's stubborn and kind of reminds me of myself. Cadan was really a jerk in the beginning ton her but I could see that he changed. I would say that I thought the romance between Cadan and Lissa was pointless to the story honestly and I would have liked it better if she got help from her brother Bruce instead of Cadan.
mzdeb's review
4.0
I might be the stereotypical adult YA fan--really digging books teens dislike or find boring. I know sometimes books are hard to get into--believe me, I've had MANY books laying around that have great reviews but I just can't seem to sit my butt down (or lay in bed) and plow through it.
But for me, Linked was one of those books that I plowed through once I got going. I won't provide a synopsis--plenty others do that here--but like another reviewer, I couldn't help but view it as a writer would: interesting premise, a slow build (to me, not THAT slow--I've read slower), decent character development. You see the romance coming, but it doesn't steamroll you like other books have (and that turns me off). And the ending, for ME, floored me. Maybe other readers guessed, but to me it was like a left hook to the jaw, and I love and respect stuff like that.
And, per the trend, it appears perfectly ripe for a sequel--and I will read it, because I want to know more about these characters, and the world they live in.
(And I found it interesting the number of reviewers who aren't dystopia fans who--Surprise!--hated the book. So I don't know what that's all about.)
But for me, Linked was one of those books that I plowed through once I got going. I won't provide a synopsis--plenty others do that here--but like another reviewer, I couldn't help but view it as a writer would: interesting premise, a slow build (to me, not THAT slow--I've read slower), decent character development. You see the romance coming, but it doesn't steamroll you like other books have (and that turns me off). And the ending, for ME, floored me. Maybe other readers guessed, but to me it was like a left hook to the jaw, and I love and respect stuff like that.
And, per the trend, it appears perfectly ripe for a sequel--and I will read it, because I want to know more about these characters, and the world they live in.
(And I found it interesting the number of reviewers who aren't dystopia fans who--Surprise!--hated the book. So I don't know what that's all about.)
lolaida's review
5.0
At first, I was a bit questionable going into reading this book. I was just like "Oh. So it's a dystopian and futuristic society and a girl meets her twin and surprise! They're on a run from an evil government!" and it came to me as a sort of guessable book.
What I have to say is, do not get turned off by the first chapter. The author, Imogen Howson, at first seemed to have a bit of a difficulty portraying how exactly she had seen this futuristic kind of utopia in her mind onto the pages and this could be seen a bit as we were introduced to the world of Sekoia. But as the main character, Elissa's, life became more clear so did the world around her.
Now Elissa is a very relatable character and I suppose I respected that in the beginning chapters of the book with her having a bit of an obvious unstable relationship with her mom as many teens do. But her sickness only makes it worst and with the audience getting the view from Elissa, her feelings towards her mother are magnified. The author is also not afraid to put some sibling rivalry here, but this just helps in making the character a more defined character.
The character development in Elissa is extraordinary and you will find yourself smiling as you uncover this in even the most distraught moments of her life. As she meets her sister and learns to trust again, you see the dynamics of the girl as her life unfoils from under her and you are put on quite a bumpy ride.
After the first few chapters, the book goes into hyperspeed and you are sucked in. I must say that I could not put this book down after I passed a certain point and am mighty glad that I didn't.
Traveling to a different planet and having to enter the mind of Elissa was a very thrilling thing for me and I would recommend this book to anyone who doesn't mind being taken on an emotional ride. The book has everything (even a bit of romance that is hardly noticed until the very end). All I have to say is hold on tight.
Memorable (no spoilers) quote: "Sometimes finding you can trust someone is as devastating as finding you can't."
What I have to say is, do not get turned off by the first chapter. The author, Imogen Howson, at first seemed to have a bit of a difficulty portraying how exactly she had seen this futuristic kind of utopia in her mind onto the pages and this could be seen a bit as we were introduced to the world of Sekoia. But as the main character, Elissa's, life became more clear so did the world around her.
Now Elissa is a very relatable character and I suppose I respected that in the beginning chapters of the book with her having a bit of an obvious unstable relationship with her mom as many teens do. But her sickness only makes it worst and with the audience getting the view from Elissa, her feelings towards her mother are magnified. The author is also not afraid to put some sibling rivalry here, but this just helps in making the character a more defined character.
The character development in Elissa is extraordinary and you will find yourself smiling as you uncover this in even the most distraught moments of her life. As she meets her sister and learns to trust again, you see the dynamics of the girl as her life unfoils from under her and you are put on quite a bumpy ride.
After the first few chapters, the book goes into hyperspeed and you are sucked in. I must say that I could not put this book down after I passed a certain point and am mighty glad that I didn't.
Traveling to a different planet and having to enter the mind of Elissa was a very thrilling thing for me and I would recommend this book to anyone who doesn't mind being taken on an emotional ride. The book has everything (even a bit of romance that is hardly noticed until the very end). All I have to say is hold on tight.
Memorable (no spoilers) quote: "Sometimes finding you can trust someone is as devastating as finding you can't."
readingwithemmett's review
5.0
I was able to read this book for free online. I think the cover of this book is amazing, which is why I decided to read it, and I was not disappointed by the story. The beginning was a little slow, only because I read the description of the book so I knew what to expect. If I hadn't, the beginning would have been a lot more interesting. Once the story picked up again, I couldn't put it down. The relationship between Lissa and Lin was very interesting as it progressed. I also thought Cadan and Lissa's relationship was well developed and as the story went on, you can see how things changed for them based on what they had thought. I wish part of the story was from Lin's perspective, so I could have seen a little more about what was going on in her head and how everything had changed for her. Overall, Linked was a pretty good read, and I am interested to see what happens next to these characters.
tobyyy's review
4.0
Linked pulled me in right from the start. The "mystery" surrounding Lissa was intriguing, although from the blurb I already knew what it was (the telepathic link to her twin), but the way it was presented in the novel was very fascinating. I was appalled by her parents' behavior, though, especially her mother's... ugh, she was awful!!
Ms. Howson has a way of making Lissa seem very human and very flawed, yet at the same time extremely likable. The same for Lin - and I really liked how she highlighted how Lin didn't know how to behave with other "legal humans" because she'd never been around them to learn. It was so sad... heartbreaking, really... and then
Highly recommend. :) I only knocked it down to four stars because of Lissa's parents, to be honest, and how inhuman her mom seemed. It didn't seem to be entirely unbelievable, but at the same time it wasn't entirely believable either. I guess propaganda is propaganda, though, and some people just can't - or won't - see through it even when evidence clear as day is presented to them.
Spoiler
The fact that she insisted that Lin was not actually human and was "a thing" was absolutely disgusting, as was her utter adoration of Bruce. I really did like Lissa's dad, though, by the end - he redeemed himself by asking to be introduced to Lin. But wow... I really hope, if I read the rest in the series, that we never run across Lissa's mom again (although I bet she does crop up again). She was the one that was inhuman, in my eyes.Ms. Howson has a way of making Lissa seem very human and very flawed, yet at the same time extremely likable. The same for Lin - and I really liked how she highlighted how Lin didn't know how to behave with other "legal humans" because she'd never been around them to learn. It was so sad... heartbreaking, really... and then
Spoiler
finding out that the "less controlled" twin is what electrokinetically powers the SFI fleet's hyperdrives?!?! That was AWFUL and I totally didn't see it coming. It made me so very glad that Lin escaped when she did!!Highly recommend. :) I only knocked it down to four stars because of Lissa's parents, to be honest, and how inhuman her mom seemed. It didn't seem to be entirely unbelievable, but at the same time it wasn't entirely believable either. I guess propaganda is propaganda, though, and some people just can't - or won't - see through it even when evidence clear as day is presented to them.
siobhan27's review
5.0
I have never really been a fan of science fiction novels because they seem to removed from the world I know, and I feel like I can never relate to the things that happen to the characters. But with Linked I was pleasantly surprised. I fell in love with the writing style right away and then I fell in love with the story and the characters not very far after that.
I love Elissa, she was strong even when her parents where hiding/"protecting" her from the devastating truth that would change her life and theirs. I am so glad I did not read the pull synopsis before I read the book because the reveal as to why she is having the visions was a surprise to me. But since most people will know after reading the synopsis I will not hold back. The long lost twin sister aspect was amazing. It made so much sense and that was welcoming, especially when you are reading a world where nothing was familiar.
I loved Elissa's relationship with her twin, Lin, because it was real. Elissa had an inherent need to always protect Lin at all costs, but they were such different people that they clashed. A lot. And that made for a very interesting relationship. Lin had never really been around people, so this became a problem when Lin didn't know the line between protecting Elissa and harming others.
The love story. I will not mention who it is with but once you read some of the book you will figure it out. I loved that their relationship felt normal and real. It wasn't instant attraction, not even on one side. It was gradual, the way it should be, and it was incredibly sweet.
Linked is a science fiction story that doesn't read like one. it is incredible well written, with characters that are full of flaws and full of depth. I seriously cannot wait for the authors next book because her talent for story telling is incredible. A fantastic read.
I love Elissa, she was strong even when her parents where hiding/"protecting" her from the devastating truth that would change her life and theirs. I am so glad I did not read the pull synopsis before I read the book because the reveal as to why she is having the visions was a surprise to me. But since most people will know after reading the synopsis I will not hold back. The long lost twin sister aspect was amazing. It made so much sense and that was welcoming, especially when you are reading a world where nothing was familiar.
I loved Elissa's relationship with her twin, Lin, because it was real. Elissa had an inherent need to always protect Lin at all costs, but they were such different people that they clashed. A lot. And that made for a very interesting relationship. Lin had never really been around people, so this became a problem when Lin didn't know the line between protecting Elissa and harming others.
The love story. I will not mention who it is with but once you read some of the book you will figure it out. I loved that their relationship felt normal and real. It wasn't instant attraction, not even on one side. It was gradual, the way it should be, and it was incredibly sweet.
Linked is a science fiction story that doesn't read like one. it is incredible well written, with characters that are full of flaws and full of depth. I seriously cannot wait for the authors next book because her talent for story telling is incredible. A fantastic read.
chapteriosity's review
I read this book on PulseIt.
This review also appears on my blog.
***
This is my second DNF this year and I tell you what – it was really bad. I really want to finish this book, just to see perhaps the last third of the book is at least good enough. Well, as you can see, my original plan failed and I DNFed it when I was 59% of the book.
I don’t know how to put this to words but basically, Linked was soooooo boring that I had no link or connection or whatsoever with any of the characters (see what I did there?) Elissa and Lin – they’re really dull and unlikable. Their chemistry or relationship (or whatever it is) came out as fake to me and I wouldn’t care if they died. Elissa seemed too perfect... too kind? Or too innocent? I hated her.
Is it just me or that line does sound cheesy/insincere/fake?
And there’s Lin. This girl has been through a lot so she was quite tolerable at first, but gradually I started to dislike her too. She has this “superpower” called electro kinesis. And she forgets about it when she needs it the most. Wonderful! *That’s sarcasm, obviously* She gets really selfish in the middle of the book and that annoyed the hell out of me. (15 or 16 people are in danger because of YOU, girl. Thank God she finally listens later.) She rarely listens or obeys the order – wait, Elissa doesn't listen in the beginning either. Elissa is also inconsistent because she wants Lin to stop “killing people” (translation: stop using her electro kinesis, I guess?) but then a few pages later she wants Lin to use her power to get them out of the bad situation?? That happens a few times.
The other characters, like Cadan (I’m sure he’s the love interest) was pretty dull too but he was still tolerable. He’s Captain Jim Kirk from Star Trek wannabe. GAHHH, to put it in short sentence: I didn't care about the characters. Couldn't connect with them at all. I rarely hate characters so much but this book... It made me want to scream every existing and made-up swear word at the characters!!
I’m sorry guys if this review is very confusing and doesn't make any sense because this book was a mess in my opinion.
The worldbuilding is very confusing and there were chunks of paragraphs of info dump about the history of Sekoia – don’t know how it’s spelled correctly but it’s the place where Elissa lives. Don’t ask me anything about worldbuilding cause I understood NOTHING. The pacing is unbelievably slow for a book which is about running away from the government.
All these issues probably come from the writing. I guess it’s meant to be like beautiful prose but it came across as boring and repetitive and too distracting? There are A LOT of paragraphs without any dialogues at all. I got tired of reading it that I skipped a few sentences/paragraphs and I DID NOT MISS ANYTHING IMPORTANT. If you like this quote then you’ll probably enjoy the book more than I did:
Can anyone explain what the hell is happening??
Linked failed to impress me in any freaking area I couldn't help but to DNF it. I didn't connect with the dull characters, I didn't like the dull writing, confusing worldbuilding and slow pacing. I did not enjoy this book. 59% -- that’s all my brain could take. I was in the verge of punching my laptop screen and I couldn't torture myself any longer. This book didn't work for me.
This review also appears on my blog.
***
This is my second DNF this year and I tell you what – it was really bad. I really want to finish this book, just to see perhaps the last third of the book is at least good enough. Well, as you can see, my original plan failed and I DNFed it when I was 59% of the book.
I don’t know how to put this to words but basically, Linked was soooooo boring that I had no link or connection or whatsoever with any of the characters (see what I did there?) Elissa and Lin – they’re really dull and unlikable. Their chemistry or relationship (or whatever it is) came out as fake to me and I wouldn’t care if they died. Elissa seemed too perfect... too kind? Or too innocent? I hated her.
“Stop it! I can’t – if you don’t see how awful it is to put all those people in danger and not even think about it, not even care, I can’t talk to you. I don’t know what to do with you.”– Elissa to Lin
Is it just me or that line does sound cheesy/insincere/fake?
And there’s Lin. This girl has been through a lot so she was quite tolerable at first, but gradually I started to dislike her too. She has this “superpower” called electro kinesis. And she forgets about it when she needs it the most. Wonderful! *That’s sarcasm, obviously* She gets really selfish in the middle of the book and that annoyed the hell out of me. (15 or 16 people are in danger because of YOU, girl. Thank God she finally listens later.) She rarely listens or obeys the order – wait, Elissa doesn't listen in the beginning either. Elissa is also inconsistent because she wants Lin to stop “killing people” (translation: stop using her electro kinesis, I guess?) but then a few pages later she wants Lin to use her power to get them out of the bad situation?? That happens a few times.
The other characters, like Cadan (I’m sure he’s the love interest) was pretty dull too but he was still tolerable. He’s Captain Jim Kirk from Star Trek wannabe. GAHHH, to put it in short sentence: I didn't care about the characters. Couldn't connect with them at all. I rarely hate characters so much but this book... It made me want to scream every existing and made-up swear word at the characters!!
I’m sorry guys if this review is very confusing and doesn't make any sense because this book was a mess in my opinion.
The worldbuilding is very confusing and there were chunks of paragraphs of info dump about the history of Sekoia – don’t know how it’s spelled correctly but it’s the place where Elissa lives. Don’t ask me anything about worldbuilding cause I understood NOTHING. The pacing is unbelievably slow for a book which is about running away from the government.
All these issues probably come from the writing. I guess it’s meant to be like beautiful prose but it came across as boring and repetitive and too distracting? There are A LOT of paragraphs without any dialogues at all. I got tired of reading it that I skipped a few sentences/paragraphs and I DID NOT MISS ANYTHING IMPORTANT. If you like this quote then you’ll probably enjoy the book more than I did:
“She landed on her side, with a jolt that knocked the breath out of her, and before she could even gasp, before she could even register that she’d landed on the roof, that she was okay, she hadn’t missed it and gone plummeting through miles of empty air – before she could even register the clang that meant Lin must have landed as well – she was sliding. Down and down over cold smooth metal, no handholds, no friction, completely out of control, down and down and around and around, the sky and the sun and the silver flashes of steel spiraling with her, faster and faster, around and around and down and down. Every moment she expected to go flying off the edge, flung out into the empty air.”-- Elissa after she falls off a roof or something (I already forgot about it.)
Can anyone explain what the hell is happening??
Linked failed to impress me in any freaking area I couldn't help but to DNF it. I didn't connect with the dull characters, I didn't like the dull writing, confusing worldbuilding and slow pacing. I did not enjoy this book. 59% -- that’s all my brain could take. I was in the verge of punching my laptop screen and I couldn't torture myself any longer. This book didn't work for me.
mariajaqi's review
4.0
oh my. am so glad the author waited until the end to introduce a love interedt because it helped me forcus on more urgent issues. fab book by the way. i wish the future turns out similar but better than the author predicts.
kaziteega's review
4.0
It was a cute and fun action packed interesting read. It makes you wonder if what this book has taken place in the future if possibly by some chance it might happen to us, or if the inspiration from the story came from a sci-fi movie. But it also does put into perspective that twins even twins in our day and age have a link to each other that not everyone has. And makes you wonder if our Government might come up with some plan similar to this story.