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jenpaul13's review
4.0
An abandoned spaceship is haunted by a deadly viral past, but the wide-spread orders for citizens to remain away from it make it seem as if it could be a relatively safe harbor from governmental interference in Kali Wallace's Salvation Day.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
A decade ago, House of Wisdom, a large exploration vessel was abandoned after a deadly outbreak of a virus that infected and killed nearly everyone aboard in a matter of hours. The lone survivor, Jaswinder has spent the last decade of his life haunted by the horrors he witnessed aboard the ship as everyone he knew was dying from the unknown virus. Zahra and her chosen family led by a charismatic man named Adam have devised a plan to commandeer the ship to serve as their new home away from governmental influence so they can live in peace, which includes kidnapping Jaswinder in order to unlock the ship with his genetic signature. Upon entering the ship, the terrifying secret obscured for years by the government threatens everyone's lives as the virus awakens from within the already used dead bodies with the promise of new, living bodies to overtake.
Navigating between two perspectives of the young people directly connected to and personally impacted by the deadly events of ten years past on the abandoned spaceship, as well as interspersed snippets of historic documentation of the crew's last moments, this story offers a compelling tale for readers that explores the complex decisions and political games that have shaped this potential future of Earth and its space colonies. Dealing with a variety of topics prominent today that still carry over into this projected future version of society, as is a common trait in science fiction stories, the novel has a close focus on relations between governments and refugees while also including the frightening concept of alien beings that can control humans. With the numerous secrets being kept from society at large, as well as the smaller group of characters who comprise the focus of the story, there could have been more offered in building the world and providing context for a greater understanding of the background events that led to the current situation that served to drive the characters' actions forward.
Overall, I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
A decade ago, House of Wisdom, a large exploration vessel was abandoned after a deadly outbreak of a virus that infected and killed nearly everyone aboard in a matter of hours. The lone survivor, Jaswinder has spent the last decade of his life haunted by the horrors he witnessed aboard the ship as everyone he knew was dying from the unknown virus. Zahra and her chosen family led by a charismatic man named Adam have devised a plan to commandeer the ship to serve as their new home away from governmental influence so they can live in peace, which includes kidnapping Jaswinder in order to unlock the ship with his genetic signature. Upon entering the ship, the terrifying secret obscured for years by the government threatens everyone's lives as the virus awakens from within the already used dead bodies with the promise of new, living bodies to overtake.
Navigating between two perspectives of the young people directly connected to and personally impacted by the deadly events of ten years past on the abandoned spaceship, as well as interspersed snippets of historic documentation of the crew's last moments, this story offers a compelling tale for readers that explores the complex decisions and political games that have shaped this potential future of Earth and its space colonies. Dealing with a variety of topics prominent today that still carry over into this projected future version of society, as is a common trait in science fiction stories, the novel has a close focus on relations between governments and refugees while also including the frightening concept of alien beings that can control humans. With the numerous secrets being kept from society at large, as well as the smaller group of characters who comprise the focus of the story, there could have been more offered in building the world and providing context for a greater understanding of the background events that led to the current situation that served to drive the characters' actions forward.
Overall, I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
burningupasun's review against another edition
5.0
This was so good. I really enjoyed it. It was a bit slow to start but once things started to get going, it picked up. This was sort of like a zombie story meets Aliens, meets... I don't know, haha. The aliens were really just the set up for the overlaying story, which was about Earth and how we treat the poor and the outsiders, and what they're willing to do just to have a home and be safe.
I really enjoyed the plot itself for the creepy alien stuff, but also the character development and progression. (Also, for the LGBT rep tag, one of the two MC's is gay!)
I really enjoyed the plot itself for the creepy alien stuff, but also the character development and progression. (Also, for the LGBT rep tag, one of the two MC's is gay!)
katiescho741's review
3.0
A good Sci-Fi Horror story, although things go off track a bit later in the book.
I really liked the dead spaceship with secrets aspect of the book - a very Event Horizon vibe. The fact that the ship became a tomb that was ravaged by a mystery disease, made for a haunted house feel, and, at first, I liked the interwoven story of the cult of Adam. I found the cult storyline more and more distracting as the story went on, though, and it ruined the final chapters of the book in my opinion.
The two main characters were easy to empathise with, and I liked the peek into the different parts of future society that we got from them.
Overall, a good book, although I think it could have been shorter. Things felt a little stretched out, although I liked the world building and lore that were added via the documents in-between chapters.
I really liked the dead spaceship with secrets aspect of the book - a very Event Horizon vibe. The fact that the ship became a tomb that was ravaged by a mystery disease, made for a haunted house feel, and, at first, I liked the interwoven story of the cult of Adam. I found the cult storyline more and more distracting as the story went on, though, and it ruined the final chapters of the book in my opinion.
The two main characters were easy to empathise with, and I liked the peek into the different parts of future society that we got from them.
Spoiler
My one criticism of the characters is that I thought Zahra switched from cultist to free thinker pretty quick, considering she'd been under Adam's wing for a decade.Overall, a good book, although I think it could have been shorter. Things felt a little stretched out, although I liked the world building and lore that were added via the documents in-between chapters.
emily_gaynier's review
4.0
This is now my second book by this author and I enjoyed it more then Dead Space, but both fell flat for me. But I recommend this book to anyone who didn't like the horde of infected people or the found family in Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey
I found the virus part of this story to be boring. It felt too realistic and because of that it wasn't scary. I did like the bit with Adam and his cult. I think I would've liked this better if there was an extra 50 pages to make the ship more atmospheric and give the virus more time to be an issue
So far Wallace has written books that sound like they'll be right up my alley, but hasn't met the mark yet. I might give her another shot in the future, but not anytime soon
Read Infinity and Beyond - UFO: Read a book with a kidnapping or abduction in it
I found the virus part of this story to be boring. It felt too realistic and because of that it wasn't scary. I did like the bit with Adam and his cult. I think I would've liked this better if there was an extra 50 pages to make the ship more atmospheric and give the virus more time to be an issue
So far Wallace has written books that sound like they'll be right up my alley, but hasn't met the mark yet. I might give her another shot in the future, but not anytime soon
Read Infinity and Beyond - UFO: Read a book with a kidnapping or abduction in it
celiapowell's review
4.0
Zahra and her team are taking over the immense spaceship House of Wisdom, on behalf of their "Family", who are following behind them, relying on them to provide them with a safe home. The House of Wisdom is not safe at all, as they and their hostages gradually realise, and now they need to figure out a way to leave. [I realised part through that this was going to have some zombie-esque elements (I'm not a zombie fan), but they're really only very lightly zombie adjacent.]
imaharlow's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
mikaela182's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
mar's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
all style no substance i'm afraid :/
megyeager's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I really did enjoy this book. I loved the space + cult elements and the idea of an infected ship was great. However, I do feel like I could really tell that this was the author's first attempt at an adult novel. Time and time again the characters would do or say things that felt like they were teenagers rather than grown adults. I know she was going for the new adult genre, but I don't even think this book meets the mark there.
I think if this book had been 100 pages longer and the author had better developed her characters, I would have felt more emotion at the end of the book. As it stands now, I felt like I didn't even know the characters enough to be sad or joyful at their endings. I really wish the author would have delved more deeply into Zahra's joining the cult and the relationship she had with Adam. I think knowing that rather than only alluding to its effects in the present would have really improved this book. The same goes for her relationship with her twin siblings. I only know that she cares about them because she says she does. I have no examples of her protecting them from Adam's anger or her comforting them when her mother died. With any of these additions, the book would have been leagues better.
I think if this book had been 100 pages longer and the author had better developed her characters, I would have felt more emotion at the end of the book. As it stands now, I felt like I didn't even know the characters enough to be sad or joyful at their endings. I really wish the author would have delved more deeply into Zahra's joining the cult and the relationship she had with Adam. I think knowing that rather than only alluding to its effects in the present would have really improved this book. The same goes for her relationship with her twin siblings. I only know that she cares about them because she says she does. I have no examples of her protecting them from Adam's anger or her comforting them when her mother died. With any of these additions, the book would have been leagues better.