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gloriakitchens's review against another edition
3.0
(3.5)
I'm so ready for HRRB.
This book kind of stretched out some parts unnecessarily but it picked up a lot when it needed to. For some reason, I thought this book was going to be much darker, more realistic. But, the whole chip thing made it too fantastical for the world that was being created. I'll think about reading the 2nd book.
I'm so ready for HRRB.
This book kind of stretched out some parts unnecessarily but it picked up a lot when it needed to. For some reason, I thought this book was going to be much darker, more realistic. But, the whole chip thing made it too fantastical for the world that was being created. I'll think about reading the 2nd book.
bookph1le's review against another edition
4.0
Brutal and not for the faint of heart, this book never lets up and amazed me in about a million different ways. More complete review to come.
katykelly's review against another edition
4.0
A bit of a thriller, some action and violence thrown in, global conspiracy and military sadism. For teenagers.
Pretty good stuff. Carl is an orphan and forever in trouble. He can't stop himself sticking up for victims against the bullies, using his impressive boxing prowess to turn the tables. But finally the justice system sends him for rehabilitation on Phoenix Island, designed as a boot camp for teenagers who've not responded to other punishments.
But it all it seems?
As I said at the start, there is boot camp action, but the plot twists to something else, and does get pretty violent and dark at times. There's a little bit of a Lord of the Flies similarity, but it's mostly a different beast.
I enjoyed it, was impressed that though a few of the usual 'lucky coincidences' happen, Dixon isn't afraid to kill characters off and move on.
The story moves along quickly and will make a great read for teenage boys. There's only one female character and she plays a small but important role.
It's a book about a young man trying to work out who he really wants to be, and is well enough written to hold interest and sound like real young people talking and thinking.
Review of a Netgalley advance copy
Pretty good stuff. Carl is an orphan and forever in trouble. He can't stop himself sticking up for victims against the bullies, using his impressive boxing prowess to turn the tables. But finally the justice system sends him for rehabilitation on Phoenix Island, designed as a boot camp for teenagers who've not responded to other punishments.
But it all it seems?
As I said at the start, there is boot camp action, but the plot twists to something else, and does get pretty violent and dark at times. There's a little bit of a Lord of the Flies similarity, but it's mostly a different beast.
I enjoyed it, was impressed that though a few of the usual 'lucky coincidences' happen, Dixon isn't afraid to kill characters off and move on.
The story moves along quickly and will make a great read for teenage boys. There's only one female character and she plays a small but important role.
It's a book about a young man trying to work out who he really wants to be, and is well enough written to hold interest and sound like real young people talking and thinking.
Review of a Netgalley advance copy
7seventythree3's review against another edition
5.0
Lots of action
I really enjoyed that this author didn't shy away from action, mystery, and personal struggle. Most of all I like that it was a boot camp prison but the language was clean.
I really enjoyed that this author didn't shy away from action, mystery, and personal struggle. Most of all I like that it was a boot camp prison but the language was clean.
mundie_grace's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
kdurham2's review against another edition
3.0
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
Carl Freeman has not had an easy moment in his life from losing his parents at an early age to bouncing around the foster care system because he just can't help sticking up for those being bullied - but was something bigger in the works?
Carl was a character that from the beginning I grew to love and fight for - I wanted what was best for him. I loved the different characters beyond Carl, they were all crafted so perfectly to revolve around him and the struggles that he was facing. The concept of this far away camp that raises boys to be mercenaries isn't far from reality in parts of the world and it was hard at times to read and realize that thought.
Carl Freeman has not had an easy moment in his life from losing his parents at an early age to bouncing around the foster care system because he just can't help sticking up for those being bullied - but was something bigger in the works?
Carl was a character that from the beginning I grew to love and fight for - I wanted what was best for him. I loved the different characters beyond Carl, they were all crafted so perfectly to revolve around him and the struggles that he was facing. The concept of this far away camp that raises boys to be mercenaries isn't far from reality in parts of the world and it was hard at times to read and realize that thought.
missjessie182's review against another edition
4.0
Phoenix Island by John Dixon
We meet 16 year old Carl Freeman; a boxing champ and Orphan. Carl is the one person to stick up for the kids who are bullied. He wants to do what is right just like his father, but most of the time he goes too far and gets in real trouble. After taking out the whole football team in the new town he is in, The Judge takes him away from the foster home and sends him to Phoenix Island a “Military like Boot Camp”. After a few minutes on the island Carl and the other recruits discover that it’s not what it seems to be and hold more secrets. Carl and the others may have to fight for their lives.
I was really excited to read this book, knowing that the new CBS TV Show Intelligence is based off it. Intelligence was/is one of my must watch new shows of this year so I jumped at reviewing this book.
I liked it a great deal, it was everything you want in an action/ thriller, kept you guessing and on the edge of your seat the whole time. Fasted pact and dark at all the right moments. I loved the Lord of the Files feel it had, because it is one of my favorites, as well as the Mad Science overtones.
With every Twist and turn in this book you will never see anything coming. I loved that I couldn’t guess what was going to happen next because I hate being able to guess what is coming.
I am giving this book 4 out of 5 stars.
From Watching Intelligence on CBS, I don’t see the book in the show, but I hope to keep watching for it. I loved the book and would love to see more of the book in the show.
This is John Dixon Debut novel and I can’t wait for more from him.
Type: Series (Book One)
Publication Date: January 7th 2014
Genre: Young Adult, Thriller, Science Fiction
Rating: 4/5 Stars
We meet 16 year old Carl Freeman; a boxing champ and Orphan. Carl is the one person to stick up for the kids who are bullied. He wants to do what is right just like his father, but most of the time he goes too far and gets in real trouble. After taking out the whole football team in the new town he is in, The Judge takes him away from the foster home and sends him to Phoenix Island a “Military like Boot Camp”. After a few minutes on the island Carl and the other recruits discover that it’s not what it seems to be and hold more secrets. Carl and the others may have to fight for their lives.
I was really excited to read this book, knowing that the new CBS TV Show Intelligence is based off it. Intelligence was/is one of my must watch new shows of this year so I jumped at reviewing this book.
I liked it a great deal, it was everything you want in an action/ thriller, kept you guessing and on the edge of your seat the whole time. Fasted pact and dark at all the right moments. I loved the Lord of the Files feel it had, because it is one of my favorites, as well as the Mad Science overtones.
With every Twist and turn in this book you will never see anything coming. I loved that I couldn’t guess what was going to happen next because I hate being able to guess what is coming.
I am giving this book 4 out of 5 stars.
From Watching Intelligence on CBS, I don’t see the book in the show, but I hope to keep watching for it. I loved the book and would love to see more of the book in the show.
This is John Dixon Debut novel and I can’t wait for more from him.
Type: Series (Book One)
Publication Date: January 7th 2014
Genre: Young Adult, Thriller, Science Fiction
Rating: 4/5 Stars
colorfulleo92's review against another edition
4.0
This was a hard book to read as it could both have been a 3.5 star read and a 5 star read. It's a lord of the flies kind of story and was in many parts very intriguing and I got really invested. Some parts however didn't quite pull me in and the info dump part in the middle or so was quite annoying. It started very good but then felt like the info just kept going on and on. Not my cup of tea but I can understand it had a purpose. But overall I quite enjoyed the story and want to read the next one
ericbuscemi's review against another edition
3.0
I read this after seeing it was the basis of the upcoming sci-fi thriller show Intelligence, about which Wikipedia told me:
Over the course of reading, I realized this to be a spiritual prequel to the show, which made everything make more sense, and also leads me to wonder if, like Josh Holloway's last big television show, this show will also have flashback sequences, in this case to Phoenix Island.
As for the book specifically, the island has a little bit of a [b:Lord of the Flies|7624|Lord of the Flies|William Golding|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1327869409s/7624.jpg|2766512] feel, or for a more modern parallel, a bit of [b:The Hunger Games|2767052|The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games #1)|Suzanne Collins|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1358275334s/2767052.jpg|2792775]. But unlike those two books, here the goal wasn't wanton violence against the children, it was just a side effect. Phoenix Island was more focused on honing the children into pseudo-soldiers, as in [b:Ender's Game|375802|Ender's Game (The Ender Quintet, #1)|Orson Scott Card|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1382758849s/375802.jpg|2422333]. Of course there is also the mad science aspect, which reads a bit [b:The Island of Dr. Moreau|29981|The Island of Dr. Moreau|H.G. Wells|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1320523623s/29981.jpg|68894]. So yeah, pulling from a lot of different interesting thematic places.
One aside that may only interest me is how the cursing was handled in this young adult novel. Instead of a) pretending these rough characters would not curse, or b) making up fake curse words in place of actual bad language, the author said simply that characters cursed at one another. A simple and elegant solution.
My only other let down in reading this book, other than having the wrong expectations going in, was that despite no mention of serialization, this book leaves off on a cliffhanger, so there has to be at least one sequel coming. I prefer knowing I am not reading a stand-alone book before I get to the last pages.
Full disclosure: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.
In Intelligence, Josh Holloway stars as Gabriel Vaughn, a high-tech intelligence operative enhanced with a super-computer microchip in his brain. With this implant, Gabriel is the first human ever to be connected directly into the global information grid. He can hack into any data center and access key intel in the fight to protect the United States from its enemies. Marg Helgenberger stars as Lillian Strand, the director of the elite government cyber-security agency who supports Gabriel and oversees the unit's missions. Strand assigns Riley Neal (Meghan Ory), a Secret Service agent, to protect Gabriel from outside threats, as well as from his appetite for reckless, unpredictable behavior, and disregard for protocol.With those expectations in my mind, I was confused a bit by the book, which is about Carl Freeman, a sixteen-year-old orphan who is sent to a militaristic prison camp for teenage offenders.
Over the course of reading, I realized this to be a spiritual prequel to the show, which made everything make more sense, and also leads me to wonder if, like Josh Holloway's last big television show, this show will also have flashback sequences, in this case to Phoenix Island.
As for the book specifically, the island has a little bit of a [b:Lord of the Flies|7624|Lord of the Flies|William Golding|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1327869409s/7624.jpg|2766512] feel, or for a more modern parallel, a bit of [b:The Hunger Games|2767052|The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games #1)|Suzanne Collins|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1358275334s/2767052.jpg|2792775]. But unlike those two books, here the goal wasn't wanton violence against the children, it was just a side effect. Phoenix Island was more focused on honing the children into pseudo-soldiers, as in [b:Ender's Game|375802|Ender's Game (The Ender Quintet, #1)|Orson Scott Card|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1382758849s/375802.jpg|2422333]. Of course there is also the mad science aspect, which reads a bit [b:The Island of Dr. Moreau|29981|The Island of Dr. Moreau|H.G. Wells|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1320523623s/29981.jpg|68894]. So yeah, pulling from a lot of different interesting thematic places.
One aside that may only interest me is how the cursing was handled in this young adult novel. Instead of a) pretending these rough characters would not curse, or b) making up fake curse words in place of actual bad language, the author said simply that characters cursed at one another. A simple and elegant solution.
My only other let down in reading this book, other than having the wrong expectations going in, was that despite no mention of serialization, this book leaves off on a cliffhanger, so there has to be at least one sequel coming. I prefer knowing I am not reading a stand-alone book before I get to the last pages.
Full disclosure: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.
trisha_thomas's review against another edition
4.0
"Good morning, orphans."
"Hooah!"
This was a disturbing and violent story. The author did not go lightly with the idea of the boot camp and the brutal tactic used to try to reform these kids. As the entire story slowly spiraled into complete madness, it was almost hard to read.
I will definitely read book 2. For as violent and scary as the story line was, it wasn't completely unrealistic either. There are a lot of "boot camps" off US soil that we have no idea what happens there.
"Hooah!"
This was a disturbing and violent story. The author did not go lightly with the idea of the boot camp and the brutal tactic used to try to reform these kids. As the entire story slowly spiraled into complete madness, it was almost hard to read.
I will definitely read book 2. For as violent and scary as the story line was, it wasn't completely unrealistic either. There are a lot of "boot camps" off US soil that we have no idea what happens there.