belindaclemons_123's review against another edition
5.0
Stacey Rourke has created a unique book outside her usual realm of stories. In this book we meet 5 unique teens named Detroit Houston Augusta Juneau and Reno who are raised during the Apocalypse to be a Elite Force of Fighters in the AT-1-NS space station. Each one was fantastic and I loved Detroit she was just epic. it was suspenseful and had action and just was very quick to read I just couldnt put it down. I cant wait to read more of this group.
kylielovesbooks's review
4.0
This book was better than I was expecting. It was a mixture of The 100 and Ender's Game in my opinion.
The beginning was pretty confusing to me and very hard to get into. We got random facts, but no explanation. For example, it said something about the Apocalypse 5 having an audience, but no reason for why they would have an audience until much later in the book. I kept thinking that I missed things when I really didn't.
After I finally got into it, I really started enjoying it. I guessed early on the "big reveal" that happened about halfway through the book, but it didn't make it any less enjoyable. The whole storyline was so fun and action packed. It kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next for most of the book.
I really loved the relationship between the 5, although sometimes I got the more secondary characters (Auggie and Reno mostly since Juneau is a girl) mixed up. I kind of wish they got more fleshed out. I really liked Detroit. She was so strong, but also showed her weaknesses and faults and I think that's really important in a character. Being the team leader, she didn't want the rest of her team knowing when she was weak, but they knew and they helped her through it. They all helped each other through all their respective weaknesses and I really liked that dynamic. Houston was hunky and had me rooting for him and Detroit throughout the whole book.
This was a very different apocalypse story even though it reminded me of some other books, and a very enjoyable one. I can't wait for the sequel!
The beginning was pretty confusing to me and very hard to get into. We got random facts, but no explanation. For example, it said something about the Apocalypse 5 having an audience, but no reason for why they would have an audience until much later in the book. I kept thinking that I missed things when I really didn't.
After I finally got into it, I really started enjoying it. I guessed early on the "big reveal" that happened about halfway through the book, but it didn't make it any less enjoyable. The whole storyline was so fun and action packed. It kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next for most of the book.
I really loved the relationship between the 5, although sometimes I got the more secondary characters (Auggie and Reno mostly since Juneau is a girl) mixed up. I kind of wish they got more fleshed out. I really liked Detroit. She was so strong, but also showed her weaknesses and faults and I think that's really important in a character. Being the team leader, she didn't want the rest of her team knowing when she was weak, but they knew and they helped her through it. They all helped each other through all their respective weaknesses and I really liked that dynamic. Houston was hunky and had me rooting for him and Detroit throughout the whole book.
This was a very different apocalypse story even though it reminded me of some other books, and a very enjoyable one. I can't wait for the sequel!
fiona_gs's review
5.0
This book is across between 'Starship Troopers' with 'The Illuminae Files', 'Hunger Games' and 'Ascension'. It was hard to put down with characters that grew on you as they grew into themselves. I would call this a gate way book for young teens (as I have observed with 'The Last Thirteen') that find getting into serious sci-fi had to do due to language and length. This book is well written with language easy to understand in a not over long book. I hope the other books are not longer. The action and pace of the book is great and aimed at a more savvy read without it being to bablish in nature. I have been reccomending this book before I had finished it and have placed on our request list to buy for the Library I work for.
ambledsoe's review
3.0
I absolutely loved the concept of Apocalypse 5. In a twist of Ender's Game mixed with Firefly, I was ready to dive head first out of the space ship. Unfortunately, with very little wirld building, I felt as though I was drifting through space untethered. From the getgo, you're thrusted into Stacey Rourke's dystopian world and in 250 pages, I felt the pacing was really in need of padding.
I really enjoyed the characters but by the time I came to care for them, the book was nearly over.
I really enjoyed the characters but by the time I came to care for them, the book was nearly over.
chyina's review
4.0
Firstly, I would like to thank the publisher for my advanced reader copy.
The characters were realistic and I was rooting for them the whole way. Auggie was by far my favorite, after the whole stranded on a devastated planet Earth thing...When it came down to the twins Juno and Reno, I wanted to see more of them and get a better sense at their relationship but I was in no ways upset by what I did get.
Rourke weaves trepidation, suspense and action together very well. At times it was hard to remember that the team known as Apocalypse 5 was made up of children 13 to 16 years old. This novel is about what happens when those you trust not only betray you but make you out to be something you aren't. I read this magnificent piece in one day and am excited for the sequel!
If I had to list a least favorite thing, it would be that in the digital version at least, there were a lot of spelling errors missed which pulled me out of the amazing plot.
The characters were realistic and I was rooting for them the whole way. Auggie was by far my favorite, after the whole stranded on a devastated planet Earth thing...When it came down to the twins Juno and Reno, I wanted to see more of them and get a better sense at their relationship but I was in no ways upset by what I did get.
Rourke weaves trepidation, suspense and action together very well. At times it was hard to remember that the team known as Apocalypse 5 was made up of children 13 to 16 years old. This novel is about what happens when those you trust not only betray you but make you out to be something you aren't. I read this magnificent piece in one day and am excited for the sequel!
If I had to list a least favorite thing, it would be that in the digital version at least, there were a lot of spelling errors missed which pulled me out of the amazing plot.
quirkycatsfatstacks's review
4.0
I received a copy of Apocalypse Five through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Apocalypse Five is the first novel in the Archive of the Fives series by Stacey Rourke. If I had to define the novel for you in just a few sentences, I would say that it’s Hunger Games in a science fiction setting, only with a couple major twists thrown into the mix.
Apocalypse Five is a combination of so many things, that I honestly don’t envy whoever had to make the decision on what category to put it into. It’s a little bit science fiction, young adult, survival, post-apocalyptic, and so much more. It also touches on other elements, some coming of age, a little bit of romance, that sort of thing.
Warnings: My comparison to Hunger Games is accurate in one sense, at least. There are children (okay, teenagers) in this series. And adults too, of course. These people are used as soldiers for what appears to be entertainment. Their deaths are not always easy or quick, but they’re not overly detailed at least.
Apocalypse Five was a fast-paced novel full of so many twists and turns. With every new twist, I thought I had a handle on the situation, that I fully understood what was happening it this world. Only for another twist to come along and further shake my perception of the world. It left me feeling like I had to constantly stay on my toes as I read – waiting for the next big reveal.
I enjoyed reading this novel. I liked how quick the pace was, and while there was a lot of violence in it, it never really felt overly gory or graphic. That’s a hard line to walk on, so I really appreciate it and feel like it deserves to be pointed out.
I’ll admit that it took me a couple of chapters to really get into this book. The first chapter really threw me through a loop. It was great that it started right out in the action, but I had no idea what was happening or who these people were. Once I got farther along I was able to truly understand what I had read, but it did take me a minute.
That being said, once I got past that point it didn’t take long for me to start becoming attached to the characters. And trust me, I tried to say ambivalent about them too – after that introduction (and my comparison to the Hunger Games) I was afraid to become too attached to anybody. So the fact that I did despite all of that says something, I think.
I’m not sure how I feel about the final twist in this book. It’s interesting, and I do look forward to seeing that get developed further. At the same time, it leaves me with more questions than answers. It’s not a cliffhanger, not quite. But it did change the book from feeling complete to making it very clear that there’s a lot more going on that we initially thought. I’ll have to wait and see what is shown in the second novel before I comment on it too much though.
I like that I wasn’t able to predict what was going to happen next. It’s refreshing to not have any clue what is going to happen, even if it is also a little bit stressful – I was constantly concerned about the fate of the five main characters.
I really enjoyed reading Apocalypse Five, and am looking forward to the sequel. The only shame is that I’ll have to wait. I guess that’s the downside to reading a novel the second it comes out (okay, I read it slightly before it came out, but you know what I mean).
For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
Apocalypse Five is the first novel in the Archive of the Fives series by Stacey Rourke. If I had to define the novel for you in just a few sentences, I would say that it’s Hunger Games in a science fiction setting, only with a couple major twists thrown into the mix.
Apocalypse Five is a combination of so many things, that I honestly don’t envy whoever had to make the decision on what category to put it into. It’s a little bit science fiction, young adult, survival, post-apocalyptic, and so much more. It also touches on other elements, some coming of age, a little bit of romance, that sort of thing.
Spoiler
Warnings: My comparison to Hunger Games is accurate in one sense, at least. There are children (okay, teenagers) in this series. And adults too, of course. These people are used as soldiers for what appears to be entertainment. Their deaths are not always easy or quick, but they’re not overly detailed at least.
Apocalypse Five was a fast-paced novel full of so many twists and turns. With every new twist, I thought I had a handle on the situation, that I fully understood what was happening it this world. Only for another twist to come along and further shake my perception of the world. It left me feeling like I had to constantly stay on my toes as I read – waiting for the next big reveal.
I enjoyed reading this novel. I liked how quick the pace was, and while there was a lot of violence in it, it never really felt overly gory or graphic. That’s a hard line to walk on, so I really appreciate it and feel like it deserves to be pointed out.
I’ll admit that it took me a couple of chapters to really get into this book. The first chapter really threw me through a loop. It was great that it started right out in the action, but I had no idea what was happening or who these people were. Once I got farther along I was able to truly understand what I had read, but it did take me a minute.
That being said, once I got past that point it didn’t take long for me to start becoming attached to the characters. And trust me, I tried to say ambivalent about them too – after that introduction (and my comparison to the Hunger Games) I was afraid to become too attached to anybody. So the fact that I did despite all of that says something, I think.
I’m not sure how I feel about the final twist in this book. It’s interesting, and I do look forward to seeing that get developed further. At the same time, it leaves me with more questions than answers. It’s not a cliffhanger, not quite. But it did change the book from feeling complete to making it very clear that there’s a lot more going on that we initially thought. I’ll have to wait and see what is shown in the second novel before I comment on it too much though.
I like that I wasn’t able to predict what was going to happen next. It’s refreshing to not have any clue what is going to happen, even if it is also a little bit stressful – I was constantly concerned about the fate of the five main characters.
I really enjoyed reading Apocalypse Five, and am looking forward to the sequel. The only shame is that I’ll have to wait. I guess that’s the downside to reading a novel the second it comes out (okay, I read it slightly before it came out, but you know what I mean).
For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
hncald78's review
5.0
Holy moly. Rourke continues to astound me with her incredible wit and character depth in each book, regardless of genre. This latest endeavor is absolutely no exception. From beginning to end, the reader will sit white knuckled attempting to winnow what may lie ahead for our characters. Hands down, a fantastic read. Lovers of “The Hunger Games” MUST read this book!
popthebutterfly's review
4.0
Disclaimer: I received this book from NetGalley. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book Series: Book 1 of the Archive of the Fives
Rating: 4/5
Publication Date: February 12, 2019
Genre: YA Sci-Fi Dystopian
Recommended Age: 16+ (some mention of sex, language, death, and gore)
Publisher: Black Spot Books
Pages: 250
Amazon Link
Synopsis: The end of the world is coming. How or when, scientists can't agree upon. For decades, Earth's best line of defense has been a team of young soldiers known as the Apocalypse Five, forced into virtual reality simulations to train for Doom's Day. But, this is no game. Death on the grid is brutally final and calls up the next in a long line of cadets. Stationed aboard the AT-1-NS Starship, the A5 are celebrities thrust into the limelight by a calling they didn't choose. All it takes is one unscheduled mission, showing seventeen-year-old team leader Detroit a harsh and unfathomable reality, to shake the A5's belief in all they thought they knew. After questioning people with the power to destroy them, the team is framed for a crime they didn't commit and marked for death. Now, the hunt is on. Can the Apocalypse Five expose the truth the starship would kill to keep hidden? Or, will their bravery end in a public execution?
Review: I thought this book was pretty good. It’s an amazing dystopian sci-fi book that will make any hardcore dystopian fan happy. I thought the book was very reminiscent of The Hunger Games and Ender’s Game. The characters were all very well developed and personable. The plot was interesting. The pacing was very fast paced and you would easily run through this book in one sitting.
However, I did feel that the way the book told the story was a bit weird. It was really disjointing and it was hard to figure out what was going on. The book took a bit to get into and I feel that it was mostly due to the writing style.
Verdict: An amazing excellent book!
Book Series: Book 1 of the Archive of the Fives
Rating: 4/5
Publication Date: February 12, 2019
Genre: YA Sci-Fi Dystopian
Recommended Age: 16+ (some mention of sex, language, death, and gore)
Publisher: Black Spot Books
Pages: 250
Amazon Link
Synopsis: The end of the world is coming. How or when, scientists can't agree upon. For decades, Earth's best line of defense has been a team of young soldiers known as the Apocalypse Five, forced into virtual reality simulations to train for Doom's Day. But, this is no game. Death on the grid is brutally final and calls up the next in a long line of cadets. Stationed aboard the AT-1-NS Starship, the A5 are celebrities thrust into the limelight by a calling they didn't choose. All it takes is one unscheduled mission, showing seventeen-year-old team leader Detroit a harsh and unfathomable reality, to shake the A5's belief in all they thought they knew. After questioning people with the power to destroy them, the team is framed for a crime they didn't commit and marked for death. Now, the hunt is on. Can the Apocalypse Five expose the truth the starship would kill to keep hidden? Or, will their bravery end in a public execution?
Review: I thought this book was pretty good. It’s an amazing dystopian sci-fi book that will make any hardcore dystopian fan happy. I thought the book was very reminiscent of The Hunger Games and Ender’s Game. The characters were all very well developed and personable. The plot was interesting. The pacing was very fast paced and you would easily run through this book in one sitting.
However, I did feel that the way the book told the story was a bit weird. It was really disjointing and it was hard to figure out what was going on. The book took a bit to get into and I feel that it was mostly due to the writing style.
Verdict: An amazing excellent book!
paperbacksandpinot's review
4.0
Meet the Apocalypse Five, a band of rockstar status soldiers going into deadly battles whilst living a big brother house existence. In a Buffy esque “when one slayer dies another is chosen” world, cadets are nothing but numbers until a calling into the A5 grants them a name, for Detroit and her team, they are the longest running A5 group and have garnered far higher celebrity status than most. The idea that this team are being watched both privately and on the field for the enjoyment of the masses is pretty tough to swallow, and sets the tone that the world we’re seeing has almost forgotten that children as young as 13 are being put in deadly scenarios. What makes that society worse for me is the ghoulish product placement that the team need to find time for whilst fighting for their lives. Yet this is normal and had the impact that for me as a reader, I often had to remind myself of just how young they are. There is a clear influence from the Hunger Games in the early stages of the book and I felt at times that it was struggling to form it’s own identity, but when the tables turn about 1/3 a way in it very much comes into its own.
As far as world building goes, much is left to the imagination as Apocalypse Five is very much story driven. The pace is pretty relentless, so pages about the space station would have detracted from that. Whilst I’m usually a world building girl, I can appreciate why the author chose not to go down that route this time. One thing that this book has is a HUGE twist, you can kind of see it coming not long before the team do, but it turns the entire story on it’s head. It’s a real mic drop moment as the enormity settles. Interestingly the story moves into 2 parallel paths as we also come to understand how the children became part of the space station crew, it’s a point which slowly burns alongside adding some anxiety to the pace.
I found the characters pretty interesting, It could be easy to be flippant about their depth, but these are children who have grown with very little nurturing and ability to explore their emotions. Their days are spent watching others die and waiting to hear if it would be their turn next, that’s going to stunt anyone. I think it was a brave move to have these characters very shut down, with only false bravado for the camera’s where they know they are wanted. Their use of different coping strategies is actually a little heartbreaking when you have a 17 year old alcoholic and a 13 year old obsessed with old movies of a happier time. I realise that I am painting them as a sad bunch – but their friendship is rock solid and that’s what makes them endearing and a formidable team.
Unfortunately the author painted herself into a difficult corner, in that the premise and the twist are so intrinsically linked that for the first 3rd of the book, I’m sorry to say, I was pretty baffled by what the wider arc was. I don’t mind books that hit the ground running but it needs to be quickly backed up with context, otherwise the narrative stutters. It becomes clear why it had to be that way as the story continues, but it did mean that I struggled to get into an early flow. At one point I thought my ebook had started beyond a prologue so I stopped and went back… this was quick a big issue for me so I’ve reduced the rating down accordingly.
Apocalypse Five is a fast paced read with a real cinematic feel, Detroit walking along a rocket launcher decimated beach described as looking like a goddess of chaos and war, was one of my favourite lines – and gives you an idea of the scale. It has plenty of feels without being sappy and is thought provoking without even realising. I initially thought this was a standalone but those last lines will want you clamouring for book 2!
4*
As far as world building goes, much is left to the imagination as Apocalypse Five is very much story driven. The pace is pretty relentless, so pages about the space station would have detracted from that. Whilst I’m usually a world building girl, I can appreciate why the author chose not to go down that route this time. One thing that this book has is a HUGE twist, you can kind of see it coming not long before the team do, but it turns the entire story on it’s head. It’s a real mic drop moment as the enormity settles. Interestingly the story moves into 2 parallel paths as we also come to understand how the children became part of the space station crew, it’s a point which slowly burns alongside adding some anxiety to the pace.
I found the characters pretty interesting, It could be easy to be flippant about their depth, but these are children who have grown with very little nurturing and ability to explore their emotions. Their days are spent watching others die and waiting to hear if it would be their turn next, that’s going to stunt anyone. I think it was a brave move to have these characters very shut down, with only false bravado for the camera’s where they know they are wanted. Their use of different coping strategies is actually a little heartbreaking when you have a 17 year old alcoholic and a 13 year old obsessed with old movies of a happier time. I realise that I am painting them as a sad bunch – but their friendship is rock solid and that’s what makes them endearing and a formidable team.
Unfortunately the author painted herself into a difficult corner, in that the premise and the twist are so intrinsically linked that for the first 3rd of the book, I’m sorry to say, I was pretty baffled by what the wider arc was. I don’t mind books that hit the ground running but it needs to be quickly backed up with context, otherwise the narrative stutters. It becomes clear why it had to be that way as the story continues, but it did mean that I struggled to get into an early flow. At one point I thought my ebook had started beyond a prologue so I stopped and went back… this was quick a big issue for me so I’ve reduced the rating down accordingly.
Apocalypse Five is a fast paced read with a real cinematic feel, Detroit walking along a rocket launcher decimated beach described as looking like a goddess of chaos and war, was one of my favourite lines – and gives you an idea of the scale. It has plenty of feels without being sappy and is thought provoking without even realising. I initially thought this was a standalone but those last lines will want you clamouring for book 2!
4*
betweentheshelves's review
4.0
Read this and more bookish posts at between-the-shelves.com!
I received a copy of this book to review from Net Galley and Black Spot Books.
For a long time, we’ve known the end of the world is coming. The rate at which humanity has used Earth’s resources means relocation. Specifically, to space. Enter the Apocalypse Five (or A5). They are an elite group of soldiers trained to deal with any and all apocalypse scenarios. Every day, they’re put into a different mission that will help them to better save humanity when that day eventually comes.
However, things aren’t quite what they seem. When Detroit, the team leader, is sent on a mission that exposes the reality of the people of Earth, she wants to do something about it. Instead, they’re framed for a crime and sentenced to death. Now, they find themselves on the run from the government. To escape, they have to expose the truth. But will they be able to do it in time?
Obviously, my interest was peaked because it’s a dystopia. It feels like it’s a been a while since I read one of those. The premise peaked my interest too; I am happy to say that I definitely wasn’t disappointed in this book.
At first, it takes a bit to acclimate to the world that Rourke built for the A5. We get a little bit of info in the prologue, but then we jump to the future. While I was a bit confused in the beginning, more information was given the further you got into the book, so at about halfway, I felt that I had a good grip on this new, futuristic world.
The best thing about this book was probably the concept. I liked the idea that we’re training this group of people to help fight off the impending apocalypse. It takes the age old concept of “the chosen one” to a whole new level. Where people like Katniss are kind of chosen by circumstance, the A5 are literally hand-picked to be the ones that fight whatever disaster comes next. And I want to see more from them!
One of the themes in the book is about exposing truth and that things are often not what they seem. I don’t want to give too much away, but the theme encourages readers to think critically about what those in power are telling you. And what an important time in history to promote those ideals.
Like the blurb for this book says, if you’re a fan of The Hunger Games, you’ll definitely enjoy this book.
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Once I got into this, I couldn't put it down! Full review to come later.
I received a copy of this book to review from Net Galley and Black Spot Books.
For a long time, we’ve known the end of the world is coming. The rate at which humanity has used Earth’s resources means relocation. Specifically, to space. Enter the Apocalypse Five (or A5). They are an elite group of soldiers trained to deal with any and all apocalypse scenarios. Every day, they’re put into a different mission that will help them to better save humanity when that day eventually comes.
However, things aren’t quite what they seem. When Detroit, the team leader, is sent on a mission that exposes the reality of the people of Earth, she wants to do something about it. Instead, they’re framed for a crime and sentenced to death. Now, they find themselves on the run from the government. To escape, they have to expose the truth. But will they be able to do it in time?
Obviously, my interest was peaked because it’s a dystopia. It feels like it’s a been a while since I read one of those. The premise peaked my interest too; I am happy to say that I definitely wasn’t disappointed in this book.
At first, it takes a bit to acclimate to the world that Rourke built for the A5. We get a little bit of info in the prologue, but then we jump to the future. While I was a bit confused in the beginning, more information was given the further you got into the book, so at about halfway, I felt that I had a good grip on this new, futuristic world.
The best thing about this book was probably the concept. I liked the idea that we’re training this group of people to help fight off the impending apocalypse. It takes the age old concept of “the chosen one” to a whole new level. Where people like Katniss are kind of chosen by circumstance, the A5 are literally hand-picked to be the ones that fight whatever disaster comes next. And I want to see more from them!
One of the themes in the book is about exposing truth and that things are often not what they seem. I don’t want to give too much away, but the theme encourages readers to think critically about what those in power are telling you. And what an important time in history to promote those ideals.
Like the blurb for this book says, if you’re a fan of The Hunger Games, you’ll definitely enjoy this book.
Follow me!
Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
-----------
Once I got into this, I couldn't put it down! Full review to come later.