kstring's review against another edition
4.0
I delved into this book with the mindset that it would be something like James Dashner's Maze Runner trilogy; I was wrong. The beginning is a bit like it, but it soon blossomed into much more. I noticed that the story line was a bit lacking and shallow, and I want to know if they took out Emma's chip at the end, but overall, it was a very satisfying book with plenty of twists. I can't wait to read the next one! As Marie Lu (author of the Legend trilogy) said, "More, please!"
cheyennelauren's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed the book, showing the dystopian world through the eyes of a teenage boy rather than a girl. Sorry to say, but I always see the girls point of view of this genre. So this is refreshing.
kate_brauning's review against another edition
An engaging dystopian-- lots of adventure and twists. A quick, intriguing read.
erinarkin20's review against another edition
4.0
This was one of those books that I couldn't put down. Well, I won't give any of this away...just read it.
First, male point of view and dystopian. I was intrigued. Second, there is a bit of a mystery...what is the heist and where are all of these 18 year old boys going?
For me, the characters are what make a book and I have mixed feelings on these. The characters in this book are interesting - one of the first things the main character, Gray. does in the book is punch a girl. In my opinion, it was an odd introduction to someone we were supposed to like...don't get me wrong - she deserved it but still... Emma, I don't even know if I liked her at the end of the book and that is all I have to say about that. I am curious to see what happens in book 2 considering. Other than being an integral part of Gray's life, Blaine seemed like a non-important character...yes, he was the catalyst to Gray finding out more about himself, but that was all driven by Gray.
I will be watching for book 2 of this series and look forward to learning more about the societies as the group searches for allies.
First, male point of view and dystopian. I was intrigued. Second, there is a bit of a mystery...what is the heist and where are all of these 18 year old boys going?
For me, the characters are what make a book and I have mixed feelings on these. The characters in this book are interesting - one of the first things the main character, Gray. does in the book is punch a girl. In my opinion, it was an odd introduction to someone we were supposed to like...don't get me wrong - she deserved it but still... Emma, I don't even know if I liked her at the end of the book and that is all I have to say about that. I am curious to see what happens in book 2 considering. Other than being an integral part of Gray's life, Blaine seemed like a non-important character...yes, he was the catalyst to Gray finding out more about himself, but that was all driven by Gray.
I will be watching for book 2 of this series and look forward to learning more about the societies as the group searches for allies.
ricolinn's review against another edition
5.0
As I have already said before, I've read this book three times in my life, and each one of them has been a very different experience to me. This last one, actually, I think it has been the best one, because, even though I wasn't as excited as the first time I read it, I've become aware of many things about this novel. The first one is the length of the chapters: I don't like books with lots of short chapters, but I've also read some with 700 pages and only 20 chapters, and that makes my reading slow and heavy. So, for having found the perfect harmony in chapters length, one point to Erin Bowman. Another thing that I have liked about this story is the progression of it and the information. I really like how we start with just a little information at the beginning of the book and how we get the answer as the story develops. (SPOILER AHEAD, DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE BOOK YET) The love triangle is just perfect, and that situation gives birth to my favorite quote. In addition, the characters evolve along with the plot and that's one thing that I love. I do neither identify as Blaine or Gray, but I think I can say I am a mix of both. In conclussion, this book still remains one of my favorites. (5/5 stars)
sonham's review
3.0
"Taken", Band 1 der Trilogie "Das Laicos-Projekt", war für mich ein Zufallsfund in der örtlichen Bibliothek. Ich hatte keine Bewertungen zu diesem Titel gelesen, wusste also nicht, was mich erwarten würde.
Die Grundidee der Geschichte hat mir wirklich gut gefallen, sie ist zwar nicht ganz neu, aber birgt ein paar einzigartige Züge, die das Lesen aufregend gestalteten.
Leider hat sie aber auch ihre Schwächen. So sind die Charaktere einander zu ähnlich, es entsteht wenig Konfliktstoff zwischen den Protagonisten und die Antagonisten gehören in eine ganz andere Welt, was sie ohnehin zu Außenseitern macht.
In dieser völlig fremden Umgebung finden sich zudem die Hauptfiguren viel zu schnell zurecht, weihen den Leser nicht genug in ihre inneren Erlebnisse ein, so dass immer etwas Distanz bleibt.
Auch das Ende fand ich nicht sehr überzeugend. Zwischen dem vorletzten und dem letzten Kapitel klafft eine Lücke, es fehlen Übergangshandlungen.
Ich bin mir aufgrund des gewählten Schlusses auch nicht sicher, ob diese Geschichte von Anfang an auf eine Trilogie ausgelegt war und frage mich nun, was mich in Band 2, der schon auf meinem Tisch liegt, erwarten wird.
Die Grundidee der Geschichte hat mir wirklich gut gefallen, sie ist zwar nicht ganz neu, aber birgt ein paar einzigartige Züge, die das Lesen aufregend gestalteten.
Leider hat sie aber auch ihre Schwächen. So sind die Charaktere einander zu ähnlich, es entsteht wenig Konfliktstoff zwischen den Protagonisten und die Antagonisten gehören in eine ganz andere Welt, was sie ohnehin zu Außenseitern macht.
In dieser völlig fremden Umgebung finden sich zudem die Hauptfiguren viel zu schnell zurecht, weihen den Leser nicht genug in ihre inneren Erlebnisse ein, so dass immer etwas Distanz bleibt.
Auch das Ende fand ich nicht sehr überzeugend. Zwischen dem vorletzten und dem letzten Kapitel klafft eine Lücke, es fehlen Übergangshandlungen.
Ich bin mir aufgrund des gewählten Schlusses auch nicht sicher, ob diese Geschichte von Anfang an auf eine Trilogie ausgelegt war und frage mich nun, was mich in Band 2, der schon auf meinem Tisch liegt, erwarten wird.
kevinweitzel44's review against another edition
4.0
This book was phenomenal. I read it in one sitting. It all was answered smoothly and I love the writing style. Reminiscent of the maze runner. But still original. Psyched for book 2.
The author's wonderful, I'm a huge fan of this book. <3
The author's wonderful, I'm a huge fan of this book. <3
bookishnicole's review against another edition
4.0
Taken was very different from what I usually read. It was about a boy rather than a girl and the premise was something that was very unique. Boys are taken from the community the night that they turn 18 and no one knows what happens to them. In this book we learn what is really going on with these boys and what is causing this sudden departure from their town. I found the idea of heists to be really original and new. This community, which I assume is sort of like how natives would live (at least that’s how I pictured it) was small and full of women because all the men are taken at 18.
Our narrator is 17 year old, Gray, a boy whose older brother has just been claimed by the Heist. I haven’t decided if I like him or not for a few reasons. He was very quick to make decisions and act, which was understandable (sort of) in a teenage boy, but all the other men around him grew up so much faster and they didn’t behave the way that he did. I did admire him for not wanting to father a baby when he was just going to vanish in a few short years, even if it did mean that the society would start to crumble from people not reproducing.
Most of the story takes place while is his over the Wall with his (sort of) girlfriend Emma. Over the wall we discover that the world is very different from what the people of Claysoot thought it would be like. Here we have what is not what everyone thought it was going to be, instead we have a dystopian society that is trying to breed perfect soldiers in the most untraditional way; by forcing survival of the fittest. I really liked that rather than get sucked into this world and take it at face value, Emma chose to question things and puzzle out what was really happening. I didn’t trust Frank from the getgo because, lets be honest, our hero has to fall into the hands of the charismatic bad guy before discovering the truth.
Even when the book ends, we’re still learning exactly what the truth is. I still have some suspicious about what exactly is going on with Taem, the city that Gray and Emma wind up in. I have even more suspicious about what Frank has really done to try to infiltrate the rebels, its clear that all he wants is power which is why I think that there is more going on than was revealed. I was a little disappointed that this book fell into the cliché of a Love triangle. I was hoping that Gray would be stronger and stick to his assertion that he loves Emma and that shes the only one he could love, but I’m not sure I can fault him. He is from a village that doesn’t have anything remotely close to forever, they have only 18 years of a boy to love a girl, and then he is gone.
I’m excited to see what the next book is going to bring, since it is bound to be a trilogy. I liked that we had a lot more information than you usually get in a first book in a series. A lot of what we learned was great to know, and there were several surprises that I’m sure if you thought long and hard, you could see coming, but they were quite pleasant anyway.
Our narrator is 17 year old, Gray, a boy whose older brother has just been claimed by the Heist. I haven’t decided if I like him or not for a few reasons. He was very quick to make decisions and act, which was understandable (sort of) in a teenage boy, but all the other men around him grew up so much faster and they didn’t behave the way that he did. I did admire him for not wanting to father a baby when he was just going to vanish in a few short years, even if it did mean that the society would start to crumble from people not reproducing.
Most of the story takes place while is his over the Wall with his (sort of) girlfriend Emma. Over the wall we discover that the world is very different from what the people of Claysoot thought it would be like. Here we have what is not what everyone thought it was going to be, instead we have a dystopian society that is trying to breed perfect soldiers in the most untraditional way; by forcing survival of the fittest. I really liked that rather than get sucked into this world and take it at face value, Emma chose to question things and puzzle out what was really happening. I didn’t trust Frank from the getgo because, lets be honest, our hero has to fall into the hands of the charismatic bad guy before discovering the truth.
Even when the book ends, we’re still learning exactly what the truth is. I still have some suspicious about what exactly is going on with Taem, the city that Gray and Emma wind up in. I have even more suspicious about what Frank has really done to try to infiltrate the rebels, its clear that all he wants is power which is why I think that there is more going on than was revealed. I was a little disappointed that this book fell into the cliché of a Love triangle. I was hoping that Gray would be stronger and stick to his assertion that he loves Emma and that shes the only one he could love, but I’m not sure I can fault him. He is from a village that doesn’t have anything remotely close to forever, they have only 18 years of a boy to love a girl, and then he is gone.
I’m excited to see what the next book is going to bring, since it is bound to be a trilogy. I liked that we had a lot more information than you usually get in a first book in a series. A lot of what we learned was great to know, and there were several surprises that I’m sure if you thought long and hard, you could see coming, but they were quite pleasant anyway.
paperbackjedi's review against another edition
3.0
Gray has watched many of his friends fall victim to The Heist and now he’s lost his brother to it. Propelled by a secret mysterious note from his mother, he sets off to discover what lies outside the Wall of Claysoot and if there’s life beyond what everyone is lead to believe.
I actually won this book through a Twitter giveaway from the author herself and just recently got around to reading it. To begin, I started and finished this book in one sitting. The narrative is compelling and and fast-paced. While Bowman always leaves the reader with questions with questions, she unveils the story in a way that both satisfies and teases. This book is mostly action, but it doesn’t ignore character development and exploration. Especially for Gray as the story is told in first person. Gray is a refreshing male protagonist, not pigeon holed into “bad boy” or “good guy” and instead reads like he might be someone you know. He felt familiar to me- realistic and consistent. I do wish we’d gotten to see a little more into the minds of Blaine (Gray’s brother) and Emma (Gray’s sort of girlfriend), but the rest of the cast (while secondary) is fleshed out enough that you get a sense of the characters, their struggles, and a deeper understanding of the plot.
The plot itself is straightforward enough, there are few moments where you might question the validity of the explanation, but for the most part, if you can suspend your disbelief and immerse yourself in the words, you won’t really question it too much. And since it’s dystopian science fiction, it’s easier to go along for the ride. I will say that some explanations seemed rushed and as a result, it could be a little overwhelming to the reader. Romance isn’t featured heavily in this book which was awesome because the story itself was the main focus and it really didn’t need any fluff or frills. You’ll find yourself caring more about what’s actually going on than who likes who WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN.
While I’m not in a hurry to read the second installment, this is a really fun and quick read. It’s not heavy on drama or relationships or angst. It’s just good old fashioned science and suspense. Fans of The Maze Runner will most likely enjoy reading this so if you’ve read and liked that novel, you should definitely check Taken out.
I actually won this book through a Twitter giveaway from the author herself and just recently got around to reading it. To begin, I started and finished this book in one sitting. The narrative is compelling and and fast-paced. While Bowman always leaves the reader with questions with questions, she unveils the story in a way that both satisfies and teases. This book is mostly action, but it doesn’t ignore character development and exploration. Especially for Gray as the story is told in first person. Gray is a refreshing male protagonist, not pigeon holed into “bad boy” or “good guy” and instead reads like he might be someone you know. He felt familiar to me- realistic and consistent. I do wish we’d gotten to see a little more into the minds of Blaine (Gray’s brother) and Emma (Gray’s sort of girlfriend), but the rest of the cast (while secondary) is fleshed out enough that you get a sense of the characters, their struggles, and a deeper understanding of the plot.
The plot itself is straightforward enough, there are few moments where you might question the validity of the explanation, but for the most part, if you can suspend your disbelief and immerse yourself in the words, you won’t really question it too much. And since it’s dystopian science fiction, it’s easier to go along for the ride. I will say that some explanations seemed rushed and as a result, it could be a little overwhelming to the reader. Romance isn’t featured heavily in this book which was awesome because the story itself was the main focus and it really didn’t need any fluff or frills. You’ll find yourself caring more about what’s actually going on than who likes who WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN.
While I’m not in a hurry to read the second installment, this is a really fun and quick read. It’s not heavy on drama or relationships or angst. It’s just good old fashioned science and suspense. Fans of The Maze Runner will most likely enjoy reading this so if you’ve read and liked that novel, you should definitely check Taken out.