rob's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kblincoln's review against another edition
4.0
Concept-wise, this book knocks it out of the park. The near-future San Francisco pictured here is creepily similar to ours, and the use of drugs to escape to dreamworlds a black mirror reflecting opiod addiction (without the crime) happening now.
But that's not all. You also get conjoined twins who grew up in a hippie commune that focused on tech-as-impure and lucid dreaming.
When the twins' health begins to fail, they know they must escape the cult.
The story is told in alternating flashbacks with Taema going undercover as her sister Tila to find out why Tila is accused of murdering a member of a drug cartel called Ratel. Tila tells us the story of them leaving the cult. Meanwhile, Taema an another undercover police officer, Nazarin, are preparing her to find out who Ratel's mastermind is.
There's a bit of romance, some creepy dream sequences, cool bio-hacking, and a lot of Taema missing her sister.
Very imaginative, not your usual cup of tea near-future fantasy with thriller tech elements. But...at times the multiple flashbacking got to me, and i wanted more development of Taema's transformation and relationship with Nazarin instead of a kind of summary of what she was learning. By the time she go to the main Ratel party...because the others were so faceless I didn't care or feel danger until she caught up with the mastermind.
But that's not all. You also get conjoined twins who grew up in a hippie commune that focused on tech-as-impure and lucid dreaming.
When the twins' health begins to fail, they know they must escape the cult.
The story is told in alternating flashbacks with Taema going undercover as her sister Tila to find out why Tila is accused of murdering a member of a drug cartel called Ratel. Tila tells us the story of them leaving the cult. Meanwhile, Taema an another undercover police officer, Nazarin, are preparing her to find out who Ratel's mastermind is.
There's a bit of romance, some creepy dream sequences, cool bio-hacking, and a lot of Taema missing her sister.
Very imaginative, not your usual cup of tea near-future fantasy with thriller tech elements. But...at times the multiple flashbacking got to me, and i wanted more development of Taema's transformation and relationship with Nazarin instead of a kind of summary of what she was learning. By the time she go to the main Ratel party...because the others were so faceless I didn't care or feel danger until she caught up with the mastermind.
sarahpetherr's review against another edition
3.0
3.75. The story was pretty interesting and the reader was one of my faves!
katieejayne's review against another edition
3.0
Taema and Tila are conjoined twins, they were born in the Hearth, an isolated cult on the outskirts of San Fransisco that banned modern medicine and technology. The twins shared everything including a heart, a heart that wasn't strong enough to support both of them. Their only hope of survival was to escape and get the surgery they so desperately needed. Now, assimilated into modern society Taema is waiting for Tila to join her for dinner but she arrives at her house covered in someone else's blood. Tila is arrested for murder, the first committed by a civilian in decades.
This is where the novel starts and immediately we're thrust into this dystopian/sci-fi version of San Fransisco with very little information. Similarly to most dystopian/sci-fi there is a lot of strange slang used for items in this world. It's easy enough to figure out the purpose of them but initially it was somewhat confusing and the reason for them is never explained.
In this new world every person is fitted with a VeriChip which acts like passport and bankcard all in one, everyone has ocular and ordinary implants (think permanent google glasses and headphones) and flesh parlours offer the most cutting edge plastic surgery that everyone appears young and their faces unnaturally symmetrical.
The main crux of the story I enjoyed. I liked learning about how Zeal is used as a way to relieve stress and live out dreams. I loved that the crime syndicate were attempting to replace Zeal with a version that gave them the ability to manipulate people. In fact I really liked all the elements that this story had but for some reason I was left wanting a little bit more. The story seemed to wrap up in the last 60 pages when the build up took around 300 and how it wrapped up seemed really convenient.
I really loved how Tila gave us the back story of the twins and Taema was the protagonist in the present. That being said as much as I liked them as characters I felt like we didn't really see much development to them throughout the novel.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book but I just felt like it fell a little flat for me. I gave it 3/5 for the concept and also the creation that went into the world. If we'd seen more sides to the twins then it definitely would've had a higher rating.
for more reviews head to www.a-novel-idea.co.uk
This is where the novel starts and immediately we're thrust into this dystopian/sci-fi version of San Fransisco with very little information. Similarly to most dystopian/sci-fi there is a lot of strange slang used for items in this world. It's easy enough to figure out the purpose of them but initially it was somewhat confusing and the reason for them is never explained.
In this new world every person is fitted with a VeriChip which acts like passport and bankcard all in one, everyone has ocular and ordinary implants (think permanent google glasses and headphones) and flesh parlours offer the most cutting edge plastic surgery that everyone appears young and their faces unnaturally symmetrical.
The main crux of the story I enjoyed. I liked learning about how Zeal is used as a way to relieve stress and live out dreams. I loved that the crime syndicate were attempting to replace Zeal with a version that gave them the ability to manipulate people. In fact I really liked all the elements that this story had but for some reason I was left wanting a little bit more. The story seemed to wrap up in the last 60 pages when the build up took around 300 and how it wrapped up seemed really convenient.
I really loved how Tila gave us the back story of the twins and Taema was the protagonist in the present. That being said as much as I liked them as characters I felt like we didn't really see much development to them throughout the novel.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book but I just felt like it fell a little flat for me. I gave it 3/5 for the concept and also the creation that went into the world. If we'd seen more sides to the twins then it definitely would've had a higher rating.
for more reviews head to www.a-novel-idea.co.uk
selinadragonair's review against another edition
3.0
False Hearts was an interesting read for between books.
I have never read about two now separated siamese twins, who fled from a cult in the woods, so I enjoyed these aspects the most. Apart from that it felt more like American Horror Story than Orphan Black or Inception. Basically, they only have the idea in common, not the quality.
The focus of the book was too much on Taemas feelings and thoughts for my personal taste. I can't say that I connected with her very much. I wished there would have been more characters or a bigger viewpoint of the future and society apart from the dream drugs.
The plot was slow at times, stayed predictable and I did see a lot of twists coming.
All in all a nice pageturner.
I have never read about two now separated siamese twins, who fled from a cult in the woods, so I enjoyed these aspects the most. Apart from that it felt more like American Horror Story than Orphan Black or Inception. Basically, they only have the idea in common, not the quality.
The focus of the book was too much on Taemas feelings and thoughts for my personal taste. I can't say that I connected with her very much. I wished there would have been more characters or a bigger viewpoint of the future and society apart from the dream drugs.
The plot was slow at times, stayed predictable and I did see a lot of twists coming.
All in all a nice pageturner.
alanahay's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
kristy_k's review against another edition
4.0
The amount of time it took me to read this in no way reflects how good this story was.
This is an amazing futuristic thriller featuring a diverse cast of characters and a complex, twisting plot. Taema & Tila are conjoined twins who grew up in a cult. At 16 they escape to the technologically advanced SF and are surgically separated. Fast forward 10 years, Tila gets involved with the the local crime syndicate & kills someone. Taema must go undercover to try and absolve her sister. Think Minority Report meets Inception meets Jonestown.
While on the surface there was a lot going on, it never seemed too much. Everything flowed seamlessly creating a wonderfully dark and twisted science-fiction thriller.
This is an amazing futuristic thriller featuring a diverse cast of characters and a complex, twisting plot. Taema & Tila are conjoined twins who grew up in a cult. At 16 they escape to the technologically advanced SF and are surgically separated. Fast forward 10 years, Tila gets involved with the the local crime syndicate & kills someone. Taema must go undercover to try and absolve her sister. Think Minority Report meets Inception meets Jonestown.
While on the surface there was a lot going on, it never seemed too much. Everything flowed seamlessly creating a wonderfully dark and twisted science-fiction thriller.
lanid's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use, Gaslighting, Confinement, Violence, Body horror, and Blood